A/N: To clear something up quickly. Noah Lockwood's line will eventually lead to Tyler Lockwood. No thought, they are not the same person. However, yes the Lockwoods have just as much history with the Carolines as Klaus. With that being said, the wolves/ Lockwoods will not make an apperance every "caroline" lifetime, but some they will.

justine: No Klaus never had any feelings for Lyanna in 996 AD. He was all kinds of wrapped in Tatia.

I am toying with the idea of making up a quick family tree before next chapter because things will get confusing with the future girls and I think it will clear things up. One thing though, the soul transfers around every 100 years. It does not have to transfer from grandmother to great granddaughter, etc. It is any girl in Lyanna's line and she had 2 girls to begin with. Add a few generations between souls and a few kids every generation and you can see how this thing gets big quick and it would be tough for Klaus to track these women down before they find him. Which, don't think he won't try that in future chapters.

This chapter takes place during the time of the 5 hunters. I usually write chapters around 10,000 words but I decided to shorten them up because sometimes that is a lot for a reader to digest in one sitting.

I however, already have half of the next chapter written.

Thank you to everyone, btw, that has followed, favorited and reviewed. You motivated me to pump this chapter out quick.

One the first page of our story

The future seemed so bright

Then this thing turned out so evil

Even angels have their wicked schemes

And you take that to new extremes

But you'll always be my hero

Even though you've lost your mind

~ Love the way you lie, Rihanna

1110 AD

Italy

Teeth clamped down, biting through trembling lips, blood filled her mouth. She wanted to scream, cry out or at the very least whimper. But she held it in, not in front of the boys, not with them watching, waiting for her to crack.

With her hands covering her breasts, she stood naked from the waist up, bracing herself against the tree as the old woman continued cutting through the skin of her side with the hot blade. Blood smeared over her midriff, dripped off Hannah's navel as Levada made her last incision.

Approvingly she looked up at the young girl, examining her face for tears, proud to find none. The boys stood just as solemn as she, watching the process, their hands brushing over their own markings.

"You turn away now. Give her, her privacy," Levada ordered and the boys complied, Isa turning last, giving her a small smile of encouragement.

The ink was cold and the Vervain burned as she blew it through the hollowed stick into the open wound. By the time she was done, Levada's hands were shaking just as much as Hannah's. Without an audience, she leaned forward, drawing the girl's dress back over the freshly inked skin.

"Your mother was silent too, when she got hers." Hannah couldn't remember her mother or father. All she could ever remember was Alexander and Levada.

"Did her brother watch too?"

Clicking her tongue, the old woman answered, "He worries for you, Hannah. He wanted to make sure."

He wanted to see if she was a coward, proving him right that she shouldn't go with them, that it was too dangerous. But she didn't have any other option. She didn't have anyone else, only Levada and she wasn't family.

Ever since he didn't turn and most of his friends and cousins did, he'd been taking it out on Hannah, as if she were responsible. But it was no one's fault, turning was unreliable. Some fathers would become wolves and their sons wouldn't. They had even had a few girls in their small village succeed, but none from Hannah's family. Levada had said no girl had ever turned from their line and none likely ever would.

The few boys that weren't werewolves had a choice, live a life of normalcy, vulnerability or become hunters. Alexander, Isa and three other boys from the village had chosen the latter.

"Your grandmother, made me promise to do this for you. You must promise to do the same for your girls."

"Levada, have you ever seen one?" The old woman stopped drying hands on her skirt.

"No, Tesoro. And I hope you do not either." Four generations of women in their family had suffered the same pain and borne the same words. The villagers called them fools for marking their daughters, like they were hunters or slaves. That it was a bad omen.

But they knew better. It wasn't the same. The boys were given maps that were spelled for protection and wore them proudly if they could not be part of a pack. The women of Hannah's family wore words. A deal made with Levada and her mother years past. The significance of which, no one knew other than the few women who wore the markings and were sworn to give them to their own daughters.

"Someday it will protect you." kissing the girl's cheeks, she whispered, "You are special, Tesoro. La via, la vertia, la luce." (The way, the truth, the light)

1114 AD

Italy

He'd never remember it, the first time he saw Hannah. There would be moments, over the next 56 years when Klaus, plagued by hallucinations, would try to remember the moment when the little curse entered his life. Elijah however, would clearly be able to recall it.

It was at the exhibit in the town square, just after the hunters had fried their kidnapped baby vampire. Rebekah was busy charming the male ring leader, Alexander, Niklaus tightly plotting all the ways he could snap the hunter's neck. But Elijah was watching, observing, as he always had and would. They needed one cautious sibling in their rag tag group of killers, someone to be the voice of reason, looking for threats looming on the horizon.

He never saw her coming.

As the people gathered around, staring at the charred remains of one of their distant protégée, she stood off to the side, amongst the small hoard of male hunters. He'd remember it so clearly for two reasons: One, it seemed strange a small woman standing amongst four men, armed with backswords, cutlasses and other useless weaponry, and two, the look of her. Black, curly hair blew in the wind. He'd seen it too many times. All the women of Italy had olive skin, dark hair and eyes. But she was different.

Her skin was pale white and her eyes blue. She wasn't voluptuous like the other comely Italian women. She was slight and from the way she moved, he could tell she was unsure of herself even though she was the most attractive woman, save Rebekah, in the square.

Something about her was strangely familiar.

The men she was with seemed at ease around her, like they had known her forever. They hardly paid her any mind as people would approach the group asking questions. Only one seemed aware of her movements, slyly watching her as she spoke, unaware of his attention.

As Niklaus prattled on about suggesting that they invite the hunter to dinner, Elijah waved his hand in response.

"Sure," whatever Niklaus wanted. Something would need to be done. They couldn't have a rash of ignorant hunters going around the country side, stirring up the people, making life difficult for them.

As they greeted the man that held their sister's attention, Niklaus made plans for vetting the little would be hero and Elijah watched the girl. Trying to place what it was about her that made him feel an indescribable need to search back through the recesses of his mind: something so tangible, if he could just recall.

"The ultimate weapon which no vampire can survive," he proudly proclaimed.

Niklaus, Rebekah and Elijah all looked to each other before Niklaus finally questioned, "And what is that?"

"A cure," Alexander answered, toasting his cup before taking another sip.

"A cure?" this peaked Elijah's interest. "And how have you found that?"

"The fire that bound us, the witch, she spelled the fire to give us a map."

"And where would this map be?"

Smugly, he smiled, looking to Rebekah before tugging at the laces of his jerkin, revealing bare skin that was inked.

"Well if that were the true, would you not worry that the vampires could make you tell them your weapon?" Niklaus looked to Elijah before he finished, padding the man's ego, "That is of course if they could catch you."

"The spell she cast, it protects us from it. We cannot be compelled to do things that are not of our own volition."

Damn. There went any easy plan of quickly eliminating this hunter and his pathetic group of men.

"The witch that cast the spell, where was she from?"

"Our village, where we came into this world. You see we had a rash of killings."

"More so than anywhere else?"

"Yes, we drew in the demons in hoards for many years."

"And why is that?" Rebekah asked this time.

He hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if he should continue. Finally settling that they were trust worthy, he answered, "We had creatures of the moon, a pack that had settled there for generations."

"Wolves?" Elijah smiled, as Niklaus seemed to sit a little taller in his seat, leaning forward.

"You have heard of them?"

Trying to appear not so interested as to be alarming, Niklaus answered, "Rumors here and there in our travels."

"Yes, well the men that turned, they drew the creatures to us. Not by their own doing. It couldn't be explained."

They had an explanation. Niklaus, Rebekah and Elijah had THE explanation for why vampires would be attracted to the pack of wolves. Like any predator, moving into a region, the baby vamps would subconsciously feel the need to eliminate competition, any threat to their existence.

"So what is your plan to rid this earth of the vampires?"

"We will follow the map, when the time is right. We must wait two more moons before we leave."

"So it will be just the five of you, no one else?" Elijah prodded.

Alexander looked into his cup, before clearing his throat, "No there will be one more."

"The woman?" he offered. "Is she your wife?" He could see Rebekah tense, ever so slightly, waiting for his response, Niklaus disinterested.

Laughing, he replied, "No, Hannah is my sister."

"Is she a hunter?"

"No. Women are not hunters," he looked to Rebekah, clearly trying to impress, "It's too dangerous."

"Is it not dangerous to take her with you?" Elijah questioned.

The bravado that had been there moments before faded, as Alexander grew serious with the thought, clearly thinking the same thing. "Yes, but she refuses to wed. And we have no family."

He wouldn't say it, but both Elijah and Niklaus understood. He couldn't leave her behind, alone. The same way that they couldn't leave Rebekah behind, no matter how tedious and obnoxious she may be at times.

Quickly recovering he offered, "Unless she can be convinced to wed," poignantly fixing his gaze on both Elijah and Niklaus, in a not too subtle way.

The way he looked at her was nauseating. Clearly, the hunter was in love with the girl and she was completely oblivious. It wasn't a stretch; in fact it was the simplest part of their plan. Rebekah didn't fight the suggestion that she seduce Alexander. But that would take time. Unable to compel him, they'd have to wait for his affections to grow.

The girl on the other hand wasn't a hunter. She wasn't spelled to deny their compulsion. She was weak, vulnerable and as a bonus, beautiful. Traveling with the group of men these past four years, she'd know everything there was to know and she was trusted. She could work from the inside, gathering information for them. The only thing that stood in their way was the hunter, Isa, who was clearly taken with her.

Standing around the fire, Rebekah leaned into Alexander, giving him permission, nay begging for him to touch her, show her any attention. Niklaus had struck a conversation with one of the men and Elijah watched.

It was subtle but he found small ways touch her, whether in conversation, offering her drink or removing a blowing leaf from her hair. When she'd turn to speak with someone else, he reached out, when no one was looking, touching the ends of her hair, following her every word. It would be sweet, if it weren't such an annoying inconvenience.

The young man clearly could not find the words to express his feelings and her oblivion wasn't helping matters. Maybe that was what Elijah was trying to remember, what seemed so familiar about the girl. Those two together, their interaction, it reminded him of Tatia and he. So long ago, memories better forgotten.

Yes, Isa would be a problem.

Returning to him, Niklaus seemed to know where his intentions were aimed.

"No," he simply responded.

"What, is it not a more efficient option?"

"No. It is, but you will not do it."

"I have every intention…."

"Yes, Elijah and that is the problem, your intentions. I cannot trust that you won't become too involved."

He scoffed, "Please," as if he were insulted.

"No." He restated, more firmly this time. "I am not blind. I see the way you have been looking at her these past days. You're becoming too sentimental."

Although disparaging, Niklaus was right. He was always right. Over a hundred years and Elijah still had the art of complete and total indifference to master. Sure he could feed on humans, kill and mindlessly fuck women just as easily as Niklaus. But he couldn't get close to them, spend time with them, like his brother and not feel a slight twinge of humanity coming back.

"I am not sentimental. She is the best option."

Both brothers watched her leeringly, knowing that there had been worse tasks to perform. "We will retrieve the girl…." Niklaus promised.

Seeing his brother had caught the same look from Isa, directed at Hannah, forced Elijah to prompt, "Isa will have to go."

Confidently, Niklaus answered, "The hunter won't be a problem. I will handle this."

The Mikaelsons had generously offered their home for the celebratory meal for Hocktide. As the guests made their way into the dining hall, Isa took his opportunity. Grabbing her hand, he bid Hannah to wait.

"Just one moment," he commented, as Alexander looked at him strangely. When they were finally alone, she smiled, questioning, "Isa Lockwood, how may I be of service to you?"

She couldn't have known it, but his palms were sweating, his throat gone dry. He wanted to just tell her, how he felt. He should have told her four years ago, ten years ago, when they were still children, splashing about the same watering hole. He'd loved her, his entire life and couldn't remember a time when he felt different.

But Alexander had always been his friend. And older brothers didn't take kindly to their friends sniffing around their little sisters, especially when their friends had secrets.

Attempting to smile, he grimaced instead.

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Fine, I just needed to speak with you a moment." he tried to look her in the eyes, but somehow that made the whole thing much more difficult, losing his words. And he had to get them out. He had to tell her, before it was too late. Before they left and she was dragged behind them, straight into hell.

"I am listening."

"Hannah, I do not think that you should go with Alexander after Midsummer. I think it would be dangerous and ill thought out, and…" he was rambling, trying to get to the point. He didn't want her to go. He wanted her to stay with him. Go back to the village, wed and let him make her happy. Abandon this foolish plan to stop the vampires.

But the words weren't coming quick enough and too long spent being Alexander's burden since childhood had left Hannah with lingering insecurities.

Misconstruing everything he was trying to say, her temper flared, "I am not as weak as you think I am. I can be useful."

"Hannah," he tried to reach for her, but she brushed him off, "I know you think me to be a waste but I promise I am not."

"Hannah, I didn't mean…."

Niklaus couldn't have scripted this moment to be more perfect for his intervention.

"I do not mean to interrupt, but dinner will be served shortly."

Flushed from the adrenaline of an impending speech, her cheeks were red, making Niklaus' mouth water. It had been too long since his last feeding.

Looking at Hannah, Isa decided to cut his losses for the evening, clearly aware that she was too upset to listen further at the moment. Nodding his head in thanks, he looked to Hannah one last time before turning to move inside.

Coward, Niklaus thought, letting a girl, barely a woman, send him running.

Stubborn, she turned her face slightly, not even acknowledging Isa's leaving.

"I hope I was not interrupting."

"No, not at all."

She couldn't have been more than seven and ten. Attractive, she was young, undoubtedly naïve and slightly unaware of herself, from what he'd observed. Yes, Elijah wasn't the only one who was able to patiently watch. But unlike Elijah he didn't allow himself to become so infatuated with his subjects.

She was beautiful, but Hannah was one in thousands that he had seen over the past century. Another young girl waiting to be molded and truth be told Niklaus preferred a woman with some experience.

"I do not mean to oversep my bounds, but I could not help but overhear that he has reservations about you traveling with them after Midsummer?"

Attempting a polite smile, she finally stopped fidgeting. Deciding for whatever reason to be honest, she sighed, "They think me a bother, a woman trailing behind them, slowing them down."

"Mayhaps they worry for your safety?"

"I doubt it. They have been trying to find a way to rid themselves of me for four years," she smiled at the end, a little self-deprecating humor that Niklaus couldn't help but be slightly amused with.

"Foolish men." This was it. This was his opportunity to make his move. "I must confess, Isa did mention in passing that he thought you traveling with them would be cumbersome and that they would be better to find some man to wed you off to."

He saw a flash of irritation spread over her face.

"I hope I have not said too much."

"No, nothing I do not already know."

Leaning, in he touched her arm as if to lead her inside. Waiting for her to make eye contact, he offered, "Clearly they do not have eyes, for I would not be so willing to part with you." By her response, he knew that he had her.

He looked like an angel and talked to her as if she were special. It had started so innocent. He seemed so sincere. But little did she know then, that Hannah was a bug that had flown unknowingly into Niklaus Mikaelson's web.