Arthur leapt away from the falling gargoyle, the beast taking its chance to escape into the air. The prince turned just in time to see his servant pelting out of the courtyard. What had he even been doing here?

Not bothering to examine why, Arthur followed Merlin into the catacombs, motioning for his men to return to their lookout posts.

The young man didn't notice he had a shadow, charging down the steps without care. Arthur marveled he hadn't broken his neck by the time they reached the bottom. The prince stopped on the stair, listening to Merlin on the other side of a wall.

"You're alright; you're safe now."

Who is he talking to? Then he heard the low cat-like noises of the bastet. That idiot...

He ran around the corner only two see the tail of Merlin's jacket disappearing further into the tunnels. Arthur followed, cursing his friend's foolishness. Sympathy for a rabbit or deer was bad enough, but this?

He had just about caught up to them – who knew Merlin could travel so quickly? - when he heard sobbing. Had she changed back? Arthur crouched beside the wall, eavesdropping once more.

"You must hate me."

Definitely the girl.

"No."

"I'm a monster. I tried to tell you."

"I know."

Merlin had been the one helping her? Honestly, he didn't know why he was surprised at this point.

"I wasn't always like this."

What?

"Shh... You shouldn't try to talk."

"There was a man - he attacked me. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I thought he was going to kill me..."

"It was an accident."

"His mother was a sorceress, and when she found out that I'd killed her son she cursed me to kill forever more."

This girl was the victim?

"I'm going to make you better, Freya."

So Merlin did know her.

"No, Merlin; the wound's too deep. Please go."

"No. I'm not leaving you here."

Arthur felt a stab of guilt at the anguish in the younger man's voice, a feeling quickly overrun by shock with the next words.

"Gestepe hole! Þurhhæle!"

That was a spell. Merlin just used magic.

Arthur stumbled blindly back up the stairs, hiding in an alcove when Merlin passed by with the girl in his arms. He could have easily dispatched the both of them then and there, but instead he let them go.

The next morning the prince was unsurprised to find a hastily-scrawled message of farewell delivered by an unfamiliar servant along with breakfast.