AN: Thank you all for the reviews I love hearing from you both good and bad. Please let me know if you like it or there are things you're not quite sure about. I will do my best to answer your questions. Please review.
Previously on The Vampire Diaries... fade to cut scene... Elena, Tatia, and Ayana are on their way to collect the next group of settlers the old world and Tatia's future husband. They are also doing this to sneak Elena back in and introduce her to the village properly. They talk and learn about each other and grow closer there is a surprise introduction to a person in the woods before they make camp for the night. How are they going to protect themselves? Okay everyone all caught up. Now on with the show
"Ladies, please sit and, as I had asked earlier, what are you doing in my people's forest?" Ansel repeated his tone smoothly switching from pleasant to one with harsher undertones as he spoke. Ayana sighed and looked at him directly.
"If you would allow us to make it to that clearing just ahead," Ayana raised a hand to indicate the mentioned clearing only a few yards ahead of them. "We can continue," Ayana suggested. The werewolf eyed her carefully before switching to Tatia who had been trying to unobtrusively reach for a broken branch conveniently prompted upright next to the tree trunk she was standing near.
Ansel shrugged and, as if he didn't have a care in the world, started ahead of them and only looked over his shoulder before saying.
"As you wish, Ayana. Oh, and Tatia, if you 're thinking of starting a fire with that piece of wood. You're going to need more than that for the remainder of the night. Otherwise it wouldn't make a very effective club against me girl." Ansel smiled briefly before moving forward. Somewhat chastised, Tatia knelt to collect more firewood. Elena was tempted to help, but trying to explain a bundle of broken tree branches floating in the air might be rather hard to explain, Elena thought ruefully.
As soon as Elena broke through the tree line, the clearing ahead of them wasn't very large. If need be a large group of people could bunch in close, but it wouldn't be comfortable, she noted absently. Another less obvious reason that Ayana had wanted to set up their camp was when Ansel hissed angrily when he brushed up against a bush. When Elena looked more carefully, it was almost spread along the perimeter of the clearing, as if forming an incomplete wall.
"Wolfsbane! Ayana, do you really think that this foul weed can deter us for long?" Ansel demanded, despite his attempts to shield his bare skin from the offending plant. Still acting as a silent observer, Elena noted that his clothing was fair cruder than either hers or her compatriots. It looked like a blend of animal hide or fur. The only sophisticated item he seemed to possess was a nasty looking blade strapped to his back and a silver ring with a black stone as its centerpiece. Even that was hard for Elena to see since she only caught brief glimpses of him as they moved deeper into the clearing. Having cleared the obvious werewolf deterrent.
"Ansel, don't forget who exactly you're talking to as well, and that I as well as my fellow sister Esther are witches, hence servants of nature. We can and will defend ourselves as well as the lives of the people we care about. Lest you forget your little magical trinket that was gifted to you doesn't fully protect you from Wolfsbane, and its other abilities it grants, can just as easily be rescinded," Ayana spoke serenely, but even Elena could hear the mild warning in her voice. Ansel didn't speak further as he waited until they, and unbeknown to him, Elena was also seated around a previously used fire pit where Tatia unceremoniously dumped her bundle of wood.
"Well far be it then for me to oppose a devoted servant of nature but you still have not yet answered my question?" Ansel pressed. His gaze fixated on the pile of firewood.
"We are on our way to collect this season's group of settlers from the old country and Tatia's betrothed." Ayana stated firmly.
Ansel actually growled in irritation and from where Elena was situated, she could see his eyes had taken on a harsh yellow tint to them.
"More of Mikael's people then. How many are there this time?!"
"Calm yourself Ansel, Their number is significantly less than what it was when they initially departed our homeland. There are forty five. Uh… I mean forty six in this group but that is only after one of the long ships had developed a serious leak and another was too badly damaged in a storm early in their voyage so they needed to turn back. Originally their group numbered around eighty six souls."
Ansel was silent for a moment, obviously digesting this latest bit of new information. Without looking up from the fire pit, he directed his next question to Tatia.
"So I take it that is the reason you're going on this little expedition into my people's lands then it is for you to finally meet the man you're supposedly going to marry?"
"That is correct, sir!" Tatia gulped audibly.
"Hmm… How can I stand in the way of love then, right? I do have a few other important matters to discuss privately with Ayana, but before that I really think you need a lot more fire wood for the night. Who knows what will be lurking in the dark. So while the witch and I are talking I would strongly suggest that you go collect more wood." He paused when Tatia stood upright and made to do just that, and only after getting Ayana's permission did she start for the tree line again when he called to her by name.
"Yes?"
"You really should take your other friend here it will mean fewer trips if you both work together, that is, unless whoever she is still wants to continue at playing unseen spy." Ansel stated, studying his dirty fingernails.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Tatia choked out, but before either Tatia or Ayana could speak, Elena found her own voice first.
"H… How did you know I was here? I didn't make a sound. Besides, even if I had you still wouldn't be able to see me, not even if I addressed you. Ayana said as much," Elena blurted aloud. Only afterward wondering if she had said too much.
"Interesting. So it wasn't Esther who cloaked you with magic then? Now I think I really do need to talk to Ayana. So if you two please, I would like to speak with her alone? Don't worry, no harm will come to the three of you, miss."
"My name is Elena," she answered him reluctantly. "B… But how did you know?"
"Well, Elena, never forget that I'm a werewolf, and it seems as good as a witch as Ayana is. But even she might have forgotten that we have an excellent sense of smell. And before you ask how did I know your sex well, there is something uniquely different in how a woman's scent is when compared to that of a man. But the biggest scent trail emanating from you that initially alerted me to your presence is something I can't really describe other than being foreign absolutely unnatural." Ansel's nose twitched in irritation.
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Fortunately, before departing the village, Ayana had retrieved two small wood hatches from her dwelling that the pair of Petrova doppelgänger could yield without too much difficulty. While on their trek into the clearing, Tatia had spotted a fallen tree limb with enough wood to cover almost everything from, kindling to keeping their fire going all night if needed. It was back-breaking work, but by the time the sun was nearing the horizon they each had together, after several armloads of wood to the fire pit, finally amassed enough wood to keep throughout the night. Not knowing any better, Elena had taken Tatia for her word.
They both had tried to listen in on Ansel and Ayana's conversation. However, every time one of them had gotten near where they were sitting, neither one of them said anything more. They still needed to collect more wood. Tatia had been the last to return when she finally informed Elena that they most likely had enough.
"Well, since I've already gathered this load I'm just going to drop it off at the fire pit. Then I'll come back and help you gather some extra kindling," Elena said, trying to keep the uneven wood pieces from tumbling out of her arms. She was mentally kicking herself for even thinking that she could have literally forced marched all day and then gathered firewood with her hip still tender from an incident that, in a roundabout way, eventually sent her back into the past. Thank god for Ayana's healing draught that she strongly encouraged Elena to drink. Who knows what shape she would've been in by now. As she neared the fire pit, she could hear the werewolf and witch talking heatedly. After her last trip back with a similar bundle of wood Ansel had wondered aloud if she was ever going to remove the bracelet so they could finally be introduced face to face. Elena was sorely tempted to remain anonymous, but after rejoining Tatia back at the tree line she'd eventually reconsidered and now Ayana's bracelet was secure inside a hidden pocket of her dress.
"Ayana, because of your friendship with Esther I will not interfere with your attempt to reach the camp where your latest colonists are waiting," Ansel stated, his voice grating on the word 'colonists' before he continued.
"But with the full moon approaching my pack members, aggressive nature will only grow with each passing night. So for the sake of you people keep them close together at night and don't let them wander off or they will learn the hard way about nature's children of the night."
"Understood, Ansel, and thank you for extending us this courtesy, if just this one time." Ayana responded diplomatically. Elena considered backing away when Ayana caught her and ruined her chance to escape, which in all likelihood would have failed spectacularly.
"Ah… I see Elena has returned with her last load of firewood. Allow me to introduce Elena of the Petrova Bloodline. Elena, this is Ansel, the Alpha of the Greater Pack of these fair lands."
Elena, feeling awkward standing there with a load of firewood in her arms, smiled weakly and stooped to pile them up next to the enormous pile of firewood she hoped would last throughout the night. Once her hands were free, she dusted them off as best as she could and held out a hand for Ansel. Not that it would have mattered since Ansel was staring fixated on her face. Oh Crap! were the only two words her brain could voice inside her own skull before the one phrase she had grown to detest, and in retrospect it was just as worse in Norse as it was hearing spoken in English.
"You look just like her." Ansel breathed, still studying her face. "Of course, love, you look several years older than Tatia, but it looks like you've grown into your womanhood rather nicely." His statement caused Elena to blush, which as Damon had once teased her about only made her look more attractive, but then she also felt a weary sense of sudden Déjà vu and she couldn't understand why.
"Thank you Ansel. Ayana, I am going to return and help Tatia bring in some more kindling." Elena said and turned on her heel and departed as quickly as she could. It didn't save her from hearing the word doppelgänger drop quickly, followed by a brief description. She was tempted to stay and hear what Ayana had to say, but now was definitely not the time.
Tatia was still collecting twigs and anything else that would catch easily when Elena found her. "Is everything alright Elena?"
At first Elena didn't want to say anything, instead she focused on her task but the silence between them was too much for her to cope with. "Ansel said neither he nor his pack will hinder our arrival at the campsite where the colonists are waiting for us, but on the way back we need to keep everyone together, especially at night. I didn't hear this, but I got the distinct impression that Ayana was maybe calling in a favor."
"Why do you think that?" Tatia asked.
"Uh… Well, I heard Ayana saying thank you to him for extending us this courtesy, if just this one time," Elena stated, making air quotes which only earned her a dubious expression from her would-be younger identical twin. Elena explained what she meant when Ayana's voice startled both girls.
"I think that is more than enough kindling, girls. We still need to start the bonfire and set up our camp for the evening," Ayana said after examining their kindling. Elena collected her share and stood up, her gazing sweeping the entire clearing.
"Where did Ansel go?" The look Ayana gave her made her think of the same one Bonnie would indubitably give her where she once asked her a question that Caroline had once so elegantly expressed 'Are you trying to go looking for trouble?' Ironically that last time for her was the school year when she was still dating Matt, also on the cheer squad, her idea of vampires more in tune with the Twilight series, and her parents were still alive. Suddenly it was all too much for her.
"Elena? Didn't you hear me?" Ayana asked. Elena blinked, realization only after the fact that she must have drifted. Because her kindling was now sprawled all about, and Ayana was holding her at arm's length, peering into her tearing eyes. When has she started crying? She hadn't really cried since Aunt Jenna and Uncle John's funeral.
"What's wrong with her? Did Ansel say or do something to her before leaving?" Elena heard Tatia ask, but she didn't hear Ayana respond. She wanted to say something. Still mentally drained, she just couldn't bring herself to do anything at the moment. Her life suddenly felt like a young adult television drama, nor could she even quip about it to anyone in this time without a lot of background information first. Nope, it would be easier to simply say her life was needlessly complicated, Elena decided.
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Even though it hadn't been a very long way back to the clearing's center, to Elena in her current state, it felt like an eternity during the walk back, with Ayana supporting her. As they neared the center, Elena's consciousness took hold because Ayana had already started setting up their camp. Nor could Elena stop from feeling the gnawing guilt inside her. She should have done more than just collect firewood. Important as a fire would be for them, she couldn't help to feel that she should have done more. Absently she stared into the woodpile as it smoldered before finally catching, igniting. How much time had lapsed between now and her apparent breakdown, she wondered. She briefly toyed to ask, but decided against it. Chances were good that she had started setting up things prior to venturing out to where Ayana had eventually found them just inside the periphery of clearing. The passage of time for Elena didn't feel like it normally did and just as she was slowly coming back to her senses, they had situated her on the log placed around the fire pit. Thankfully, she was no longer crying. She only felt numb.
"Ayana, is Elena going to be alright?" Tatia asked hesitantly, sparing a careful sidelong glance at Elena's still form.
Ayana, having only just finished her chant to invoke the warding spell, sighed with a weariness accumulated from their journey so far before finally opening her eyes to peer at the two similar but still suitably different doppelgängers. Like all Bennett witches, she'd been drawn to Tatia's mother's side when she was still inside her mother's womb. Considering what she knows now of the potential future ahead, maybe perhaps she should now impart some of her family's heritage and how it's been tied to the Petrova Bloodline for nearly a millennium. Still lost in her own thoughts, she must have missed something because by the time she reemerged from her own hidden thoughts, she noted Elena and Tatia were exchanging worried glances. Momentarily confused by their behavior, that feeling quickly evaporated when the sharp cry of a wolf called from somewhere outside the clearing but by her guess still close by.
"W… What was that?!" Elena asked, suddenly feeling more alert. Amazing what a little fear of the unknown will do for you.
"Werewolf. It's a werewolf cry, but that shouldn't be possible!" Tatia stammered, looking past the fire light into the darkness beyond. Elena would have laughed but for a forgotten memory, but in her pre-sacrifice drama filled life, Caroline had been quite insistent that both Bonnie and Elena learn that sound for their own good. Caroline being Caroline had found the time to record the sound of a pre-hybridized Tyler when she had been helping him adjust. Elena resolved that if she ever saw her blond vampire again, she would insist that the crappy audio recording on her cell phone didn't do the real one justice.
"That would be Ansel," Ayana said dryly, standing up and moving deposit a sizable piece of firewood into the flames before sitting down again regarding the girls with an air of curiosity. "He is most likely doing it just to annoy me and try to scare the pair of you. Is it working?"
"No!" Elena answered too quickly annoyed that her heart skipped.
"Uh… huh." Ayana eyed her skeptically.
"Fine! Yes… But it still doesn't explain why he can transform into a wolf. Including tonight we still have ten days till the full moon." Elena answered feeling a little cross now. The moon was visible now and although there was just a sliver visible that would change.
At first, Ayana didn't respond. She simply poked at the fire, watching as the flames licked at the wood. But before either Tatia or Elena could press her, she spoke, her voice tight. "Before I tell you, I need you to swear that you will never speak a word of this to anyone, especially Mikael. And to answer your next question, no, I did not make it for him. There are more witches in our village who are more than capable of crafting a charm such as he possesses now."
Once they both had sworn not to tell anyone, Ayana continued.
"In the last five years a witch in our community for reasons of their own crafted a ring that harnesses the moon itself. These moonlight rings, if worn by a werewolf, will have access to most of their gifts and can consciously control when and where they shift. So long as they have it on their person they are not hindered by the curse that plagues their people."
"But who would craft such a thing, let alone give it to a werewolf?" Tatia demanded.
"That is witch's business, young lady. Now I think its time we have a bite to eat before we go to bed. While we eat, we need to discuss how we are taking turns staying awake and the importance of keeping this fire going all night till sunrise." Ayana stated, then pulled out her food from her pack.
Elena looked at the fire and then at the firewood she and Tatia had collected, and she hoped it would be enough. Feeling hunger suddenly, Elena untied her pack and pulled out a hunk of cheese wrapped in oil cloth and two strips of dried venison. Feeling a momentary sense of panic, she had to dig all the way to the bottom to find the knife Ayana had given them. Each had a similar blade and although it had a sheath, she didn't have any place convenient to strap it to her thigh, unless she was willing to give anyone a show by lifting the hem of her dress up to reach it.
They had given her enough food to last ten days, and she had every intention of making sure she didn't eat too much or to waste what she had. Sitting by the fire eating purposefully, she waited till everyone else had their food out and they were eating. Only then did Ayana start.
"Okay, good first day, girls, but we will need to keep the pace we set in order for us to get there and back home before the full moon. Now we are going to take turns monitoring the fire and alert enough that nothing enters our clearing. I will take the first watch followed by Tatia on the mid-watch and that leaves you Elena with the last watch," Ayana explained. Taking a moment to finish her meal, she reached into her pack and pulled out a candle with evenly spaced ringlets along the side
"We are spitting the shifts into four hour periods. As the candle burns it will consume the wax when it reaches the next ring your respective shift will be over. I would strongly recommend that you wake your relief up a few minutes before your time is up. It goes without saying that sleeping on your watch could get all of us killed, so please don't. I think we all appreciate that." Ayana stopped and looked at Elena.
"Do you have a question Elena?"
"Yes, if we are using the candle as our timekeeper, will we need to make sure that its flame doesn't extinguish as with our fire?"
"Good question, and it leads into my next and most important matter to call attention to you both. The candle is charmed so only me or another witch can put it out. So not even a strong breeze or even rainfall will snuff it out. Now as you probably noticed, this clearing has a ring of wolfsbane plants growing on the outer rim of the clearing. That is because I and the other witches, like Esther and her two sons Finn and Kol, helped to create several of these clearings along the path to and from our intended destination." Ayana held up her hands to indicate the clearing.
"Our protection is primarily from the wolfsbane and the other is a powerful labyrinth spell laced with a compulsion spell not push into the interior of the clearing. These spells are powered by the fire in the fire pit so long as a fire is going, the spell work will not fade back into the earth. Do you have any more questions?" Aryana asked. Elena wanted to ask a question, but she had already asked one, so she waited.
"I've heard of the labyrinth maze before, but only from the stories passed down in my family, going all the way back to when we originated in Greece. I still don't understand how it can help us now? The wolfsbane plants are at least several dozen paces deep at the most and anyone can see over the top of them." Tatia asked and Elena nodded in agreement with her ancestor. The other part of Elena was fascinated to learn that her family, or the Petrova side of her, had originally come from Greece. Because of her olive toned skin and features, her family and friends had long suspected that she had Mediterranean blood in her genes.
"I'm relieved that your parents, before departing this world they had kept their promise to me concerning preserving yours and now even Elena's family Grecian heritage alive. But I regress. The labyrinth spell does not actually affect the outside world, it does however at least with the werewolves alter their perception of it. Once they emerge from the tree line and step in amongst the wolfsbane the spell-"
"OMG that is just totally epic!" Elena blurted when realization hit her she'd spoken her last statement aloud. The sudden outburst earned her an annoyed frown and a pair of raised eyebrows.
"What is a OMG?" Tatia muttered aloud but stopped when Ayana cleared her throat and daggered Elena with a look that reminded her so much of Bonnie's Grams.
"Sorry I… didn't." Elena started but cut herself off mid sentence when Ayana motioned with her hand. Perplexed, she just waited until Ayana sighed.
"I'll excuse your interruption if you share with us what you supposedly figured out about the labyrinth spell and what makes it such a good deterrent against the werewolves." Ayana said calmly, but the look in her eyes told Elena enough that this was not a request. Mentally chastising herself, she considered how best to describe her layman's understanding of a magical spell.
"Because it takes advantage of their one weakness; that wolfsbane is highly toxic to them. The aromatic properties of the plant, while non harmful to us, are the exact opposite to them. The more they breathe in, the harder it will be for a werewolf to stay stil,l and touching or accidentally consuming it is fair worse. I've heard that it feels like molten metal is being poured down your throat for the latter. I'm no witch, but the spell must confuse the person and encourage them to wander amongst the plants and with each passing second the urge to flee grows until they can't stand it any longer. Since they will most likely be in their wolf form, it will be even harder to protect themselves against the wolfsbane touching them. Although I'm not sure how effective it would be before the full moon when they are still human," Elena spoke deliberately, then afterwards she sat expectantly while feeling drained afterwards. Inwardly, she knew that she'd better get to sleep soon. Her eyelids were suddenly feeling rather heavy.
"Nicely done Elena and rather clever of you to figure that much of it out. But I must remind both of you that the spell only remains in place so long as there a burning fire inside this fire pit. If we run out of wood and dawn has not come upon us, then whoever is awake at the time must awaken me regardless of the time. Do you both understand me?" Ayana asked, switching her gaze over the pair of them.
Both doppelgängers looked at each other and although they didn't communicate verbally, their brown eyes did, and neither wanted to face the result of either of them failing during their turn. They both bobbed their heads in unison.
"Very good girls, now off to bed. Unroll your bedding near the fire pit, but mind how close you are to the flames." As they busied themselves undoing and rolling out their blankets, Ayana spoke again, drawing their attention back towards her.
"If for the Spirit's sake, you need to relieve yourself, don't go beyond the wolfsbane."
Elena was too tired to laugh or to make a sarcastic remark, she instead climbed into her bedding trying to get as comfortable as she could sleeping on the ground out in the open.
