It had been six months since Cella had told Elijah she'd come right back, and she couldn't help but wonder if that had been wise. Her mother's trouble had been far from simple; after all, why else would she be out here in the woods with members of her family scattered about, running from witch hunters? These weren't your average humans, either. No, they were faster, stronger, and knew enough tricks to bring down entire covens at a time. They knew all the modern tricks too, resulting in her entire family having to go on the run with no technology and minimal supplies. If it weren't for her brother, they all would have died by now. As Cella sucked behind a tree and began muttering, she could feel someone coming towards her, fast. She unsheathed her knife, knowing this may well end with her death. She silently counted the distance down in her head, before whipping around the tree with dagger poised. A hand grabbed her own with astonishing speed, and familiar eyes looked down at her in shock.

"Elijah?" Her disbelief was short-lived as an arrow embedded itself in her shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. Elijah moved immediately, putting himself between her and the shooter just as another arrow slammed into his chest. He only stumbled before ripping it out, zeroing in on the hunter and taking off after him. Cella ground her teeth against the pain, hurrying as much as she dared back to the agreed on meeting point. Elijah was at her side, covered in blood, and pulling her to a stop.

"Cella, wait." The concern coming off of him was distracting, and she waved him away, eyes darting for the next threat.

"We need to meet up with the others. Now." He must have sensed the urgency in her tone, because he simply nodded and allowed her to lead him through the trees. They walked in silence, and she tried to focus on her surroundings rather than the arrow in her shoulder. It was going to require her mother's help to remove; the hunters had a nasty habit of using twisted tips, which would cause more damage the more you pulled on them. She stopped just outside the encampment boundary, turning to him "Wait here." She stepped through before he could argue, muttering a few words to alter the enchantment to let him in. "Alright, come on." He followed, his curiosity and worry warring in his mind. She made a beeline for her mother's tent, and a few children ran ahead of her to warn the matriarch.

"Viticella!" Her mother and brother raced towards her, each careful to support a side and help her into the tent. Now that she was safe and her adrenaline was winding down, the pain was becoming intense, and tears sprang to her eyes. Elijah and her brother eyed each other for a few minutes as she was laid face down to treat the wound. Her brother made a move towards Elijah, and Cella spoke up.

"Elijah, my brother Jun. Jun, Elijah." Her mother glanced up from her work for only a moment before continuing, using magic to take the pain away while she pulled the arrow out. "Elijah's an Original. One of the Mikaelsons." A heavy silence fell over the tent, and Jun moved to crouch in front of her, meeting her gaze.

"What's he doing here, Cella?" If she were in better shape, she'd laugh at his "protective older brother" act. She gave him a weak smile.

"Maybe he thinks he owes me. Don't worry, he's not staying."

"If I may interject," Elijah said from the doorway, his tone overly polite, "I do not plan on leaving until I am sure Viticella is safe." It was so nice hearing his voice again, but she couldn't let him stay. She gasped as she felt the arrow removed, and sat up to let her mother finish the bandaging.

"You can't stay. You have a family to think about back in New Orleans." He was already shaking his head, and she held back the urge to huff at him. "It's too dangerous anyway. I'll be fine." His eyes narrowed just a bit.

"Is that yet another promise?" His voice was cold and she dropped her gaze to her lap. She wasn't proud or happy about the fact that she hadn't been able to go back in the last few months, but there was no way she was going to lead these crazed hunters to her friends. Jun stepped between them, facing Elijah with crossed arms.

"Out. Now." She didn't look up to see if he complied, fiddling with her hands as her mother finished tending to her.

"We'll speak later, Viticella." And he was gone, leaving her with the questions of her family and a gnawing guilt in her heart.