The Scarlet Angel

Old Memories

When we hit the water it was so cold it stole my breath in may the hound loosen its grip on my leg enough for me to escape once freed I swam to the surface for air and caught a glimpse of my old master before the waves pushed me under again the icy Rapids had me spinning around under the water and pushed me from left to right at Nauseating speed rushing down the River out of nowhere I see a large Boulder I try to swim out of the way but the current is too strong I slammed into the Boulder so hard that it felt like my whole body had broken into a million pieces then I slip Into Darkness

I awake too cold sharp rocks under my back and a heavy weight pushing me down into the rocks on my chest I open my eyes and look directly into the face of the hound. I quickly wiggle from under it and scramble as far away as a small embankment would allow me. Once out from under the hound I began to feel like I am turning to ice. Then a thought came to me and even though I did not want to believe that one of my master’s hounds was capable of such a caring act but in my gut, I knew that is exactly what happened.

“You saved me why would you do that what would you have to gain,” I ask as if expecting an actual answer, the hound just continued to stare at me with emerald green and sunflower yellow eyes that have a strikingly remarkable resemblance to that of a shapeshifter I knew growing up. I gasped as a cold realization washes over me I move closer to the hound to get a better look at its eyes. There was something familiar about them like I had seen them somewhere before.

“OK I say here is how this is going to go I asked a question and you answer with one bark for yes and two barks for no,” the hound stares at me intently for a few more seconds then barks once.

“OK first question is you a shapeshifter?” The hound barks once,” are you going to kill me or take me back to the be a slave again,” the hound slightly growls for a second then barks twice. “Can you shift back into your human form?” The hound whines and barks twice then looks up towards the Sky to reveal its color which the skin under it was covered in boils and sores The mysterious shapeshifter looks back at me and even in its current form I could tell it was in great deal of pain

“It's the collar, that's why you're unable to shift back,” the shape shifter gives off a very loud very deep bark, “it must be enchanted, I say examining the color “well lucky for you anything enchanted I touch usually unenchants itself.”

As I was about to touch the collar a thought came to mind that stop me. “Before I release you from your current form you must swear your life to me.” The shapeshifter stares at me for what felt like an exceptionally long time then stood up on all four poles and bows deeply.

“Do you swear to be my protector, my brother in council, to be my warmth on cold nights and my sword in battle?” I ask in the strongest voice I could muster the shapeshifter sounds off with one deep bark as it stared intently at me.

“As a show of your commitment meant to me give me your paw.” With one of the many sharp stones on the bank I s***h open the shape shifters paw then I cut my own palm and press it into the shape shifters paw sealing our alliance still. Holding the shape shifters paw I reach up with my other hand and ripped the collar off.

At first nothing happened then light exploded from the shapeshifter, so bright it blinded me for a few seconds once the black spots cleared I could see that the shapeshifter was very handsome young man with strong broad shoulders looking him over I realized he was completely n***d.

“Oh, my goodness,” I say trying to find something, anything to look at other than his impressive manhood. I settle my gaze on his face which by itself was strong and hard and but his eyes held nothing but kindness looking into his eyes I suddenly felt a sense of Deja vu that was when I remembered we had a connection.

“you were that boy, the boy that stopped him.” I said breaking the connection and walking to the water's edge trying not to go back to that dark place I had been in for so long.

“Yes I am, I'm sorry if that makes you sad.” He stands up, walks over to me takes my hand and gets down on one knee. “We were never properly introduced. I am Gwydion I am your protector; your warrior and I will serve you until you say otherwise.”

“It does not make me sad that you are who you are, it makes me mad if you want to know the truth,” I say pulling away from his and stepping back.

“If you do not mind my lady, would you tell me why it angers you,” he asks looking down at the ground.

“Because when Marcus, our old master, cornered me in that barn he said I was 13 and now a woman and that I needed to act like it. I tried to fight him, but he put a spell on me to make me sleep while he did whatever he wanted to me. When I woke up you were in the form of a lion attacking him, you saved me. Then you ran away and left me. I was so scared that he would …. that he would,” at that moment I couldn't stop the tears that had been forming from falling down my face. I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arm arms around myself as if I could keep myself from breaking apart. Gwydion rushed over and held me as I cried like a child rocking me ever so gently.

 “It's OK, my lady. What you don't know is that I did come back for you that very night.” I pulled back and looked up at him begging him with my eyes to continue “I came that night and planned for us to run away together it nearly killed me to stay away even for a few hours until it was dark but I knew we would not make it out in broad daylight believe it or not I came back in the form of a field mouse.” He chuckles a little, “A mouse, why not a bird” I ask enjoying his laughter.

“You don't usually see birds flying at night, do you? Anything bigger would have gotten me caught but in the end, it did not matter what I was Marcus had his hounds out. He even enchanted them to be able to find me in any form, even if I had known I would risk everything to protect you,” he said squeezing me tight.

“Then what happened,” I asked though I could guess I needed him to say it.

“They caught me right outside your sleeping quarters. Marcus knew I would come for you. He told me that I was stupid to think I could protect you from him. He owned us and there was nothing we could do. He said he was going to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to you. Said he would make me watch too. He would always ramble on about what he could and would do to you if I didn't behave.” As he was speaking I could feel him shake slightly I looked up to see his face twisted in anger.

“I am sorry I should not be angry with you,” I say putting my arms around him.

“No your anger is justified I should have tried harder but enough of this.” He stands and pulls me to my feet takes, my hand and says, “Where do we go from here? What would you have me do now my lady?”

“Well I need you to shift into a bird fly around until you spot a place where we can get some  With a bow he walks to the water's edge but before he can shift I say “By the way my name is Freya.” He looks back at me with a grin, “I know your name it has been in my dreams for the last two years along with your smile, beautiful eyes and your musical laugh.” With that he shifts into a massive hawk and flies away off leaving me with my thoughts and the mental picture of his n***d muscular body making me feel so dizzy I needed to sit down.