"Keep up, Merlin! … Watch your footing! … Don't actually watch your feet! Keep your eyes on me! … Block! You need to block!"
"How long have they been going at it now?" Freya asked, coming to sit next to Gwen.
"Not long," She said, glancing up from her sewing. "I know it doesn't look like it, but Merlin's really improved. You should have seen him when he started. I asked him how his sword felt and he told me it felt swordy."
Freya pulled out her own sewing and showed the stitches to Gwen for inspection. "Have they talked about it yet?"
"Not that I've heard. I wish they would, but at least it's taken Arthur's mind off his father. You missed a stitch there."
Freya nodded and brought out her needle and thread to fix it. "Do you think we'll ever know what happened between him and Uther?"
"I don't know. I've tried talking to him about it, but he just changes the subject."
Freya! Freya! Freya! Freya! Freya! Freya! Freya! Freya! FREYA! FREYA! FREYA! FREYA! FREYA! FREYA!
The girl turned to see Mordred running up, a book held overhead.
"Focus, Merlin!"
"Ow! It's not my fault! Mordred's shouting in our heads!" Merlin yelped, bringing his sword up to block against another hit to his head.
"I've got it!" Mordred shouted, stopping next to Freya and Gwen. "I've found it!"
"Found what?" Arthur asked, not taking his focus off the spar.
"The Potion of Sekhmet!"
Merlin's head swung around and Arthur used the opportunity to land a blow to his chest. The warlock groaned, but otherwise ignored it as he pulled off his helmet. "You're sure?"
Mordred nodded, racing over to show Merlin something in his book.
"I'm sorry, should I come back later?" Arthur asked. When neither warlock reacted, he said, "We're in the middle of something."
"This is important," Merlin said, still reading through the book.
"More important than your prince."
Merlin looked up. "We've found a way to cure Freya."
Freya and Gwen looked up. They put their sewing away and came over as Arthur pulled his own helmet off and glanced over the book.
"This is Latin," he said. He looked up at Mordred. "You know Latin?"
"No, but Merlin taught me Sekhmet as well as every word that could mean potion so I could search the books."
Arthur took the book and looked over it. "It's a book on stories from Aegyptus."
"That's because that's where the bastet is from," Merlin said. "The curse is said to summon the power of the Aegyptiaca cat goddesses Bast, specifically in her more violent lion aspect Sekhmet."
"And this potion can get rid of the bastet?" Freya asked, looking over the pages, but there were no pictures and she couldn't read the writing.
"Not exactly. The ritual we found said, Sekhmet's bastet must stand under a full moon's light in a body of mystic water. There she must drink of the Potion of Sekhmet. With a blessing of peace, her bloodthirst will be sated and she shall be of Bast once more," Merlin explained. "After that, the curse should be gone and you'll be back to normal."
"Wait, the bastet has to drink it?" Arthur clarified.
"Yes," Merlin said, then seeing the prince's face he added, "It will be fine. I'll be able to contain her long enough to do the ritual."
"You think."
"If the druids were able to hold her, Merlin should be able to," Mordred said.
"I don't want to put anyone in danger," Freya argued.
Merlin took her hands. "Everything will be okay, I promise."
"Where are we going to find a body of mystic water?" Gwen asked.
"The Lake of Avalon," Mordred said. "It holds the land of Avalon under its waters and it's said the Sidhe guard one of the gates to Annwn on the island at its center. If any body of water is mystical, it's that one."
"What do you need for the potion?" Arthur asked, reading over the page. "Red wine, red ochre, and -" Arthur's nose crinkled, "- human blood."
"Only a little," Merlin reassured. "No one has to be hurt. It's just for the smell."
"You want her to drink it?"
Freya shrugged. "I've eaten and drunk worse like that. If it will get rid of my curse, I'll do it. I'm just worried about being loose."
"I won't let anything happen," Merlin said, squeezing her hands.
"I've done blessings with the druids plenty of times, so I can do that and Merlin will be completely focused on you," Mordred said.
Neither Arthur nor Freya looked comforted, but the other three's excitement had them agreeing.
Arthur scowled down at his reports, unable to take in a single word. Some sorcerous bandits had been brought in earlier and Morgana was on the warpath, cursing his father at every turn and sending him death glares for not doing anything. Arthur, meanwhile, didn't know what to think, he just knew he was angry. Angry at himself, at Morgana, and at his father.
"Arthur?"
The prince looked up to see Freya standing in the doorway. "Hello. Merlin's not here."
She nodded and shut the door. "I wanted to ask you something. About tonight."
He shrugged and gestured her forward, grateful for any distraction he could get. "You must be excited."
It had finally reached the full moon. Merlin was mixing the ancient Aegyptiacus potion since it had to be mixed under the sun and Mordred was off collecting incense for the blessing.
"I am, just…" She stared down at her hands. "I was hoping you would promise me something."
He gestured for her to continue.
"If-if something happens and I get loose, I want you to kill me."
Arthur froze. "What?"
She came over to kneel in front of him. "Please, Arthur. I-I can't be the cause of any more deaths. I know Merlin would never want me to hurt anyone, especially one of you, but I also know he'd hesitate to do anything that might hurt me. Gwen isn't a warrior and Mordred is a child so I can't expect them to do anything. I need you to do this. For me, for Merlin, and for your people, promise me."
Arthur wanted to reassure her, to promise that nothing would happen, but he knew that wasn't what this was about.
He stood up and set his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," she said firmly despite the tears in her eyes
"Then I promise."
"Thank you," she sighed with relief.
He'd never say it aloud, but he felt relieved as well.
Guinevere shivered and Arthur pulled his cloak off to drape over her shoulders. She blushed and smiled at him and he gave his own smile before turning away.
"Are you done yet? It's nearly midnight."
"Just one more," Merlin called back, holding up a bowl as Mordred whispered over it. The contents of the bowl began to smoke and Merlin set it on the water with the four others that were already floating around the two.
Freya was standing at the edge of the lake. Merlin's cloak was wrapped tightly around her as she had already pulled her clothes off and left them near Arthur and Guinevere so they wouldn't be damaged by her transformation.
Arthur's crossbow was also nearby, superficially there because his father thought he, Mordred, and Merlin had left for a hunt. He was pretty sure his father had only agreed to let them go in an effort to only have one person glaring at him over the upcoming executions instead of two, but he wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth.
"Alright, we're ready," Merlin said as Mordred waved his hand to make the five smoking bowls circle them.
As Freya carefully walked towards them, Arthur wrapped his arm around the still shivering Guinevere. He frowned when her arm felt bulky. "Are you okay?" he asked, recognizing the feel of a bandage.
"What? Oh, yes. Merlin just needed some blood for the potion."
"And he asked you?" Arthur would have thought the older warlock would have rather used his own then bother Guinevere.
"He said pure human blood is always the best for cleansing rituals. He and Mordred are warlocks so they've got magic in their blood and Freya is the one that's cursed so he couldn't use hers. I told him I was surprised he hadn't gone to you, but he just started sputtering apologies and saying he'd get it from somewhere else so I stopped questioning it."
Arthur's jaw tightened and he stared into the darkness of the forest. "He couldn't use mine. I was born from magic."
She gasped, but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, she leaned her head against his chest and he turned back to the lake.
Merlin and Freya were talking to each other in low voices and Mordred was standing at the edge of the circle, fiddling with the jug of potion in his hands.
"My mother couldn't conceive," Arthur whispered. "So my parents turned to magic."
"That's why you've been fighting with your father?"
"He used magic and it didn't work out like he'd thought because he didn't bother to ask, so now he burns anyone who uses it. He's a hypocrite. There's more to it, so much more, but that's what's important right now."
"I'm so sorry."
Freya hissed and doubled over.
Everyone's focus turned to her as Merlin stepped back to the edge of the circle.
It was disturbing to watch as her body distorted, even with the cloak covering most of it. Finally, the cloak was knocked off as large, bat-like wings rose from her back and the bastet was revealed. She looked like a large lioness with pitch-black fur and oversized fangs that hung down from her mouth.
She roared and leaped forward, but a cry of "Scildan!" from Merlin had a dome appearing over her, keeping her pinned in place in the knee, high water. "Now, Mordred."
"Fleoge seoxter!" Mordred said, holding up the jar and it flew forwards, slipping underneath Merlin's shield. "Ástryce!"
The jar shattered, spilling the blood-like liquid in front of the bastet. She gave a short, sharp snarl and sniffed at it before she began lapping at the water.
Mordred immediately dropped to his knees, head bowed. Arthur couldn't see his lips moving or hear any spellwork, but he must have been doing something as the smoke coming from the bowls suddenly turned a glowing white, the air filling with so much of the fragrance of camomile and evergreen that Arthur could smell it from his spot near the trees. The bowls also froze on the water, keeping their place despite the small waves rippling through the lake.
Moonlight shone up from the circle like a second moon was just beneath the water and the bastet threw her head back in another roar. Merlin's shield held through her thrashing though and soon she collapsed under the water. The smoke and extra moonlight vanished.
"Freya!" Merlin yelled, dropping the shield and running to the woman.
Arthur and Gwen ran for the edge of the water and reached it just as Merlin pulled her up to the surface, human once more. He carried her to the edge with Mordred following, cloak in hand and eyes to the sky.
Merlin knelt on the beach and checked her vitals. "She's not breathing," he said, setting her down and placing his hands on her chest. "Ápyffest!"
Water spluttered out of her mouth, but nothing more.
Merlin repeated the spell twice more to the same effect before she took in a shuddering breath and turned on her side. He rubbed her back as she coughed up the last of the water and fell silent.
He checked her vitals again and sighed. "She's asleep, but she's breathing."
"Did we do it then?" Mordred asked, handing him the cloak.
"We won't know until midnight tomorrow," Merlin said, tucking it around her. "We should get a fire going before she catches a chill."
Mordred went to fetch the bowls while Arthur helped Merlin carry her up to their campsite. The two left Guinevere to dry and dress her as Merlin started a fire and Arthur grabbed the bag of food from their supplies.
The three waited anxiously in Arthur's room as midnight came and went. Arthur was standing at the fireplace, staring into the flames. Guinevere was embroidering one of Morgana's dresses at his desk. Mordred was polishing one of Arthur's boots.
Finally, the door opened to a grinning Merlin. He stepped aside to let Freya in.
Gwen squealed and ran over to hug her.
"I'm glad to see you're finally free," Arthur said.
"Thank you, all of you," Freya said, tearing up.
Mordred went over to pat her back and Merlin came to Arthur's side.
"Thank you. I don't know if we could have done it without you," he said.
"Of course you couldn't've," Arthur said, then bumped their shoulders together. "Did you get all her things moved to Guinevere's?"
"She's all set up. We were talking, though, and I think she wants to make a trip back to her home village now that her curse is gone."
"I'll speak to the steward and see if she can get some time off. Will you go with her?"
He shook his head. "She told me she didn't want to take me away from you for that long."
Arthur squirmed as the memory of Merlin pressed up against him flooded his mind.
Merlin cleared his throat and he turned to see the warlock looking away with a blush.
"Right, well she should at least take Mordred with her."
"I'll, uh, talk to them about it."
"Good."
"Yeah."
Arthur faked a yawn. "I think it's time we all get to bed."
"Good idea," Merlin agreed, moving over to the group. "I'll walk you two home."
"You don't have to do that," Gwen said and Freya kissed him.
"We'll be fine."
"If you're sure."
We should stop and eat soon, Freya said, looking up at the sky.
I think there's a clearing just up ahead, Mordred said, urging Passelande to go a little faster.
Once they reached the clearing, they both got down. Freya grabbed the saddlebag and Mordred led the horse to a tree near some grass to tie him up.
Did you hear that?
Mordred looked up to see Freya staring off into the trees. He listened, but couldn't hear anything. What?
Her head twitched slightly. Someone's coming.
He spun around as a branch snapped behind him. Freya's hand wrapped around his shoulder and pulled him back towards her as a man came out of the trees, a sword leaning against his shoulder.
"Well now, what do we have here?"
Two more men stepped forward on either side of the man.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?"
"Sorry, you're not my type," Mordred said and Freya squeezed his shoulder.
Arthur's right, you spend too much time with Merlin, she hissed as the men scowled at him. "We don't want any trouble," she said to the men and Mordred heard an odd high-pitched rumbling in her throat.
"Trouble?" the man chuckled. "Who wants trouble? We just want any money you've got, and maybe to have some fun."
Mordred scowled and stepped in front of Freya. "Get lost."
The men laughed and the one on the right said, "You've got a mouth on you, kid."
The first man came closer and the others followed his lead. "How about you leave this to us and your sister, huh?"
"I'm giving you one last warning," Modred said as the men drew near and Freya's weird sound grew louder.
Ignoring him, the first man lowered his sword and reached out.
The boy's hand shot up and magic flowed out of him to throw the men backward.
"Sorcerer!"
He spun around to see another man run out of the trees with a crossbow. "Scildan!"
The bolt bounced off his shield and the man immediately fled into the trees.
"Don't touch him!"
Mordred turned again just in time to see Freya shove a man that had been sneaking up on them. To their surprise, the man went flying. They faced each other and Mordred's jaw dropped.
Freya's eyes were a greenish-yellow with oval pupils. As she blinked, her eyes faded back to brown and her pupils constricted into circles.