Mystic Falls 995 (Age Ten)

Danhy sat by the fire in the village square as those around him danced and laughed, the feast had been going on for hours and he was beginning to become tired and bored of the evening but his father had asked that he at least pretend to be enjoying himself. For that reason, he had seated himself by the fire, but just beyond the flickering flames sat a very beautiful girl. Her long blonde hair lay in a simple braid over her shoulder, however her dark blue dress clashed horribly with her tanned skin and dark brown eyes, but it still managed to make her seem even more beautiful. Danhy has never seen her before, he would know if he had, he could never forget a face as beautiful as hers. "Who are you looking at?" a gentle voice asked from his right. Danhy swung around in surprise, he hadn't heard anyone approach, Mikael would have a fit if he found out Danhy had not been paying attention to his surroundings. "Aunt Rebekah," he sighed, "you scared me." Rebekah giggled, she squeezed herself onto the log beside her nephew, making sure to cuddle up close to his side. "Don't change the subject, who are you staring at?" she asked again.

Danhy averted his eyes back towards the fire so that he wouldn't have to look his Aunt in the eyes and be caught out in a lie. He squared his shoulders and held his head up high just as he has seen his father do a thousand times before when he too has caught himself in trouble."I'm not staring at anyone," He said,
"Don't lie Danhy, you were never very good at it." From the corner of his eye, Danhy could see Rebekah strain her neck in an attempt to try and see past the raging flames, but she could not see anything past the flickering orange and red light. She sighed as she leant further into Danhy's side, glancing up at his black face. "You can tell me these things you know," she stated, Danhy glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not like Elijah and Niklaus, I won't embarrass you if you tell me. So who is it, Is it a girl?"
"No," Danhy answered quickly, instantly regretting his answer when his Aunts eyes lite up knowingly.
"It is!" She shrieked excitingly earning several pointed glares from those around them. Rebekah pulled away from Danhy's side and swiveled around so that she could face him without her view being blocked by his long hair. "Who is she?" she asked, "do I know her?"
"I'm unsure and no," Danhy mumbled, he folded his arms over his chest as if that action would contain his emotions and keep them hidden from not only her eyes but from anyone who thought to look over. "What do you mean you're unsure?" Rebekah asked she reached out a hand to place it on her nephews folded arms. Her eyes widened suddenly as a thought crossed her mind, "Don't tell me your crushing on the wolf girl," she hissed.

Danhy raised his eyebrows at this, the wolves weren't allowed to enter their village, it was a treaty that was formed hundreds of years before he was born, and for hundreds of years, they have lived in peace with not a single recorded life lost. "The wolves aren't allowed to enter the village," Danhy stated
"They're only forbidden to enter if their gene is activated. Do yourself a favor nephew, stop looking at her. If Mikael catches you he'll beat you bloody this time."It wouldn't be the first time Mikael raised a threatening hand to his family and it will not be the last.
"He will not,"
"You may be his favorite now but it won't last forever," Rebekah all but hissed. She shoved Danhy's shoulder gently. There was a time she recalled when Danhy was younger and wasn't so blinded by her father's actions, Mikael could do no wrong in his eyes and it was a frightening thought. "What won't last forever?" A gentle voice asked from behind the pair. They both glanced over their shoulders, meeting Henrik's curious gaze. The younger boy brushed a stray lock of his dark hair behind his ear. "Nothing Henrik," Danhy spoke shortly. Henrik's eyes narrowed into slits, it was a well-known fact that he hated to be left out of things, it was a Mikaelson trait they each seemed to posses. "What's nothing?" Henrik asked,
"Nothing is nothing," Danhy mumbled, turning back to face the roaring fire. Henrik squeezed himself onto the log between his sister and nephew. Rebekah huffed as she was pushed closer to the edge of the log. "What's nothing that is nothing that is nothing?"
"It is nothing that's nothing, that's nothing, which means nothing," Danhy answered with a mischievous grin.

They boys turned to look at each other, their eyes locking in a fierce battle of wit. Their faces remained stoic, a blank canvas void of any and all emotion, but ever so slowly a grin began to spread across their faces and a warmth began to bubble up inside of them, like steam rising from a roaring fire; until they could no longer control it and it bubbled over, sending them into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. They leant against each other, holding their aching stomachs. "Your both children," Rebekah mumbled, but she could not deny the small grin spreading across her own features. Danhy dragged himself from the log, standing on shaky legs, he held his hand out to his Aunt, smiling gently. "Come dance with us Auntie,"
"Please Rebekah," Henrik pleaded, his own laughter having subsided.
"One dance," she said, her voice stern but the smile spreading across her face told a different story. She placed her hand in Danhy's and allowed him to pull her to her feet and lead her towards the center of the group who were already dancing.

The three of them danced long into the early hours of the morning. The first rays of sunlight were only just beginning to peak through the clouds by the time they had laid down to rest by the fire pit, the last embers having long gone out.