Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or TO
Welcome back, everyone. I don't have a Beta so please excuse the grammatical and spelling errors. I'll fix them and update the chapters later.
Question: We all know that the Originals go back to the Old World (east) and end up in France by ship. Since Anastasia can't be with them, she'll be traveling through the Continental US (west), up to Canada, and Alaska through the Bering Strait into Russia. She'll move back south into Song Dynasty China. So what would you, my lovely readers, like to happen? Where would you like her to visit throughout her journey through the past 1000 years of history? Which people should she meet, and where should she live? I'm not very well versed in pre-Columbian America so make your suggestions about the places you want to see. And since we're headed west, not south, there will be no Mayan, no Aztecs, and no Inca civilizations. Anything south of Virginia will not be included. Since we're heading to Alaska, I'll definitely include some Inuit and Yupik peoples native to the region around the Bering Strait, but don't expect anything more than a cameo and some trade between my protagonist and the tribes. I'm not a historian so I'll be using Google for my facts. Sorry if I get something wrong and offend some people. This is supposed to be fun so I'll try not to put anything too controversial on here.
I'm definitely going to include India and travel along the silk road. I want to see the Byzantine empire before its collapse and see the rise of Venice and return to the Americas after Columbus. That's a general map. Anyone who wants to recommend someplace can place them in the review box and we can have detours and see new places we've never seen before.
Please send in your requests and suggestions.
To the guest reviewer: ask and you shall receive. Read, Review, and Enjoy.
Chapter 3 - Traversing North America in the 11th Century: Cahokia
Rebekah Mikaelsdotter walked out of the longhouse for the first time in weeks. Being trapped inside with her older brothers would make any teenage girl go crazy. Her blue eyes observed the silver ring with the blue lapis lazuli semi-precious gemstone on the face of the ring on her index finger. Even though she had been out almost every night, she had missed the bustling streets of the village during the day. She missed the shine of the golden sun on her skin. But, things were different than before. When her neighbors saw her, some quickly ran back into the safety of their homes while others pulled their children closer to them, to keep them as far from her as possible. Rebekah's face fell with sadness as she approached the great White Oak Tree, trying to find comfort in the beautiful flowers. The moment she touched the purple flower, it burned her hand, forcing her to pull away from the now poisonous plant.
When Rebekah raised her head, her eyes landed on a girl wearing a veil over her hair and face, showing only her dark eyes. She held parchments in her hands as she twirled an ink brush in her hands. Her deep eyes roamed the sky as though she would find the answer to all her problems in the clouds. She returned to the parchment and wrote something down with her brush. Rebekah could not help but be drawn to her so she approached the young woman. "Hello," she greeted. "Do I know you?"
"Hello," the young woman replied with a smooth accented voice that was not too dissimilar to her own. "I don't think so. I've been here for weeks now and I've never seen you before."
"Oh," Rebekah replied. "Yes, my family has been ill so we've remained mostly inside our home." Rebekah sat beside her, looking into her eyes through the small slit in her veil that showed her brown eyes and a mole under her left brow. "Who is your family?"
"My father brought me to this village and I currently live with Dag and his wife, Jorunn. We live right on the outskirts of the village. It's only me, Aslaug, and the couple."
Rebekah furrowed her brow, thinking about the small family. She did not know them well as they had no children of their own so Rebekah and her siblings never interacted with them. She was certain that she had seen the wife and the slave girl at times in the market and by the river. During the full moon, she remembered their small group set apart in a corner of the cave. Other than seeing them here and there, she knew nothing about the family. "Oh, is Dag your father?"
"No. Dag and his wife took me in after my father left," she explained.
"Oh, I am sorry that your father has done this to you."
"Oh, don't be. I wanted to stay," Anastasia said. "What about your family? You said they were ill? Was everyone?"
"I have four older brothers. Finn is the eldest, followed by Elijah, Nikalus, and Kol." She lowered her eyes as she spoke, "I had a younger brother, Henrik, but the men who turn into wolves on the full moon killed him. My mother and father were devastated along with my brothers and I. We loved our little brother very much."
Anastasia took her hand, squeezing lightly to offer the younger girl comfort. "I am so sorry for your loss. The stress and grief of losing a loved one is always painful. It is no wonder that your entire family fell ill with heartbreak." Rebekah looked up into the eyes of the older woman. Even though she could not see her entire face, she could see the sincerity in her eyes. "I lost someone I loved very much a few years ago. My daughter died a few weeks after she was born. I lost the man I loved soon after. I was heartbroken for quite some time. I couldn't eat or sleep." Her eyes looked in the distance as tears filled her chocolate orbs. "I felt as though it was my fault, as though I could have done something. I'm sure you blame yourself as I did. I'm sure your brothers blame themselves too." She removed her veil, allowing her tears to fall, revealing her beautiful heart-shaped face, golden amber skin, and full rosy lips. She wiped her tears with one end of the veil before wiping Rebekah's unshed tears as well.
Rebekah smiled at the kind gesture. "I am sorry for your loss. Did... has the pain gone away?" she asked sheepishly. "The pain of losing your loved ones? Did it go away? They say that time heals all wounds..."
She thought for a moment. "No. A great woman from my homeland once said 'It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.' There is a wound in the place in your heart that was occupied by your little brother Henrik. It will mend, but it will scar. Every time you remember him, it will hurt until the pain becomes a dull ache. My father was the one who mended my heart. You have your older brothers to grieve with you and give you all their love to mend your broken heart. It's okay to miss Henrik and cry yourself to sleep some nights. You just need to let yourself recuperate. "
Rebekah nodded. The thought of Henrik had been painful and that pain heightened when she became a vampire, but talking to this stranger helped her calm down significantly. Rebekah did not realize it until later but she felt no bloodlust toward the woman sitting next to her. She looked at the paper and brush that was on the woman's lap. It was the reason Rebekah approached her. "What are you doing there?" she asked.
"I am drawing a map of this landmass," she replied. She held the parchment up to show Rebekah. "Would you like to see?"
Rebekah looked down at the drawings. "It is quite large. Are you certain?"
"I am. My father and I are travelers," the older girl replied. She pointed to the west at the mountains rising over the trees. "You see those mountains? They go all the way up to the north and all the way down to the south." She pointed at the map to show where she had drawn the mountains. "There is a vast flat land beyond the mountains perfect for farming, carved by a great river. The river runs north into many large inland lakes. West of the River is a vast and rocky desert giving way to more into mountainous regions. Then, there is a great ocean like the one in the east. We will cross the mountains and follow the stars toward the northwest. We will continue for almost four months until we reach the edge of the continent. In the winter, we will walk across the ice to another continent."
Rebekah could not help but be enthralled by her explanation. She was not running away from her like the friends she had known all her life because this stranger had never met her before and did not know the monster her mother had made her into. She felt like a teenage girl enjoying the company of a lifelong friend. "That is... amazing. I only wish we had more time to get to know each other. When do you leave?"
"We leave tonight," she replied.
"Oh," Rebekah replied, broken-hearted.
"Hold on." She stood up with her parchment, ink, and brush and rushed over to her house on the outskirts of the village. Rebekah remained in her place for several minutes until she returned with a pair of cotton half-mittens with a beautiful embroidered woven cord designed on the back of the gloves. "Here, take this."
"No, I couldn't..." Although she said that, her eyes shimmered at the sight of the lovely gray mitts.
"It's okay. My family has enough of everything as we had been preparing provisions for several weeks now. I had some extra fabric and decided to make this. I hope you don't find that offensive."
Rebekah shook her head. "No, it's beautiful."
"Then take it," she said. "Use it for when you're going on your own journey. As a token of our friendship."
"We're friends?"
"Of course we are. You're the first person, outside of my family, who's spoken to me in the many weeks that I've lived here. I hope you will accept my friendship."
"Of course I will. Wait a moment..." Rebekah returned to her home before she returned to face her new friend. She gave her a beautifully woven belt in exchange for the mittens. "Even if we never meet again, we'll always be friends."
"Yes, always," she said softly as she passed her fingers over the belt. "But, I have a feeling that we will see each other again. My name is Anastasia Abigael Manuel."
"I am Rebekah Mikaelsdotter."
The two new friends went their separate ways. One was certain she would meet her friend once more in a few centuries due to her foreknowledge of the future while the other hoped she would see her new friend again, even if she were to turn into a decrepit old woman. Rebekah watched as her new friend disappeared behind the large row of houses before. When she turned, she found Elijah watching her with Kol leaning nonchalantly on the side of the house. Rebekah walked back toward her brother. "Who was that?" Elijah asked. "I do not believe I have seen her in the village before."
Rebekah smiled as she replied, "She arrived while we were trapped inside our home. Her father is a nomad. He left her with Dag and his wife, who live at the edge of the village."
Elijah hummed thoughtfully. "Are you certain it is wise to become attached to that girl? It is dangerous..."
Rebekah looked sadly at the mitts in her hands. "Do not worry, Elijah. She and her family will be leaving the village soon. I believe it is to reunite with her father on his travels."
"She looks quite appetizing," Kol commented. "I am surprised became friends with her rather than tear her throat out."
Rebekah looked at Kol, her eyes widening at the realization that she did not feel any attraction to Anastasia's blood. "I did not feel any bloodlust toward her. I was close to her and I held her hand, yet I was not bothered by the scent of her blood not the slow beat of her heart."
Niklaus slowly approached, hearing the conversation his siblings were having. "Her heart was slow and you felt no bloodlust?" He turned to Elijah. "Could she be like us?"
"Who is it you speak of?" Finn asked as he joined them, soon followed by Esther and Mikael, causing all the other children to shuffle back nervously to distance themselves from their father. "Who is like us?"
"Like you?" Esther asked. "That is impossible." She reached forward to grasp Rebekah's hand with the mitts. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her magic. She opened her eyes a few moments later. Esther heaved a great sigh of relief when she did not feel the dark, coldness in the mitts as she had felt from all her children. She could not allow such a plague that feeds on humans to spread from her family. "She is not like you."
Rebekah lowered her head in disappointment. She passed her thumbs over the mitts. When Niklaus had asked if Anastasia was like them, Rebekah wished that she was so she could have a friend who could live forever with her. Rebekah had only just met her, yet here she was, already wishing for her short friendship with a girl she had never met before to become her friend for eternity. Rebekah felt a hand on her shoulder, to find Kol smiling at her comfortingly. She returned his smile as he knew well the feeling of wanting something he could not have, something he lost for the sake of his immortality.
Anastasia pulled the carriage along the uneven ground like a pack animal, trying to put as much distance between her and the village before the war between the species officially begins. She was an Original and could not die from a werewolf bite but she was not looking forward to the hallucinations and fevers and chills that would come with the venom. Not to mention, she was hauling a month's worth of provisions along with three human passengers who also didn't want to remain in the village when the Mikaelsons would inevitably lose control due to their bloodlust and slaughter everyone in their path. Information didn't travel fast in the pre-Columbian Americas, so by the time Mikael would murder his wife's lover's pack, Anastasia hoped to be weeks away from the nearest werewolf pack.
She was an Original Vampire. She had no need to sleep or eat or breathe. She only needed blood and she was drinking small quantities, about a few milliliters an hour, not only to learn control but to also keep her strength up. She had stopped taking the vervain several days before the trip to keep her full strength during the first leg of the journey. She willingly became the pack mule for the new friends who decided to follow her into the relatively vast unknown wilderness that is the North American Continent. Even if she drew the map from memory, it was inaccurate due to the vast difference between the landscapes that occurred over the thousand years of human interference. She had a general direction and a compass. She needed to cross the Appalachian mountains, continue westward until they reach Cahokia, which slowly became 21-century St. Louis, Illinois.
At first, she thought about heading toward the Great Lakes region to cross into Canada, but they had no way of getting across the large lakes. Not to mention, water would be dangerous for the wife, Jorunn, who was pregnant at the old age of mid-forties. Sigh. They stopped to rest and eat. Whenever the shaking became too much for the pregnant woman, Anastasia slowed her ascent up the Appalachian Mountain range, carrying Jorunn on her back while still pulling the cart with a rope tied around her waist. Yeah. She had become the North American horse. How she wished wild Mustangs or domesticated Bison were a thing already (even though domesticated American Bison were never a thing in the 21st century), but a girl could hope.
Had she been on her own or with just Aslaug, she would have tied the girl to her back and just hopped and skipped up the side of the sheer mountains, but with the couple, Dag and Jorunn, she had to take a long detour through the Cumberland Gap. It took Anastasia 14 days to reach the Gap which was an impossible feat for a regular human, but Anastasia was not a human. She was the 7th Original Vampire blessed with strength and speed without the need to consume large quantities of calories every day. She estimated it would take another two weeks or more to reach Cahokia, where they could trade some of their goods with the natives.
"Ooh," Jorunn groaned as she held her stomach. She quickly rushed away from the campsite before she hurled the contents of her stomach. She had been pregnant for 13 weeks and her symptoms were becoming more prominent, causing them to have to slow their progress significantly.
Anastasia tried her best to remember what she learned about human pregnancy from the internet and her doctors.
When the couple found out they were having a child, they were ecstatic. Jorunn's pregnancy and the safety of their child was the reason Dag decided to risk everything and accompany Anastasia on her journey. Before her journey, she had not bothered to remember the couple's names because she was not too close to them. She compelled them to allow her to remain in their home and in return, she helped with their chores and provided for them. As a thank you to the couple, Anastasia told them of the spell Esther cast on her children that no longer made them human and caused them to crave blood. She warned them to leave the village before the family could walk in the sun, just as Anastasia had planned. When they heard that Aslaug asked to accompany her, they, too, asked to accompany the young bloodsucker. In the weeks that Anastasia had stayed with them, their lives had become easier. They had meat to eat every day and with help from the immortal, the chores around the house were completed with little effort. Dag and Jorunn found more time to spend in each other's presence. Aslaug had been their slave for a decade, but with her free time, she was able to make crafts to sell at the market. With the money she made, she paid the family for her freedom. They also found that the woman known as Anastasia had strange knowledge of the world. Some things they did not understand when she began speaking, but her knowledge of agriculture, salt production, woodwork, and metalwork, allowed them to live a more lavish home life. Even though she drank blood, she had never drunk from them. They were afraid when she told them that she drank human blood. They also thought she would use her mind control ability to force them to feed her, but she never asked.
They preferred to be with her, trekking through the wilderness, rather than stay in the village and be at the mercy of a cruel man like Mikael. The lady had also been honest about her senses. She could smell the blood under their skin and hear their hearts beating. But whenever she felt her bloodlust coming to the surface, she quickly left the house to find an animal or a cruel man to drink from. They knew what to expect from her. They also knew what to expect from Mikael. He was a harsh man with a quick temper. So they chose Anastasia.
Anastasia kept a close eye on Jorrun's pregnancy to make sure both she and her child survived in this world with no hospital or modern medical science. Other than nausea while she was at the start of her second trimester, there were not many obvious physical symptoms of her pregnancy. She had back and joint pain like any other pregnancy. Anastasia would also often focus her hearing on the heartbeat of the child to monitor the pregnancy. But she was not a doctor so she just let everything go as it was happening. All they could do was talk to a midwife if they could find one on the vast American plains.
Anastasia found that she could easily cast physical spells, whether it was to carve a cave on the side of a mountain for shelter or pull water from underground. She creates fire from her fingertips and controls the air to keep bad weather away. Abstract magic, such as the spell she used to enchant her daylight ring, is more difficult to cast. She grew up in a world where magic was nothing but a fantasy. She would have to change her ways of thinking about what is possible.
In her hands, she held a plank of wood, focusing her magic on it. She knew that witches could make flowers bloom. She knew that they weren't giving the plant more nutrients at a fast speed, which meant something else was happening that caused the flower to bloom. Not to mention magic came from Father, who makes up the whole of creation. Her thought process was that magic was some type of energy that could be used to manipulate and defy the laws of physics. Although she knew that she had to stop thinking so scientifically, it was proving to be easier said than done. But, she wanted to change the composition of the wooden plank in her hand using magic just like a witch would use magic to make a flower grow.
"My lady," said Aslaug. "What are you doing?"
She looked at the plank in her hand. "I... have no idea." She tossed the plank aside. She picked up the wooden canteen beside her and drank a small sip before plugging the canteen with a cork stopper.
Aslaug bit her lip as she watched Anastasia. "My lady, why have you never asked me to give you blood?"
"Are you offering?" Anastasia asked.
She hesitated for a moment. She didn't know, but Anastasia had drunk blood from many people around the village and many natives they encountered so far on the journey, but she still had never drunk from her, Dag, or Jorunn. "N... no. But I am curious."
"What is the most delicious thing you have ever tasted? Have you ever been hungry?"
Aslaug furrowed her brow as she thought. "Grilled salted venison and fish. And hunger feels like a terrible ache in the stomach that I cannot satisfy and my mouth water when I see or smell or even think of food."
"I used to have a favorite food, too: ice cream. You don't know what that is, but when I first drank blood as an immortal, it was like the best thing I ever tasted and my body just wanted more and more of it. When I'm hungry for blood, it's like the worse hunger I had ever felt. My throat burns as if I'd been in a desert and haven't drunk or eaten anything for days. The scent of blood or the sound of a heart makes me want to tear into the nearest source and drink until I'm completely satiated. Sometimes it will take many bodies until I'm completely satisfied," she explained. "So as a Vampire, I'm constantly experiencing the worse hunger and only blood can satisfy my hunger. It's called bloodlust. I knew I wouldn't always have someone to feed on as a vampire while we're traveling so I'm trying to learn to control my bloodlust. Just a sip every hour satisfies the bloodlust and keeps my strength up enough so I won't look at you like you're my favorite food. If I drink from you, I will probably kill you. Understand?"
Aslaug nodded. "I do. But animals have blood..."
"It's not enough. For someone like me, animal blood is a last resort. It tastes so disgusting, I can only describe it as drinking salted sour milk. It also makes my kind weaker. A vampire who drinks human blood will always be stronger than one on animal blood."
"I see." Aslaug continued to eat. "Wait, I thought you and Mikael and his children were the only ones of your kind." Jorunn and Dag had returned to the campsite and sat on the stone around the fire.
"At the moment, yes, however, we can create more of our kind. I know Niklaus and his siblings will start creating more of us, however, I don't want to do that."
"Why not? Isn't it lonely?"
"Maybe, But I am probably one of the most powerful beings in the world. If I decide to give someone a portion of my power, I want them to be worthy of it. I've killed before, but not because I enjoy killing. I don't want to give power to someone who will use it to oppress others. I've compelled you to house me and help me, and not divulge anything I say, or try to hurt me. I do it to protect myself. But I won't compel you to feed me your blood or do something you don't want to. If I were to turn someone, I would want them to share similar values as I." She turned to look at Jorunn. With all the layers of clothing she wore, Jorunn's pregnancy was invisible other than the regular symptoms. She wore a chemise undergarment, the long dress layer, and the shorter top layer, all of which were covered up by a coat made from bear fur woven into a cotton hooded cloak to keep warm. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, thank you," she replied as she passed her hands over her invisible bump. "I'm sorry. Because of me, you have to stop more often."
"It's fine," Anastasia replied. "I know how it feels to be carrying another person inside you. Some days will be worse than others."
Jorunn perked up when she noticed the sadness behind Anastasia's smile. "Have you been with child before?"
"Yes, I have." Anastasia had no child with her, so Jorunn thought maybe she had lost her child, but being the being - vampire - that she is, Jorunn thought that she might have left her child because of what she became.
"May I ask what happened?" Jorunn asked hesitantly.
"I carried to term, but after she was born, she died."
Jane was already in her 30s in the other world when Father decided to bring her to him. There came a time not 2 years before that she wanted to have a child and conceive with her partner. She went to all her appointments and took care of her body for the sake of her growing child, however, it was not to be. She carried to term, but not long after her child was born, she died. Everything was fine during the pregnancy, but when her child was born, she was discovered to have inherited an illness Jane did not even know that she and her partner could pass on to their child.
Even though she ended up losing her child, she still associated happy memories with her pregnancy, especially when she saw Dag trying to comfort his wife. A smile spread across her lips. Her partner, although they weren't married or even dating would have been a good father.
"I am sorry for your loss," Dag said. "And the child's father?"
Anastasia lifted her head to look at the sky. "He's in another world now." When she told him of the pregnancy, he was excited and went to every doctor's appointment. He provided for her and for their child. He wanted to be a father and, as a lawyer, he was all about legality. He knew she didn't want to get married, but he was a good man, who also wanted Jane to be a part of the child's life. He wrote a contract that would allow them both equal rights to their child, even if they were to have other partners. He planned everything with great detail, taking account of changes that could happen in the future. "I can never see him again." She didn't want to lie to them, but she chose her words carefully that they would assume that her child's father was her husband and had also died.
Jorunn smiled softly at her. "I can tell you loved him very much."
"I did," Anastasia replied. "I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents or their family. I was poor and I had to take care of myself. That man... he was the first person who truly cared for me. He was so happy that he was going to become a father. He promised that he would take care of me and our child. And I fell in love with him." But it was not to be. After their child's death, they both fell into a depression. He found someone else to love and marry and gave him two beautiful children.
Anastasia looked at the couple. "You know, I can hear your child's heartbeat?"
Their eyes widened. "Truly?"
"Yes. Their heartbeat is strong. They are healthy."
"Oh." Jorunn looked at her husband, both smiling as Dag placed his hand over his wife's hand on her belly. "Can you also tell whether it will be a boy or girl?"
"Will you love them any less?"
"No!" Dag answered instantly. "No matter if it is a girl or boy, I will love them."
"Good," Anastasia said. "I think there's a magic for telling a baby's gender, but I don't know it. We'll have to find a witch who's more skilled to do that."
They had been traveling for a month, longer than Anastasia had anticipated due to Jorunn's pregnancy, but they were almost at their destination. They had met several natives, Mississippians migrating to Cahokia, whom Anastasia had compelled to show them the way to the settlement (while ignoring the fact that a young girl was pulling a large cart carrying 3 people).
Along the trip, Aslaug and Anastasia were learning to wield a bow and arrow from Dag, who had learned since he used to hunt as a boy. Although he became a wood craftsman in his adult years, he sometimes went hunting with the men of the village to get a cut of meat for him and his wife. Anastasia did not need to know how to use a bow and arrow, but she wanted to. She was a history buff as Jane and she remembered how much she loved the scene of Klaus killing his hybrids wielding a sword. Just the feel of the bow in her hand and the snap of the string when the arrow flew made her feel less out of place in this era.
It is said that it takes 10000 hours to master a skill. If she worked for 10 hours a day, it would take her 1000 days, almost 3 years, to master the skill. How many skills could she master in 1000 years? How many languages could she learn? And she was going to do it. She awoke in the world with the ability to understand the Norse language of the Vikings. Over the weeks she was in the village, she had Aslaug teach her the language the surrounding Natives spoke when they came to trade in the village. With her total recall, she could remember entire conversations, words, and their meanings. With constant practice and observation, she could string along a few sentences from her vocabulary.
Using the bow and arrow forced her to control her strength. She had to be in so much control of her body and her muscles to stop the bow and the string from snapping every time she drew. Instead of using the good bow she poached from the hunter, she carved branches into longbows and arrows to see for practice. And she broke most of them. Both she and Aslaug had fun learning together. Aslaug had become much more relaxed with her. Although the younger girl still called her 'my lady', she had become relaxed enough to tease her many times when they practiced together and Anastasia would break her bow by using too much strength.
Anastasia slowed her pace when they were reaching closer into human settlements. Many people from different parts of the continent were traveling to Cahokia to participate in the build of the great city. They brought their entire families and carried all their belongings with them as they migrated to the settlement.
They disembarked from the carriage, hiding it inside a cliff face that Anastasia carved, just a day from the city. Anastasia carried most of the goods they were planning to trade on her back, in makeshift packs they had sown before they left the Viking settlement.
"Oh, my Father!" She gasped as she stood in the middle of the road, watching people pass her by as they entered the bustling settlement. There was a large mound in the center, already several stories tall, and men were moving around, carrying pots of dirt, clay, and mud up the side of the mound to build it higher. Other men were moving about making tools and crafts around the central mound. Houses spread from the center, some already built, while others were just starting out with a small foundation of clay and mud. Smoke rose from the fires around the house as women worked the laundry, cooked food, and traded with the streetside sellers while carrying their children on their backs. There were hundreds if not thousands of people moving and bustling in what would become the largest pre-Columbian city in the Continental United States. Although were few mounds were shorter and still under construction, she could see the shape of the great mound rising up in the center of the city. There were no gates around the city as it was expanding from the center mound.
Aslaug watched with wide eyes. "That hill, are they making it themselves or was it always there?" she asked.
"Yeah. They're building it by hand." It was the largest settlement Aslaug had ever seen and the mound in the middle was the tallest man-made structure she'd ever seen. Nothing could compare to the city.
"Is this the biggest city in the world?" She looked at Anastasia for an answer. On their journey, she had seen mountains, rivers, lakes, and flat plains. She'd even recently seen a tornado and lived to tell the tale. She saw the ocean and all of it was thanks to Anastasia. And everywhere they went, Aslaug would ask Anastasia questions and be left in awe at the knowledge she had of so many things.
"It's probably the biggest city on this continent, I think, although I'm not certain." Anastasia didn't know American pre-Columbian history well. "There are some other large cities in the south, but the civilization is in decline. But, in the old world, there are more people, so their cities are so much large than this."
Seeing the sights and historical civilizations was among the many reasons Jane liked to travel in her previous life. She was born and raised in London and she had grown up seeing the historical sights of the United Kingdom. When she grew up, she traveled all over Europe and visited the Americas often to see the natural wonders and the remnants of civilizations long lost to the world.
Before the younger girl could ask any more questions, Anastasia said, "Come this way." Between a row of houses, they stood and watched as Anastasia pulled a man to her and pinned him forcefully behind a wall. The Mississippians spoke many different came from different parts and spoke many different languages, so she grabbed a man who spoke what seemed to be the most common language used around them. She looked into his eyes as she held her hands to his head.
"What are you doing?" Aslaug asked.
Anastasia did not answer as she kept her entire focus on the man using her eyes and hands to force her desires onto him. The man nodded his head in understanding. He walked out onto the main street as they followed behind him. "If he can't understand me, then the compulsion won't work. I still have the ability to manipulate the mind, so I made my desires his desires by forcing them into his head. He will do whatever I need him to. I asked him to bring us to a midwife."
Once they were able to communicate with the midwife using a series of hand signs that the pregnancy was progressing smoothly, they separated into two groups. Anastasia needed to feed outside of the city while the others decided to go with the Native man to exchange their goods at the market. They made plans to rendezvous at the compelled man's home.
By the time Anastasia had had her fill of dozens of people, the sun had set. She had no trouble finding her way through the city to her host's home. When she entered the house, she found Jorunn, Dag, Aslaug, and the young man eating dinner around the fire. She had already been invited inside by the man in the early afternoon before she left them. They all stopped when they saw her standing at the door.
Jorunn stood up and walked toward Anastasia. "Aye, you got blood on your dress again," she scolded.
"Sorry," Anastasia replied. They had all gotten used to Anastasia's feeding habits. Although she never fed in front of them, when she went to feed, she would return, more often than not, with blood on her clothes.
"We don't have many clothes. You need to be more careful," Jorunn said. "And what if someone saw you like this."
"It's fine. I'll wash it later."
"You will wash it now. Go."
"Yes, mother." Anastasia rolled her eyes but left to go to the river to wash her dress. They had all gotten much closer over the almost two-month journey. Neither Jorunn, Aslaug, nor Dag feared Anastasia for being a vampire. She had never done anything that made them feel as though she was a danger to them. At first, they did not like the fact that she manipulated their minds, but they slowly understood that everything she did was to protect herself. She also protected them and literally carried their weight. Anastasia had taken to calling Jorunn 'mother', as a joke at first, but more and more she came to embody what Anastasia perceived as mothering. Slowly, Jorunn became like a mother figure to the two young girls, sometimes assigning them chores on their travels while other times, scolding them as she had just done to Anastasia. Dag already acted as the father figure, teaching them how to navigate using the sun and the stars, while also teaching the girls to use a bow and arrow to hunt.
"Do you really think she'll be able to control it? I can't help but think about the many people she's killed tonight in her hunger," said Aslaug.
"I think she will," Dag replied. "She probably has more control than she thinks. I'm sure she's been hungry many times during the trip but she hasn't attacked us. She simply leaves until she has satisfied her hunger."
Jorunn looked up at the night sky through the hole in the thatched roof that allowed the smoke from the fire to leave the house. "I think the gods sent her to us. In many ways, she has been a blessing. Had she not come, we might have died in the village. We would have never been able to have such a journey, especially while I'm carrying a child." She looked at her husband, "Odin and Freyja have sent us a Valkyrie to aid and protect our family."
The next day, Anastasia and the family went back to the market again. Their greatest commodity for trade was the salt they had brought. They sold Aslaug's seashells, Jorunn's handwoven textiles, Dag's wooden crafts, and the wild game caught by Anastasia. They traded everything for corn, potatoes, peppers, squash, and other foods that had been brought by the Mississippians from all over the continent. Anastasia even saw dried cacao being sold in the marketplace. She didn't buy any because they needed to be economical and the chocolate paste the natives made with the seed was bitter and not to her taste (especially when compared to her favorite Hershey Kisses). The fruits and vegetables were to supplement Jorunn's diet so she wouldn't have to eat only meat on their journey while pregnant.
They spent several days living in the Cahokian man's home as they stockpiled food for their trip. They had gotten everything they needed and planned to leave the next day after sunset, just as they had done when they left the village. Dag and Jorunn were already at the carriage outside the city with their goods. Only Aslaug and Anastasia remained in Cahokia.
As Anastasia walked through the streets of the city, she stopped at a table where a woman was advertising herbal and spiritual medicines. She stopped and looked through the varieties of herbs the lady had. She knew that herbs could be used well in a variety of spells, but she didn't know anything about the spells the herbs could be useful for. She turned around to leave when the vendor grasped her hand. Immediately, Anastasia felt a spark run through her when her skin touched the other woman. She turned to look at the caramel-skinned woman. The woman spoke but she couldn't understand her. She waved her hand to try to communicate with the old woman.
"Witch," the woman finally said to her in broken Old Norse. "You are... foreigner from... east settlement. Men from the sea." The woman pointed to herself and Anastasia. "Witch. We are sisters."
Anastasia looked at her hand. Father had told her that she would be cloaked to keep her hidden from Nature and her servants. Unlike all vampires, Anastasia did not give off the death-like cold feeling that witches could sense. They could only sense the magic in her. She turned to the woman and said, "Teach me."
The old witch folded her vending table and invited Anastasia and Aslaug to her home. "Come in," she said when she opened the door.
Anastasia followed inside the single-room home, with the fire pit in the center of the home. The lady threw some herbs into the fire, letting the scent waft around the room. She sat down and motioned for the two girls to sit across from her. "What you want to know?"
"Preserving food with magic." Anastasia showed her the fruit she pulled out of her apron.
The witch nodded. "I see."
The entire afternoon Anastasia spent talking to the lady and practicing magic. The lady showed taught her a spell she used to preserve her food for the long journeys she took across the Appalachian mountains. She had even interacted with Ayanna and other witches who came with the men with the silver weapons from across the sea, which was how she learned the Nordic language. Unlike her predecessors who passed their magic down through lessons and word-of-mouth, the witch learned to write from the European witches and recorded her spells in a grimoire. Even though she had no children, she would pass down her grimoire to the younger coven members. Anastasia recorded the spells the old witch showed her on parchment so she could practice while they were traveling westward.
When night came, Aslaug had already fallen asleep on the floor beside Anastasia while she had been absorbed in learning new magic.
The old witch was becoming more and more frustrated when she looked at the younger girl. She held her hand out in front of her and began chanting in her native tongue. Anastasia felt a terrible pain crawl into her head and blood vessels before her blood began to boil inside her body. She held her head and began to scream in pain as blood ran from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth as more voices joined the old witch in her chant, intensifying the spell. Then, all she saw was black.
Yes, I used Rebekah Mikaelsdotter because it's the Norse naming convention (child's given name, father's given name + child's gender). I think Rebekah going by Mikaelson came about because of the western European naming convention where all children share the same surname regardless of gender when they moved there. I think since Rebekah was born and raised in a Viking settlement with Norse customs, she would use a Norse name in America. But next time we see Rebekah, she'll be back as a Mikaelson.
Face claims: Anastasia - Banita Sandhu
Aslaug - Alicia Vikander
Jorunn - Joely Richardson
Timeline:
January 12th: Henrik dies.
February 10th: Esther casts immortality spell. Esther and Mikael kill their children to turn them into vampires. Anastasia arrives.
March 8th: Esther makes daylight rings for her family. Rebekah meets Anastasia. Anastasia leaves the village.
March 12th: Esther curses Niklaus.
Mid-March: Niklaus kills Esther. The Originals run from Mikael.
March 22: Anastasia reaches the Cumberland Gap. Jorunn is 13 weeks pregnant.
Early April: The Originals take a ship from Vinland to the Old World.
Mid-April: Anastasia arrives at Cahokia. Jorunn is 17 weeks pregnant.
A week later: Anastasia leaves Cahokia.
October 1001: The Originals arrive in Denmark (mainland Europe).
Spring 1002: The Originals meet the De Martels and Lucien in France.
