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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Jun 21, 2013 13:34:25 GMT -5
The horses were all settled in for the night. Two boarders, six mares, and the two stallions Morock and Kodan. They all chewed idly at their hay or watched quietly as Caitylin passed, their heads low and eyes lazy. All content. And why shouldn’t they be? It was late afternoon. In only a couple hours, the sun would be down and they would be asleep. A part of her envied their ability to just relax, to know that when they closed their eyes they would wake exactly the same as before. She could not imagine what such a luxury would be like.
Plus…sleeping through the whole night? Now that sounded heavenly.
She came to Morock’s stall and the white stallion put his head out and nibbled at her hair like he would do to one of his mares. She pushed his face away from her and smiled at the insult in his eyes. She was the only one he liked, really liked and she couldn’t help but be fond of him for it. If she didn’t have a finite time with which to get sleep, she would’ve stayed with him longer, but if she didn’t go to bed now, she would be dead on her feet in the morning.
The rest of the horses were fine, so Caitylin exited through the back of the barn and made her way into her little apartment out back of the barn. It was a tiny place for a tiny person. Actually, it was just the old office that her boss had halfheartedly converted into living quarters for his “best stable hand.” She didn’t mind though. Most people didn’t even know she lived there, which was just fine with her. The more she stayed under the radar, the better.
Cat flopped onto the old mattress she used for a bed and was instantly asleep. It might have troubled her that as soon as the last ray of sunshine went down below the horizon, her body would shrink and skew until it bore a completely new shape with a foreign mind and unruly thoughts.
As soon as the sun went down, Cat would become a fox.
It was a curse, multigenerational, and a real pain in the ass. She wanted a life, friends, maybe even a family, but this future was not to be. She would pass the curse to any children and, honestly, what husband would want a wife he couldn’t bed down with at night? Foxes were vermin. She was worse.
Just as the last light sank below the horizon, Cat woke to a familiar pain in her spine and within moments, her body had twisted into the lithe form of a small, golden brown vixen. Like it was an everyday occurrence (and indeed it was), the fox slipped through a hole she had chewed in the wall behind the mattress and out behind the pile of wood her human self had stacked to hide her exit. She huffed quickly, deeply, taking in the scents of the night. Her ears swiveled back and forth, searching for any signs of danger. So far, so good.
Now, to go see if the city farmer had left his hen house unlocked…
Sticking to the city wall, Cat trotted straight towards the farmer's place.
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Timing: Sometime season 2
Tag: Merlin
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 13, 2013 20:07:18 GMT -5
Cat showed no reaction to his comment about her being hungry save for a small twitch in her ears. She wasn't actually too hungry, though she was more than willing to take advantage of an opportunity. The instinct to dive for that mouse had been uncontrollable. Actually most of her reactions as a fox were out of her hands. Tonight's control had been the exception, not the rule. She was beginning to realize that, that was because of him, her speaking to him in the way he was talking to her.
She remembered her mother going off in the night, stealing food and money from travelers as a fox. Had she had control like this? Had the lack of her family been what made her slip up? She'd lived in the woods her entire life until she'd met Cat's father. He was actually proud of taking her away from her family. He claimed they were bad influences, that they would've ruined Cat and her mother by teaching them magic. But maybe that was the secret to managing the curse?
Cat decided that she was going to at least give this boy a chance. If she turned him in, he'd be executed and she'd go back to being buried in her own body. She'd be a nobody, a nothing. Cat really hoped she could trust this boy, because she was going to be very sad if she had to have him killed.
Still, she found her eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion when he knelt down. She noted that his hand had slipped into his pocket and tensed slightly. He could easily have a hidden weapon. But she visibly loosened at the scent of the ham from his sandwich. Her mouth started to water as she watched him lean over and place it on the ground.
Telling him to take it back, that she needed it less than he probably did, seemed like the right thing to do, but Cat didn't do that. Instead, she carefully stretched forward, craning her neck as far as it would go without having to step forward. She sniffed from a distance and took a single step, easily snatching up the ham from the middle of the sandwich and recoiling to chew the meat in the relative privacy that the distance between that gave.
She swallowed the last bits, licking her lips to get the remaining splashes of salty juice.
"Thank you," she said, dipping her head in a very un-fox-like nod.
She had no idea what she was doing. It was so surreal, standing here, nodding in her foxskin while she talked telepathically to another magic user. Never in a million years would she have imagined a noght like this would come. Part of her was thrilled, but part of her didn't know what to do here. She should be running away. But somehow she couldn't.
"So, why does someone like you work for the most anti-magic family to ever be born?"
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 13, 2013 16:09:09 GMT -5
It took Cat almost a full minute to untangle herself from the grass. Man she really needed to get out more, because this was ridiculous. She was a fox. She was supposed to be good at this nature stuff and, on a rare occaision, she was. For the most part, however, she was a bit more of a city fox. She ate rats and chickens and the occaision all cat and, instead of the grass being her hiding spot, it was the deserted carts from the market.
Wait, was he laughing at her? He was! Oh crud, he saw that? Embarrassment rushed through her and, if she'd been in her human form, she probably would've been blushing. Instead, her ears drooped a bit to the sides like they might if she'd just fallen in a bucket of water.
"Nothing..." she answered a little too quickly. Her shoulders slumped as she realized how fake her answer sounded. "...Hunting."
He looked away too amused with what he'd just seen. Pricking her ears forward again, Cat gathered her legs under her and hoped out of the deeper part of the grass, so that she was only up to her chest instead of her chin. She kept her tail up, shoulder squared, like none of that had just happened.
"Why? What'd you think I was doing?"
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 11, 2013 15:01:15 GMT -5
Cat blew an almost frustrated sigh out through her nostrils. Couldn't he see she was trying to get rid of him? Maybe he did and wanted to see if he could bother her long enough to annoy her into leading him home? If that was the case, he was going to be seriously disappointed. She was a fox, for crying out loud. If she got bored of this, she could easily duck off into the trees and disappear. It was one of the few advantages to being a fox: quick reflexes.
So why wasn't she doing that right now? Maybe, just maybe, she was a interested in his story too? She was trying to pass it off as her learning more about him so as to better reveal his magic and protect the king later, but in reality, she was very curious about him.
Cat tried her best to keep her focus on Merlin as they walked, but the wild was ridiculously distracting. For one, the grass was nearly as tall as she was in this form and it brushed against her, prickling her skin and begging to be rolled in. It was all she could do to wade through. A thousand crickets serenaded all around them while owls hooted in the distance and dozens of tiny rodents shuffled through the grass near the earth. Her ears were going crazy, all shifting in different directions. Oooh and there was one just to her left.
"Hmm? Oh. Yeah, that as me. A guard came at me and I kind of...freaked out and jumped at his face." She pinned her ears down as she said it, a little ashamed. "I didn't mean to I...I just panicked."
The grass rustled deep near the stalks just a hop's length away. Her instincts took over and she did a quick crouch, wiggling her butt, then erupted from the grass with all the force her small body could manage. She landed face first, tail and hips squirming above the grass. She missed the mouse though, and promptly fell on her side, disappearing in the brush.
When her head popped back up again, her nose was covered in dirt. She quickly shook it off and promptly fell over again, tangling herself in the thick grass. Damn, you nature!
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 10, 2013 21:30:25 GMT -5
"You heard me?" she asked, her ears going back. "But I didn't send any thoughts out... I'm-I'm not very good at magic."
To his other question, she paused. What was she doing here? She wasn't sure how she was going to explain her being in the city? It wasn't exactly the normal place for a fox to be. Wild animals, even magical ones, didn't exactly come to such a place. Too many humans. Honestly, it was amazing she'd managed to keep her fox self in the city at night, at least at first. After a while, she'd realized there was easy prey, many shiny little trinkets to play with. Most humans were inside after dark anyway and she was a fox. Foxes were sneaky. She'd only been seen a handful of times in all her years in the city. Admittedly, her father kept her locked up at night until he died a little less than a year ago.
"I ..uh. I followed a rat in through one of the grates and got lost. There are so many streets, so many people. I didn't know where to go."
It was another lie and this time it sounded like a lie even to her, but she didn't know what else to do. Did he even realize she wasn't really a fox? I occurred to her that she sounded pretty suspicious herself and she considered telling him the truth, that she lived here, had practically her whole life, but she wasn't entirely sure if she could trust him yet. Besides, she felt kind of pathetic admitting that she'd stayed here.
They reached the edge of the wall and he hopped down. Cat perched on the edge and looked back towards the city, towards her den. If she didn't get back soon, she might get stuck out there with no clothes and no way of getting back in. She could easily turn around and run home, but then he'd know for sure she lived there or he'd think she was up to no good and blow the whistle on her.
Without a second's longer pause, she slid down the wall and hit the ground with a little hop. The grasslands spread around her, framed by a dark line of forest on the horizon.
"You don't have to come with me," she said. "But I thank you for your help."
She had a feeling it wouldn't get rid of him, but you can't blame a girl for trying.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 10, 2013 12:48:23 GMT -5
Cat reluctantly followed the young warlock, though she, at first, had no idea where he was taking her. She kept herself close to the wall, shadowing his footsteps while her eyes darted around. Her ears constantly swiveled back and forth in a never ending search for danger.
What was she doing? Seriously, what the hell was she doing? He used magic. Her father was probably turning in his grave. But this boy made her feel clear, like she wasn't even a fox. Although the swinging tail behind her butt kind of poked a hole in that fantasy.
It didn't take her long to realize he was leading her out of the city. Part of her wanted to stop, to turn and run straight back home, but that would be admitting that she lived in Camelot. She didn't really want him to know that. Even just the first part of her name was more than she'd really ever hoped a magic user would know.
At the same time, he didn't really jive with the image she had of sorcerers in her head. Her father had painted those who willingly used magic as cold, foolish, evil people who cared for nothing but themselves. This boy was kind and anything but ruthless. His position was certainly suspicious, but the fact that he'd saved her was making it hard to believe he would hurt anyone. God, he was cute as a kitten.
Did she really just think that? What was wrong with her? He was a magic user, a...well, a fox smack dab in the middle of the hen house. But maybe, just maybe, he was good like her. At least, she was pretty sure she was good. Aside from stealing chickens that is.
One thought did trouble her though. As they snaked through the back streets, avoiding all prying eyes, she sent him a question.
"Hey Merlin...how did you know where to find me?"
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 10, 2013 12:06:50 GMT -5
Cat listened to his speech about not being a very good knight and she shook her head. From what she understood of how knights were supposed to be, he seemed to fit the bill. Knights were supposed to be noble, sure, but with nobility also comes humility and that part he most definitely had down.
The last part though, the Sir Tripsalot made her burst out laughing. She immediately stopped herself, blushing.
"Sorry, sorry," she said. "I'm sure they're just doing it in jest. I guarantee all of them have had their own failures at one point or another."
Homin grumbled and pulled out another tool and began completely remove the shoe. He was not nearly as impressed with this clumsy knight as Cat was.
"This shoe is bent. Pay better attention. You're lucky you didn't hobble the horse."
With that, he stomped off with the original shoe to go find another one of the same size. Cat chewed her upper lip and watched him go. He was certainly straight forward. He didn't take crap and, for the most part, he didn't give it where it wasn't deserved. She had to admit that this knight wasn't exactly the most careful, but she hardly thought he deserved the harshness in the blacksmith's tone.
"Don't worry about him. He's that way with everyone."
Something about this knight was very disarming. She could never let herself lose sight of the fact that, in the end, it would be his job just like all the rest of the knights, to kill her were she to be discovered. Yet somehow, she felt almost comfortable with him.
"Besides, he's just jealous you get to live in the castle and he has to live in some stinky hovel in the lower town."
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 20:48:34 GMT -5
You Marry: Merlin
You Are A: Dragonlord
Hobby: Trying to kill Arthur
Kink: Merthur
Kids: Five (damn we were busy)
Death: Heartbreak
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 20:08:46 GMT -5
-Holy crud there's a lot of snow outside.
-Really hope we don't lose power.
-Fail videos on YouTube are awesome.
-My boyfriend's reactions to other men nutting themselves is absolutely hilarious.
-Banana cream pie...somebody send me some please.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 15:56:04 GMT -5
Cat watched him stand with wary eyes. She half expected him to go for her, but instead he stepped back. Her eyes widened a little at that, but she tried to hide any trace of trust from her face. She wouldn't be fooled again.
He was like her, alone in a sea of hate. She could just imagine the looks on peoples' faces if they ever discovered what she was. The disgust in their eyes while she burned at the stake...she couldn't bear to think about it. He knew what it was like. He lived it more than anyone, day in and day out. But why would he do it? Why did she do it?
The fox side of her mind was slowly fading with every word that passed between them. This was the clearest she'd felt her entire life.
Her eyes narrowed at his admittance that he was the manservant of the prince. She snorted. How could he be so close to the man who was so intent on making sure his kind went extinct? She knew from personal experience how lonely and crushing that kind of life could be. She had herself locked up so tight it was impossible to let anyone in. Something in his eyes made her wish she could have friends, but it wasnt possible. She didnt deserve friends. She was a monster.
She was about to say that she could get herself out of this mess just fine when she heard another guard heading their way on a normal patrol. It seemed the initial search for her had died down, but there was still the risk of being discovered. She and no doubt the hunt would continue if she was seen again. Hadn't she attacked a guard? Oh he'll, she seriously hoped she'd imagined that.
Cat turned back to Merlin, her eyes wide, her confidence wavering. She couldn't have him take her home, so where?
"I-I don't know. I don't know this place." It was a lie, but it would do for now.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 15:43:05 GMT -5
For the most part, the fox stayed inside the protective walls of Camelot when the sun went down. There was plenty to eat and plenty to steal and her human self was strung so tightly to this city, for reasons neither part of her understood. But occasionally, there was a time when Cat's fox mind completely swallowed the human and she shied away from the human streets.
Tonight was one of those nights.
She wasn't sure why it happened. She didn't want to admit that being out in the woods gave her more enjoyment than just about anything else. The only thing that made her feel more satisfied was magic and that most definitely terrified her.
It was halfway through the night when she reached to the ridge where her and the horse Morock often stopped on their rides together during the day. She circled the spot, sniffing around the horse's smell. It felt like home here.
Suddenly, the fox froze. A new scent had blown to her on the shifting wind. Wolf. She froze, ducking down and creeping to the edge of the ridge. Below her stood a human and the wolf she'd smelled.
Damnit! The wolf had noticed her. Her ears flattened, hackles rising. She froze for only a moment before Turing and bolting into the forest, back the way she came.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 11:58:01 GMT -5
Caitylin found it hard to believe that anyone, let alone a knight wouldn't notice a shield on the ground. Weren't they designed to protect the body and were therefore huge? Although this knight didn't seem as competent as most she had seen. Though he was a lot less arrogant. A man who was willing to admit his faults was a rare thing. Sure, plenty of men are aware of their shortcomings, but few will admit them.
He admitted to not being all that good with horses and she smiled. Horses were easy. Well, most horses were easy. She had no doubt he'd figure it out as time went on. H seemed willing to learn at least.
"I wouldn't worry too much," she said. "They say you're not a good rider until you've fallen off at least seven times."
She herself had fallen from a horse more times than she cared to count, though curiously not off of Morock, the absolute fussiest horse to ever exist. Though only time would tell with that one. He did enjoy seeing his riders in the dirt.
"Besides, failing is the first step at being good at something."
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 8, 2013 11:32:05 GMT -5
Caitylin practically spilled out of his jacket when he knelt down and moved his arms to release her. She was about to bolt into the darkness, but something stopped her. The hurt in his voice rang through her mind, halting her where she stood. He actually sounded honestly offended, almost confused.
She stood a bit taller, her ears poking forward, though her back still arched slightly in defense. Every hair prickled across her back, all the way down to her tail, her eyes daring him to reach forward.
She was prepared to call him out on whatever harm he was planning to inflict, yet somehow, she felt her resolve faltering. It would've been so easy for him to just give her up to the guard if exposing her was his intention. Although that would've taken the opportunity away from himself and given her the opportunity to escape. More than that, it would put himself under suspicion for how he got ahold of such a small, wild creature.
"That guard said you work for the Prince!"
In another matter, there was no telling what harm a magic user could do so close to the royal family. He could poison the king. Why else would someone with magic dare to live that close to danger. Sure, she lived in Camelot, but she saw the royal family very little. No more than the average citizen of the city. He had so many opportunities to cause harm. She found it hard to believe he wouldn't take them.
"Why? Why would anyone like you do that?"
Her father had told her that those who use magic were not to be trusted. Of course, those words came from a thief, but he was her father nonetheless. She wanted to believe they weren't true. She was a good person. Her mother, his wife, she had been good too, hadn't she? Cat wanted to trust this boy, but she also didn't want to die.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 7, 2013 20:35:47 GMT -5
"Get that horse out of here!" Amus shouted, pointing at Morock. His face a deep shade between purple and red.
It was the third time this week that the white stallion Morock had broken loose from his paddock and gone after the Freisian stallion, Kodan. There was just something about Kodan getting to breed with most of the mares that set Morock off. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the bulky, black stallion muscling in on Morock's mares. Certainly that wasn't the case. After all, Amus had decided that Kodan would sire most of the young this year and who could possibly argue with him?
With the help of the stable's blacksmith Cat dragged Morock over to the hitching post and quickly gathered the tack she would need. Morock's tack was actually pretty fancy, but not nearly as elaborate as that of the knights or the royal family. It was simply marginally more beautiful than that of the other horses at the stable. Amus liked to show Morock off as often as possible, even when he was mad at him.
It took her a little more time than usual to get the horse saddled. He tossed his head at every turn and blew out his stomach to keep her from tightening the girth. She was about ready to kill him herself by the time she was done. She walked him toward the mounting block, casually pulling the girth tighter on the way when the walking caused him to breath. He squealed and rolled his eyes at the insult of it all, but she ignored him.
Homin, the blacksmith, held the reins for her while she snaked into the saddle before Morock could shy away from the block. A slight nudge of her heel and he kicked his feet behind him. The second Homin let go, the horse shot straight for Kodan's pasture.
Cat yanked the reins, forcing him into a turn. He spun in a few circles before his ears went back, telling her he was finally listening to her. She let him out of the loop and urged him away from the barn. He snorted, trotting just a little too hotly out into the city. People jumped aside as the horse and his rider surged through, heading for the gate and the open air that lay beyond it.
Once they were outside, Cat loosened up and let Morock go. The earth flew by beneath him as he opened up into a full gallop. In no time, they had left the city far behind. It's was what Cat lived for. This was the only release she got, just like it was the only release for Morock. This was one of the reasons she was the only one Morock hadn't thrown (yet at least). They had a connection, a mutual need to bolt down the trail as fast as the wind and gravity would let them. She'd heard once that foxes were creatures of air and surely that was true of horses as well.
If she'd had the money, she might've bought Morock from Amus. It wasn't like he wouldn't still stay there while she worked and he'd get the chance to charge her for boarding as well as her rent while still using the stallion as a sire. Too bad he didn't pay her nearly enough to save up for the horse.
The two of them had cleared miles of forests before Morock chose to slow, his breath coming ragged through flared nostrils. Cat leaned back in the saddle as he eased into a trot and, finally, a walk. The woods were unseasonably warm today, but Cat didn't mind and neither did Morock.
Blowing out a breath, Cat patted the horse's neck. He was wet with sweat, though clearly not entirely winded. She guided him towards a stream ahead of them and let him bend to take a drink. The day was peaceful. Quiet. Actually, it was too quiet. Cat stiffened in the saddle, her insufficient human ears straining to hear any sound. There is no creepier feeling than a silent forest, like the wood is holding its breath, hoping no one will find it.
Morock lifted his head, water dripping from his chin. His ears swiveled back and forth and his eyes were wide. His nostrils flared, but this time it wasn't from exhaustion. Clicking her tongue, Cat got the horse moving at a quick trot and turned him back towards the safety of Camelot.
They didn't get far before another horse and rider steped out in front of their path. Morock snorted and hopped a bit in frustration from the sudden stop. Cait's eyes grew wide as another man and horse slid onto the path behind them. Another popped out on their right and a man on the ground emerged to their left. Morock rolled his head, chewing nervously on the bit while he shifted his feet.
"That's an awfully nice horse you've got there," the man in front of her csaid. The darkness in his eyes as he smiled at her made her feel very uncomfortable. "I wonder how exactly you came by him."
"I didn't steal him," Cat said nervously.
This situation screamed bad news. Her eyes flickered between the men, settling just beyond the man on foot. If she could get past him without being grabbed, she and Morock would have a chance at escape. She knew the white stallion was fast and sure footed. With hope, their horses wouldn't be.
"What's the matter? We ain't gonna hurt ya." But his eyes said differently.
Cat kicked Morock and the horse jumped towards the man on foot. He yelped and dodged to one side. Yes! They were free! Morock opened up full tilt, launching over fallen logs as they crashed through the uncut forest.
"Get them!" the leader yelled and Cat pushed Morock a little harder.
She could hear hoofbeats of several horses pounding behind her. They were sticking to the trail while she was cutting straight through around the bend. They just might make it. They had to make it.
Stumbling back on tot the trail, Morock put on a burst of speed and headed for home without her needing to tell him. She spared a glance backwards and was greeted with the sights of the three horsemen hot on their tails, two of them with swords drawn. The third held a crossbow. He lifted it and aimed straight at them.
Cat watched her life flash before her eyes and it was altogether unsatisfactory. There was so much she hadn't done. She had so many regrets.
He loosed an arrow and it sank into a tree just to the left of them on the path ahead.
Timeline: Season Two
Time: Mid-morning
Tag: Arthur
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 7, 2013 18:40:14 GMT -5
Cat's favorite part of working in a stable that was situated in a large city was not mucking out stalls, feeding, nor even grooming. All these things were an essential part of horse care, but what she enjoyed most was exercising the horses. Now this could be done any number of ways, but the best was by far riding. This meant that on slower days she actually got to ride and that fact drove her to blow through her chores often just for the chance to get in the saddle.
Today was one of the rare days when Morock was actually calm enough that she didn't need to burn out his energy. As a result, she was on one of the mares, an Irish Draught named Nasheeda. She was gray as a ghost with a dark face and legs. Her temperament was excellent and that meant that Cat didn't really have to focus. She could just sit back and enjoy the ride.
And that's exactly what she did. She guided Nasheeda out of the city and into the forest, urging the mare into an easy canter. It was the perfect day for riding, just enough chill in the air to energize the muscles.
She went deeper into the woods than normal, dodging the mental voices of other Druids as she rode. It was nice to be in the woods again, though she didn't want to admit how comfortable it made her. That was tantamount to admitting she enjoyed her fox fur that she longed to live like the rest of the Druids. She didn't. At least, she liked to think she didn't.
When both her and Nash were sweating and Camelot was far behind them, Caitylin finally turned the horse around and started the leisurely walk back to the city. As they rode, she started noticing how the mare was pricking her ears forward. Someone or something was up ahead of them. Whoever it was, seemed to be moving too, and in the same direction.
Was it another traveler heading for Camelot? It seemed likely, but she didn't have much time to ponder on it when she saw him up ahead, leaning on a tree. He felt sharp, slick. She instantly felt uneasy. Though, to be fair, she felt uneasy around just about all strangers.
Perhaps he was just wanting to know who'd been following him? Well, now that he did, she could just pass on by and that was exactly what she intended to do. Pulling her eyes off him, Cat looked ahead, intending to go right by him and back to Camelot without interruption.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 7, 2013 11:57:32 GMT -5
With the feeling of his arm coming over her, it was all Cat could do not to bite down. Somehow attacking her rescuer seemed a bit...rude. But her fox form was not used to such close contact with humans. His scent was all around her, not that he smelled bad, just human and it was making it hard for her to concentrate. His heart sounded like thunder this close. Then he started running and she felt like she was going to fall out of his jacket. No longer caring, she dug her nails in and braced herself between his side and the curve of his arm.
She was just about to lose it and explode out of his coat when he slowed. Oh thank heavens. He asked her where she wanted to go and, again, his telepathy pulled her human consciousness to the forefront. So where should she have him take her? The obvious answer would seem to be home, but her trust only went so far. It probably wasn't a good idea to let him know where she liv-what was that?
"Halt!"
Cat froze, her hackles rising. He was going to give her up. She Could hear ot in his heartbeat, smell it in his fearful sweat. Even if he didn't, the guard would find her and they'd both be dead. The image of herself launching at the guard's face and taking off into the night, never to see either one of them again, but something told her that this was a horrible idea.
But his message calmed her a bit. She did as he asked, not that it took much to convince her. Stay still. Stay hidden. It was what a fox did. She remained motionless save for the flickering of her eyes while the guard asked what he had. She barely understood the words, but she understood the tension in his muscles. One thing was for certain: they were screwed.
She did understand one word out of that and that word was 'prince.' He worked with the prince? The icy led of fear hardened in her stomach. This was important. She needed to focus. He was the prince's servant! How deep had she gotten herself into trouble this time? She'd be damned if she was going to the prince on a silver platter. No wonder he'd wanted her trust so much instead of letting her escape on her own. He was eliminating her so he could go after the royal family without opposition. Or was he hoping to recruit her?
Either way, he was going to find a very unwilling participant.
"Put me down! Put me down or I will bite you."
She dug her claws in a little deeper to emphasize her point, her eyes wide. She may have been fooled before, but the guard had blown his cover.
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 7, 2013 9:43:48 GMT -5
Brushing a bit of her hair back behind her ear, Cat smiled sheepishly at him. Did he not see how covered with dirt and, most likely, manure she was? God, she must look a mess. She always looked a mess.
"Oh I'm hardly a lady," she answered, blushing slightly.
He left his horse to come over and pet the Fresian mare with her. It was funny. He was actually a little taller than the horse. She noted the easy way he stroked her muzzle, not like he was doing it out of duty or just because Terra was something that was there. He could've easily stayed with his own horse, but no. He'd willingly come over and practically joined her in her work. terra certainly liked him, if the way the mare was leaning her head into his shoulder was any indication.
"For you," Cat started, glancing him over once more. "I can only think of two."
She slipped Terra a sugar cube and headed for the paddock, motioning for the knight to follow. By the time she reached the fence, four colts were right up in front, nudging her with their faces in hopes of getting some sort of treat out of her. But she knew better. If she gave in she'd never get rid of them or at least the two she knew would not be best for the knight.
Eventually, all of them left but Gorgon, Terra's colt from a few years back. He was a fine horse, but being that his mother was a draft horse, he was also huge and bulky and extremely...er food motivated.
He was a beautiful horse, however, completely black with the typical flowing Friesian mane and tail. His feet had some feathering and he had his mother's easy temperament. Indeed it seemed he'd inherited nothing from his father but an intense love of food until one looked a bit closer. He was slightly leaner than a Friesian, his features more graceful.
"This boy has the strength you'll need f-oof." The rather huge stallion had just shoved her forward with his head, nearly knocking her into the knight. Where the others had given up, he clearly was still hoping to score a treat.
Not like that he wasn't.
"Gorgon!" she snapped, whipping around to face the horse.
He actually looked sorry, even putting his head down over her shoulder as she turned back around in what she liked to imagine was his form of a hug. Of course, it could also have something to do with the easy access it gave him to her pocket.
"Get out of there," she warned as he started to nibble at her dress.
He stopped, heaving a rather dramatic sigh about having to do so. She rolled her eyes, stroking his neck while she struggled under the weight of his 'hug.' She then realized this knight would probably want to name his own horse and her blush deepened just a little. Honestly, she'd been so preoccupied with the behemoth that she'd almost forgotten that Percival was there.
"You could name him anything you like of course," she added quickly.
Turning as much as Gorgon would allow, which wasn't much, she pointed to a dappled colt, much shorter than Gorgon, but with definite strength and fire. He had a white mane and a dark face. The rest of his body was a mottled gray. The two colts shared the same father, though clearly not the same mother. The dappled colt's mother had been an Irish Cobb, strong and faithful. He'd inherited those traits from her. He'd also, unfortunately, inherited his father's spirited attitude on life. It made him clever, but also sometimes difficult under a lenient hand. Already he was starting to fight with the other colts as his father fought with the other stallions and the young fellow was gelded.
"He has the spirit of a war horse, though he can be a bit difficult to handle," she admitted, absently scratching Gorgon's face. The bulky stallion was practically asleep on top of her. Oh for heaven's sake. It wasn't like she didn't already look silly enough to this man.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 6, 2013 18:41:48 GMT -5
Leaving the knight to sit with his horse, Cat walked around the corner and to the end of the barn. The blacksmith was in his forge right where she expected to find him. Also as she expected, he was doing pretty much nothing. He did most of his work earlier in the morning when the cooler air helped combat the heat of molten metal. About a dozen new horse shoes of different sizes hung on pegs in the wall, some of them still cooling.
"Horse here who needs a new shoe."
The man rolled his eyes and put the ham he'd been eating aside. He quickly gathered up the supplies he'd need to fix the shoe and followed her out. When they reached the knight and his horse, the blacksmith immediately went to work. The horse was not enjoying it, but he put up with it well enough when Cat started feeding him sugar cubes as a distraction.
She glanced at his rider and shrugged. Hey if it worked, it worked. She wasn't sure if it was her place to ask, but he seemed so...opposite of what a knight should be. Cat found she was very curious about how he'd come to such a profession. Instead of asking directly, she took a less direct approach.
"So, how exactly did this happen?"
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Sept 21, 2013 12:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 5, 2013 17:27:37 GMT -5
Merlin turned his head to peer out to the street and Cat saw an opportunity to escape. She took a step forward, crouching low. If she could just get by him, she'd be home free. But before she could get any further, he turned around again.
She jumped backwards, her eyes flying to his face. His words... It was solid now. She wasn't alone. Had she been in her human skin, she might've cried with relief. Thankfully, she wasn't because that would've been embarassing. The last thing she wanted was to let another magic user know how much she needed the company.
There was something in his voice, a kind of desperation that struck a chord inside her. Every ounce of her experience was telling her not to trust him, but she wanted to. Plus, it wasn't like she had much of choice. Something told her he wasn't moving any time soon and if the guards came, they would see the both of them. They'd probably figure he was just some idiot city boy staring at the oh so amazing forest creature.
If she didn't let this boy help her, she was going to die.
Still, when he reached to open his coat, she flinched reflexively at the movement. Thankfully, she recovered pretty quickly, taking a step away from the wall. Her eyes sent him a silent question along the lines of, 'are you kidding me?'
Blowing a sigh out of her notrils, she took another step.
"Okay."
If there had been any more time at all, she might have reconsidered. It went against every instinct her fox body possesed. Sucking in a whine, Cat squirmed into the folds of his coat, trying her best not to scratch him. Thank heavens he was so skinny. There was a lot of room in his jacket.
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Post by Caitylin Roe on Feb 5, 2013 15:32:16 GMT -5
Was she imagining it or did he actually seem happy to see her? That was crazy. He didn't even know her. He had no responsibility for her, no connection. They weren't family. Could it be possible he just wanted to help her, just for the sake of it? Fox instincts aside, she was having a hard time wrapping her head around that.
But she had to admit, the idea of not being alone was comforting. Since her father had died, she'd basically collapsed into herself. She went through her day, did her work, and slept until nightfall because that was easier than facing how empty her life was. Then night would come and she'd lose herself under the fur and overpowering instincts of the fox.
Seeing Merlin made her realize that she wasn't alone and, as much guilt as she felt over admitting it, that simple fact was a relief.
"Cat," she answered after a moment of hesitation. Cat was less revealing than her entire name and it meant she could have a chance to stay anonymous during the day. As far as she was concerned, the less anyone knew about her, the better.
His offer to help made her pause. On the one paw he seemed like he really did want to help her, but on the other, if he brought her someplace and closed the door, she'd be trapped until morning. And what if he just brought her straight to the king and turned her in to take the suspicion off himself?
"Why? Why do you want to help me? I'm nothing, just an animal." Suspicion and a bit of sadness were evident in her voice.
She didn't have long to question before she heard the heavy steps of the guards doubling back. Cat whined, looking past Merlin's shoulder out to the street. How long would she have before they got back? Not long by the sound of it. How exactly did he plan on getting her by them unnoticed?
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