Freda was a knight?

"Who were you before?"

She was extremely uninterested in this conversation and it showed in her monotonous voice. "I can't remember. A knight, I think."

A knight? This cow had been a knight?

Presently Belboz took Freda to his workshop to run some tests on her and see if he could get to the bottom of this. In the meantime he left Ruthie, Gabby, and Maggie in a makeshift stable he whipped together. They could not speak, but even if they could, they may have stood in stunned silence all the same. Freda had suffered terrible injustice, and now they shared a similar fate. How would they ever get out of this? Did... did they even want to? This was a nice enclosure, and they couldn't think what more they may escape to, should they try.

Eventually Belboz came to milk the three of them. They found it a pleasing, relieving sensation, and did not struggle or impede him, though they were all dimly aware of how very strange this all was. As he worked, he said, "That Freda is quite extraordinary. So many enchantments I'm not sure I can ever untangle them to reveal who and how she once was! She'll become my new pet project, I think, and so it's not likely you'll see much of her. But don't worry, I'll give the three of you a comfortable, fulfilling life. A fine reward for bringing me those artifacts, eh?"

Now, all three of these dairy cows had once been very powerful and rather strong-willed people, but they were now incredibly slow-witted and easygoing by comparison and Belboz's soothing tone lulled them easily into a contented state. But they barely - just barely - understood the meaning of his words.

1. And they agreed. This was such a nice life he had brought them into, free of the pressures of their adventuring careers.
2. And it appalled them! They began to kick and moo in protest, knowing that every part of this was wrong, unjust!
3. And they were not on the same page. Gabby and Maggie agreed, but Ruthie could not accept that a knight, similar to what she had once been, was undergoing a trial such as this. Freda - all of them - must be saved.

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