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It was a domino affect from what Freya could tell. One mistake on her part had caused the rest of her world to crumble around her in a matter of days. One could hardly recognize the once bright and happy druid girl that now traversed the forest alone and afraid. Her arms wrapped around her thin frame to warm herself as the sun set over the horizon and evening approached. She was so tired and couldn’t understand why all this was happening to her. It played over in her head again and again, the cause of her current sorrows. A death at her own hand. It had been an accident. She hadn’t meant to kill him but she had been so frightened and she was sure that he was going to kill her if she hadn’t done something. The spell had misfired and what had been an attempt to knock him out had caused his death instead. Never had Freya killed before, especially not using magic and it shook her a great deal. But that trauma was nothing compared to the punishment she had been given for her crime.

While Freya knew not whether her attacker had magic, she later found out that his mother, who had loved her son deeply, had magic and wasn’t afraid to use it for revenge. She didn’t know how the old woman had known that it was Freya who had caused his death because Freya didn’t remember seeing anyone there after it had happened but regardless of how, the old woman had known and felt that his death was wrong and that Freya had had no right to defend herself. It was a biased view of course, of course the woman would overlook the fact that her son had attacked Freya. He was her son after all but there was no forgiveness for his killer regardless of the circumstances. She had decided to make her pay and pay she did.

A bastet. Freya had never even heard of such a thing but the night that she became one, she found out just how terrible the creature was. Its blood lust was something she had never felt before in her life and the feeling that she couldn’t control it made it all the worse. Her first night as a bastet had happened two nights ago and Freya had begged the druids for their help in taking away the curse but it was powerful magic and they could not. The second night Freya had killed one of the druids, she hadn’t meant to but she couldn’t stop herself. The young boy’s death had been a tragedy and the fact that it was known that Freya would change each night and kill without being able to stop herself meant that despite it going against what the druids believed in, they had to turn Freya away. It was the hardest thing in the world for Freya to walk away from the home she had known for so long, leaving behind what she had considered to be her family and go out on her own with the knowledge that she was nothing more than a monster now.

She now wandered around alone and cold, dreading the night that approached because she knew what it meant for her. Thankfully she had put distance between herself and the druids so that they would hopefully be safe from the bastet’s thirst for blood. She just had to hope that tonight the bastet would go hungry. Resting against one of the trees, Freya took a breath. Brushing her hair back from her face, the poor druid girl began to cry. Cursed to kill forever now. That was what the woman had said and so far it seemed true enough. How long would she be able to endure this? Maybe she could find someone to help her. The druids hadn’t been able to do it but surely there were others that could. Others that would take pity on Freya. She had to hope that it was true because she wouldn’t last long without any hope.

It is often said that when one does something a number of times that it becomes a pattern and with that pattern it normally becomes easier, such as practicing a sword or using magic. But that was not the case with Freya. It didn’t matter that it happened every night nor that it had been happening for a while, every night felt like the first. It never got any easier or less painful. Resting in an unknown forest somewhere in Albion, Freya looked up at the lunar sphere that hung so brightly in the sky, surrounded by beautiful dots of stars that made up the celestial bodies. The night had often lost it’s beauty to Freya since she had been cursed, she had gone from loving the cool night air on her skin and the beauty of the night sky to dreading when night approached. Even still, as the dark haired druidess sat on the green hillside, awaiting the moment when her transformation would begin, she couldn’t help but love the sight above her. There was no peace for her, not now anyway but this was the closest that she would get to some semblance of peace.

It was her hope that in hiding herself away in forests that the risk of ending a human’s life would lessen. The bastet’s thirst for blood and death was savage and it wasn’t often that she went without a kill of some sort but it was better to be an unfortunate creature of the forest than an innocent human that knew nothing of her presence. The moments seemed to tick by and with each moment passing, her heart beat faster. She could feel it. Her heart racing, her blood boiling. She could almost feel the instant midnight struck and the pain hit hard. Freya cried out in pain as her whole body lurched forward. How she wished she could fight the change, make it stop but that was a wish that would never be granted. As always, the pain was intense as her bones shifted within her body. She had known that her change would happen and to spare the little clothing that she had, she had set them aside before the change had begun. Her cries of pain were soon replaced with a beastial growl, fur sprouting all over her body and fangs growing over her lips. Hands and feet became claws that were quipped with razor sharp claws and the final ‘gift’ her transformation had was wings that sprouted from her back.

Freya was pushed into the back of the beast’s mind and thus another night of agony began for the poor cursed druid. With each night that she became this terrible beast, a little piece of Freya died. It was destroying her, which was exactly what the woman had wanted when she cursed Freya. How could she have been so heartless? Yes, a mother’s loss was terrible but how could she choose such a terrible punishment for such an innocent and beautiful soul? It was maddening to allow such a thing to remain constantly on her mind but that also had been the old woman’s aim, to never allow Freya a moments peace, never allow her to forget the event that had stolen her entire life. And she didn’t. It remained with Freya always.

Growling, the creature ran forward quickly and in an instant it was airborne, searching for prey. Freya wished that she was not aware of what she did when she was in this form, she wished that the beast would take over fully and she would wake with no memory of what she had done but that was not how it was for her. She saw everything. Heard everything. Felt every agonizing moment as this monster. The air whipped against the bastet’s furred face as it searched for something to attack. It ached for carnage and would settle for nothing less.

It was hard to say just how long the creature had been flying nor did Freya know where she was. It felt as though she had been flying for hours but time seemed to pass strangely when she was trapped in this form. Something caught the bastet’s attention and in an instant the creature moved to land not far from where there seemed to be a commotion going on. Prowling not far off, the bastet crouched low and waited for an opportune time to attack something.

So many had passed the cage that the girl had been sitting in and no one had really given her so much as a second glance and if they did, there was judgment in their eyes which was almost as bad as no one looking at her at all. It was well deserved of course, even if they didn’t know what she had done or what she could do. Despairing, that was what she was doing at this point because really, there was no hope. She didn’t deserve it. All that she had done, this was her fated end and she knew it. It hurt and frightened her but perhaps death really was a release. Still, she was so young, how could she die without having really lived? The sound of someone approaching had taken her tired mind off these thoughts. The boy from before had returned but what was he doing there? His friend had told him already to stay away, warning him of the danger a bounty hunter entailed…

Freya’s eyes widened and she drew back further into the corner of the cage in fear. “Magic.” She whispered softly as she watched him. He had used magic. He had come to help her, whoever he was but the fact that magic had gotten her into this situation in the first place, she couldn’t exactly bring herself to trust it that much nor those who used it. “It’s alright, I’ll get you out of here” He sounded sincere. He was risking a lot doing this for her and she didn’t understand why he was doing it in the first place. He owed her nothing. Even still, she didn’t pull back when he lifted the cuffs that bound her wrists, watching him closely as he whispered old words, his eyes glowing for a moment before the chains fell from her wrists. She was free! It felt like forever since she had been free.

Not like she had time to savor her freedom of course. They had to move quickly or Halig would catch them both. Freya didn’t want to be the reason for him to be killed for using magic. Her heart was racing as she moved to the cage door and allowed Merlin to help her down before they moved to the side of the cage. It seemed that luck was not on their side because moments later the door to the Inn opened and Halig stepped out. He didn’t see her or Merlin just yet but it wasn’t long before he noticed the empty cage. His eyes widened and he began looking around frantically, his sword being drawn. She felt as trapped now as she did in the cage, they were going to be caught and the boy would join her in the cage and on the pyre if they were caught.

Watching him look around was terrifying and a few times Freya pondered running for it and giving the boy a chance to escape. But that wasn’t necessary as Merlin had done something to make a sign fall and hit the man on the head, thereby giving them a chance to run for it without Halig being able to catch up with them. There were guards coming in one direction and so Merlin led her down some side steps.

Freya followed Merlin closely, not knowing where she was going but hoping at the same time that he did know. She just wanted to be free, was that too much to ask for? She didn’t think it was. But with freedom came a price. She now was free from the cage but the curse remained. Was her freedom worth the lives of others?

If only Freya had known not to go out of the woods, not that she knew crossing the boarder was a crime or even knew that she was doing it but if only she had known then what was about to happen could have been prevented. The sound of thunder drawing closer seemed to push Freya to try and find some form of shelter faster, she didn’t want to be caught in the storm. It hadn’t been long that she had reached the main road when she felt the light raindrops on her skin and she sighed. Well at least it was light for now. The air was warm but the rain was cold, never a good combination from what she knew and given her weak state at the time, getting sick might very well be the end of her. What a way to go. Not that anyone would notice her gone, no one would mourn her when she finally died. It was a sad existence she led but she continued it on the hope that the curse would somehow be broken and she would be able to live a different life. Perhaps it was a vain hope since curses were tricky things, why else would the druids have turned her away? They had given up on her. Her own family…

It hurt to remember. So why was she remembering it? She didn’t want to remember that pain and hurt of being turned away by those she had come to think of as her family. They had taken her in when her own parents had died so how could they have done that to her? Of course she knew why, she was a killer who couldn’t control herself, how was it fair to put them in such danger? It wasn’t. But that didn’t numb the pain she felt inside.

The feeling of being watched caused Freya to pull back from her morbid thoughts and back into reality. The rain was a bit heavier now as she moved. She glanced behind her, her heart starting to race faster when she noticed people off in the distance. They weren’t that far off really and while she had no idea of their intentions, the way they looked at her frightened her. Ruffians that wished to hurt her? She had nothing of value for them to steal and given her appearance, that was more than obvious so why would they follow her? Her first reaction was to run away, keep away from them. She had some distance on them but not much, could she escape them? Fear ran through her, giving a boost to her running as she fled in the opposite direction that Cenred and his men were coming. Perhaps Cenred had wished Freya to see him or maybe he didn’t, either way her fleeing didn’t matter cause he had his men coming towards her from the other side as well, cutting off her exit. She was in serious danger and had no way of escape.

Thing was, Cenred really had no idea what he was getting into, wanting to catch Freya. He really was taking on more than he could handle with the cursed druidess, not that he’d believe her even if she told him. She wouldn’t beg because that would incite him further to do what he most likely already planned on doing. All she could do was run and hope she escaped.

Always moving. Freya was always on the move. She couldn’t stop. It was not by choice that she continued to roam all of Albion but rather because of a dangerous curse that had been laid upon her a long time ago. It was sad that Freya couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been afraid of herself, when she had been normal. How she wished that she could undo the deed that had caused her to live in the forests like an animal but given what it had been, she wouldn’t be alive to do anything at all. It had been self-defense, nothing more. She hadn’t meant to kill him it had been an accident. She had simply been trying to protect herself. How could someone, even with the loss of their child who had been in the wrong, curse a poor girl who hadn’t done anything wrong? It was maddening and there were many nights that Freya would lay awake asking herself that very question.

While Freya had a good sense of direction, the night before had been a particularly nasty one and she had gotten herself lost. Not that she could just ask someone. She wasn’t good around people anymore. They frightened her and while it wasn’t possible, she felt as though they could see all her past bloody deeds by just looking at her. They couldn’t of course but Freya couldn’t help but feel as though they could. Freya couldn’t handle the looks of judgment she received, not because of what she had done but because of her appearance. She looked like nothing more than a mere beggar, her clothes tattered and her face smudged with dirt almost always. Another reason she chose to avoid other people was because the murderous nature of her curse, the animal within her stalked others even whilst being caged within her during the day. What she saw she was certain the bastet saw as well and she didn’t wish to allow herself to get close to someone only to lose them to her curse. That terrified her. Not that she liked attacking complete strangers because she didn’t but there was no attachment then.

Stopping near a stream in the forest that she had found herself lost in, she washed her hands and her face. What looked back at her disgusted her. A monster in the guise of a young girl. That was all she was now.

The main road was not the safest place for Freya, especially since she didn’t know where she even was but it was the quickest way to find out where she was and decide where she would go from there. Once she knew where she was, she’d be able to navigate her way away from civilization while figuring out what she would do for food. The sound of thunder could be heard in the distance, gray clouds gathering overhead. Just what she needed, a rainstorm to completely drench her. She was lucky she hadn’t caught her death with all the running she had been doing. Exiting the forest as she did, she peered around cautiously before taking to the main road. She couldn’t have known that she was in a dangerous place, the Kingdom of Cenred where the King was a cruel tyrant who cared for no one but himself. Not that she would have feared that so much considering what she was capable of doing with and without her curse. All she wanted was to be away from humans and not be a danger to anyone. Was that too much?

Home. She dreamt of her home. The lake in the summer, filled with beauty and light. The scent of the summer breeze seemed to surround her and for a blessed moment, she didn’t feel afraid. So beautiful. If only she could stay but she knew how it was, she knew she couldn’t. She didn’t deserve to taint the beautiful memory with her dark presence. She wasn’t worthy. She was cursed.

Perhaps it was such thoughts that pulled her from the memory of her home and placed her squarely into the cold reality of her existence. Freya awoke alone in what seemed to be a forest. It was without fail, the night before at the stroke of midnight… She had become the creature and the lives she had taken while she was in that terrible form would haunt her forever. It was not as though she had no memory of her killing while she was the bastet, she saw everything and was fully aware of what she was doing but she was unable to stop herself. She had been cruel in her punishment, the mother of the man she had killed. Her heart pounded as she slowly rose to a sitting position, knowing full well what lay just over the hill. Two. She had killed a pair of lovers who had stolen away to be with one another. She had stalked them for quite sometime, the beast so loved to stalk its prey before it made the kill. Didn’t even eat the corpses, it was all a game to the bastet and that was what killed Freya deep down.

Dare she look? No, she didn’t need to see their mangled bodies; the look of horror on their faces was engrained into her mind for what may be all time so she did not have any need to see it again. Instead she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled somewhat to the edge of the forest as she was not too far from it. The stench of death pervaded the air like a pungent odor; it wouldn’t be too long before the bodies were discovered along with her footprints, always the clearest indication that it was no mere beast that had done it but rather a creature of magic. A bastet. A monster.

She had to keep moving because she was certain that not too far behind her was the relentless bounty hunter Halig. She had crossed paths with him before and the dangerous man seemed to be intent on capturing her and taking her to Camelot. She knew why of course. There was very few that did not know of the King’s hatred for magic and while before she had been cursed by the sorcereress she had used magic, she too feared magic for what it could do. It was not as gentle as it seemed when she had been with the druids, it had a dangerous side that had taken over her life and stolen any chance of ever being normal. Always on the move, always looking over her shoulder. What sort of life was that for a young girl who was still so young?

Hunger. She felt that first and foremost. She had to eat to keep up her strength. Running on an empty stomach wasn’t the safest thing in the world. Still, venturing into the village that lay just beyond the forest didn’t seem very safe for her either. The two she had killed had been from that village and when they found the bodies, they would seek outsiders and if she was caught amongst them when that happened… She couldn’t face being taken by Halig, she just couldn’t. The grumbling of her stomach caused her decision to be made. She would venture into the village but she would keep to herself. Looking down at her appearance, she sighed somewhat. She looked like a poor beggar, her clothing tattered and her hair in disarray. Pulling a leaf from her ebony hair, Freya made her way into the village, her eyes down on the ground as she was unable to meet anyone’s gaze. With each step she took, her heart seemed to race more and more. She was always like this, always living in fear that she would be recognized from one of the other villages she had been chased out of. So far so good.

Freya did a combination of sticking to the shadows and trying to remain inconspicuous. Not an easy combination to say the least. She would feel a chill run up and down her spine when someone would look at her, resisting the urge to freeze in fear. Having no money meant that Freya had to resort to stealing in order to eat. She knew it was wrong and she wasn’t proud of it but one did what they had to to survive and Freya was no exception. She had made it to the market where it bustled with life. She couldn’t have known that she was in the presence of visiting royalty. Had Freya known that the song of the magic-hater was present than she would have left right away. The sounds and smells of the marketplace were somewhat relaxing but the druid girl wasn’t able to relax, not ever. Instead her eyes sought out something small and hopefully unnoticeable to take.

Her dark eyes fell upon a small booth filled with freshly picked fruit. It smelled divine and she could not help looking at the strawberries that seemed to call to her. How long had it been since she had tasted such sweetness? She could not remember. Instead of wasting time thinking back, she casually walked over to the stall and waited for the vendor to speak with someone before she quickly grabbed three strawberries. Unfortunately she wasn’t quick enough and a rough hand grabbed hold of her wrist. “No one steals from me.” He snarled in her face.

Eyes wide, the girl pulled back, trying to get away. She dropped all but one strawberry at this point and somehow she was able to slip from his grasp. She had to run! And run she did but whilst looking over her shoulder, she was unable to see those in front of her and she crashed right into Arthur from behind and fell to the ground with the angry vendor not too far behind them.