Disclaimer: I don't own anything; all of it belongs to those who created 'The Vampire Diaries.'
Thank you to all who reviewed I really appreciate it! Here is another super long chapter for you because my muse is singing in my ear right now and I've been writing for hours.
"Easy," Klaus said as Caroline ran her hand over the wild horse's mane. He held it carefully by the reigns, still in the process of training it to hold the bit in its mouth. "She won't be ready to ride for a while," He said as he watched her pet the horse, "She still needs to be trained. She'll make a good horse for you when I've finished."
"Why are you doing this?" Caroline asked softly without looking at him, her eyes still fixed on the beautiful horse in front of her, "You didn't have to do all of this for me Niklaus."
"I wanted too," he said vaguely as he ran his hand over the horse's muzzle, muttering soothing words in Nordic to the horse. Caroline watched him out of the corner of her eye, smiling as she watched him work with the horse. She loved the sound of his voice when he spoke his native tongue, marveling at how the words rolled of his tongue. "Your language is so beautiful," she said aloud, earning a puerile smile from him. "I would like for you to speak it with me," he said as he guided the horse back to the stables, "I must admit it's taxing to speak your language. Sometimes I don't have the words to express myself." He explained as he put the horse back in her stall. Caroline understood what he meant, remembering times when Mikael was being particularly brutal with him and he would curse and shout in his native tongue, savaging assaulting innocent trees with his sword when he thought nobody was around to see him. He had a lot of anger in him she noticed; despite how well he hid it from her and everyone else. "Come, let me teach you using Asgeir." He said as he went and retrieved his own horse from his stall.
They walked a ways away from the village, Klaus leading his horse by the reigns deeper into the woods where they wouldn't be disturbed. "First the horse must trust you," he began as he steadied Asgeir and walked around the other side of the horse to look at her, "He has to know who you are. You begin by earning the horses trust before you may ride the horse. They're almost like us, they feel and love and get offended just the same as we do. You must show Asgeir that you mean no harm."
Caroline tentatively pet Asgeir's mane, and then slowly ran her hand down the side of his body, marveling at the soft feel of the horse's hair under her fingertips. "Make sure you stay within sight of the horse; don't let him lose sight of you. He will grow nervous and uncomfortable. You will scare him." Caroline did as he instructed, cooing soft words to Asgeir to keep him calm as she took a brush that Klaus had procured from the stables out of one of the saddle bags that he'd brought along. She proceeded to brush Asgeir, keeping the brush steady as she brushed the dirt and debris from his hair, making it shine. "Easy," Klaus stepped behind her and covered the hand that held the brush with his own, slowing her movements and making them shorter and gentler, "Run the brush along the grain of his hair, that way you clean his hair of dirt."
Caroline tried not to notice how close he was to her, his chest lightly brushing against her back as he held her hand in his and showed her how to brush Asgeir's hair. "That's right," he said gently, his breath tickling her hair by her ear. She kept her breath steady even though her heart was racing, angry with herself for even feeling like this in the first place. "Now," he began calmly as he took the brush from her hand and replaced it in the saddle bag. "You need to learn how to mount the horse." He stepped away from her and she turned to face him, watching him take hold of Asgeir's reigns and tie them to a nearby tree. "Now then, when you mount a horse, you'll place your left foot in the stirrup," he said, motioning to the leather foothold that was attached to the saddle. "Since you're a lady," he said calmly despite the glowering look she shot him, "You must ride side saddle."
"I will ride like the men do," Caroline said with a frown.
"You cannot ride as the men do in that frock," he laughed, motioning towards her dress.
"Watch me," Caroline said stubbornly.
"I will," he grinned at her mischievously, the look making her knees weak. She turned her gaze away from him, pretending that his grinning face did not create pools of heat deep in her womb when she looked at him. "Alright," he said casually as he stepped behind her, catching her off guard when he stepped behind her and let his hands hover over her hips, "I can help you up or if you truly want to attempt it, I'll show you how to mount as men do."
The fact that his hands were so close to her hips did not help situation. She was trying very hard to act normal but her damn human hormones were bouncing off the walls. He smelt like the forest, wild and clean. He also smelt like a human man which she found different from the way he smelled as a vampire.
He smelt like a guy who's been working his ass off all day.
"Let me try," Caroline said as she turned in his near grip on her hips to look at him.
"As you wish Lady," he said cordially with a smile that made his dimples show.
Those damn dimples would be her doom.
Caroline beamed up at him and turned away, placing her left foot in the stirrup. "Careful lady, lift yourself up and place your right leg over the other side of the saddle. Then put your right foot in the other stirrup." He told her as he held the horse steady, watching her intently.
He had been right of course; it was insanely difficult to ride like a man when she was wearing this dress. She saw him turn his gaze away from her when the dress rode up her legs to her knees, revealing the knee high stockings that she was made to wear. "Pardon me Lady," he said apologetically.
Caroline blinked, wondering what was wrong. When she looked down at her dress and back at him, beginning to understand what the problem was she let out a soft sigh and lifted her right leg back over the side, wrapping her leg around the horn of the saddle. "You can look now," Caroline said quietly as she straightened out her skirt and covered her calves.
They really took the naked thing seriously here didn't they?
Klaus looked back at her and smiled, motioning for her to sit farther back on the saddle. "You don't want to fall off while riding Lady," he said, as he untied the reigns from the tree and guided the horse through the trees. Caroline couldn't keep the grin off her face as they moved through the forest. "It's important to learn how to guide the horse in the direction you want to go. Pull back on the reigns gently to stop, and to move left or right, gently tug the reigns in the direction you want to go and use your right or left leg depending on which way your turning to put press near the hindquarters. Now considering your sitting side saddle," he said with a pause before continuing, "Guiding the horse with your weight and the reigns will have to do."
He handed her the reigns but remained close in case she fell off or did something wrong. "Like this?" She asked as she gently tugged the reigns to the left and leaned her weight towards the left at the same time. The horse turned to the left and she beamed at him with a pleased smile on her face.
"Just like that," he said with a grin as he watched her, "Be sure not to pull too hard on the reigns lady, you will hurt the horse if you pull to hard."
"Alright," Caroline said as she looked around the forest, "How do I go forward?"
Klaus chuckled lightly and clicked his tongue, Caroline holding onto the reigns with both hands as the horse started to walk forward. "When you want to stop, pull back on the reigns gently." Caroline nodded as he walked beside the horse, keeping pace with her and Asgeir. She guided the horse to the right, going farther up the hill towards her favorite place to sit and rest under a large tree that overlooked the village. "You're doing well," he mused aloud as he watched her.
Caroline couldn't stop smiling she was so happy, completely forgetting all pretenses about him being who he was and her not liking him. She wanted to simply enjoy this moment with him, the afternoon sun making her hair shine as a soft breeze fluttered her hair. Klaus walked alongside her and Asgeir quietly, apparently lost in thought as well.
Caroline smiled into the sunlight, tilting her head back to enjoy the heat on her skin. She was human again and so was he and she found that she really liked him as a human. He was so different from the man she knew back home in Mystic Falls; the harsh lines on his face created by cruelty and sorrow were gone from his face.
"I have a spare saddle you can use for your horse when I get her trained. What are you going to name her?" he asked casually, breaking the peaceful silence between them.
"I don't know," Caroline said quietly as she took in her surroundings, enjoying the beauty of the world around her. "I haven't thought of a name yet."
Klaus fell silent as if in thought, staring ahead of him into the trees. She fell silent too, riding alongside him quietly. "Haldis," he suggested aloud and looked at her expectantly.
"Haldis?" Caroline echoed thoughtfully, "What does that mean?"
Klaus smiled bashfully, a look she had rarely ever seen on his face as he turned his gaze away from her to stare ahead once more, "It means weapon of the goddess."
Caroline smiled and flushed pink at his words, nodding her head as she pulled back on the reigns gently to stop the horse. Klaus came to stand beside Asgeir and together Caroline and Klaus looked down at the village. "I like it." She said aloud with a soft smile, keeping her eyes on the village even as she felt his scrutinizing gaze turned on her face.
When night fell they returned to the village, Caroline bidding Asgeir goodnight with a soft smile as Klaus put him back in his stall. While he did that she went to visit her own horse, to which she had agreed to name Haldis. Haldis was still such an uncertain creature as it backed away from her touch in the stall. Still untrained, she couldn't go near Haldis until Klaus had tamed the wild horse.
"We should be getting home, it's nearly dinner time." He said gently from behind her.
"Yes," Caroline agreed as she turned to leave with him towards the huts in the distance. They bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways, which really wasn't far considering they lived next door to each other.
Aiyanna looked up as Caroline entered the little hut, smiling at her she said softly, "I was wondering when you'd get back."
"Niklaus took me out riding today," Caroline told her as she helped Aiyanna serve the dinner, the action becoming habit over the months that she'd spent living in the village. "I saw that, you are becoming close with him?" Aiyanna asked curiously as they sat down and began to eat the stew that had been cooking over the fire moments before.
"He's my friend," Caroline said with a light shrug as she ate.
"People will talk you know," Aiyanna warned gently, "A lady shouldn't be off wandering the woods with a man alone."
"Tatia certainly doesn't seem to mind that," Caroline said quietly, disguising the bitter tone in her voice as much as she could. She hadn't failed to notice the curious look of Tatia who watched from afar as Klaus walked Caroline home.
"Tatia is a foolish girl," Aiyanna replied evenly, "She strings the men of this village along with her pretty looks and her fire. She will pay for such stupidity eventually, when her father decides her fate with a marriage proposal."
"What?" Caroline asked curiously, her head snapping up and her eyes meeting Aiyanna's.
"Women do not marry for love Caroline; they marry because they are told too." Aiyanna explained easily, "Their father's make the arrangements."
"That's sexiest," Caroline muttered quietly, "I want to marry for love."
"You are foolish then," Aiyanna surmised, "In this time we cannot afford to such a luxury, we must survive and we cannot provide on our own. We need our husbands to hunt for us and bring back food to feed our children. We need them to hunt the wild animals of the forest so that we have fur and leather to make shelter and keep warm."
"Are you suggesting that love is an impossibility in this time?" Caroline asked curiously.
"No, I'm simply saying that you must pick and choose who you marry, because if you marry a man for love and he cannot provide for you, you both will be miserable and live in poverty."
"I think that women can love and find a suitable husband," Caroline said stubbornly as she finished her stew.
Aiyanna laughed lightly, taking both her bowl and Caroline's over to the pot in the corner where she washed them. "You are still very young and naïve in the ways of the world Caroline. Truly a girl your age should have been married by now with children. I imagine that where you come from the women must be wild and free."
"Some of us are yes," Caroline agreed with a nod.
"Well you can tell me more about this wild world you live in tomorrow. For now it's time for bed." Aiyanna told her with a yawn. Caroline nodded and went over to the little wooden bed that Aiyanna had procured for her. She lay down and watched as Aiyanna disappeared into her own corner of the hut, feeling a strange sense of peace wash over her. This place was so strange and yet she felt comfortable here. Time had made her relax and come to accept her situation, though she admitted that it helped having Klaus and his family nearby.
Ok so it was really just Klaus that made her happy.
The bed she lay on wasn't exactly comfortable, it was made of cloth and stuff with straw, the wooden frame creaking with every movement she made. Slowly she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about the world she'd left behind and wondering if she'd ever see it again.
In the morning Caroline went about with her choirs, and then went to finish the new dress she'd been making with the fabric she bought from the market. The dress would be made of wool of course; it was too expensive to buy anything nicer. Caroline had taken it out behind the hut and dyed it a deep blue, a color that she had come to love ever sense Klaus had bought her that ball gown for his family's party. Now she was almost done sewing it, carefully stitching the gown together just as Aiyanna had taught her. Caroline was a competitive girl, she admitted that. She owned only two dresses and was frequently teased about it by Kol. Today she would walk in the village in a new dress made by her own hand, and would finally get Kol off her back about wearing the same dresses over and over. When she finished she tried the dress on, pleased by how well it fit her. She had sewn silver thread onto the cuffs of the sleeves and the hem of the dress, weaving intricate patterns as she embroidered them. She then carefully braided her hair, weaving flowers into her hair as she braided. She wasn't really trying to make herself look pretty for Klaus, she really wasn't.
Ok so she was.
She couldn't stand the way Tatia had her pretty hands all over Klaus, or the way that she'd bat her thick black eyelashes at him and smile prettily while he walked with Caroline to the stables yesterday. Tatia had been nothing but kind to Caroline though, so she wasn't about to be rude with the girl who looked so much like Elena just yet. Part of her felt like it wasn't her place to interfere, that she had no right to Klaus. However she liked him, even if she didn't want to admit it aloud. She liked how he made her happy and she liked to see him smile. He was human, and for the first time she was getting to see the man rather than the monster.
When she had gathered the water buckets to go and fetch water she went out into the village, humming softly to herself as Rebekah caught up to her, greeting her with a cheerful smile as they walked together. "Good morning," Caroline greeted brightly.
"Good morning," Rebekah said aloud, a bright smile on her face.
"Your pronunciation is getting better," Caroline complimented as they walked.
"You made a new…" Rebekah trailed off, searching for the word and then said, "binda," she said eloquently as she pointed at Caroline's dress.
"Dress," Caroline corrected her gently, "it's called a dress."
"Dress," Rebekah echoed with a smile on her face. "It's….fagr," she said with a frustrated face.
"Beautiful," Caroline supplied and then added, "and thank you."
"Ykkar binda…fagr skapfeldr," Caroline said, the words difficult to pronounce. Rebekah giggled at her and nodded her head, vaguely understanding Caroline's words. "Thank you," she said aloud as she looked down at her own gown with a smile on her face.
"If only my dress were as beautiful as yours," Caroline said airily, "I'm not nearly as good at sewing as you."
Rebekah smiled, her understanding of Caroline's words was not nearly as good as Elijah's but she was getting better at it. Her new friend was teaching her the language even as she was teaching Caroline Nordic. "Wow I hope you don't rub that in my face one day," she muttered under her breath as an afterthought, imagining the look on present day Rebekah's face when she remembered Caroline saying that. They fetched the water and started to head back, walking along the shoreline of the creek. Caroline hummed to herself as they walked, occasionally chatting with Rebekah in what Nordic she knew. Her eyes caught movement and she turned her gaze towards the stream, catching sight of Klaus and Kol at the water's edge. He and Kol were laughing, the two brothers clearly relaxing by the stream before they went out with the other men to hunt. Caroline stood transfixed as she watched him stand and remove his shirt, totally forgetting that Rebekah his sister was standing next to her. He started to remove his leather breeches and that was when Rebekah cleared here throat noisily and Caroline averted her gaze in embarrassment, realizing how rude she was being. Rebekah looked at her with a knowing smile, mischief gleaming in her eyes as she turned to gaze at her two brothers who were stripping down to go swimming.
"We drink that water," Caroline muttered as she heard them jump in.
Caroline didn't have the nerve to look at Rebekah whose gaze was practically burning a hole through her cheek as they walked back to the village. "Liki minn brodir?" Rebekah asked curiously though her eyes told Caroline that she had already worked out the answer.
"Yes, I like your brother." Caroline muttered quietly and rolled her eyes at Rebekah's giggle in response.
"Hello," said Tatia's musical voice as she approached the two women when they entered the village. "Still having trouble with the language I see," Tatia said to Rebekah, whose smile seem to falter at Tatia's words.
"She's doing fine," Caroline defended quickly, watching Tatia's gaze shift between Caroline and Rebekah.
"You're doing better in their language then she is in yours," Tatia pointed out, "I think she needs more practice."
"Thank you for that insightful opinion," Caroline bit out before she could stop herself, "Good day."
She did not like bullies, and she had never seen Rebekah falter as she did in front of Tatia. She now understood where Rebekah's hate for Elena had stemmed from. Rebekah hurried after Caroline without a backward glance towards Tatia, who stood watching them leave with a half-smile curving her lips. Caroline was trying to give that girl the benefit of the doubt, but Tatia was making it difficult for her to do that.
"Caroline," Esther said as they approached Rebekah's hut, "Come," she said, motioning for Caroline to follow her into the hut. Rebekah looked at her questioningly and Caroline shrugged, setting her water buckets by Aiyanna's hut and then following Esther into her own hut.
"I have been looking through my grimoire," Esther began as she stood on the other side of the fire pit, looking every bit the role of an evil witch as the firelight played across her face. Caroline knew despite her anger that Esther was merely looking out for her children. "I cannot find any spell that would traverse a person across time itself."
Esther said thoughtfully as she burnt sage and then set the smoking herb down on a metal plate. "The kind of power it would require, I cannot even begin to fathom."
"Well…I don't know why you sent me here, but you did." Caroline said quietly as she watched Esther work.
"Regardless, I'm afraid I have no way of getting you home unless I had the spell that I used to send you here in the first place. I would need a connection to your time period in order to complete the spell as well."
"Boots don't count I take it?" Caroline mused, imagining that Esther would need something far more personal than her pretty beige boots.
"I'm afraid not," she said with amusement and then her smile fell and she looked at Caroline solemnly, "I am truly sorry."
"It's alright," Caroline said with a faint smile even though it wasn't alright at all. She couldn't look at Esther or even be mad at the woman when she looked at Caroline with such sympathy. This was Esther before all of the madness with turning her children into vampires had taken place.
"I need to get back to Aiyanna, I'm sure she needs my help." Caroline said quietly, unable to keep the sorrow out of her eyes. She turned and left before Esther could stop her, hurrying towards her hut. She was so deep in thought she nearly walked right into Klaus however, who was standing not a few feet outside of the hut pulling on dry clothes that had been hanging outside. "Caroline?" he asked in surprise as she hurried by, catching the look of sorrow on Caroline's face. "What ails you lady?" he asked in concern, his hand catching her arm gently.
"Nothing," Caroline said quietly without looking at him, "I'm fine."
Klaus seemed to recoil at her words and dropped his gaze, clearly hurt by her behavior. She was shutting him out and so he was shutting her out as well. "Fine," he muttered quietly in reply and turned his back to her.
Caroline took a deep breath and kept walking; ignoring the concerned look Rebekah gave her as she passed by. She heard Rebekah speaking to Klaus in Nordic, explaining that their mother had asked Caroline to come into the hut. She didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation as she burst into Aiyanna's hut with tears running down her cheeks unchecked. Aiyanna glanced up at her and then went back to what she was doing, a solemn expression on her face. "I see that you've heard the news then."
"I'm stuck here," Caroline said through her tears, sorrow in her eyes, "I'm stuck here forever."
"I'm sorry," Aiyanna said gently, her eyes full of sympathy, "Don't be afraid child, I will be here to take care of you. I will help you make a life here."
"I want to go home!" Caroline nearly shouted, stomping her foot petulantly. "She sent me here so she should be able to send me home!"
"There is no way child!" Aiyanna said, her voice rising as Caroline rose her own, "I'm sorry."
Caroline fell silent, sobbing softly as she turned away and went to lie down on her bed. She felt so helpless lying there on her bed, tears running down her cheeks. She would never see her mother or her friends ever again, she would never see Tyler again either.
She wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep, but she had awoken to the sound of the hum of crickets outside. Night had fallen and she realized she'd slept the whole day; guilt washing over her that Aiyanna must have done all the chores on her own. When she came out into the main sitting room Aiyanna was working on sewing a blanket together, glancing up at her for a moment before returning to her work.
"I'm sorry," Caroline began quietly, "I was being so horrible to you."
"It's alright," she said softly, "You have been taken away from everything you have ever known and placed in a time where everything you know has changed. It will take time to adjust."
"I'm never going to see my Mom again…" she whispered brokenly as she sat down on the floor by the fire. "Or my boyfriend….or my friends…."
"You will make new friends," Aiyanna said gently as she looked up at Caroline, "and new…what did you call it…boyfriend? What is a boyfriend exactly?"
"My…suitor," Caroline explained easily.
"You will find a new suitor then," Aiyanna said with a soft smile.
"I loved him…so much." She whispered brokenly.
"Now I see why you were so adamant about marrying for love," Aiyanna mused quietly.
"So much for that idea," Caroline muttered darkly, "I won't be getting married at all."
"Oh come now, it's not all that bad." Aiyanna chuckled lightly, "Surely one of the men here in the village will catch your eye. Perhaps Niklaus?" Aiyanna teased, smiling knowingly at Caroline. Caroline smiled through her tears and wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Nik…he's just my friend."
"He doesn't seem to realize that," Aiyanna smiled, "He's quiet taken with you I think."
"He's in love with Tatia," Caroline told her frankly, "I'm just his friend."
"Lovers often start out as friends Caroline," Aiyanna told her.
"He doesn't see me," she said quietly, allowing only a small flash of her insecurity to show before she quickly covered it up, "and besides, his Dad hates me."
"He's a fickle man I agree," Aiyanna said with a nod, "I don't think he hates you though."
"He can be such an ass." Caroline muttered quietly.
"Agreed," Aiyanna laughed softly.
Caroline got to her feet once she'd warmed up and sighed, "I'm going for a walk."
"Don't leave the village," Aiyanna warned her as Caroline left the hut.
Caroline stepped out into the night air and let out a long soft sigh. It was getting colder as winter approached; all the trees were nearly bare. She paced the village, keeping close to the torches that lit the path between huts, deep in thought as she walked. She had hurt Klaus's feelings today with her coldness, it was unintentional and she was upset at the time. She knew she would have to apologize to him; he has been so good to her. She bit her lip as she thought of his sweet smile and the way he would turn his eyes up to look at her with his chin tilted downward, a look he would give her when he was asking a particularly personal question.
As she walked she spotted the firelight on top of the hill and went up there, finding Klaus sitting against the tree with his knees drawn up against him and his elbows resting on top of his knees, the torch stuck into the dirt beside him. "Nik?" she asked softly, noting his dark look. The firelight flickered over his face and she could see the bruise marring his cheek.
Mikael was such an asshole.
"Niklaus?" she tried again softly, kneeling down in front of him.
He turned his gaze up towards her and then looked away, a cold expression on his face. "Leave me, I'm in no mood."
"Nik what happened?" she asked gently as she tried to reach out and touch his cheek, only to have her hand batted away, "I said leave me woman!" he snarled at her angrily, his blue eyes dark and stormy.
"No!" she shouted back at him, her blue eyes narrowing at him.
"Then I will leave!" he snapped back and got to his feet, roughly yanking the torch out of the ground. He then turned and stormed off down into the trees, Caroline hurrying after him. "Hey!" she shouted, chasing after him. "Stop being a jerk. I just wanted to make sure you're alright!"
"I'm fine!" he spat acidly, mimicking her words from earlier.
"Oh stop it!" Caroline began as she kept pace alongside him, "Nik…I'm sorry…I was just upset."
"It's fine," he muttered darkly.
"No it's not…Nik!" she shouted, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her, "Let me see your face Nik," she said softly as she took hold of his chin and turned his face gently, her fingers grazing over the bruise lightly as she examined it. "Oh Nik," she whispered softly with a frown on her face.
"It's nothing," he said, brushing her hand away. It was then she noticed his bloody knuckles, realizing he must have taken his anger out on another innocent tree. "Nik your hands," Caroline said as she tried to take his hands into her own to examine them. He yanked them away from her and scowled, motioning with the torch as he spoke, "Go back to the village Caroline, you shouldn't be out here."
"I'm not leaving you," she said stubbornly with a shake of her head.
"What is it with you!" he snarled, whirling around to face her, "You are so stubborn!" He then proceeded to let out a string of curse words in Nordic, muttering under his breath as he walked. "Nik please let me help you," Caroline said quietly, fighting the sorrow that was welling up inside of her. She had lost everything and now all she wanted to do was help him because her heart ached to see him so angry. He seemed to take pause at the tone of her voice and turned to look at her. Caroline tried to hide the broken look on her face as she took a deep breath and turned away, starting back towards the village.
"Wait," he said so softly it was almost a whisper.
He walked towards her, his expression neutral as he looked down at her, "Let me walk you back to your hut."
Caroline blinked away the tears that were welling in her eyes as she kept her gaze anywhere but on his face, nodding quietly. They walked back down to the village together and when they reached Aiyanna's hut she paused, catching him by the arm gently, "Let me clean your hands at least."
He stared at her hard for a few moments, his jaw tightening as he debated his answer, and then slowly he nodded and stuck his torch into the ground beside the door to the hut before allowing her to guide him inside. Aiyanna looked up when they came in and Caroline averted her gaze, refusing to see the smug look on Aiyanna's face when she returned with the very man they had been speaking of earlier. She didn't say anything to Aiyanna as she worked around her, gathering clean rags and a bowl of hot water from the pot over the fire. Aiyanna didn't question it either, clearly already understanding what was happening when she saw the blood on Klaus's knuckles. Caroline led him over to a corner of the hut and had him sit in a chair while she kneeled in front of him, gently cleaning the cuts on his knuckles. She did not meet his intense gaze as it rested on her face, watching her clean his hands. She didn't dare wonder what it meant, focusing on her task instead.
When she was done she turned her gaze upward to meet his, smiling reassuringly up at him. "All done," she told him softly. They stayed like that for a few minutes, staring at each other intently without saying a word. She wondered what he was thinking in that moment, his expression so full of different emotions in that moment. She realized then that she was caressing his knuckles lightly with her thumbs as she held his hands in either one of hers, and then blinked and turned her gaze away, releasing his hands as she stood up. She smiled at him softly and went to go wash the now bloody rags out and dump the blood tinged hot water outside. When she finished she returned to find him sitting in the same spot, idly staring at the flames of the fire. She sat down on the floor beside him, staring at the fire as well. They said nothing to each other, merely sat and enjoyed the warmth of the fire while Aiyanna worked on her blanket across the room. Caroline hadn't realized what Klaus must have suffered at the hands of his ruthless father, feeling stupid now for ever suggesting to him that he should try and talk to his father. That was such a distant memory now, that night when she told him that at the ball. She could see nothing of that man in the one who sat beside her now. He was human and he was full of such emotions that she'd never seen him exhibit before.
"I should be getting back," he said quietly after a long while.
Caroline had grown so peaceful in his company that she blinked up at him, her heart dropping at the idea of him leaving. She nodded quietly though in acceptance and got to her feet, walking with him over to the door. "Let me walk you home," she smiled up at him and was pleased to see a smile curve his own lips in return, "I think you should stay here where it's warm lady," he urged her as he motioned towards the fire. Caroline stared at him for a few moments and tilted her head to one side, "I'm not nearly as fragile as all that."
"I would still rather you stay here where it is safe," he insisted, ever the chivalrous man that he was.
"I can protect myself," she said with her chin tilted upward, her hands on her hips.
"I remember," he chuckled lightly at the memory of her stubbornness in the woods.
"I hardly think I'm going to be assailed by wolves during the twenty feet that I walk with you to your hut." Caroline argued as she stepped up beside him and gazed up into his eyes.
"Humor the girl Niklaus," Aiyanna cut in, "She's as stubborn as an ox, and you'll be here all night if you keep refusing her."
"As you request Aiyanna," Klaus said gently as his gaze shifted to Aiyanna briefly and then back to Caroline, "Haldis truly is a befitting name for your horse," he mused as Caroline smiled at his words and followed him out of the hut.
"I could wield sword too I imagine," Caroline said with a grin as they walked.
"A lady isn't supposed to handle a blade," Klaus scolded lightly.
"I can do as I please," Caroline argued grinning at the look of shock on Klaus's face.
"You must have been a shield maiden, wherever you're from." He commented as they reached his hut. "Now go back to your hut and let me make sure you get back inside safely," he insisted, nodding towards Aiyanna's hut behind her.
"Oh alright," Caroline made a face and turned away, walking back toward the other hut. When she reached the door she smiled at him gently, "Goodnight,"
He smiled in return and said, "nott," he said gently and grinned when Caroline looked at him curiously, "Night," he translated easily.
Caroline's eyes widened in understanding and she beamed at him before disappearing into her hut. It wasn't until she was lying in bed that night that she realized how easily he'd made her forget her sorrow. She smiled in her sleep for a moment before finally drifting off.
December came quickly, the freezing temperatures outside warning that snow was soon to come. The village was alive with its occupants frantically preparing for the winter, stocking up on meat and supplies, while sewing the animal fur that they'd procured to make blankets and jackets for the hunters. Caroline was sitting by the fire in Aiyanna's hut, shivering from the cold with an animal fur blanket over her shoulders, her hands to stiff from the cold to peel the carrots that she was supposed to prepare for dinner that night. "I can't feel my hands," she said through chattering teeth, listening to Aiyanna chuckle at her words, "You'll get used to it."
"I can't feel my feet," she continued, despite the pretty brown fur boots that Aiyanna had made for her, her feet still felt like icicles. "I'll finish this, you go and get more fire wood," Aiyanna told her as she took the bucket of carrots and knife from Caroline.
"Alright," Caroline said reluctantly, not really wanting to go out into the cold and walk half a mile just to get fire wood. She went anyways though, sweeping out of the hut hesitantly, bracing herself for the icy cold air outside. She pulled the fur blanket tighter around her shoulders and walked through the village, shivering under the blanket as she walked. Usually she'd have someone to walk with but Rebekah was busy at the moment helping Esther. As she walked she heard Tatia's lilting voice as she laughed at something someone said, recognizing the second voice as Klaus's. Caroline paused on the dirt path, noticing by a tree, Tatia's back pressed against the tree as she smiled up at him prettily, a smile curving his own lips in return. His back was to Caroline so that he couldn't see her but Tatia did, and smiled politely at Caroline who averted her gaze with a polite nod and kept walking.
She was not jealous.
She heard Klaus's voice calling to her moments later, the sound of feet running across the hard ground quickly approaching behind her. "Caroline," she heard him call to her but she kept walking, quickening her pace to prevent him from catching up. She rounded the corner and found Kol chopping wood, and smiled politely at him. "Morning," she said casually as she shivered from the cold.
"I take it this is your first winter?" Kol asked with amusement as he slung the axe overhead and brought it down quickly against the wood he had propped up on the ground. Caroline watched as it split in two easily, her teeth chattering as the wind picked up and fluttered her hair.
"No, but I'm used to wearing more," Caroline muttered quietly.
"I take it your family was wealthy where you're from," Kol responded easily as he stacked the fire wood neatly.
"Caroline," Klaus breathed aloud as he rounded the corner behind her, interrupting the conversation she was having with Kol. Caroline rolled her eyes and reached for a couple of logs, intending to carry them back to the hut. "Here, let me," Klaus insisted, taking the logs from her reluctant hands. Caroline made a face at him, refusing to release the last log she held clutched to her chest, "I can do it," she told him stubbornly, not wanting his help at all.
"I insist," he argued, taking the log from her arms. "Nik," she huffed and heard Kol chuckle from behind them, refraining from entering the disagreement that was going on between his friend and his brother. "Let me help you," he said, emphasizing the words as he met her gaze.
Caroline glared at him for a few minutes before nodding and turning to walk back to the village. He followed along beside her, looking completely unaffected by how cold it was outside.
Well that wasn't annoying at all.
"You don't have to help me," Caroline muttered quietly.
"But I want too," he replied easily as they walked.
Caroline closed her eyes for a moment and suppressed a smile, his words reminding her of how stubborn she was being last night about helping him. "Thank you," she added after a long pause.
"You're welcome," he said with a smile.
They passed by Tatia who watched with bewilderment, clearly not used to being abandoned as quickly as she was for another woman. Caroline tried very hard not to grin at the look on her face, and managed to pull it off. "Aren't you cold?" Caroline asked as she looked at his bare arms that stuck out of the leather tunic he was wearing.
"I didn't have time to put anything else on," he grinned at her, "I overslept."
"Still," Caroline said as they walked, "You're going to catch a cold."
"I don't honestly feel cold at all," he told her as they entered the village.
Caroline was really trying not to notice how good he looked dressed like that, even if he was missing his shirt. They reached Aiyanna's hut and she lifted the leather flat for him to walk inside, smiling despite everything as she followed him inside. Aiyanna glanced up and her gaze shifted between Caroline and Klaus, smiling at Caroline secretively while Klaus was stacking the firewood over in the corner. Caroline made a face at Aiyanna and waved frantically for her to stop smiling, both women immediately returning to a neutral posture when Klaus turned back around to look at them both.
"Well I need to get back to work," he told them both politely, but his gaze was resting on Caroline, "My father will be looking for me."
"Thank you for your help with the fire wood," Caroline said politely as she motioned with her hand towards the stack of wood behind him. She walked with him back to the door and smiled at him, trying really hard not to look awkward under his warm gaze as he looked down at her, "Your welcome," he replied as turned and left the hut flashing a smile in her direction before he went.
"I told you," Aiyanna said in a sing song voice after Klaus had left.
"Oh hush," Caroline said playfully though she had a beaming smile on her face as her cheeks turned red and she went to get a basket from the corner, "I'm going to go and get some potatoes from the market. Did you need anything else?"
"No," Aiyanna said casually, "It's best if you go now anyways, I'll have a customer soon."
Caroline nodded quietly, understanding what Aiyanna was referring too. This was how Aiyanna made money; she used her magic and her knowledge of herbs to help other people but also made a small profit from it.
Caroline took a deep breath and braced herself for the cold as she left the hut again; the basket slung over one arm. Rebekah greeted her outside, and clearly was also going to the market as well. The two of them walked into the village together, chattering away in what language they knew to communicate. They walked in silence for a little while, Caroline's gaze shifting over the crowd. People were hurrying back and forth through the village, hauling fire wood and supplies to their huts. She noticed a boy climbing up the hill with a basket of apples in his arms, following along behind several other young boys his age. She wrinkled her nose in curiosity, wondering what they could be up too but before she could mention it to Rebekah she spoke before Caroline could, her voice full of happiness.
"Are you going to come to our families Jol celebration?"
"Jol?" Caroline asked, confused.
"The Midwinter feast?" Rebekah offered, hoping that Caroline would understand.
"I don't know what that is," Caroline said with a frown.
Rebekah stared at her, wrinkling her face in thought as she struggled to find a way to define what Jol was. "It's hard to describe in your language," Rebekah began thoughtfully, "We celebrate the winter,"
"Christmas," Caroline breathed in understanding and then instantly regretted it at the look of confusion on Rebekah's face.
Did she just invent that word a couple centuries early?
"Christmas?" Rebekah repeated the word curiously, clearly not understanding it.
"Never mind," Caroline dismissed quickly, "So, midwinter feast, what do we do?"
"We eat and celebrate as a family," Rebekah explained easily as they walked from vender to vender in the market. "Aiyanna has always been considered part of our family," Rebekah added, "Now that she has welcomed you into her home, we will do the same."
"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Caroline said as she paid for the vegetables she bought. "I look forward to it."
Rebekah beamed at her and nodded, her eyes shifting over the crowd until she spots Elijah walking towards them, "Caroline Jata Jol…Elijah," Rebekah said brightly to her brother.
"Utmerket," he replied easily and smiled at Caroline who returned the smile despite having no idea what they were saying.
Where was the TARDIS translator circuit when you needed it?
"Um, I'm guessing that means cool?" Caroline asked curiously.
"No, it means excellent," Elijah chuckled, "Though I agree it is particularly cool outside today."
Caroline stared at him for a moment and resisted to do what the modern day people of her time called a 'face palm.' Then she plastered a smile across her face and weaved her arm into Rebekah's. "Let's get this food back to the hut."
"Alright," Rebekah said as she walked with Caroline back to the huts. Elijah followed along beside them, his eyes searching the crowd. "Rebekah har du sett Henrik?" he asked worriedly as he shifted his gaze from vender to vender.
"Var han ikke med deg bror?" she asked curiously.
"Henrik?" Caroline asked bewildered, wondering how she'd forgotten about the sixth sibling.
"Yes," Elijah replied softly, "He was supposed to meet me here this morning for lessons and now I cannot seem to find him anywhere."
"What does he look like?" Caroline asked curiously.
"Short boy," Elijah said as he searched, holding his hand out to as an example of Henrik's height, "Wild brown hair, dirty clothes. No sense of manners whatsoever," he chuckled lightly.
"The trees," Caroline began frankly, "That way. He had a basket of apples in his arms and he was following a bunch of boys his age."
Elijah made a face and uttered a curse word in his native tongue under his breath, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "That boy will never learn."
"Language, Elijah," Rebekah scolded lightly and he averted his gaze from his sister, speaking softly, "Apologies, sister dearest."
"Accepted," she said smugly and watched him walk off in the direction that Caroline pointed. "My brother will be in a great deal of trouble when Elijah finds him."
"How so?" Caroline asked as they walked.
"He and his friends are stealing the apples to go and feed the wild horses in the forest again." Rebekah explained as they walked.
"They could hurt him," Caroline said worriedly.
"Exactly, but Henrik has always been a bit reckless." Rebekah told her as the boy in question came running up to them and hid behind Rebekah's dress skirts. "Don't let him beat me sister!" Henrik pleaded as Elijah came storming up towards them, his face twisted in anger. "Henrik," he seethed as stopped before them. "You know better than to go wandering into the forest like that!"
"I didn't go far," Henrik said as he peaked around from behind Rebekah, "I was with others as well. I wasn't alone."
"You were feeding our supply to the horses Henrik," Elijah said tiredly, "You cannot do such things, we need that to survive the winter."
"But the horses will need food too," he argued, his face full of determination.
"They are wild animals," Elijah snapped, "They can take care of themselves." He told Henrik as he seized the boy by the arm and dragged him out from behind Rebekah. "I need to take him to father." Elijah said bitterly, clearly not wanting to do that at all.
"No, Elijah!" Rebekah said quickly, her eyes widening in fear, "He will beat Henrik, and you know he will. Let his punishment be something else. Make him go and do chores with Kol. That will teach him." Rebekah said earnestly, her eyes pleading as she looked up at her brother. Henrik nodded quickly, looking up at Elijah. He clearly agreed with his sister, obviously he would much rather be chopping wood then deal with his father.
Elijah tightened his jaw and shifted his gaze between Rebekah and Henrik before nodding, "Fine, I will take him to Kol."
"Thank you!" Henrik said as he breathed a sigh of relief.
Caroline watched Elijah take Henrik towards the woods and looked at Rebekah curiously, "Surely your father isn't all that bad?"
Rebekah fell silent, her face suddenly hard as she shifted her gaze ahead of her, "Our father scares us all."
When they reached the huts they went their separate ways, tending to the chores of the day. Later that afternoon Caroline was sitting by the fire when Klaus stood outside the door and said softly, "Caroline, may I come in?"
"Yes," she called to him and watched him enter the hut.
"I have a surprise for you," he told her with a mischievous grin, motioning for her to follow him.
"You do?" she asked curiously as she got to her feet and followed him outside.
He took off towards the stables and she followed, keeping pace beside him. When they arrived she spotted Haldis waiting for them, a dark brown leather saddle resting on her back. "I've got her somewhat trained now," he told her as he untied the reigns from a nearby fence post and walked Haldis over to Caroline. "Do you want to go for a ride with me?"
Caroline beamed at him and then shifted her gaze to Haldis, a pleased expression on her face. "I would love too."
He grinned and handed her the reigns and then went to get his own horse from the stables. Caroline waited while he fetched Asgeir, and once he was ready he walked Asgeir out of the stables and stood beside her. "Right," he began as he looked at her, "You remember what I taught you?"
"I do," Caroline said with a nod as she turned and mounted Haldis, Klaus still standing on the ground beside the horse ready to catch Caroline in case she fell. When she was on the horse Klaus turned and mounted his own, motioning Caroline to follow as he urged his horse forward. She urged Haldis forward as well and trotted along beside him, smiling into the sunlight as it shined down on her face, illuminating her golden curls. She felt Klaus's eyes on her, so intent in there scrutinizing that she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking just then.
"It's so beautiful out here," Caroline breathed as they rode through the forest.
"It is," he agreed quietly.
They rode on silently, each enjoying the beautiful day. Caroline was the first to break the silence, her eyes shifting smoke that rose above the trees in the distance. "What's that?" she asked curiously.
"That is the village of the wolves," Klaus explained easily, "We do not go there and they do not come here. We live in peace with them."
"I see," Caroline said with a nod, remembering something about that in the story that Elena had related to her once after Rebekah had told Elena the story.
"Do you want to try going a little faster?" he asked her, his eyes full of mischief.
"Oh yes," Caroline grinned back, and did as he did, urging the horse on. She held on tightly as the horse took off on a gallop, loving the feel of the wind in her hair as she followed him down the dirt path. "Oh I love this!" she breathed, laughing as she urged the horse to go faster.
"Careful!" he called worriedly as he rode alongside her, "You're still new at this, I don't want you to fall off and hurt yourself."
Caroline grinned at him and turned her head, her hair whipping in front of her face as she spoke, "I'll be careful," she told him with a laugh. She couldn't help the joy that rushed in her veins, the true joyful laughter that bubbled up out of her as she rode down the dirt path. He kept pace beside her, a smile on his face though she could see the worry in his eyes. They circled around on the path, taking them back up towards Caroline's favorite spot on the hill above the village. She slowed the horse down to a trot, allowing it to calm down before she dismounted it and tied the reigns to a nearby tree. Klaus did the same and jogged over to her afterwards, his hair as wild as hers. "You did wonderfully lady," he told her and she grinned up at him, "When are you going to start calling me Caroline?"
"Caroline," he said teasingly, sending a shiver down her spine at the way her name rolled off his lips.
"Niklaus," she responded playfully as she leaned up against the tree that overlooked the village.
"I made something for you," he said, his expression softening as he looked at her. "Do you want it?"
Caroline smiled at him, biting her lip gently as she gazed up at him, "Yes," she said after a long pause.
"Are you sure?" he asked, a playful gleam in his eyes.
"Yes," she laughed as he took a leather pouch from his belt and held it out in front of him, "I'm not sure if you really do," he said wickedly, and dodged her hands as she tried to take it from his grasp. They laughed and played keep away for just a little longer until Klaus stopped, catching his breath. She did the same and they both just stood there panting, Klaus's eyes still full of mirth as he looked at her. "I thought you'd like this," he told her as he pulled a necklace from the leather pouch. It was a dark leather cord that was adorned with tiny wooden carvings of horses and tiny wooden beads with even smaller horses carved into them. She beamed up at him and took the trinket from his hands as he held it out in front of him for her to take it. "Oh Nik," she breathed in awe, "It's perfect."
Caroline slipped the necklace over her head and touched the little wooden carvings with one hand, marveling at the smooth feel of the wood under her fingertips. "Thank you," she said as she looked at him, caught off guard by the strange look he was giving her. It was almost as if he were uncertain of something as he looked at her, a shy smile on his lips as he gazed up at her with the trade mark puppy eyes he was so good at.
"You're welcome," he smiled at her, the uncertainty leaving his eyes as his shy smile became more confident. Caroline smiled back at him and wondered how this man could have ever become the one she knew back in Mystic Falls. He was so different as a human; she thought to herself as she idly reached up and pulled a leaf from his hair, laughing softly at the odd look on his face. "You've got leaves in your hair," she told him as she held up the leaf in front of his face.
"Oh," he said and chuckled, reaching up to brush the leaves from his hair. Caroline did the same and then turned to look down at the village, watching the people down below as they went about their business. "Rebekah tells me you've agreed to come and have dinner with us."
"I did yes," Caroline said with a nod. "When is it?"
"In a fortnight," he told her easily.
"Which is…?" Caroline said with a raised eyebrow.
"Two weeks," he said with a chuckle.
Caroline nodded as she sat down in the tall grass and leaned against the tree, Klaus following suit beside her. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he stood up after a moment and retrieved a loaf of bread and some mead from one of the saddle bags on Asgeir.
"A little bit," Caroline said honestly as he sat down beside her and broke the bread in half, offering her a piece. She took it gratefully and ate some, enjoying the rich taste of spices that were weaved into the dough. "This is really good," Caroline said with surprise.
"My mother makes it special," he told her honestly, "For the winter seasons."
He took a swig from the dark bottle and then offered it to her, a smirk on his lips. Caroline narrowed her eyes, recognizing a challenge when she saw one. She figured women from this time didn't drink straight from a bottle, but she was stubborn and determined to prove him wrong. She bravely took it from his hand and took a sip, watching the emotions play over his face as she handed the bottle back to him.
"Such a strange woman you are," he commented as he took another sip, "You speak and act in ways that completely baffle me."
"I like to be unpredictable," she told him frankly, "keeps things interesting."
"Indeed," he agreed with a grin as he ate some of his own bread.
They sat in silence and finished their food before Klaus let out a long sigh, "It will be dark soon, and we should be getting home."
"Yes," Caroline agreed with a nod though neither of them moved. "If it weren't so cold I'd say let's stay up and look at the stars."
"Now I know you're from another land," he laughed, "Such words lady, it would be such a scandal for us to be out together alone like that."
"Isn't it a scandal for us to be together right now alone?" she shot back cleverly, a smile curving her lips.
"In the middle of the day where everyone can see us, not really." He chuckled as he motioned towards the pair at the bottom of the hill who'd noticed their presence. It was Kol and Henrik, carrying fire wood towards Klaus's family's hut. "Did you hear what he did today?" Caroline asked him as her gaze flickered over Henrik. Klaus nodded solemnly, "He was being foolish." They watched Kol stare up at them for a moment and wave, before urging Henrik forward who had stopped to gap at the pair on top of the hill and point towards them while speaking to Kol. "Besides," Klaus said as he watched his two brothers walk off to his families hut, "I would never sully your honor in such a manner."
"Such a gentleman," Caroline mused as she lay back in the grass and looked up at him. He turned his head slightly to look at her and grinned, "Sometimes." Caroline could see it then, a flash of the man she knew in the future lurking just under the surface. The look he gave her sent shivers down her spine, his intense gaze as he met her eyes making her falter in her playful teasing. It sent ripples of heat rushing through her body as she held his gaze and tried not to blush under his scrutiny. He seemed to do that a lot, stare at her. He did that all the time back in Mystic Falls and he was doing it right now. "What?" she asked softly, trying to ease the sudden tension with her gentle tone. He averted his gaze and shrugged, finishing the last of the mead. "Nothing."
They rode back to the village a short while later, leaving their horses in their respective stalls with food and water before heading back towards the huts. "Tomorrow night is the full moon," Klaus said calmly as he walked her to Aiyanna's hut, "Be ready."
"I will." she said quietly.
He nodded and turned to leave, giving Caroline a brief smile and a kiss on the hand before dissapearing into his own hut. Caroline watched him go before turning to go inside her own hut. When she was inside she spotted Aiyanna across the room.
"You were gone a while," Aiyanna commented idly as she rummaged through some old books on a table nearby. "I see you have a new necklace."
That women really never does miss a beat, does she?
Caroline smiled faintly and touched the necklace around her neck, "Nik made it for me."
"First a horse, now a necklace," Aiyanna mused lightly, "No he doesn't notice you at all."
"Oh don't be like that," Caroline laughed with a roll of her eyes. Aiyanna reminded her greatly of Bonnie in that moment. "He's just being nice."
"Men do not bestow gifts on women that they merely view as friends." Aiyanna told her casually as she shut the book she'd been working with and stacked it with the pile of other books on the other end of the table. "You must beware of what you accept from him child, least you give him the wrong impression," she said and paused for a moment before continuing, "Unless you intend to give him that impression."
"I don't intend anything," Caroline argued though she was smiling, "Nik is my friend…he likes Tatia." He said even though she didn't really believe what she was saying anymore.
"Well your friend needs a new pair of boots." Aiyanna remarked, "Perhaps you should make him some."
Right after Esther buys her a new pair of boots, sure.
"I don't even know how," Caroline told her as they sat down to eat dinner.
"I will teach you." Aiyanna said easily as if it were obvious, "You know that I will teach you anything you want to know. Esther will help you too, she feels just as guilty as I do about you being trapped here."
Caroline sighed and ate her dinner quietly. After they were finished she got up and washed the dishes and put them away neatly. "What do I use to make him boots with?"
"I'll send you to the market to get some fur," Aiyanna said nonchalantly, though Caroline could see the wheels spinning in her head as she spoke, "He'll need something warm and durable to work out in the woods with the other men."
"Ok," Caroline said with a nod, trying not to imagine him out in the woods 'working.' The idea of him running around in leather on horseback was just a little too much for her to take in at the moment.
"You can get the measurements from Esther, I'm sure she knows them. She usually makes all of her son's their hunting boots."
"Alright," Caroline agreed as she got ready for bed.
Later that night when the fire had burned low and the village was asleep, the sound of shouting had woken Caroline from her sleep, and she sat up, watching groggily as Aiyanna frantically pulled on her clothes. "What's going on?" Caroline asked sleepily as she climbed out of bed.
"Stay there child, don't go outside." Aiyanna commanded her firmly as she swept out of the hut.
Caroline listened to the shouting, clearly making out Mikael's voice outside.
"Wretched boy!" he spat angrily, "You dare to steal from us? We fight to survive and you squander our hard earned food on wild horses?"
"Far Nei!" Klaus cried as the sound of leather striking skin echoed outside.
"Mikael stop!" Esther pleaded as she tried to grab her husband's arm, only to be shoved away instead.
"He mocks us Esther!" Mikael snarled.
"He meant no harm!" she argued, her eyes full of tears as she watched husband hold her son's hands down on the wooden table before him and drag the leather whip across his now bloody skin.
"He means us every bit of harm if he steals from us!" Mikael roared angrily, "He is a stupid and impulsive boy who will never learn!"
Caroline felt her heart drop as she scrambled out of bed and pull her dress on before running over to the door, peering outside. Mikael held Klaus's hands down on the table, a savage and furious look on his face as he brought the whip down hard across the backs of Klaus's hands.
"No!" Caroline cried as she bolted out the door, Aiyanna catching her by the arm before she could go any farther.
"No child be silent!" Aiyanna hissed angrily at her, holding her back.
"You would do well to listen to the witch girl," Mikael snapped as he turned his angry gaze upon Caroline, "Go back inside."
Caroline looked between Mikael and Klaus, who was firmly keeping his gaze on the table. She knew that Klaus hadn't stolen those apples, Henrik had and Klaus was taking the blame for it.
"You will not speak to me in such a manner Mikael," Aiyanna said coolly, her voice taking on a dangerous edge to it.
"You would do well to hold your tongue woman," he snapped back as he cracked the whip across Klaus's hands once more.
"Aiyanna, please," Esther pleaded, her eyes begging the other witch to go back inside with Caroline. It was clear that Esther feared Mikael would come after Aiyanna and Caroline as well.
"Perhaps this will remind you to keep your hands to yourself," Mikael hissed as he tossed the whip to one side, glaring at Klaus as he turned to go back inside the hut. Henrik stood by the door watching, his eyes on Klaus. There were tears glittering in his eyes as Rebekah pulled her younger brother away from the door and sent him to bed, turning her gaze to Klaus afterwards. He had slumped to the ground, tears stinging his eyes as blood dripped from his hands.
"Niklaus," she said softly as she walked towards him.
"Go away," he hissed angrily and got to his feet, glaring at Rebekah.
"Please," she whispered softly as she reached for his hands. Klaus turned away from her, his gaze meeting Caroline's for a moment. There were tears running down her cheeks, horror etched across her face as she took in his appearance. He averted his gaze from hers and stormed off into the darkness.
"I have to find him," Caroline pleaded with Aiyanna desperately.
"No, it's best to leave him alone, he's angry right now and his words would not be kind to anyone." Aiyanna said soothingly as she urged Caroline back into the hut. Caroline jerked away from her grasp and ignored the desperate pleas for her return from Aiyanna. Caroline didn't care that it was freezing cold outside or that her hair was a wild mess. She had to find him because nobody would want to be alone after a situation like that. It didn't take her long to find him, he was the only one outside savagely kicking over tables and chairs near the stables.
"Nik," she said gently, keeping her distance least he accidently kick something in her direction.
He paused for only a moment and glared at her, "Go away," he spat viciously before turning away, blood still running down his hands.
"Nik you're bleeding," she urged, worry in her eyes.
"I said GO!" he roared, whirling around to face her. Caroline let out a tiny gasp of fear at the look of anger on his face, his bloody fists clenched in rage as he recoiled at the look on her face and turned away from her, panting heavily. "I don't want you help Caroline," he said in a calm voice that was anything but calm. "I don't need anyone."
Caroline dropped her gaze to the floor, hurt by his words. She knew he was just angry and lashing out, she'd seen Tyler do it many times when he was angry. She turned and walked off into the darkness, letting him be alone as he so clearly wanted to be.
The next morning she got up early and went to go get water, not waiting for Rebekah as she usually did. She just wanted to be alone now as she walked quickly down the dirt path towards the creek. "Good Morning," Tatia said as she walked up alongside her, carrying water buckets of her own.
"Hello," Caroline said quietly without looking at her, biting back her anger.
"How are you?" Tatia asked brightly, clearly not noticing the other woman's anger.
"I'm fine," Caroline said in the same quiet tone, sighing heavily.
"It's a beautiful day," she remarked as they walked.
"Yeah I suppose," Caroline said dryly, glancing at the greying sky over head. This girl was working her way up to something she could feel it.
"I heard about the commotion last night," Tatia said with wide eyes.
There it was.
"Yep," Caroline said nonchalantly as she reached the creek and bent down to fill the buckets. Tatia did the same and when the two women were finish they stood facing each other. "Niklaus came to my hut last night so upset," she said with a frown, "His hands were so bloody."
Caroline frowned at the other girl, biting back the jealousy that burned in her eyes. Klaus had driven her off but went to seek comfort from Tatia?
Figures.
"Oh," Caroline said dismissively, a pleasant sense of satisfaction at seeing the look of disappointment on Tatia's face when she failed to bait Caroline into anger. This girl was really pushing her luck at the moment, Caroline thought as Tatia scrambled to keep pace with Caroline back to the village. "I do hope he'll ask for my hand soon," she said wistfully and Caroline rolled her eyes.
No you don't.
"Mmm," Caroline said in reply, pretending not to really care what Tatia was saying at all.
"Or maybe Elijah," she preened with a smile, "I cannot decide which I think I will marry."
"How about neither," Caroline snapped irritably, regretting her outburst when she saw the wicked smile curving Tatia's lips.
"Oh don't be jealous Caroline," she said gently, "Niklaus is so very handsome, it's a wonder that you've resisted his charms this long," she said and paused before continuing, "but don't misunderstand him, he is very kind and he can easily give the wrong impression."
"I don't know what you're talking about Tatia," she said idly as they entered the village.
"Oh I think you do," Tatia said knowingly, "I only mean to save you the heart ache Caroline, and Niklaus can so easily woo a woman. I do hope you understand," Tatia said with the fakest look of concern that Caroline had ever seen.
"Oh I do alright," Caroline said darkly and walked away from Tatia, who stood there staring in bewilderment.
"Bitch." She muttered under her breath.
Rebekah was waiting by her hut when she returned, a frown marring her features. "What did Tatia tell you?"
Caroline looked at Rebekah and frowned, shifting her gaze between Tatia and Rebekah, "She pretty much just told me to back off her man."