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It’s all about power and taking control

A frog. If only… That being said, turning Cenred into a frog would be an insult to all frogs everywhere and they had never done anything wrong to Catalina. Being tackled from behind definitely threw a person off in more ways than one. She had almost been to the forest, so close and yet so far as she lay on the ground. She had struck her head against the ground when she went down and had blacked out for a few moments, blood slipped down the side of her face from the small gash over her left brow. What a low blow… She had done nothing wrong except try to escape danger, why did it matter that she had crossed the boarder? It was for supplies for her people. Still, this simply proved that she had been right in her fear though strangely enough it had only been her and not her people that had been in immediate danger. Figured…

It didn’t take her long to regain consciousness and by the time she opened her eyes, Cenred had gotten up and was now holding her at sword-point. How lovely to see when she opened her eyes. A reminder of the trouble she was actually in. She wouldn’t beg or plead for her life because King Cenred was not the sort that would grant mercy and seeing her beg would most likely be something that would give him great satisfaction and she would afford him no such pleasure. Her head ached as she lay there, unmoving and unsure what her fate would be. He didn’t want to kill her; she knew that because if he had wanted her dead she would be already, that was a fact. She figured that she knew why as well, because she had used magic and that interested him. If the thought that would do anything for him, he was as crazy as he was unmerciful and cruel. As for an excuse, she offered none because she had none.

“That was the wrong choice.” Coming here as a whole had been the wrong choice but she could hardly take it back now. Cat was unable to resist as his guards came and roughly picked her up off the ground. Their grip would surely leave bruises on her fair skin but saying something would probably make them be rougher. She ached all over and had the guards not been holding onto her, she might have fallen due to her dizziness. What now? She glared icy daggers at Cenred as he spoke; she hated how he said ‘what’ she was. She was no different than any one else really; sure she had magic and was able to use it but that was because of her upbringing. She was human like the guards that held her were. She would hardly call Cenred human, considering his reputation and how he was treating her now, not a chance.

In trouble.. Yeah she was in trouble. That was obvious. Not like she needed him to remind her but he most likely was enjoying her distress. Arrogant bastard that he was… She peered over her shoulder at the forest, hoping that her people took notice her predicament but she couldn’t know as she stood there. Her Uncle would look for her if she was gone long but would she still be there or would Cenred have already killed her? Always the pessimistic type, Catalina couldn’t help but think of various things he could do to her and there wouldn’t be anything she could do until she was able to better focus her mind. Working magic required energy and a clear head and she had neither at this moment. “I’ve done nothing wrong and these actions against me are nothing short of barbaric.” She finally spoke, her voice betraying her fear despite her attempt at masking it. “What do you intend on doing with me?” She just needed time to rest and regain her energy and than she would be able to use her magic but would she have any time?

Keep talking but it makes no sense

The fear of those who pursued her was slowly beginning to wane the further she lost herself into the forest. She was in her territory; her element and these men were not. They were city folk, not used to the forest as she was which was an advantage all her own. It had all been lies, she had never stolen anything because that wasn’t something she’d do unless she was starving and even then she’d hesitate. She couldn’t deny using magic though she had certainly not used it in public, she was hardly as foolish as that but those men had simply wished to see her burned or hanged because she had spurned their advances. It wasn’t her fault that she found neither one of them the type she wished to show interest in and given the lusty looks they both had had in their eyes, her compliance wasn’t exactly a necessary thing either. Would they even take her to the Palace to be tried if they had been able to catch her or would they have chosen to do unspeakable things to her in the forest? It was a frightening thought to entertain and it only hastened her pace.

She wasn’t exactly sure how long she had been running before she realized that she was no longer being chased. Her heart raced and for a moment she felt as though she may collapse, her lungs burning. She feared that it was some kind of trap that they were trying to lead her into. Trying to make her slow down but there really seemed to be no one behind her. Could she take a moment to rest? There really was no question to that, she had to rest or she would pass out and then what would happen to her? She slowed her pace and took a few slow much needed breaths. Gods how her chest hurt… Still, she’d rather be exhausted and unscathed, she just had to hope it stayed that way.

One crisis averted, now all she had to do was find her encampment and fully rest because she wouldn’t feel right until she did. Her head was aching and she still was shaking as she began to walk towards the direction of her encampment, not knowing that there was someone else in the forest who was not of her people. She had taken to a swift run as she drew closer; still peering over her shoulder for fear that her earlier assailants were still around, biding their time. She was somewhat paranoid but she was sure that all would be well when she finally reached her camp. Her Uncle’s presence always made her feel so much safer.

Peering over her shoulder yet again as she had heard something behind her, she hadn’t noticed Vaughn up ahead until she practically ran into him. She squeaked in surprise and jumped back, fearful that someone she had been caught by the guards but it was not them who now stood in her way. He was unfamiliar, a dark looking man with an unfamiliar seal but she knew the look of a Knight when she saw one. Had she escaped one form of danger just to stumble across another? She really needed to stop going out on her own, she seemed to be a magnet for trouble. He was a handsome fellow, very dark looking as well as frightening. Not the sort of person one would want to meet alone in the forest. Still, aside from his sudden appearance, perhaps she was judging him too quickly and too harshly.

Or not… Catalina clearly saw the ways his eyes seemed to look over her body in a very uncomfortable way. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, not one bit. It made her take an unconscious step back away from him. A faint pink blushed stained her cheeks as she looked away, clearly embarrassed and unsure of the situation. She should be leaving but she had a feeling that he would not allow that, not yet. While yes, he could easily overpower her in terms of physical strength; to believe that she was all but helpless would prove to be a dangerous mistake on his part. His playful question brought her back to the situation at hand and she took another small step back, trying her best to show no fear. “I am in no hurry...” She said quickly though her labored breathing even now would show her intent at deception. “But I should be going.” She hurried to try and move around him, not wanting to be around a man who leers at her in such a way. The further away she was from all of this, the better she’d feel.

Never been so many and we've never been so alone

It seemed that Arthur was a man of few words. Either that or he was simply being stubbornly silent because he was in pain and shock and perhaps just didn’t know what to say to the woman who had put him there in the first place. Yet again, she had explained that it had been an accident but that most likely wasn’t going to be enough. For now it was but when he discovered that shock of pink hair…oh the trouble she was going to be in. She already knew that it was going to fade over time, she didn’t know exactly how much time but she knew it would fade. Surely he was not that into his hair that he would really care that much about it… Ok yeah, that was silly of her to think. Of course he was very appearance-oriented, he was royalty, they lived off their appearances. It was a ridiculous way to go through life but she had seen worse things, like burning people simple because they could do magic, now that was ridiculous. She had offered the cup but deep down she was almost certain that he wouldn’t take it and even if he did, he wouldn’t drink it. He was like his father from what she could see, he hadn’t sentenced her to death yet but it would be foolish considering he was on her turf.

Catalina raised an eyebrow when he took the cup with actual thanks. Was that? Nah it couldn’t be sincerity in his voice. He wasn’t thankful for her help or anything she had done. All he saw was a druid with magic that he couldn’t trust. This made her wonder yet again whether he would have simply turned his back on her if he had known she was a druid before she had been attacked. There was no way she could know either way so there was no real reason to think about it but knowing that he judged her by what she was without knowing her hurt. Well alright he judged her on what she had done as well but come on! At least she had been honest about what had happened. She could have lied and blamed it on someone else or she could have simply let him believe that he had been bested by Bastian and they had both been saved by the druids. Damn…why hadn’t she thought of that before she did the stupid thing and told the truth? Still, none of that would have explained his now colorful hair-do. That was most definitely the toughest explanation really. She said nothing when he thanked her, just shrugged her shoulders.

It was disappointing really; there was no return of sarcasm or banter. Just silence. How boring! Arthur was boring. She wouldn’t show her disappointment but it was most definitely there. Cat should have felt ashamed of herself and her behavior regarding the Prince. No, she owed him no allegiance and there was a large part of her that feared him and his father but that gave her no reason why she would have to treat him with such disrespect. He had done nothing wrong to her personally. Her people yes but not her personally and until he did, she should halt her passive-aggressive attitude towards him. Especially since he had come to her aid when she had been in danger, there was also that to consider. He had put himself at risk for her. Risk… That reminded her. Arthur needed to get his spoilt little arse out of their encampment before guards arrived in search of him. It would take a lot for them to find their encampment since it was well hidden but given Morgana’s disappearance, Uther would most definitely have every inch of Albion scoured endlessly if he thought his son had vanished as well. Leaving the tent at this point, she allowed Arthur to gather his thoughts and make his choice on what he did next.

Leaving her tent, she sought out her Uncle and found him sitting by a campfire, his eyes closed. Prayer. Devotion to the Old Religion and the old ways, that was her Uncle. She felt it may be rude to disturb him but she needed his council. As her Uncle and as her master as well. There were times when she took his wisdom for granted but right now she needed it. Knowing that she was coming his way, Aldriv opened one eye and smiled at his niece, gesturing for her to take a seat. “Have I endangered us Uncle?” She finally asked, finding the words hard to form but a weight off her shoulders when they were finally forced out. She was almost afraid of what he would choose to say since he was honesty incarnate and he would not spin lies just to spare her feelings since it would do no help to her or him.

His silence seemed to speak volumes, her stomach turning with each passing moment where he said nothing. “Every move we make, every choice we have always has a chance to put us at risk Catalina. Just waking this morning could have somehow set off a chain of events that could lead to our demise,” he said sagely. Oh gee, that made her feel sooo much better. It wasn’t until after her Uncle had spoken that she realized she had been holding her breath. “So…anything we do may or may not lead to our eventual death?” She reasoned aloud, finding such a sentiment rather morbid. “You think too much Cat.” He said with a laugh, placing his one hand on her shoulder and gesturing to her tent where the Prince had finally chosen to retreat. “There is much about the future that we are not meant to know. His presence may bring trouble but perhaps not. Perhaps you bringing him here may have saved our people.” Such a thought had never occurred to the druidess as she peered over at Arthur. The smile that this thought had caused fell of course when Arthur made his way over to the water to splash on his face. Oh boy…here it came. She just had to wait for the reaction. Were people able to die of shock? She’d soon find out.

Catalina was shooed away by her Uncle and the other older druids, knowing the commotion that was about to take place as Prince Pinky officially took notice of his colored locks. Woops… Maybe she could hide! He couldn’t yell at her if she was in hiding…could he? Never know till ya tried it? Before she could make for a good hiding place, Arthur had pinpointed her with such a glare that she felt frozen. Lovely. She was in trouble. That seemed to be a common theme anymore. Would the accident excuse work in this case as well? She’d soon find out as he made his way over to her, clearly in great distress over what had happened to his hair. Seriously though, it was really hard to take him seriously with pink hair. He could have had a sword raised, ready to kill her and she still wouldn’t have been able to stop thinking. “He looks like a pink toadstool” to herself. That or ‘aww ain’t he cuuute’ though that would probably infuriate him more to hear. She was supposed to be attempting a friendship here or at least something civil but all she wanted was to antagonize him further.

Folding her arms across her chest, she waited for the Pink Prince to stop in front of her, arching a brow and waiting for the explosion. It wasn’t so much an explosion but he did take quite a tone with her. Did he not realize that he wasn’t in his world now? Still, she came across as somewhat apologetic and sheepish as she smirked. “I’m sorry…I can’t take you seriously with that hair.” She said with a laugh. She had to nerve to laugh right at the Prince. Well most did but not to his face. “It will fade…in time.” Oh way, that was definitely not a way to explain what happened but did she really need to explain? “A spell gone awry if you must know. I was trying to wake you up. There.” Explanation given. “I’m sure your subjects would love to see their new Prince Pinky.” She grinned before turning her back on him and heading towards the edge of the clearing where the encampment resided. She didn’t want to argue with Arthur at all but she surely didn’t want to argue with him in front of others. If he chose to follow her, she would turn and shrug. “I could attempt another spell to make it return to normal but I doubt you’d want that.” She shrugged as she took a seat on a stump. “Listen…I know you’re confused and not exactly trusting us, I don’t blame you considering all that happened today but we aren’t evil nor are we out to get you.”

She couldn’t really say much more than that, though a sly smirk crossed her usually innocent face. “That being said, tell anyone about where this encampment is, anyone at all and your hair will turn pink again and never fade.” She leaned forward a bit and smiled sweetly. “Never.”

It’s all about power and taking control

Well this was just bloody brilliant wasn’t it? One moment she’s mourning the loss of her parents and tearing up as she tried to search for memories that weren’t there and now she was running for her life from King Psycho and his men. Today was turning out to be just peachy… Her reaction to use magic may have been misguided but it was all she could think to do in order to keep herself safe and free from these twisted men. She could only imagine what they wished to do to her and really didn’t want to find out. Her heart beat so fast that she was certain it would burst from her chest as she stumbled to her feet in order to get away while the men sought to free themselves from the mud. She could have killed them but she didn’t want that, she just wanted freedom for herself. They would be very angry, she knew that before she had even cast the spell but why bother caring about their feelings so long as their feelings didn’t involve choking her to death or plunging their weapons into her. (Giggidy)

She could hear them from behind, King Psycho’s order for them to catch her and bring her back to him. Catalina was not going to let that happen if she could help it. She had given herself a bit of a head-start since she had muddied up them lot of them, if she could make it to the forest she’d be safe, she’d be within her Uncle’s telepathic reach and he’d come save her. She just had to make it, she had to! She was quick and had the advantage, surely this meant her success and she had something the Neanderthals didn’t have, magic. She peered behind her and what she saw scared her because they were moving quicker than she thought they would. Underestimating those she was against… she really needed to stop doing that. “áwæcan.” She whispered, her eyes flashing gold before the spell took hold on the two chasing her. Their pace slowed as they began to weaken and tire out. It was another form of her sleep spell, didn’t knock them out completely, not yet anyway but it had the desired effect. With that taken care of, she concentrated on the forest that was just beyond her reach.

Had she not been so confident that she was going to make it, she would have used the spell on Cenred as well but she had no idea he was as close as he was. She was going to make it! She knew it! Or so she thought… It seemed that she had allowed herself to get too cocky too soon because before she got close to the forest edge, she was tackled from behind. The shock it happening was worse than the pain really as well as the fact that she had been so close. She cried out as she was hit and hit the ground hard with a body on top of her. She would have been a great deal more frightened had it not been for the fact that upon impact she was rendered unconscious. The darkness took her quickly and at that very moment, as she lay surrounded by swords, she was at Cenred’s mercy…if he had any mercy within his being.

The nightmare was nothing more than the dark manifestation of what Catalina was certain would someday be her fate. To burn to death as others looked on, indifferent to her screams of pain and death. It was a horrid thought to have and it terrified her to no end but as she peered into the rippling waters that replayed her nightmare to her, she figured that she could either fear it or accept it. Not accept that she would someday burn but rather accept that some things were unable to be changed, such as Uther’s hatred for all things magical and his vindictive need to destroy them all due to his anguish over the loss of his wife. He was a man to be feared and yet to be pitied as well, for he was suffering too but he had no right, regardless of his title, to project his own pain onto others. It wasn’t right nor was it fair. Another tear fell into the waters as she watched her nightmare more intensely. She watched herself walk towards the flames and watched as Uther condemned her to death. Unable to plead or make him see reason, she had continued to walk as though perfectly alright with the sentence despite the inner turmoil she had felt as she neared it.

It ended with her body burning on the pyre, the flames surrounding her, stealing away her life. Lost in the intensity of the nightmare in her bowl, she had not taken notice of the Priestess behind her. Not that she ever believed herself to be truly alone, only a fool would believe such a thing but she hadn’t expected Nimueh to be there. Of course Catalina knew of the Great Nimueh, the powerful Priestess of the Old Religion and a definite enemy of Uther. She had heard many stories of the Witch’s great power and how she used her magic for evil purposes as well. It was for that very reason that Catalina had been warned by Aldriv that she was never to associate with her because she was dangerous and so very different than the peaceful druids. Nimueh wished to revenge against Uther for the crimes against her friends while the druids simply wished to be left alone. As far as the druids were concerned, revenge never made anything right. Death was never the answer.

Also the thought of burning just made her sick anyway. Surely being beheaded had to be more merciful for it was over in an instant while being burned took time and you suffered as it happened.

The young druidess could not help but jump at the sound of the unexpected voice, causing the bowl to slip from her lap and dump onto the ground, the spell ending. For a moment she had thought the voice to be that of her elder sister Samara and was going to ask her why she would sneak up on her like that but upon glancing upwards, she found a dark haired beauty standing there. She should have known that it wasn’t Samara for her sister never had such rage in her voice and this woman did, albeit suppressed but definitely still noticeable. “Makes you oh so scared and angry.” Well it was true that it frightened her deeply but the anger didn’t seem to set in with her. She suppressed that because she felt it was wrong to get angry over things that have happened in the past or things that have not yet happened. Who was this woman? She was so familiar to her and yet she was unsure. She knew magic but she didn’t have the presence of a druid. She had a confidence about her.

It took a while but it finally dawned on her who this woman was as Nimueh asked her question. She stumbled a bit in her wording as she bent down to pick up the overturned bowl off the ground. “I..um…” What was she to do? She had been told not to consort with such a devious and power woman as Nimueh and yet here she was. Why was she there? “It truly is horrid.” She finally found her voice as she rose to her feet to fully regard Nimueh, showing her the respect that she was due. She thought over what Nimueh had said in regards to what a mirror could show, the ‘things that have not yet come to pass’ made her shiver at the possible implications. “I can only hope that the things I saw in my mirror never come to pass.” Her voice was soft and filled with sadness as she looked away for a moment, trying to think on what she could do. Running would be rude and may draw the witch’s wrath upon her, something she did not want. “What can I do the Great Lady Nimueh this eve?” She finally said as she looked back at her.

He smiles politely back at you, you stare politely right on through

Mercia, it was a beautiful land but it could not compare to that of Camelot in Catalina's mind. It was like comparing a sunrise to a sunset, both different but each had their own alluring beauty. Catalina preferred sunrises, seeing the light chasing away the darkness to herald a new day was always a beautiful thing. A new day meant new hope and new opportunities as well as new dangers. Life... a double-edged sword if ever there was one. It was a regular occurrence that her thoughts would resemble that of poetry, especially when she was relaxed and amongst nature as she was at that moment. It was a calm afternoon so far as the druidess wandered through the depths of the forest, the scent of rain in the air was something she so loved. A storm was approaching but she welcomed it.

Catalina had reason for her wanderings. Her little nephew had developed a fever overnight and she worried for him, thus why she was picking herbs in order to create a concoction for him to drink. He was her little angel, she couldn't allow anything to befall him and while it was just a fever for now, it could take a turn for the worst if not handled quickly and efficiently. So she had gone out to collect the correct herbs she needed for her concoction.

Even still, she found the serenity of the forest comforting and it eased her worried mind. Cat knew that worrying would do neither herself nor her nephew any good, so she relaxed for the time being as she bent down every so often to snag an herb here and there. There was always a danger in traveling alone and Catalina had seemed to be the kind of girl who attracted trouble like a moth to the flame but it wouldn't scare her into staying with her camp at all times. She couldn't restrict herself in such a way just because she feared something might happen. As far as she was concerned, things happened for a reason and she had survived this long, though she didn't know how half the time. She had survived attacks from Uther's guards and ruffians seeking to harm her and yet she still drew breath so either she was stronger than she seemed or fate had other things in store for her.

An unforeseen destiny perhaps...

The blonde druidess tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and sighed as she looked around. Every so often she thought she heard something but given the life within the forest, it was not a surprise. She just had to be careful and keep alert, not to be caught unawares as she had been before. She was starting to learn that while she did not have to take another's life in order to protect herself, making it so that they were incapacitated was perfectly acceptable and so she had learned more spells of that nature for her own protection. Better to be safe than sorry.

The clouds gathered overhead slowly but surely, proving that the smell of rain in the air had been right after all. The rain didn't fall yet but it was only a matter of time. Seeing this, she pulled the red hood of her cloak over her head and continued gathering herbs.