CHAPTER 1 – THE BEGINNING

It's been twenty years since Elijah's family sailed across the great ocean to start a new life away from the plague that claimed his eldest sister Freya. He and his older brother Finn were sparred and they were blessed with four more siblings – Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah and Henrik. Their new neighbors, the old Norwegian tribe who ventured overseas some ten years before them, welcomed them with open hearts and embraced them as their own. His family was close friends with the chieftain Raoul's family. His wife Ylva was a witch almost as powerful as Esther and their three sons – Viggo, Brynjar, Hagen – and their only daughter Brenna were the closest friends to Mikaelson children. They spent many years playing together, learning to hunt together and shared their joys and grieves together.

They knew about the Ragvaldsson family supernatural curse of turning into wolves on the full moon and learned to respect it, living in peace and harmony for almost two decades. Unfortunately, that was about to change soon.

Elijah drew his bow, taking a deep breath and steadying himself, before releasing the arrow and hitting a deer fifty feet away with deadly certainty. He was pleased with himself; his family will eat well tonight.

"Did Odin himself bless your arrows? I swear I have never seen you miss your target, not even when we were children," he heard Brenna's voice teasing behind him, sending shivers down his spine. She was as exquisite beauty with dark auburn hair, hazelnut eyes and angelic face that would melt your heart. She was also fierce and could wield a blade and ride a horse as skillfully as any man in the village. Every man wanted to be her suitor but she only had eyes for one. Not that he would notice her affections. He was far too humble for that and always dismissed them as a result of their long lasting friendship. That didn't stop him from wanting more though.

"You dare to tease me about my hunting skills seeming magical. Not one day ago I saw you hit boar with your spear from the same distance," Elijah countered making her send a playfully smug smirk his way.

"Says the one whose stallion is named after Odin's horse," Brenna teased right back. "We should head back to the camp," she said starting towards her mare Tyra. He followed suit after her, retrieving his prey and tying it to Sleipnir. Elijah, Klaus, Brenna and her brothers were currently out on the hunt preparing for the celebration of Winternights that signaled the beginning of the winter season.

Upon the next day they arrived back to the village and parted their ways in order to prepare for the night's festivities. Elijah entered his family home and was instantly greeted by Rebekah hugging him tightly.

"Have you heard the great news brother?" she toned cheerfully. "Ansel's daughter – Sigrid – she gave birth to a beautiful healthy boy. Even more reason to celebrate and dance through the night!"

That was good news indeed. Ansel was chieftain Raoul's younger brother and the whole family would be therefore present for the entire duration of festivities. More time to spend with Brenna.

"So, dear brother," Rebekah said snapping Elijah out of his thoughts. "Is this the night when you finally muster up enough courage to express your feelings towards Brenna?"

"What are you talking about Bekah?" Elijah stammered utterly surprised by this question.

"Oh please, Elijah, even the blind could see you are in love with that girl," Rebekah chided. "And I can tell the feelings are mutual. I think the whole village knows it but you two. Well I am off to Brenna's house to prepare for the celebration. I will see you later." She said with a wicked grin plastered on her face.

The festivities were in a full swing, the wine and mead flowing, people in masks dancing and singing aloud with the music. It was splendid. It was Elijah's favorite time of the year but sadly, he found himself not enjoying it very much this time around. Maybe it was because his nerves got the best of him as he was trying to figure out the best way to approach Brenna or maybe it was because he was forced to endure watching her dance with every man in the village. It was a tradition for every man of age to dance with chieftain' daughter at great festivals such as this one, and by rights he should be standing in line waiting for his turn, but instead he decided to sulk in the shadows and drown his anguish in mead.

He felt the slightest consolation upon observing that she didn't seem to be enjoying herself very much either. She looked stunning that night. Her flaming hair braided in intricate patterns and adorned with feathers and jewelry and her dress a deep midnight blue shade that beautifully enhanced her pale skin and brown eyes.

Lost in his thoughts he didn't notice she had disappeared from the dance floor. He started frantically looking for her with his eyes but couldn't find her anywhere. He was beginning to panic, thinking she sneaked away with one of her many suitors, and cursing Rebekah for playing such a cruel trick on him, making him believe he had a chance with Brenna. Then he felt her delicate palms cover his eyes, making him tense momentarily, and her voice murmuring in his ear: "And what pray tell are you doing here, alone, sulking in the shadows?"

There it was again, that unrelenting shiver whenever she was near him. He couldn't help himself but chuckle under his breath.

"Enjoying the festivities from afar seeing as you were preoccupied," he teased right back grabbing her palms gently and spinning her around, still not releasing her hands from his. It was time to come clean. Now or never.

"And here I was, waiting the entire night for you to come and dance with me before my feet would fall off," Brenna said with bated breath, looking down on their entwined hands.

"If I knew you desired so to dance with me, I would be the first one in line," he murmured, releasing her hands from his, only to place them on her cheeks, stroking lightly with his thumbs.

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with all the unspoken feelings, beautiful smile gracing her lips: "It seems we will need to work on communi—"she started but was cut off by Elijah grabbing her and kissing her passionately. She tensed momentarily but soon melted into the kiss twining her arms around his neck. When they finally tore apart, breathing heavily, Brenna twirled around smiling happily: "Now can I have my dance?"

"Only if I will be the one to dance with you for the rest of the night," Elijah countered.

"I would not have it any other way," she toned and took his hand leading him from the shadows back to the dance floor.

That night, to both Elijah' and Brenna's surprise, her father announced their engagement that would unify Rangvaldsson and Mikaelson families as one. The festivities continued throughout the entire night and two more days.

After that, it was time for people from the village to seek the shelter of caverns while Ragvaldsson men howled under the light of the full moon. Elijah spent that night happily cuddled up with Brenna by his side, planning their future together with vigorous help from Rebekah, Esther and Brenna's mother. He couldn't help but notice that Niklaus and Henrik were nowhere to be seen which concerned him a great deal. His bad feeling proved to be right the next morning when he heard Niklaus screaming for his mother. He rushed over there only to see his youngest brother torn apart. Brenna arrived at the scene a moment later and hugged crying Rebekah tight starring in horror at Niklaus who crumpled on the ground next to his brother's body, sobbing "the wolves… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"We must save him," Esther pleaded with Ayana. "Please, there must be a way!"

"The spirits will not give us away, Esther," Ayana retorted disheartened. "Your boy is gone."

That was it. Henrik was dead and Elijah knew that as soon as Mikael found out, the peaceful life between the two families was gone. His heart filled with sorrow for his youngest brother and fear at the thought that this might ruin his and Brenna's future together. That however didn't happen. The relationships with Ragvaldsson family were a little tense and it seemed that his parents were dealing with the loss of another child on their own terms. He had no idea of their plans to turn all their remaining children into monsters. Granted, they were trying to figure out the way to protect them from the wolves, but what they did has crippled him and his siblings for centuries.

Once they turned into vampires, everything started going to hell. Other villagers didn't exactly know what they were, but they shunned them out. Even Ragvaldssons turned their backs on them, well except Brenna, but she didn't have a say in the matter. Her father cancelled their engagement and forbade her from seeing Elijah ever again.

It'd been almost a month before they finally managed to sneak out to see each other again and talk. He was standing in the darkened alley behind her house, waiting for her. At last, she came out, wearing her heavy winter fur over her nightgown.

"Elijah," she whispered caressing his cheek lightly. "I know I'm late, but I couldn't get out earlier."

"It's alright my love," he pressed his hand against her hand and kissed her palm gently. "You're here, that's all that matters."

"My mother… she says you're not the same people anymore… she says you are all dangerous," she whispered staring down at her bare feet. "But I don't believe that. I look at you and I still see the man I love and want to spend my life with."

At her words, he let out a breath he wasn't aware of holding, relieved that her feelings towards him haven't changed. He grabbed both her hands and staring into her eyes intently, he said: "I would never dream of hurting you Brenna. You are my destiny."

"I know that my love," she smiled a little sadly. "But my father wants me to marry Egil, the son of a chieftain from the North village. What are we going to do?"

"Let's run away together," Elijah blurted out in a rush. He'd been thinking about it constantly ever since their engagement was canceled. "Let's run far and find a new home for both of us where we can start over."

"Let's do it my love," Brenna smiled, happy tears streaming down her beautiful face. Elijah hugged her firmly but cautiously, aware now of his increased strength. "Tonight's a full moon. Tomorrow, my family, they'll all be weak and distracted. I'm sure I'll manage to slip out. Meet me in the caverns tomorrow night and we'll go."

"I'll be there," he whispered nervously. "I love you Brenna."

"As I love you," she murmured back, giving him a quick passionate kiss and ran back to the house. Elijah was torn. He was certain Brenna was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but he felt oddly guilty for abandoning his family. He always put his family first and it felt unnatural not to do so anymore. But it was time to finally put his happiness before the others and Brenna was his happiness.

The night after their secret rendes-vous, he was waiting in the caverns for Brenna to come, but she wasn't there. He waited for hours and he finally gave up at the dawn thinking she changed her mind, or maybe she couldn't sneak out. He climbed out of the caverns and hurried back to the village to find out what got her held up when he noticed smoke rising from where her house was. He raced over there and found only ashy remains of her house. In front of it, impaled on stakes was Raoul Ragvaldsson, his brother Ansel, his wife, their three sons and… Brenna… Her once beautiful hazel eyes staring into the sky, lifeless and hollow. He removed her body from the stake and slumped to the ground with her in his arms, screaming his throat raw and sobbing hysterically. He had no idea how long he'd been like that but it must've been hours before Niklaus and Rebekah found him, holding onto Brenna's rigid body for dear life. They finally told him what happened. Told him that Niklaus was a part werewolf and last night he turned for the first time and killed six villagers, that Mikael found out and realized Niklaus isn't his son and that Esther had been unfaithful. He made her confess who Niklaus' true father was and then killed him and his entire family in a fit of rage. He also killed Esther, ripping her heart out for breaking his. Then he took off and never came back.

Elijah woke up with a start from his recurring nightmare in which he relived his happiest and worst moments of his human life. Thousand years he's been alive and those memories were as vivid as if it all happened yesterday. He's been roaming the Earth, following his siblings, cleaning up their mess, trying to forget the woman he once felt for so strongly but he was about to be reminded soon.