Chapter Text
An arrow flew past your head, persuading you to move swiftly through the dense forest. You could hear the hunters shouting obscenities behind you and snapping branches under their boots.
You needed to get away quickly. You darted in and out between the trees trying to avoid the over growth on the forest floor. Suddenly you found yourself tumbling forward down an incline.
Slamming into a log at the bottom of the incline, the wind was knocked out of your lungs, your vision blurry. You could still hear them coming in your direction.
Trying to get up you realized you sprained your ankle with the fall. You cursed, uncertain of how you were going to get yourself out if this one.
“I’m with you.” a voice rang out to you,
Calling your attention to the small lake that pooled by your hiding spot. You crawled behind the log, trying to look for the person who spoke. When you approached the pool a yellow light surrounded you and new found energy flowed throughout your body. You felt rejuvenated.
“Maybe I can be of assistance?”
She was a witch, but you could tell she meant no harm.
“Y- yes please I need help! I need to hide from the search party!”
The witch gave a serene smile, an arcane circle surrounding you and engulfing you with its light.
Then she cursed.
You blinked, you felt okay. Great even. Like you had a really nice nap. You went to stand, and felt… odd. Hunched, maybe?
“Oh no oh no no no no!”
She picked you up.
“What did you do?!”
You yelled, reaching up to grab her collar with your…. Paw?
“WHAT AM I?”
“… A cat?” she grinned sheepishly.
“WHY?”
“I- I’m still learning! I thought it was an invisibility spell! I just wanted to help!” She panicked setting you down and opening her grimoire and flipping through pages rapidly.
“OH FOR FUCKS SAKE-”
Just then footsteps approached the incline’s ledge and you instantly hid inside the log. Leaving the witch to deal with the hunters. You realize that being a smaller animal might have its advantages.
She lied (it wasn’t easy for her, obviously) saying that she was gathering pure water for a ritual and she hadn’t seen a rogue woman running through the forest. She was charming enough to soothe their anger and make them search other places for you.
You were at least thankful she did not choose to expose you to them and hand you over.
“You can come out now.” The witch said peeking inside the gallows of the tree.
You crawled out shaking your fur off.
“T- thank you for protecting me,” you say getting used to walking on all fours.
“You’re welcome, despite being a thief.” she held up the artifact you stole from the king’s palace.
“H- hey!” you tried to lunge forward tripping over your own black paws. And hitting the ground oafishly.
She giggled tucking the artifact in her parcel.
“I’d like to go back to normal now.” you said face firmly planted in the dirt.
“Maybe this might teach you a lesson.” the witch replied haughtily.
“Besides… I Don’t trust myself to do it. Yet.”
Okay, that was understandable. You don’t want to be turned into something worse than a cat.
“Could you give me some time to figure it out?”
You groaned, but agreed to go with her. It’s not like you were going to steal anything bigger than a fish in the current state you were in.