Our Broken Empire
Summer 1012
x
The eighteen year old boy was sat upon a fallen tree, hands together and looking out over the small lake. Its surface was smooth, untouched. Like a mirror.
He bent down now and picked up a small, flat stone, rolling it around in his palm for a moment, then threw it as hard as he could, watching it soar and land in the lake with a loud splash.
A hand was run through his hair now, and he sighed-
He should have expected this.
Mikael had promised to take him out hunting, to teach him the ways of the forest. Of course, he had been part dreading the part where it was just him and the bastard, alone for two days, but still-
He was itching to get his hands on a bow, and an arrow to aim at a buck deer.
Not now.
Mikael had 'business to attend to...'
And his son was sat alone, wondering what he'd done in life to make his father hate him so very much. He was never this terrible, this cruel to his other children. His youngest brother, Henrik was five winters old now, and Mikael next to doted on him. Much like his eldest three sons as well- Elijah, Finn and Kol.
Niklaus heard crunching footsteps, then glanced round to see his eldest brother, Elijah, walking forwards. At the age of twenty three, he was considered a man a long time ago.
And he was rather envious of that little fact.
He frowned now, looking to his younger brother, then sat down next to him, going. "I thought you were out on a hunt with Father?"
"'Father' made an excuse." Niklaus said bitterly, wishing at times he could ram the silver blade through the mans neck, leave him lying there next to death.
Would he care? Not at all. He'd watch with a dark smirk on his face.
Elijah sighed, then lay down his sword upon the dry but bright emerald grass, going. "Oh."
"Yes." Niklaus said bitterly, picking up another stone and lobbed it into the lake again as his elder brother went. "I shall-"
"Talk to him? Save it brother. You know him as well as I do. He will not change his mind."
"No, no. I shall ask about myself going instead."
Niklaus was taken aback by that, then frowned. "You would do that-?"
Elijah nodded, then smiled a little. "Brothers remember?"
He was humbled by that, then chuckled. "Thank you."
"I'll have Kol and Finn come too. Make an event out of it." Elijah added, and Niklaus groaned. "Really? You know how... childish Kol can be."
Elijah chuckled at the thought of his sixteen year old brother tagging along, but knew the boy needed experience for himself as well as Niklaus.
And then there was Finn.
Who knew what his reaction would be.
Niklaus nodded. "Fine. Let's make this a-"
"Brother thing?" Elijah mused and he nodded once more.
He sighed, then got to his feet, taking his sword from the ground and set it in his belt once more, going-
"Fine. Let's find them."
The search didn't take long, as the pair head back to the deserted house, Klaus said. "Go ahead. Kol'll be in the stables."
Elijah went ahead as his brother had said, walking up the upper rooms, letting out a sigh-
Family these days. It was so...
Much harder.
He reached his brothers and Kols room, then pushed it open, hearing a yell almost straight away.
Elijah looked away in an instant, rolling his eyes as he said. "I thought you were the sensible one?" He looked back to his brother, age just twenty one, his long brown mixed with blonde hair in his eyes, and he moved it aside, sighing, glancing to the young woman next to him, the wolf fur covers pulled up to her chin.
"Elijah." Finn sighed, saying to his slightly older brother. "Privacy?"
"I apologies. But myself and Niklaus are going on a hunt. Are you-"
"Am I coming?" He shrugged a little. "Sorry. I have my own entertainment for the night." A little grin on his face made Elijah sure what he meant, then sighed, nodding. "I understand. See you later, and do not let Father catch you."
Finn nodded, then made Elijah leave as fast as he could as he leaned over to the young woman, meeting her lips with his own.
She giggled, then said, letting him push her back down onto the bed, kissing her hungrily, feeling her hand wind into his hair, the other creeping up his chest...
Niklaus, on the other hand, went on the hunt for his sixteen year old brother Kol.
The younger brother had always had a kind of fascination with horses, and always spent his free time with his stallion in the woods.
Niklaus grabbed his own horse now and climbed on, taking hold of the reins and urged the horse forwards into the woods.
The ride was pleasant, the only sound in his ears the hooves pounding against the hard baked earth, his horse in perfect stride.
But then another sound reached his ears-
More hooves.
A horse blurred past him, a loud woop accompanying it.
He didn't have to guess who it was- only one person would be quite so suicidal...
Then again, he was very young. Still a child.
Niklaus urged his own horse faster now, picking up the pace, catching up to his wild little brother. They raced all through the woods, then into the fields laced with vervain and other flowers.
"That all you got?" His little brother yelled, dark hair flying behind him, then all Niklaus heard and saw was a yell of utter shock, followed by a colossal crash.
Niklaus slowed his horse down at that, scrambling down and ran over to his brother who was laid on the floor, a hand on his leg as he hissed in agony, clearly broken.
The elder boy groaned, then knelt down next to him and said. "Can you stand at all."
Kol tried, but swore under his breath, finding that he couldn't.
"Oh hell..." Niklaus groaned, then Kol lay back, saying to the sky. "This hurts brother... alot."
Niklaus felt a total idiot as he groaned, picking his brother up into his arms, hoisting him onto his horse where he yelled in agony. His elder brother got up behind him, holding him tightly, saying with a chuckle.
"Kol, what are you like? Huh little brother?"
"A fool." Kol chuckled weakly, the back of his head leaning against his brothers shoulder, closing his eyes.
Well, that was one more out of the trip.
When Niklaus got back to the house, Elijah was sat next to the door, waiting for his return. He frowned when he saw his little brother in front, looking half asleep, half in agony.
"What happened-?" He asked, walking over and reached up, stronger than Niklaus and took him down with a groan, hearing-
"What do you think?"
Elijah didn't need telling twice- a gallop on his horse gone foul. He took him inside where their mother had returned early from the market, and now her eyes widened as she saw her son, setting five year old Henrik down onto the chair, telling twelve year old Rebekah to stay put, rushing over and took him, sighing to her sons who were stood near the doorway, going.
"He is in good hands. You can leave."
Niklaus walked out now, then glanced around. "Where is Finn?"
"Depends how you see it."
The younger man gave up now, then sighed, sitting down next to the barn, feeling disappointed-
It had all gone so... wrong.
Elijah sat down next to him at last, and Niklaus noticed the bow and quiver of arrows that were his own. A second later, Elijah held it up for his little brother to take, and Niklaus frowned, going to him-
"But this is your own? I could never..."
"Take it." Elijah told him, and Niklaus took them hesitantly, shocked that his brother would give him his own white oak bow complete with eagle feather tipped quills.
"Thank you brother." He said sincerely, and Elijah chuckled. "My pleasure brother."
Niklaus grinned, then scrambled to his feet, running off into the woods towards the target trees, making Elijah chuckle a little-
What were brothers for?
So me, Sired-by-niklaus and Snowberryxoxo have done a little one shot:) listened to Hurt by Leona Lewis, then derived our stories from it^_^ here's my little random idea:L a little brotherly bonding! Hope you like and drop a review:) x Nicola