Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries, neither the novels nor the TV series. The dialogues in this chapter are similar (only similar, I didn't copy them) to the ones in the book Stefan's Diaries: Origins, but it had to be that way.

The Veritas Estate was much larger than I had imagined. Katherine sat beside me in the carriage, smiling unnervingly. I knew what she was thinking. New place, new food, new adventures. Playing people was her favorite pastime and moving around made it possible for her to play a lot of people. As the horses came to a stop, I wondered why I had decided to come here, to take her up on her request. The coachman opened the door to our cab and Katherine climbed out, her white dress flying behind her. I could hear the heartbeats of a human outside and I sighted, pretty sure that I knew what was coming. Not that I didn't like flirting, I just preferred to do it after I had settled in. Somehow traveling in closed spaces got on my nerves and it took me some time to get back to normal. Right now I just wanted to see our rooms and have a walk around the garden, perhaps borrow a horse and have a run through Veritas.

- Good morning. – She said, smiling a smile that most people thought was flirty. I knew better than that.

- Hello, you are…- The boy answered. His look was slightly detached. I could only wonder what was going on in his mind.

- Katherine Pierce, and you…- She told him, almost laughing at his confusion. In my mind, I completed "also known as Katerina Petrova".

- Katherine… Sounds familiar. – The boy pondered. I wondered whether he was savoring the name or remembering something. All I really cared about at that moment was getting out of the carriage and that retarded boy wasn't making it easy.

- I'll be staying with you for a while. You are…- She was now playfully eyeing him, teasing him for not answering her. As amazing as that may sound, he didn't seem to care.

- Stefan Salvatore. I'm sorry, but I believe I wasn't informed of your arrival. – He answered quickly, like a scolded child.

- My family died on a fire in Atlanta. – Her expression became dark. She may be many things, but a bad actress wasn't among them – My sister, my maid and I were the only survivors. Your father was kind enough to host us. For that, you have my most sincere gratitude. – As she said my name I climbed out of the cab.

The boy's eyes rested on me for a long time before he turned his attention back to Katherine. We should make quite an impression on this small town, where they didn't get so many visitors. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that I knew as well as my travelling companion that our hunts wouldn't pass unnoticed.

- I remember now. I'm sorry for your family. – It was creepy the how easily people became attached to Katherine. Her newest toy, Stefan, was already getting protective. –My father made a point of getting the carriage house ready for you. Would you like me to show you the way?

- Thank you, but we will be fine. Stefan Salvatore… Giuseppe's son, if I am not mistaken. – She turned away from him, following the coach's lead. Just before she was too far away for human earshot, she said – Your name suits you.

I stood in the spot I had landed for some time before following Katherine. I didn't really want to move. Stefan was quite intriguing. I could tell that he was torn between the two new visitors he had, but at the same time he didn't realize that. As I forced myself to go after Katherine, I smiled. Maybe staying here wouldn't be as awful as I had thought.

The carriage house wasn't too bad. It sure wasn't like the hotels I sometimes used when travelling, but it would do. It was well-kept and had obviously been prepared for our arrival, as there was a bed in each room, the walls were freshly painted and the candles had been recently replaced. There were other pieces of furniture displayed around both rooms, but very few that we would actually need. I went over to the dresser and unpacked my things as fast as I could, eager to get it done with. After I was done, I placed all my books on the bookshelf, smiling at the titles on the bind. Most of them were older than that house, safely resting inside a box posing as a book.

Happy to be free, I ran out of the house to enjoy the day. Stefan had some kind of appointment, so I wasn't going to have him for company, but I could find something to do by myself. Though Katherine was my friend, I couldn't imagine having her for company for another second. I walked over to the stables and evaluated the horses. Most of them were in a very good shape, but I took a special liking for a black horse called Fulmineo. Really grinning for the first time in days, I climbed on his back and led him out of the stables. After that, I allowed him to run wherever he wanted. It would be easier to get to know the area like that.

Fulmineo, with me on his back, ran across the Estate, glad to be free for once. He trotted like there was no tomorrow, enjoying his newfound freedom. It seemed like it didn't mind my being on his back, so I relaxed and appreciated the show. Veritas had several acres of land, which included its own personal forest. Fulmineo raced through the tricky paths that he must have travelled several times before, as his pace didn't even falter. I closed my eyes and felt the wildlife all around, their heartbeats, their minds, their movements. I smiled, remembering the forest I used to travel everyday to get to the river, in what seemed like another lifetime. For most people, it was.

As the day became night and the sun was replaced by the moon, Fulmineo returned to his stable. "Smart horse" I thought "He knows it isn't safe to be outside in the night." Most humans didn't know that. I used to be one of them. It wasn't time for me to go to sleep yet, but anything I did outside at this time of the night would be very suspicious, so I returned to my new house.

I was glad to see that Katherine wasn't home. I really didn't want to hear all about her new plans and how she had conquered the heart of half the population of Veritas. I just wanted to settle down on my bed, read something and eventually fall asleep.