Laurella stepped out of the shade which helped hide her face on the path to town. She pulled over her hood and cast her eyes down at her feet as she walked. She knew it was unlikely anyone could tell what she was at a first glance, but she didn't want to take a chance. She felt her heart beat increase as she walked closer to the town. Her purpose was simple; go in, trade her furs, buy food, leave. She picked her chin up as she approached the gates. The guards stopped her.

"What is your business here? You look new," One of the guards asked.

"Yes, I travel… I'm here to trade my goods," she tried to calmly reply.

"I'll have to inspect them," The other guard stated.

"Yes, of course," she said as she gave them her bag of furs without looking at the guards.

"Bear, mountain lion…quite the hunter, aren't you?" He said.

"What can I say?" she smiled and looked up at the guard as she felt pride creep into her voice.

"Checks out," he stated and signaled for the other guard to signal to open the gate. "Behave yourself while you're here in Burrs, ma'me."

"Yes, of course," she said quickly, fear creeping back into her mind.

The gates slowly creaked open to the bustling market district. At least she didn't have to go very far into the town. The vendors were shouting their deals and the shop-keeps swept their front steps. The aroma of fresh bread filled her nose. Soon she found herself carelessly wandering through the market. She had made to the center of the district when she found three empty stocks in a large circle in the center. She stopped her careless wandering and stared at them in terror.

Laurella felt the cold iron around her neck, hands and feet. Her memories choked her. The Church of the Silver Flame had found her one day forging with her friends in the woods. Her friends Maurel and Fevar wanted to race from the river back to the bush where Laurella was picking black berries. They told her to stay put, as they were the older two, so she did. The two shifted into their half beast-like form and took off towards the river. Laurella hummed herself a tune as she picked. She had finished forging the entire bush a long with two others when she had noticed how long they had been gone. She started calling their names and wandering towards the river. She stumbled through into the clearing where the river was. She found Maurel and Fevar dead. Around their bodies where three men holding silver long swords. They seemed too preoccupied examining the still transformed bodies of her friends. She tried to hold back tears, but failed. The stream of tears fell down her cheeks and she could feel the beast inside start to awake. She started to sob. She wanted to run up to the men and rip them apart. She wanted to jump on them while they didn't see her and rip their throats out. In her anger she choked out a low growl. The three men jerked up to see Laurella sobbing and starting to shriek. They prepared their swords and charged at Laurella. Coming to her senses, she quickly jumped up and started to run. The men were not fast enough, but Laurella didn't see the fourth man who had been tracking her. He struck her with his hand and she fell forward. As she hit the ground everything went black.

When Laurella awoke she found herself shackled around her neck, hands and feet. She jerked up and was being jostled around in a cart. Panicked she started to yell to the driver.

"Please! Where are you taking me?" She yelled.

"The city, lycanthrope demon," she snapped.

"No! I'm not a lycanthrope! Please! You're making a mistake!" She screamed, panicked.

"Silence, at the city of Jyral will judge you," he replied.

Laurella started to feel her hope fleeting. She wasn't a lycanthrope. She was a shifter. Were they the same? Was she just as powerful? Just as despised or as scary? She curled up into the corner of the cart and wrapped her chained arms around her knees. She started to cry.

"Please don't cry, it'll be OK," a voice replied.

She jerked up in surprise. Laurella had been so preoccupied with her own troubles that she had failed to notice the other prisoner on the other side of the cart.

"W-what?" She stammered.

"Don't cry," he calmly said with trustworthy eyes.

He quietly and cautiously scooted closer to Laurella; stopping if she tried to slide future from him. Finally, he sat next to her.

"It's OK. What's your name?" he whispered.

"L-Laurella…" she stuttered, slightly shocked that he cared.

"That's pretty, my name is Thomas," he smiled.

"Hello Thomas."

"Laurella, are you really a lycanthrope? It's OK, you can tell me."

"No, not really…but I am a shifter… it's-"

"It's OK, I know what that is," he cut her off.

There was a pause.

"How old are you Laurella?" he asked.

"I'm twenty three… but my Momma told me to tell people that I'm six," she cautiously replied.

"That's nice, I'm twenty five."

Another pause.

"Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

A third pause.

"I was captured as a suspected lycanthrope too. I'm neither a lycanthrope nor shifter."

"Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"Are they going to kill us?"

Yet another fourth pause.

"Yes, Laurella."

Every bone in Laurella's body told her to try and rip free of her chains and run. She was about to let herself go when she noticed Thomas with a lock pick. He noticed her stares and motioned her to keep quiet. She heard the small click of the shackles and his hand was free. He slowly stood up and crouched. He made his way to the driver and in one swift motion wrapped his chains around his neck and started to strangle him. The driver was making grotesque gurgles which soon subsided. The cart continued even without the driver.

"Laurella, we're going to need to jump out," he said while he went to work on her shackles.

Soon he had her free and went to work on his own set of shackles. He pushed the driver's body off the cart and jumped onto his seat.

"Go Laurella! Run!" he said as he turned to face the path.

Laurella didn't even pause; she jumped off the back of the cart and dashed into the woods. She kept running and running. She understood she was hated for what she was. She would never forget that she was a monster; an abomination. This would be the first time she was imprisoned

Two hundred and seventy years later, she's standing frozen in the market place looking at the stockades. The Church had declared its end of the war on lycanthropes, but followers of The Church of the Silver Flame still carried on the legacy. The fear paralyzing her finally set her free. She stumbled to the nearest fur trader and took the first offer he proposed for the fur. She took her gold, shoved it in her pouched and quickly walked to the gates. The gates opened again and one of the guards tried to call her over; she didn't listen. She ran as fast as she could to escape the cold shackles.