AN: If you think this story lacks a plot ... Well, it does. I'm writing it mostly for myself, to fill in some back-story pieces.
Anyways, this is just an ordinary walk in the park ...
Chapter 3.
Thorstar followed Kol and Niklaus to Lorry with growing apprehension. He knew from experience that Kol never attended a party, he owned it. There were hardly ever room for anyone other than Kol, whether it was around a table, on the dancefloor or in an outhouse, wherever. And if his impression of Niklaus proved correct, he was no less likely to take center stage. The thought of two Originals in a room full of mortals was ... overwhelming.
The brothers walked side by side, chatting easily about people and occurrences that were unfamiliar to Thorstar, but he still listened intently, catching the occasional reference to a family member or historical event.
They went over the bridge, passing Søpavillonen (the Lake Pavillon) and followed the street to the Ørsted Park, deciding to walk through it rather than around. On their way they met several costumed adolescents and adults in various states of intoxication.
"I really should have brought Rebekah along, "Niklaus said with a sigh. "It's been far too long since she's been away from London."
"Rebekah and drunken proletarians? Somehow, I don't see that ending very well. She's the personification of Original snobbery."
"Well, so are you, "Niklaus noted.
'So are all of you,' Thorstar wanted to say.
The older Kol got, the more he saw his presence as something younger vampires and humans should feel honoured by. Unfortunately, the most common feelings, he invoked, were panic and exasperation. Not that he contained enough empathy to ever realize that.
Niklaus suddenly snickered. "Remember the time at the Cafe Royal Hotel in London, where she freaked out, because a waiter spilled red wine on her favourite dress? And we cut off his head and put it in her bed with a note that said 'don't lose your head, Bekah'?"
"Surely, "Kol put a hand on Niklaus shoulder. "That was the most fun I'd had since the Summer Solstice 1136."
"Ah yes, Summer Solstice 1136, who could forget?"Niklaus asked, sounding slightly nostalgic. "The wine ... "
" ... the terror ... "
"... the smell of burning villagers."
Kol glanced back over his shoulder and laughed at the horrified expression on Thorstar's face. "You know we're kidding, right?"
"Well, now I do." He dragged his feet, feeling strangely left out. Besides, he'd had his fill of 'cut off heads' stories for the day.
As they emerged on the other side of a group of trees a tent came into their field of vision. It was a gypsy's colourful tent. Or it might have been colourful at one point, now it seemed to be sown of rags in various shades of brown and gray. It stood a bit taller than a grown man.
An elderly man dressed as a hobo ... or maybe he actually was a hobo ... stood a few paces away, swinging a bottle and yelling from the top of his lungs. "Heathens! Ungodly Heretics! Witches!"
Thorstar felt every word like a blow in the gut. Though Christians were no longer a threat to their kind, to his kind, they were still unrelenting in their judgment. But then again, so was every religious man and he had seen his mother and the men of his village chase missionaries out of the town at the tip of their swords. His own religion had never honoured such concepts as love or compassion, merely the glorious death in battle.
No, the value of human life was something Christianity had taught him. And it was not something he took lightly, whereas Kol had always called it 'misplaced tolerance.'
"Sod off!" Kol kicked the offending hobo towards the gravel path, but by some miracle did not kill him. The man walked off, cursing and muttering to himself along the way.
"And what do we have here?" The tent flap was drawn back and Kol went over to look inside. He was pushed back as a woman emerged. Her hair was black as raven feathers, falling almost to her waist in a single braid, and her eyes equally black. She was dressed in a wide, blue skirt and white shirt. She looked at the three young men with anything but gratitude, quite contrary she looked like she'd rather be rid of them. "Yes? What can I do for you?" she asked in a slightly accented German.
Niklaus blinked, completely lost and Thorstar was about to open his mouth to tell her 'nothing, 'but Kol held out his hand and said: "Tell me my future."
It wasn't a compulsion, she could've said no, but this was how she made her living and inspite of any misgivings she might've had, she took it. Luckily it was cold enough that she didn't notice his missing body heat.
'This is not a good idea,' was Thorstar's immediate prediction as she bend her head over Kol's hand. Kol had always been drawn to any kind of magic like a vulture to a carcass.
Thorstar had been familiar with fortune tellers his entire life. When he had been human, the Vølve would be brought forward at yuletide and make her predictions for the following year. Some ate it all up, others considered it cheap entertainment. Thorstar regarded it with respect, but without any real faith. Anyone, who knew how to read nature, could predict next years harvest.
He half expected the usual nonsense, as 'you'll be rich' and 'you'll marry a beautiful woman, ' but for a moment she said absolutely nothing. Then suddenly, she spoke.
"Your life will be short, "she said hesitantly, then frowned. "No wait. Your life was short, but that was long ago ... "
And then she screamed, almost throwing Kol's hand aside as if it burned her. She had lifted her head and was staring at him, her eyes wide and frightened. Kol grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth, but she bit him. He cursed.
Thorstar winced, when he heard her neck break.
"Was that really necessary?" he snapped, as Kol placed the lifeless body back in the tent.
"Yes, "Kol closed the door to the tent. "Another minute and we would've had an audience."
"And what would they think? That she was a complete nutter, that's what." Thorstar crossed his arms over his chest. The nausea was coming back with a vengeance. "Everytime you kill a human you disturb the natural balance of things, Kol!"
"Well, if the natural balance was a wedding cake, then I'd be the little person on top."
"Vampires are an abomination, "Thorstar grumbled. "Not a natural occurance."
He felt Niklaus hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Darwin. Worse things than this happen every day."
AN: I hope to update 'The Descent of Man' later this week.