If Freya had been told three days ago that she would find herself travelling with a Prince, a Lady and a servant of Camelot, she would've laughed off the mere thought as madness. She'd never even seen a noble person before let along interacted with one, and any dealings she'd had with those from Camelot had been less than charming. But now as she stole her way through the silent streets of this quiet fishing village with her hand held tight by Merlin and the three strangers protecting her from both in front and behind, she couldn't help but feel a bubble of hope begin to expand in her chest. For the first time in so very, very long, she had allies, maybe even friends that were dedicated to helping her. Merlin knew these people and knew them well enough to trust them with both their lives, a fact that Freya would not lightly dismiss. The Lady Morgana had proved herself to be quick witted and steadfast, Gwen seemed kind and wise and the Prince … well, he hadn't killed her. Which, Freya had to admit, wasn't the best thing one person could say about another, but at this stage Prince Arthur's compliance was just as important as the Lady Morgana's actions.

The Prince led their small group through the narrow cobbled lanes, taking the concealed and less used roads that led towards the bay in an effort to avoid any early morning townsfolk who would no doubt remember their strange looking party. She and Merlin followed close behind, hand in hand, Merlin's leather boots and her bare feet almost synchronised in their strides, with Gwen and the Lady coming up behind. As they hurried downhill Freya glanced up at the foreboding grey sky, the heavy clouds making it look as though the heavens were hanging much closer to the earth than usual and even though the sun must've been well risen by now there was no obvious change to the darkness that surrounded them. She could feel tiny gusts of freezing wind every now and then and could almost taste the water that was eager to fall at any moment. There was a big storm coming, she could feel it in her skin and in her teeth. But she said nothing. She knew this heightened awareness of the weather was a talent of the baset, and she didn't want her new comrades to know exactly how much of the beast still remained in the woman.

"It's so quiet," she heard Gwen whisper behind them. Gwen's voice was low and only intended for her Lady's ear, but Freya heard them clearly. She wasn't sure if Merlin could.

"Stories about what happened at the feast last night would've spread all over town by now," replied the Lady Morgana in similar hushed tones. "I've said it before; fear is a toxin. The villagers probably don't want to be the first outside this morning, in case the wild animal is still lurking somewhere."

Freya felt a hot flush begin to creep up the back of her neck.

There was a short pause before Morgana continued. "What do you think? Of her?"

"I don't know. As she is … she speaks very well and seems gentle enough … but I am worried about her bare feet."

Morgana giggled, a slightly louder noise, and Freya saw Merlin frown and turn his head slightly in confusion. Clearly he hadn't heard the conversation, just the laugh.

"Oh, Gwen," said the Lady, her voice once again low. "Trust you to overlook everything else and worry about her feet!"

"Well, there's no point worrying about … the other thing," said Gwen. "She said she wouldn't hurt us, and I believe her. She doesn't seem the type who could easily lie. And besides, Merlin trusts her."

"I think Merlin more than trusts her," countered the Lady slyly.

"Well. That's obvious."

The two women fell back into silence as they walked on, and Freya took a moment to think about what all that meant. They trusted her. And they knew about how she felt about Merlin, and how he felt about her. The strange thing was, Freya heard no judgement in their voices, no disgust, nothing to indicate that they disapproved and that was a wonder to her. She thought that Merlin's friend's would've rejected her. She'd never imagined that they might accept her. She glanced up at the imposing, broad back of the Prince that wordlessly led them on. Well, two out of three wasn't bad.

Before she knew it they had reached the bay, the water now a steely, unmoving grey in which a giant ship that had not been there yesterday was now moored. As they moved out from the protection of the closely built houses into the open dockyards that led to the water the group subconsciously moved closer together. There was no place to conceal yourself out here and for the first time that morning they began to see people out and about, starting their daily chores.

"Stick close," Prince Arthur muttered as they moved between the sparse spattering of people. For the most part they paid them no mind, consumed with their own pressing duties.

"That's strange," Merlin muttered.

"What?"

"Look at all the activity on the ship's deck," he said, pointing. Now that he'd drawn her attention to it she could see the scurry of deck hands running back and forth, carrying provisions on board, securing cargo and rolling out the sails.

"It looks like they're ready to cast off," said Gwen.

"But they only just arrived late last night," said Merlin, a touch of worry in his voice. "Why would they be leaving so soon?"

"Maybe they heard there's a wild animal on the loose," said the Prince darkly, "And they want to try their luck at another port."

They fell into silence and Freya tried to ignore the sting in his words. The Prince's motives were still clouded to her. She understood that he was aiding them as a favour to Merlin, but she was still unsure of his feelings towards either herself, or Merlin's true nature. She tried her best to squash these thoughts. She could mull over them for as long as she felt, once they were safe and sailing on the open seas.

As they got closer and closer to the boat, despite the uneasiness of the company they now kept, Freya could feel that bubble of hope expand within her chest as she finally let herself believe that they were going to make it out without incident.

"Oi, Leon!"

The one raised voice in morning's silence made everyone's heads turn and Freya felt the blood rush to her head in one instant and in the next she felt faint. Her eyes darted around the docks until she saw a familiar, lumbering figure making her way towards them. It was Sally, and she was being closely followed by two very large, very hard looking men.

For a second Merlin remained frozen to the spot before Freya saw a mechanical smile pull at his face as he stepped forward in greeting, his hand like a vice around hers. "Sally!" he answered, his voice high and tight. "Wouldn't have expected to see you out this early."

"And why wouldn't you?" asked Sally as she stopped just before them, her hands on her hips. Freya didn't miss the way she cooly took stock of the company they were now keeping and she was certain the three people behind her knew they were being heavily scrutinised, but Sally said nothing about that. "I'm hardly a stranger to early morning starts, not with my own business to keep running. You two, on the other hand … I'm surprised to see you out. I was sure that you were both exhausted, as I didn't hear a peep from your room all night. Not a sound."

Sally paused, eyeing the two of them harshly, chewing heavily on her lower lip, and Merlin's false smile took on a sickly sheen. Freya risked a glance at the two men standing silently behind Sally and swallowed hard. Both their arms were huge and bulging with muscles that were deeply tanned and heavily tattooed, and their bearded faces gave away no sign of any sort of emotion. They were like twin pillars of stone framing the smaller bar owner that stood between them with the only difference between them being that one had a dark beard and the other had a light auburn one.

"You're right, we were tired," said Merlin a little too quickly. "And we slept like two little logs last night."

"Well then, you must've been the only ones. Didn't you hear? There's some sort of wild animal loose here in these parts. Even I heard the howling and crashing that went on at Town Hall and the flood of people that came into the streets, screaming and crying about some terrible winged creature … well, I don't know how anyone could've slept through all that."

"Well, like I said, we were tried." Merlin paused while Sally just stared, hard-faced. Just as the silence became unbearable he continued with, "I must say, your establishment is one of the finest we've ever staying, top notch, and we're very much going to recommend it to all our friends, but right now we're in a bit of a hurry — "

"Your friends?" snorted Sally, who now moved her hands from her hips to fold them across her chest. "Like those friends just here?"

Freya and Merlin glanced around at the three behind them, the two women managing shaky smiles while the Prince could only give a tight nod. "Yes," said Merlin.

"Like the friends you told me you didn't have, not even a whole day since?"

"We made new friends," said Merlin weakly, a poor lie if Freya ever heard one.

"Fancy looking folk, too." said Sally.

"Oh, no, no," said Merlin, shaking his head with his smile fixed. "They're actors. Cheap knock-offs, the clothes, but they are supposed to look fancy, so yes, you're right about that!"

Freya groaned internally as the fingers resting on one of Sally's crossed arms started tapping out an impatient rhythm and her unblinking eyes stared out in flat disbelief. The two men behind her started to edge slightly closer and Freya could hear the slight sound of leather twisting as the Prince slowly extended his gloved hand to grasp the hilt of his sword. She could hear Gwen's quick breaths that rushed between parted lips, and the Lady's deeper draws through her nose. She could hear the blood rushing through Merlin's veins.

"I don't like lies," Sally said eventually. "Even less do I like people who skitter around the truth when open honesty could solve some many problems so much more quickly. So, Leon," she ground out the name, "Tell me. The. Truth."

An age seemed to pass as the sounds of tension seemed to ring in Freya's ears and Merlin's hand started to tremble in hers. Then he spoke.

"Freya and I are under a curse that we're trying to lift," he said quickly, flatly. "We're trying to stay hidden, but it's been … difficult. The people with us are our friends. They are Guinevere, the Lady Morgana and … Prince Arthur, of Camelot."

"Merlin, what on earth are you doing?" hissed the Prince, but Merlin ignored him.

Surprisingly, Sally just looked deeply unimpressed. "A Prince, ay? Anything else?"

Merlin took a deep breath. "We were the ones who caused all the havoc last night, and while Lord Trilous thinks that we're imprisoned right now, he won't for much longer and every moment we waste is a moment we could be putting distance between us and this town. I'm sorry, Sally, but we need to leave now." And as he said that Freya could feel the palm of his hand begin to get hot, like a fire was being kindled within his very frame and she knew he was about to use magic, once again, to defend her.

Freya felt a rush of dread sweep over her. They were too exposed, there were too many people who would see Merlin's magic and act against it and now that they had the added company of the three Camelotians to protect and defend it was looking more and more impossible that a quick and clean escape could happen.

And then the next words out of Sally's mouth stopped them cold.

"Well, of course you need to get out of here. Why else do you think I went to all the trouble of getting Captain Bodter up early and ready to go?"

The whole world seemed to tilt crazily for a moment while everyone struggled to catch up.

"Wait, what?" blurted out Merlin.

"Ah, don't tell me your hearings' going as well as your senses," Sally rolled her eyes and then jerked her head backwards to indicate to the tall, tattooed man with the auburn beard. "This here's Bodter, captain of the Snowdroper and his first mate, Hod. They're good boys, good friends of mine and have agreed to leave a little early than usual with some strange cargo. Boys," she now turned to the two stone giants. "How do you feel about taking a Lady, a Prince, a Guinevere, a Leon and his betrothed on board?"

Captain Bodter grunted and shrugged. "Had stranger cargo."

"And you, Hod?"

Hod gave a similar grunt and shrug. "Whatever captain says."

Freya turned wide eyed to Merlin. "Betrothed?"

Merlin look equally wrong footed. "We'll … uh … talk about that later …"

"This certainly is a lot to take in," said Morgana, Gwen murmuring in agreement.

"Hold on," said Prince Arthur, holding up his hand as if to halt the flurry of words that spun round them and stepping forward. Freya had a feeling that he wasn't used to being so left out of a conversation and was now rather frustrated. He addressed Sally. "Why on earth would you willingly want to help fugitives escape justice, particularly ones who had proven themselves to be … dangerous?"

"I could very well ask the same thing of you, Princeling." Sally answered curtly. "Could it be that our reasons are rather similar? That neither of us would wish to see this young pair at the mercy of people who would hate and fear them on sight? They say that the lords and nobles are a different breed to us common folk, but even I would find it hard to believe that your lot would be so completely without sympathy as to let the innocent suffer."

The Prince looked rather taken aback at this blunt speech, a small, confused frown drawing a line between his eyebrows as he glanced over at the captain and the first mate. "And you two. Do you fully understand the type of people you're taking aboard?"

Captain Bodter raised one bushing eyebrow. "A shape-changer? Someone with magic? And a pushy noble, too, by the looks of things. Ay, I know, and I'm not near so scared of such things as you may be." Arthur drew himself up indigently at being called scared, but Captain Bodter ignored him. "We've seen more terrible and wonderful things than what your landlocked mind could imagine and this is just one more story to add to the pile. And if you don't mind," he glanced at Hod, who nodded at the unspoken order, "We're casting off in ten minutes, if you're on the boat or not. No special treatment for princes." And with that the two lumbering stone statues turned and headed towards the Snowdroper, with Hod pausing briefly to place a large, meaty hand on Sally's shoulder and lean down to drop a child-like kiss on her cheek. She smiled indulgently and swatted him away before turning her hardened glare back on the group.

"Well," Morgana said, breaking the silence. "You heard the captain's orders. Thank you," she said with great sincerity to Sally before she and Gwen swept past the others and towards the boat. After a few fidgeting moment Arthur gave Sally a quick nod before following, leaving Freya and Merlin to stand awkwardly in front of the intimidating bar woman.

"I … I … thank you," Freya finally managed to breath, staring in wonder at this world harden woman. "Thank you. But … why? Why help us? We're not your problem."

For the first time Sally's look softened, and she stared down at Freya with sympathetic eyes. "Oh, child," she said. "It's my experience that so much evil in this world seems to happen just because people decide it's not their problem. And it should never be a problem to help those who need it."

Freya felt a lump form in her throat and tears sting at her eyes. Not so long ago, she'd been utterly friendless. Now, she had Merlin's love, the Camelotians' assistance and even complete strangers were helping and protecting her. She didn't know how to react. After standing stock still for a moment, she flung herself into Sally's arms, burying her face in the older's woman's chest and letting loose one deep, dry sob.

"There, there," murmured Sally, holding Freya tight with one hand while the other stroked her hair maternally. "You're a good girl, lass, with a good heart. Now, you be on your way." They pulled apart and Sally held Freya at arm's length, brushing the hair away from her thin, pale face and Freya gave a trembling smile. "I wish you the very best, my dear."

Suddenly, a new sound rent through the still, grey air. Though it came from the manor house which was nearly on the other side of town the sound of horns and clanging bells could clearly be heard, a disjointed cacophony of sound that startled the sleepy town to wakefulness with the thuds and thumps of multiple windows and doors flinging open across town adding to the noise. All the people at the docks raised their heads and turned their faces towards the manor, questions already upon most lips.

"What is that?" breathed Merlin, drawing Freya close to his side.

"The manor's alarm," said Sally, eyes fixed on the manor and her breathing coming hard and fast. "They know you've escaped. You must go, now! Run!"

Merlin took just one brief moment to reach out and grasp thankfully at Sally's hand before he and Freya were running as fast as possible towards the Snowdroper. As they got nearer he could see that they weren't the only ones making a beeline for the ship as many of the crew promptly dropped whatever they were doing and started to rush towards the jetty where the ship was docked. But as he and Freya were much further away, and their way was not unimpeded. The fact that the two of them were running with purpose through a collection of people that seemed more than a little confused as to why an alarm would be sounding in the first place made them stand out as the obvious fugitives, and people began to point and shout things at them as they ran past, but that couldn't be helped. As they fled a larger man whose head seemed to melt into his neck attempted to stop them as he reached out and managed to grab the front of Freya's shirt, lifting her clear off the ground with one hand as she shrieked in surprise. In the next moment that man was flung backwards and into the freezing harbour water by some unseen force and Merlin managed to steady Freya as she fell back to earth and she caught a glimpse of his eyes fading from brilliant gold back to blue.

"Look!" cried Freya. "They're casting off!"

And indeed they were. Freya could see the sails were now fully let out and the ships hands were scuttling across the deck, pulling aboard the massive ropes that kept them attached to the dock and weighing anchor. The gangplank still remained and even from a distance she could see the anxious faces of their travelling companions as they hovered near the gangplank on the deck of the ship.

There came a new sound from the city, the sound of men's cries and shouts. Still running, Freya turned her head slightly and to her horror saw riders bursting out of the streets into the docklands. There was only two, but as she watched one of them raised a horn to his lips and blew a signalling trumpet that echoed through the twisted streets and out onto the harbour. Scouts, and now they had now alerted the rest of Lord Trilous' men as to where they were. She ran faster.

Just as they reached the side of the Snowdroper, Freya could see the massive wooden vessel slowly peal itself away from the dock with every passing moment making the watery gap wider and wider. The gangplank started to wobble and shift as the very thing it rested against started to throw it off.

"Hurry!" screamed Morgana, and without think Freya pelted up the rickety plank and flung herself forwards, expecting to hit the rough deck and instead falling into the waiting hands of Gwen and the Lady Morgana. But in the next moment her heart dropped out of her chest.

From behind her she heard Merlin give a strangled scream that was quickly cut off, followed by the sound of something heavy splashing into the water below them.

"Merlin!" she shrieked, spinning around and extending her hand towards the nothing that was behind her. "No!" she cried in anguish, throwing aside the ladies' help and scrambling towards the edge of the boat —

— to find Merlin clinging precariously to the side.

He glanced up at her, shaken but still able to throw a cocky little grin her way. "I'm still here," he said. "But if I could get just a little help, that would be great."

Prince Arthur was suddenly at Freya's side and she saw him roll his eyes. "Trust you …" he muttered, extending a hand down to grasp Merlin's and heaving the man onto the deck of the ship. For a moment the two men just stood there, hands clasped, staring wordlessly at each other, and Freya realised that this must've been the first time they'd touched since they'd fled Camelot.

But love makes people selfish and Freya wasn't about to wait on anyone - not even a Prince - when she had only moments before been so badly scared. She flung herself into Merlin's arms, squeezing him tightly and hiding her face on his shoulder. Merlin's answering hug told her everything she needed to know and faintly she could hear the ladies giggling at what she imagined Arthur's face would've looked like at being so rudely swept aside.

"I'm glad you're okay," Freya whispered in Merlin's ear, just loud enough that only he could hear. "I would hate to loose my betrothed so soon after I gained him."

She felt him stiffen in her arms for a moment before he realised that she was teasing him and he turned his lips to her cheek for a fleeting kiss. "So … you're not mad?"

"Quite the opposite."

They pulled apart from each other, just long enough to see the other smile when there was the whispering sound of something flying, cutting its way through the air and suddenly Prince Arthur collapsed to the ground, an arrow embedded in his shoulder.

Everything seemed to move at half the normal speed of time. Freya stared dumbly down at the stricken Prince, who was gritting his teeth in agony and grasping at his torn and bloody shoulder, and out the corner of her eye she saw Gwen fly to his side while at the same time more arrows flew all around them, coming from soldiers who now stood in a line on the docks they'd just left. She felt a weight on her shoulders and in the next moment was pulled to the deck, Merlin's arms wrapped protectively around her and as she looked around slowly she saw the Lady Morgana crouching beside them while the crew also took cover.

There was a heavy, metallic thump right next to her ear that made her jolt with fear. She turned slightly and realised that a large grappling hook was now embedded in the side of the ship, right next to her head. Morgana gave a wordless cry and sprung up, unsheathing her dagger and stabbing at the rope attached to the hook until it fell useless to the deck. Once it was free Morgana took shelter from the rain of arrows, but it seemed to be little more than hollow gesture because the moment she'd freed them from one hook, three more appeared along the railings.

"Lord Trilous is out there with all his men lining the shore, firing non-stop at us," she said as more arrows punctured the air above them to prove her point. "They're also trying to board us, or at least slow us down." Freya looked down along the railing as the crew tried diligently to cut away the grappling hooks but more and more appeared to take their place.

"We have to surrender!" The booming order came from Captain Bodter as he sheltered near the mast. "We haven't got any speed at all to make it out of the harbour — gods, we've barely left the dock. They'll be boarding us in seconds."

"I only need seconds."

Freya stared at Merlin, wide eyed. She'd very rarely heard him use that tone of voice, but she knew what it meant. If that tone had come from anybody else she would've been frightened. As it was, she felt … and odd sort of pride.

He looked up at her, stared her right in the eye, and slowly the blue of his iris' were replaced with a golden glow that mesmerised her. Suddenly, the soft, cool breezes of that morning started to gain strength and Freya felt her hair lift and dance around her face even as she shivered in the cold. Above them the solid grey clouds started to shift, slowly but surely gathering closer and growing in size as they began to spin above the ship like a whirlpool in a storm, this dance accompanied by the low roll of thunder and the odd flash of lightning. Within moments the sails had expanded with fresh gusts of icy wind and there were cries and shouts as the crew were knocked off their feet and the Snowdroper lurched forward and started to race out of the harbour at an incredible speed. There were screams and splashes, and Freya watched at the rope lines attached to the grappling hooks went slack as people were unable to hold onto the suddenly moving ship just as the first massive drops of water began to pelt down on her uncovered head.

"You'd all better get inside," said Merlin, loud enough for the entire crew to hear as he rose to his feet, his golden eyes shinning bright through the growing darknee. "There's a storm coming."

"Merlin … what … ?" gasped Arthur as he stared above him in shock.

"We need to do as he says," said Morgana, rushing to his other side as she and Gwen tried to lift him to his feet. "Captain! Do you have a ship's doctor?"

"Ay," answered Bodter as he clung to the railings in an effort to keep his footing. "You follow me. And you lot!" He called to the crew, many of whom were watching the gathering storm like fascinated children. "You heard him! Everybody below deck!"

"But who's going to manage the rigging?" one man called out.

Even as he said that Merlin raised his hands and at his unspoken command the ropes and rigging began to operate as if maned by ghosts as the wheel started to turn of it's over accord and the ship rushed though the harbour.

"Does that answer your question?" shouted Bodter. "Below deck, now!"

They didn't need to be told again and the deck was quickly emptied of everyone except for them. The rain was now coming thick and fast and Freya was already drenched through, squinting hard against the turbulent wind as she struggled to make any shape out in the deluge. Already the shoreline was nothing more than a faint grey outline in the far distance and while she could still see people moving they were now nothing more than indistinct blobs. A peel of thunder cracked the sky above their heads as lightning flashed and dazzled her and Freya watched in awe as the ocean, now whipped to a frenzy by the wind, rose to beat at the sides of the ship and wash their way across the deck, saltwater curling at her ankles to mix with the freshwater in her hair. Snowdroper dipped and bucked under their feet like a living creature as her masts and sails groaned under the strain of the wind and the rigging lashed and whipped about as it was mastered by unseen hands, but not once did Freya feel any semblance of fear. She shook her wet hair out of her eyes and looked up at Merlin. His face could've been carved out of marble and his eyes positively glowed in the unnatural darkness as he stood stock still on the heaving deck, arms outstretched, fingers twitching as he controlled the storm about them like a spider controls its web. Freya felt her heart swell with love and pride … and a touch of awe. She knew he was powerful but it wasn't until that moment, as they sailed safely through the tempest he created, that she fully appreciated exactly how powerful he truly was. He didn't just control the forces of nature, he was a force of nature. She smiled, even as the icy wind made her shiver. They both were.

And suddenly, like a rope snapping under strain, the Snowdroper burst free of its howling grey prison and came to rest on calm seas. For a moment Freya was dazzled by a sudden bright light above her and she flung her hand across her face in order to shield herself, blinking furiously until she was able to once again see clearly. She looked up in wonder and beheld a bright and pure blue sky above her with the freshly risen sun casting its brilliant rays low and bright over the ship. She spun around and behind her saw a wall of seething grey clouds that stopped abruptly behind them, the soft sound of thunder and odd flash of lightning growing fainter and fainter as the Snowdroper cruised calmly away from the maelstrom. The air was fresh and sweet and aside from the creaking sound of the ship's movement, and the water trickling off the masts to pool across the ship's deck, it was wonderfully quiet compare to how it had been at the heart of the storm.

With a deep sigh Merlin lowered his hands, his eyes once more blue and tired looking, but still he managed to smile at her.

"You stayed," he said softly.

"Of course."

"You weren't afraid?"

She wrapped her arms around him. "Never."

He held her close and pressed his lips to the forehead as they stood soaking wet in the morning's sunlight. When they pulled apart Merlin took both of her hands in his and looked down at her with such seriousness and devotion that she felt her breath catch in her throat. Suddenly it was as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, at the beginning of some great darkness and all before her was so utterly unknown and unknowable, yet in that moment she felt nothing but a desperate desire to move forward into that darkness and discover all its mysteries for herself.

"I've been waiting for the right time," Merlin said haltingly. "But it never seems to happen the way I planned. And then I thought, any place, anywhere, any time, will always be the right time as long as I'm with you." Here he paused and, never taking his eyes from hers or withdrawing his hands from her grasp, he slowly lowered himself to one knee. Freya's heart started to beat with such force she was sure Merlin could hear it, even without her refined senses. A golden glow enveloped both their hands and Freya gasped as a single, beautiful yellow tulip gently unfolded between their locked fingers.

"Freya," said Merlin with such tenderness that it brought tears to her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she blurted out immediately, a hot, happy tear escaping and mingling with the rainwater on her skin. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" And with that she flung herself into his arms, her lips seeking his and they topped, laughing, onto the deck of the gently rocking ship, a tangle of limbs and kisses and one perfect yellow tulip.