Title: Metamorphoses

Author: Vivi Dahlin

Summary: A glimpse into the past of Anya; her life as Aud, her first meeting with Halfrek and transformation into Anyanka, and lots of other goodies. Or, badies, I guess.

Author's note: Well, this story has been gathering dust in my computer for a while now. It's one I started and was all gung-ho about, but haven't gotten around to finishing yet. I still love it and want to finish it, and I'm hoping that getting it up for people to read and review will be the kick in the pants I need to write the rest. So, please leave some feedback to let me know if you're interested in reading more. I do have a second chapter finished, which I will be adding later. Also, I know some of the story might not fit with things that were said/shown on the show, but I like my way better. :)


Sweden, 870 A.D.

The butterfly was truly stunning to behold. Fascinated, Halfrek extended her index finger in a delicate, graceful motion, not to disturb the creature that was perched there, and brought it to eye level.

"Fear not, little one."

Quivering at the touch of Halfrek's breath, the butterfly spread its glossy purple wings, prepared to take flight. When no more words were spoken it seemed to change its mind and remained in place. Halfrek grinned as two maidens tripped past on the cobblestone path, arms linked, their gazes envious as they practically twisted their necks out of place to watch her charming display. She made a showy flourish with her hand and one of the girls gasped, finding that the butterfly again had not flown away, but now rested on the back of Halfrek's hand like a living bauble that relocated itself on command. Had the companions continued to stare they would have seen Halfrek's next trick: pinching the butterfly's wings, she expertly separated them from its thorax.

Strange how the creature's legs continued to twitch, Halfrek thought, as its body snapped and crunched between her teeth. That was a tad unsettling but worth bearing in order to reach the tart creamy substance that followed. Of all the insects, butterflies were Halfrek's favorite treat. And a useful one at that. She carefully pocketed the identical set of wings that would later come in handy for a charm, or better yet, a hex, and continued her journey to the center of this humdrum village she had been drawn to for days.

It was becoming somewhat tedious, traipsing among the villagers daily, searching for the one who desired her. Truth be known, Halfrek had felt a force pulling her to this place for several years, but she kept hidden her failure to discern which forlorn soul was calling out to her, and not only for fear of losing favor with D'Hoffryn. Never before was there a time she had experienced so much confusion and uncertainty when seeking a mortal in need of justice. Dealing with children was difficult, yes - they were so fickle and apt to forget the slights done to them, forgiving their adversaries before a vengeful wish could even piece itself together in their silly little minds. This child (or at least Halfrek assumed it was a child, since most of her wishers were), however, emanated such a garbled soul-cry, that Halfrek barely recognized its owner as male or female, a distinction that was almost always well-pronounced. It made her feel inept, an emotion that should have disappeared a hundred years ago, along with her conscience.

But today she was confident. The child's distress was growing, Halfrek sensed it. Soon she would be exacting all sorts of tortures on someone, possibly several some ones, and from the feel of it, this would be one hellacious bit of revenge she would get to perform. Uplifted by that thought, Halfrek snatched the kerchief off her head, setting free a mop of chestnut curls, and waved it about as she skipped and twirled her way further into the village, completely ignoring the scandalized stares of a group of old women who were stooped over their baskets of wool. Knowing she would never have to look that frail and haggard, that her beauty was eternal, lifted Halfrek's spirits twice as high and she was contemplating an impromptu levitation when she saw the child. And she knew. This was the child she had searched for. So strong was Halfrek's certainty that she had to restrain herself from pouncing upon it, shaking it and demanding it tell her its every wicked, immoral desire, that she might sooner unleash the havoc surging through her veins pleading to be let out. She even heard the child's name whispered in her ear... no, screamed into her ear by whomever the cause of Aud's suffering was. Aud, that was its name. A girl. Nine years of age. A despicable child, a curse. No better than the rabbits she tended.

Overwhelmed by excitement, it took Halfrek a moment to realize that she was not listening to the thoughts of Aud herself, but instead those of Aud's mother, a woman named Tofa. Peculiar. Had she, Halfrek, Mother of the Motherless, been summoned by a parent to destroy a child? That almost never happened. She would not have been opposed to it, but the nearer she came to Aud, the more certain Halfrek was that it was the little wretch's soul that was bleeding. Why Aud's thoughts were obscured puzzled Halfrek.

"Aud!" Halfrek rushed in the girl's direction, waving her kerchief in the air again. An odd, dilapidated well poked out of the ground not far ahead and when she hurried by, Halfrek impulsively tossed the wide square of fabric towards it, as if freeing herself of a hindering weight. She failed to notice that the minute her kerchief lit upon the ancient stone structure the vibrant red was no longer material, but streams of blood that flowed down the well's side and pooled at its edge.

No matter how many times her name was repeated, the fool child would not acknowledge that Halfrek was speaking to her. Losing patience, Halfrek risked making witnesses of the villagers and teleported herself closer to Aud, who was surprisingly quick for such a wisp of a thing. Not a single head turned, not even when Halfrek placed a less than gentle grip on Aud's arm and spun her around so they were facing. Aud dropped the large head of cabbage she was holding.

"What is the matter-" Halfrek began, then caught herself when a jolt traveled into her hand from beneath Aud's skin. Much as she loved the sensation a mortal's terror gave, she knew that it would interfere with her task if the child was frightened by her. Unfortunately, one had to bond with these humans in order to be privy to their darkest wishes.

Releasing Aud's arm, Halfrek knelt to the girl's level and retrieved the cabbage, patting away some dirt before handing the vegetable over.

"I beg your pardon, love."

Aud hesitated before snatching at the cabbage with grubby hands. The child's face was expressionless, but the aroma of fear still wafted from her pores and Halfrek yearned to touch her again. Under the guise of adjusting mussed hair, Halfrek fondled a dainty blond curl that rested on Aud's forehead, and allowed her fingers to trail across the smooth yet dirty skin beneath.

"Beautiful," Halfrek murmured, her thoughts not once centered on the girl's looks. Perhaps there was a pretty creature under that ragged, smelly tunic and layers of grime, but the beauty Halfrek referred to was the pure emotion within Aud. It was interrupted by nothing, just a steady wave of fright, more intense than Halfrek had known any human could have.

The sudden emptiness she felt when Aud broke contact and sprinted off made Halfrek cry out in protest. Forgetting her own powers to manipulate time, distance and location, she hastened after the child, calling, "Aud! Wait!"

"She won't hear."

Breathless, Halfrek paused to gape at the old fellow who had been observing her and the child - for how long she did not know - and waited impatiently for him to explain his statement.

"She can't hear you," he said, drawing his shoulders up in a careless shrug. He seemed annoyed when Halfrek continued to look at him, bewildered. He spread open his gnarled hand, roughly clapping a palm against his ear. "Child's deaf and dumb. No words go in, no words come out. Been that-a way since she came into t'world."

"But-" Halfrek glanced towards the end of the forked road, hoping to see which way Aud had turned. The child was nowhere in sight. She shot a furious glare at the now talkative codger who had detained her, pondering whether she had time to disembowel him. She might have, had he not been so forthcoming with information. Ears piqued, she allowed him to finish his tale.

"T'mother reckons t'child's cursed." The old man clucked his tongue disapprovingly. "Rubbish. You ask me, it's t'mother that's cursed. She t'one who's husband got killed by that-a Viking, she t'one who got herself violated by him. Child can't help it she was birthed from it. But she go on living in that fine cottage with her other children and treats that poor little wench more like a serf than flesh and blood. Makes her live like them beasts she raises, then comes prancing into town like wealth redeems all. Mm-mm-mm, you can bet I see right through that-a whore."

Brow furrowed in concentration, Halfrek tried to make sense of the rambling speech. It confirmed that Tofa despised her offspring, but from the sound of it Aud had every right to return the sentiment. Aud, the mute child who had no understanding of language. Halfrek sighed heavily and cut the man off before he could begin questioning what she wanted with the girl.

The distance to Aud's home might have been miles, but Halfrek decided to travel as a human and walk it. Her instincts would guide her in the right direction, and the less rushing she did, the more time she had to savor the musky scent of fear that Aud had left trailing behind her.