Chapter 12 – Story time
NO POV
The stillness of the damp and cold cave gave place to quick fluttering with that one word as everyone began doing chores they knew by heart.
the blond girl with the gray dress began gathering blankets, the men started gathering the remaining wood from the fires while the father observed them with a look similar to that of a teacher during a midterm exam and the mother went near Bella gently lifting all cloths to see that her magic had worked and all wounds were closed but were, still, an angry red signaling that the girl should rest. The boy even though he was still wary of the silver thing in her hand stood next to her.
"How are you feeling dear?"
She asked softly
"I'm good, ma'am. Thank you"
Bella replied in a raspy voice. She was in pain but it wasn't too bad. The important question was
"Where am I?"
"You're in our village, you're safe now. What is your name?"
"I'm Bella, Bella swan"
"My name is Esther. This is my husband, Mikael and our children"
The woman had a smile on that reminded Bella of Carlisle as she introduced her children. A tall guy standing next to the father named Finn, a blondish guy named Niklaus standing next to another guy with hair longer than Bella's named Elijah, a girl around Bella's age with long blond hair that looked a lot like Freida actually named Rebekah, a guy with short black hair and a flirty smile named Kol and lastly little Henrik.
"Let me see your wounds now"
Esther said quietly and lifted the now dry cloths off Bella's torso. They were almost healed so she changed them for damp ones and extended one hand to help Bella stand up. She did and immediately tripped.
"I'm not in Kansas anymore"
Bella muttered finally realizing her human status and not missing it at all. Esther raised both eyebrows in question. Bella cleared her throat and shook her head.
"I'm a klutz"
She offered as an explanation. Esther chuckled under her breath and gave Bella a once over before throwing a blanket over the young girl causing all males in the room to snap their eyes to Bella's face. Bella pulled her long hair back in a ponytail with elastic she had conveniently around her left wrist. Rebekah's eyes widened at the motion.
"How did you do that?"
She asked Bella scrambling next to her.
"What?"
"That thing with your hair"
"The ponytail?"
"Yes how did you hold it?"
Bella felt a smile. She pulled the second elastic from her wrist and handed it to Rebekah who held it with trembling fingers.
"How do you use it?"
"Turn around"
Rebekah did and gently Bella combed the blond straight hair with her fingers winching along with Rebekah every time she did and pulled it gently into a simple ponytail.
"There you go"
She told Rebekah who touched her hair with a smile. Mikael barked an order that they should leave and all children formed a line before exiting the damp caves. Esther stayed behind with Bella and walked her out slowly mindful of her wounds.
Outside the cool morning air made Bella shivered under the heavy blanket around her shoulders. looking around her she saw a forest, on the ground a handful of pebbles were thrown that believed they were a road, on the right was a large waterfall that Bella had seen before and nearby was a bunch of huts reminding Bella far too much of smurf village.
"I'm at Mystic"
She exclaimed recognizing the waterfalls. upon reaching one of the huts Mikael barked orders like a drill sergeant, or Charlie during a game of scavenger hunt of her childhood summers in forks
"Elijah, Finn, Niklaus go hunt for dinner. Rebekah work on your mother's garden, Henrik, Kol take the horses and go fish. I don't want to see any of you until dinner"
All the children left wordlessly.
"Charming man"
Bella muttered annoyed. Then she turned to look at the hut and something clicked in her mind. The strange, unusual names, an ancient Mystic Falls, the deep accents, the hut...
"oh my god, you are Frieda's parents"
She exclaimed loudly. Upon hearing his lost daughter's name Mikael grabbed his sword and pointed it straight at belle's neck. If Bella hadn't met James, she'd be afraid for her life. However now she wasn't.
"You need anger management, shall I call Billy Crystal?"
She snapped and angrily pushed the sword out of the way. Rebekah, who hadn't left but simply hidden nearby, giggled. Elijah and Klaus both put a hand over her mouth amused at the new girl's attitude.
"How do you know our daughter?"
Esther asked ignoring her husband and the smoke that left from his ears.
"I'm clad in leather, fell from the sky and wear makeup and heels. Unless I'm Xena the warrior princess, something is off with this and your question is how I know Freida?"
Bella deadpanned. Rebekah had placed all her weight on Elijah, who was fighting to keep a straight face, giggling uncontrollably. Esther indulged the girl with a smile she hid from her husband. The spirits had told her a wind of change was coming but they hadn't told her it was comedic with a mean streak.
Pursing her lips, Bella fought to remember what exactly Freida had told her. Then she decided she should act nicer because a- this was probably a weird dream and b-unless it wasn't a dream, she had no way of going back home. Now she truly regretted falling asleep in the middle of 'dances with wolves' when Renée was going through a Costner phase.
"I'm sorry Esme, it's been a very long day"
she apologized
"Esme?"
The older woman asked. Shaking her head Bella bit her tongue hard. She hadn't thought of the Cullens since her birthday party!
"I meant Esther. You ARE Esther, Freida's mother from Scandinavia, right?"
"I am"
Esther replied evenly.
"How do you know our daughter and why are you naked?"
Mikael once again barked. Bella bit her tongue choosing to do what Edward always hated. Filter her words and edit her answer
"I met Freida almost a month ago, on my birthday. As for why I'm naked, I'm not. I'm wearing a skirt and a bralette"
he wasn't amused. Bella sighed
"I'm from the future, alright? I do not know why I am here or I how I got here. However I do know where I am from and that I may have changed the course of time"
She said quietly but clearly. She could feel herself slowly becoming who she was when she first moved to Forks and she didn't like it. While she had never been overly confident, she was never the ultra quiet kitten she had been after the James Thing. Vampirism had pushed her to find and be her own person. She was sad that had to go and if she wasn't careful she might have just destroyed the vampire race
"What do you mean?"
"Prove it"
Esther asked and Mikael demanded at the same time. Bella took a deep breath, opting for the long way instead of the clear one
"Henrik said I saved his life, right? What would you have done if I hadn't?"
"I'd get revenge"
Mikael answered at once. Esther simply nodded her agreement. Bella wet her lips, huddling closer to the fire that Mikael had started when they first arrived at the hut.
"Revenge against the werewolves? How? They are stronger and faster than you, sir"
"I would ask the spirits to help me save my son, like they helped you"
Esther answered when Mikael remained quiet.
"They wouldn't help you if you weren't meant to save him"
Bella said softly. Mikael pursed his lips, grabbing his sword but didn't pull it. He only rested his hand on it, as if drawing strength. Esther remained quiet, her mind going over spells and incantations she knew
"let me tell you a story"
Bella began, grabbing her useless cell phone from her brallette feeling the need to focus on something else besides Michael's piercing blue eyes.
Taking a breath she recanted the story Freida told her the night she stayed over. she told them about the witches in Esther's coven lying to Esther saying the baby was dead. How Freida grew up in Scandinavia with the coven, slowly coming to her powers until one day she woke up famished and led by supernatural hunger killed quite a few people. she led them through Frieda's close escape from the witches who were set on killing her as she was an abomination of nature. She told them how Freida tracked the family to the new world and to this very village.
Softly she guided them through Frieda's life like that finishing the tale by handing over her cell phone to show them the pictures of said drawings on Frieda's living room walls.
"What is this?"
Esther asked softly not wiping the tears that slid down her cheeks at the revelation that her daughter was alive.
"a cell phone. Pretty basic thing where I am coming from"
Bella chuckled quietly not bothering to stop her own tears. Mikael stood behind his wife looking at the small screen recognizing the very same drawings that were abandoned on Henrik's room.
"What happened to Henrik?"
he asked quietly his mind going over possible scenarios he might take revenge on the man that bedded his wife and gave her kids.
"the werewolves killed him. According to the story Freida was told his death led Esther to creating a being stronger and more lethal than werewolves"
"Was that story accurate?"
"I'm pretty sure it was. I was one of those beings until found myself here"
Bella said softly pulling another picture on her phone. This one had Freida, Lexi and herself in full vampire mode posing for the camera together. Esther looked at the image question and Bella tapped with one long silver nail at Freida wishing she could print that photo to give them. Then she changed pictures to find one with her and Charlie on her birthday. She sighed softly silently wondering if she'd see her parents again.
"How did I do it?"
Esther asked with strength marring her body posture. Beside her Mikael held his wife's hand showing he'd stand by her. Bella shrugged her slim shoulders her fingers tracing James's bite mark on her wrist
"I have no idea"