Chapter two

"Gyda steps into her new old life."

Tallinn's POV:

I was lounging on Stefan's bed, a science fiction novel in one hand, when I decided to take a break from my reading and look over at my friend. He had his nose buried in the pages of an old leather journal that sat atop a shelf in his room, untouched until now. I'd opened a portal early that morning to visit him before school started. I sighed in exasperation at Stefan's gloomy mood. He had been studying the girls, watching them, and finding out as much as possible about them to ensure that the younger one was not the same person who had converted him into a vampire.

I knew she wasn't the same person, but going along with Stefan suited my job description as Gyda's guardian and watcher; I followed my friend's obsession with following the girls around. I didn't mind until Stefan informed me that he would be entering high school as a junior to get to know Elena better and try to establish a life with her.

I hadn't understood why the vampire would want to do that and wholeheartedly disagreed with his decision, but it wasn't my place to change Stefan's mind; my job was to guard the secrets of the supernatural, protect my charge, and facilitate soul transitions from the mortal plane to the realm of the gods.

That was my daily routine, provided the souls weren't of a supernatural origin. I couldn't do anything about them as they were stuck in limbo. "I can't believe how crazy this is; you staying here just so you can impress Elena because she looks like Kathryn?" I asked as my friend finished writing and put his pen on the closed leather journal.

Stefan rose from his seat with an expression of distress. "I should have never come back to Mystic Falls," he muttered as he put on his leather jacket. "I'm very aware of the potential danger coming back here brings, but I had no choice. Since I saw Elena and Gyda in the river and noticed how much Elena looks like Kathryn, I have to learn more about them."

I could only shake my head in disapproval at his excuse. "Besides, you should consider yourself lucky that you get to guard Gyda while she's at school. It will give you a chance to be near her," Stefan shot back.

Tallinn fixed his blond-haired and green-eyed vampire with a piercing stare, communicating the gravity of his mission, "Gyda may need me, and she might be receiving her Runic magic soon, but that doesn't mean I have to stand next to her for seven hours a day." he said, standing up f, om the bed and strutting over to the full-length mirror in the corner of Stefan's room.

He engaged the Runes that he had etched onto his skin, allowing him to access his room in his own mirror located at the house I bought that was next door to the Gilberts. The glass on the mirror portal shimmered and transformed into a bright white-blue light before it cleared, giving him a view of his bedroom. Making sure he had all the essentials for school, Stefan collected his backpack, wallet, and keys to his Harley motorcycle before heading out the front door. With a smirk, I said, "I will see you later, Stefan, don't get into any trouble until then."

Stefan smiled at me and saluted before he left his room; clearly, Stefan had discovered something special about Elena that compelled him to get closer to her. I, however, am not like that. Valkyries are unseen by most people; we walk across battlefields or between two enemies, deciding who will win and who will perish, then bringing the souls of the deceased to the correct realm.

I wasn't used to walking among the mortals or being in high school, but my friend needed the support. Stefan was right; I should probably get to know the girl that was my patron God's daughter. For Stefan, It was more than just a physical attraction or an infatuation; it was a deep connection beyond words or actions, but for me, it was the responsibility of keeping Gyda alive and introducing her to her abilities, I had no attraction toward her, not that she wasn't beautiful, but she was destined for someone else.

I was awakened by my alarm clock early in the morning; I was greeted by the sound of chirping birds, car doors opening and closing as the neighbors got up and started their days, and the sounds of Jenna and Elena walking around their rooms. "Good morning Gyda," I thought, stretching my arms above my head, wiping the sleep from my eyes, and climbing out of bed.

"Are you ready to meet the world again?" As I thought about the day ahead, I opened a drawer and pulled out a cream-colored lacy underwear set. Then, I put on a white pullover shirt, dark blue jean leggings, and a long tan cardigan. Finishing off the look, I grabbed a pair of brown suede flats from the shoe stand in my closet before I headed back to the mirror. My hair had natural beach waves, which looked good enough for today's outfit; however, I added some mouse to keep the frizz of my burgundy locks at bay. After studying my reflection in the mirror with satisfaction, I nodded approvingly. I said, "It's going to be a good day."

I dusted a light brown eyeshadow over my eyelids and applied a pale pink lip gloss. Then, I collected my belongings into my crossbody bag - sketchbook, phone, wallet, text-to-speech translator, and keys. The keys to the house were attached to the car keychain, but I hadn't taken a drive since the accident occurred. The fear of something disastrous happening while behind the wheel was enough to keep me from ever getting in a car again.

I grabbed my Viola from the stand, loaded it into its case, and met Jeremy in the hallway. We exchanged a brief nod in acknowledgment; he was still trying to wake up from staying up late last night. We went down the stairs together to find Jenna offering Elena some toast. "It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna," Elena replied.

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy abruptly grabbed Elena's coffee cup, causing me to stick out my tongue in distaste. I was the only family member who didn't enjoy or consume coffee.

I approached the refrigerator, pausing briefly to give my aunt Jenna a peck on her cheek. I inhaled the familiar scents of orange cream shampoo and vanilla perfume, which I found pleasant. "Good morning, auntie," I signed, which Elena interpreted for her.

Jenna smiled at me as she fumbled through, signing, "Hey 'G,' did you snore well?" I silently chuckled at the missed spelled words Jenna had signed; my eyes twinkled with humor but nodded in agreement from the effort.

Grabbing a strawberry yogurt parfait from the fridge and a spoon from the utensil drawer, I threw away the tin after removing the lid. I surveyed my family as they went about their regular routine, an unfamiliar feeling of heartbreak washing over me at the thought of this being my new normal. "Is this what my day is going to be like?" I wondered to myself.

They had lived without me for three months. Now I was standing in the kitchen full of people but un-noticed, and outside looking in on a family that had moved on without me, I remembered the quote I heard from Robin Williams once, "I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone, It's not. The worst thing in life is ending up with people who make you feel alone."

I watched silently while Jenna nervously tapped her foot as she scanned the kitchen counter. She shook her head in frustration, my aunt's strawberry-blond hair drooped across her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed from the stress of getting the three of us ready for the day.

Jenna glanced at Elena, who was sipping her fresh cup of coffee, as I finished my breakfast, and Jeremy just drank his. Jenna seemed like a kettle about to boil over; the desperation in her voice as she spoke, was palpable. "It's your first day of school, and I'm not ready," she exclaimed. "Lunch money?"

I nodded and took a ten-dollar bill from the wad Jenna held out in her hand; I signed 'thank you,' which I knew was one of the signs the rest of my family knew. Heck! Practically everyone knew that sign because it was so universal. I pulled out my wallet, placed it inside the money slot, and replaced it with my bag.

I observed as Jeremy put the remaining items in his pocket; I was unsure and looked to Elena when my twin's eyes focused on our younger sibling. Elena looked at me with concern and whispered "Later" near my ear. I nodded in acknowledgment. But it didn't stop my stomach from twisting into knots with the recollection that Elena had warned me about Jeremy's drinking and taking drugs. I couldn't help but wonder if our brother was so far gone that he'd be doing drugs during school hours.

Elena plastered on a beaming grin, showing off her beautiful pearly whites, then exclaimed, "I'm good," we watched Jenna scramble around the kitchen like a chicken with her head cut off. "Anything else? A number two people? What am I missing?"

Jenna asked as she swept a tendril of hair behind her ear and looked frantic; before Elena, Jeremy, or I could say or type anything, Jenna pipped up, "Oh! Gyda, I have the forms you need to turn in to your counselor over here," Jenna said as she pulled a manilla envelope from the mail slot above where the phone was hooked to the wall.

Gyda pulled out my text translator and typed my question, "What is this?" I asked, pointing to the envelope Jenna had just handed me. Jenna stepped back, motioning to the form she had been so anxious about, "It's your permission forms for continued counseling and a waiver informing your teachers and the school that you'll be using alternative means of communication. And that they're required to adjust the homework they give you, things like class presentations," Jenna said with a smile.

I gave my aunt a nod of understanding before shoving them into my bag, trying to hide the embarrassment and humiliation that was creeping up my chest and cheeks; Elena's brows furrowed at me while trying to figure out why the papers in the manilla envelope were causing me to act the way I was, Elena shook her head thinking that she'd talk to me about it when we were alone. Elena thought momentarily before stating, "Don't you have a presentation today?"

Jenna gasped and checked the time on her watch. "I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at...now. Crap!" She scrambled around, trying to gather what she needed for the meeting.

Elena offered her arm out to Jenna to help steady her and, with encouragement, said, "Go, we'll be fine." Elena and I shared one last look with our faces expressing only confidence as Jenna dashed out the door, leaving Jeremy looking amused.

I turned toward Jeremy, who dropped the amused expression for his moody surly one, she nudged Elena in the arm to get her attention, and when Elena looked at her twin, Gyda signed, "Has he been like this since I left?" pointing out their little brother's emo black clothing.

Elena nodded and replied, signing "yes," so Jeremy wouldn't know that they were talking about him, "I told you 'G' he spiraled badly," Gyda sighed sadly, then nodded. Elena pulled on Jeremy's shirt as he passed the twins. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, but Jeremy pulled his arm away and gave her and her twin a dirty look.

I wondered what Jeremy's attitude was about, I may have gotten along better with Jeremy before the accident, but he and Elena had been close, or so I thought, when he snarled out, "Don't start," The suddenness of his tone surprised me so much that I jumped backward and looked at him with wide, scared eyes, instead of apologizing, Jeremy just shook his head then walked away without saying anything else.

I was about to follow him, still shaking from the encounter, when Elena grabbed my arm and stopped me. Her voice was gentle as she said, "Let him go," I saw a sympathetic glimmer in her eyes. She understood how painful it was to see Jeremy like this; I longed to help him but had no idea what to do.

"We have to try and do something, Lena," I signed as she put an arm around my shoulders and hugged me tightly against her side as we watched our little brother walk away from us, with his shoulders hunched over with grief and despair radiating off him like a dark cloud. "I know, and we will, even if we have to kill his buzz every time he gets high. This is a time I wish you could talk; 'G' you'd be able to get through to him," Elena said.

"Me too," I signed; although I wished I could do something- some way to help my little brother out of the darkness- all I could do was stand there helplessly and watch until he'd gone out of sight.

"Meet me at my locker when you're done," Elena called out as I gestured with a wave to let her know I'd heard her. Secretly, I was racing away from Elena and Bonnie to avoid the traumatic memories of another incident that had happened earlier involving a bird crashing into Bonnie's windshield. This event reminded me too much of the night our parents had died.

It brought back all those traumatic memories, and I was angry that Elena seemed to shrug off such an experience. And her delightful prognostication of the world being "all lollipops and fairytales" this year sent her fortune, selling a shiver of trepidation up Gyda's spine because she didn't believe it.

I was reminded of the dreams I'd had since the accident; never one to believe in visions, psychics, or magic, but my dreams were too clear, frequent, and poignant to ignore. I knew Elena was right when she said they couldn't fear driving in cars for the rest of their lives. Still, I had lost more than Elena had. Even though I toughed through the loss of my voice, I still felt the loss of our parents keenly because I didn't have time to grieve as Elena and Jeremy did. I had just thrown myself into my studies and learning sign language so talking and conversing wouldn't be cut off from me.

As I approached the office, a strange feeling crept over me; the atmosphere seemed different, almost like the air was thick with otherworldly energy. It was as if the world around me had shifted and become off-kilter, and something new and different was coming to infringe upon my life. My heart raced as I stepped forward, my hand hovering over the door handle... For a moment, I considered turning on my heel and returning later. I shook my head, annoyed that I was allowing fear of the unknown to keep me from entering.

I would never let fear rule my life; my name was Gyda Gilbert, and I had already overcome a lot in the past four months. I was strong, courageous, and full of confidence. So, I refused to give into anxiety's grip over me. I took a breath, pushed down on the door handle, and walked inside; I looked around and pulled out my communication device to prepare to use it. Several students were ahead of me, jostling to get their councilor's attention. They wanted to switch classes, move into a class with friends, or get new locker locations. I had no choice but to wait patiently for my turn. A sense of familiarity washed over me as I looked around the office. Nothing had changed since last year; the door was still adorned with inspirational posters encouraging students to take pride in their education and read books for adventures.

The bulletin board was still littered with pictures of high school events, past football games, cheerleader pyramids, and other activities. Everything was as it had been and reflected nothing of my family's tragedy; it struck me as odd that her hometown seemed so unaffected by the huge change Gyda's family had gone through. After all, her parents were an important part of the town; it was almost like their deaths should have left a big gaping hole in their suburb to match the one Gyda felt in her heart. Yet, there was no sign of it in town. It was like nothing had happened. "How lame," remarked a disdainful and superior voice directly into Gyda's ear."

I whirled around to find a tall figure standing there, silver eyes brimming with mischief; I gasped in surprise, unable to comprehend why this random stranger was talking to me. "Pretty lame isn't it," the guy said again, gesturing towards the bulletin board.

I scrambled for words to type into my text translator device, but none came to mind, so I stared at him, bewildered. And he just towered over me and grinned widely as he took in my expression; after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he said as I introduced himself, "My name's Tallinn," I could feel something that was 'other' about him; it wasn't his strange silver hair color because that just made him look sharp and edgy, it wasn't his stunningly bright gray eyes, because that added to his uniqueness, no it was how he was acting. "I'm new here."

That jogged me out of my stupor. I then began typing on the keyboard, "Hi, my name is Gyda Gilbert." he held out his hand for me to shake. When I did, we both were shocked; I jerked my hand away from Tallinn and shook it violently in the air because it had gone numb from the spark. At the same time, Tallinn casually waved his hand as if the shock hadn't been enough to cause the snap I heard throughout the room.

Tallinn laughed heartily, "That was quite a shock, sweetheart; sorry about that," I slowly nodded as she studied him suspiciously. Something was radiating off him; it wasn't just the shock of their meeting; it was something much deeper that felt oddly familiar, but I couldn't place it exactly. I forced a smile onto my face, still feeling the electric current coursing through me.

"I Just moved here from Portland. Are you a new student too?" he asked, surprising me when he used sign language to communicate his statement and question. I could feel my eyes widen in surprise, and my eyebrows flew up into my hairline at the shock of him, this random stranger knowing how to sign. It shocked me and made me even more unnerved by him, but I moved to the side and signed back, "No, I've lived here all my life; my family was one of the founding members of the town."

We continued to sign back and forth about insubstantial things; Tallinn and I kept the topics basic, what classes he would sign up for, and what extracurriculars he was interested in. These things were of no consequence and didn't get too personal. This went on for a couple of minutes while they moved up the line as students were helped; we had been standing in line for about fifteen minutes before I noticed another student, a blond guy in a brown leather jacket, had walked in; I got that same shiver running down my spine as I had with Tallinn; there was something with this guy, too, it was weird, and I wondered why I was feeling these odd vibes.

He didn't look familiar to her at all either, so she assumed he was a new student as well, and that was weird in and of itself because Mystic Falls High never had new people move to town, and to have two new guys on the same day was odd, the latest guy reached out his hand and introduced himself as 'Stefan Salvatore,' and that piqued my interest because I knew Zach Salvatore, at least I knew of him. I had seen him at a few town events, but he mostly kept to himself or the other adults in the founding families.

"Are you related to Zach Salvatore?" I asked, typing my question into my text translator device. Stefan nodded, then spoke lowly, "Yeah, he's my uncle. My parents passed away, so I had to come back here to stay with him." I nodded and, from the corner of my eye, saw Tallinn roll his eyes. I wondered why he was so dismissive of someone else's loss. I began typing again, "I'm so sorry, Stefan, that's horrible. I recently lost my parents also, so I know how devastating it feels."

I turned my head and gave Tallinn a pointed stare telling him with my eyes that I knew he was being flippant about Stefan's loss. Tallinn looked away, but I wasn't convinced it was because he was embarrassed by his social faux pa; I was sure he wasn't. Tallinn seemed like the kind of guy that was too arrogant to admit he'd been inconsiderate and rude.

"My name is Gyda Gilbert, and welcome back to Mystic Falls," I typed out on my keyboard, relaying the message in a toneless robotic voice. Stefan began to ask me questions about the school and the town; she answered them without hesitation, knowing it would be what a good hostess should do in such a situation; Gyda was interrupted when Tallinn interjected, "I would love it if you'd show me around, sweetheart, help me get the lay of the land."

Gyda gave him an expression that told him to show me some of that southern hospitality I read about in all the Southern American novels I've read."

Gyda smiled tightly again; she didn't like slick cocky guys; they were also wormy and Blah! But she liked Stefan; he was grounded, humble, kindhearted, and warm. I didn't like Tallinn much; I felt like he was a snake in the grass waiting to bite me. I turned to Tallin, smiling brightly, and signed, "Since you'll be assigned someone from the welcoming committee, one of my best friends is the chair, Caroline Forbes. She'll assign you just the right person to show you around."

I turned away from Stefan and Tallinn, smiling widely at my off-the-cuff, witty statement. I waved off the silver and blond-haired guys because it was my turn to speak with the office secretary.

Tallinn's POV:

I couldn't help but silently chuckle at my charge; the emerging Valkyrie had spunk, and I liked that, even with all Gyda and her family had been through the last three months at the hands of the Norns in charge of death, sorrow, and tragedy, she had pulled through just as a warrior should, just as her father's divine nature was pushing her to do, I was excited to be witness to her shedding her mortal human nature and become the Valkyric-völva I knew she was destined to be.

I just needed to keep her Gyda safe and alive until her eighteenth birthday; when she received it, she was able to gain her immortality. Bits and pieces would emerge slowly until then; she would have access to single Runes until she learned all she needed, then they'd move on to bind Runes and such. I wondered if anything had happened yet; I would have to closely watch her to find out.

I watched as Gyda walked up to the front desk when it was her turn and saw her type out her statement on her little communication device that she used as a replacement for her voice; I winced when I thought about the reason why my charge needed the device in the first place, as Odin sacrificed his eye for the knowledge of runes and the magic we held, so Gyda had to offer her voice to inherit the divine the full divine Valkyric nature that would activate when she became an adult and marked herself with the Immortality Rune.

"I need to give this to Mrs. Garvy, my counselor. It's my waiver for my communication device and parental permission slips for the altered homework assignments and counseling documents," my charges voce communicator relayed to the dark-skinned woman sitting behind the desk.

I watched the woman with narrowed, irritated eyes as the secretary looked from Gyda to the device and then back again; her eyes were filled with sympathy for my charge; I clenched my fists to try and keep myself from Rune-ing the sympathetic expression on the woman's face, but what kept me from storming over there was the fact that Gyda didn't need pity. She was the child born of a mortal and the All-Father; she had divinity running through her veins, and she was a prophesied child that would break the wall between the souls in limbo and the realms of the gods, become a Valkyrie, and a Völva.

I had respect for the mortals who protected her for nearly her whole life, though, but now it was my turn; I watched as Gyda confidently handed over the manilla envelope to the secretary, who opened it, flipped through the pages, and nodded in approval, "All right, Miss Gilbert, I'll put these in her inbox that will make sure she'll get them."

I cringed again when the device toned out Gyda's gratitude. As she spun around and displayed her bravery by lifting her nose at me, I couldn't help but laugh. Even my friend Stefan found it amusing. After Gyda marched away, Stefen taunted me with a mocking smirk, "Oh Tal, how do you think you're ever going to get close enough to her now?" I approached the front desk to take my turn with the lady, "You should have thought twice before annoying her into dismissing you like that."

I scowled at my blond-haired vampire friend, annoyed that Stefan was right. I had made a mess of my first meeting with Gyda, but I knew they'd eventually have to work together, so I would just have to wait for an opening. I ignored the taunt and instead returned to watching Gyda's retreating figure. I admired her despite her recent struggles and was proud to be the Valkyrie that was asked to watch over her and train her, I thought as she confidently walked down the hallway with no fear or hesitation.

There was something remarkable about her—even as a part human—I knew it would only improve once she fully embraced her divine nature on her eighteenth birthday. Until then, I would have to find ways to gain her trust and cooperation, and until then, I would keep an eye on her without arousing suspicion among her or the other mortals. With a determined nod, I leaned against the counter of the secretary's desk with renewed resolve to observe Gyda's every movement, noting any changes or developments in case something suspicious occurred.

After I ruined the secretary with memory runes and handed her the rune-marked papers that were glamoured to look like all the documentation that I needed so I could be enrolled, the woman gave me my schedule and said, "Your first class will be Art History, and it's up on the second floor, Room 214, your welcoming committee companion is in that class, and Mrs. Davis will point them out to you. Now is there anything else you need?" I tilted my chin, giving her an arrogant smirk as he confidently tossed his head back to avoid ruffling his perfectly groomed hair, "No, thank you... darling."

I then turned to his friend and said, "I'll see you at lunch, Stefan; I'll bring a squirrel with me," I snarked teasingly in a low voice so the secretary wouldn't overhear. Stefan gave me a look that conveyed his irritation, which made me laugh; he knew I was kidding because they'd been friends for over 65 years.

After WWII, we had been inseparable unless I had been called to other parts of the world or I decided to visit my other friends in the supernatural community. I walked out of the office, past Gyda's twin, Elena, their short, dark-skinned friend who gave me a familiar shiver as I passed; it wasn't as strong and noticeable as the shiver I got when I was near a fully powered witch which I was thankful for because as a Valkyrie, I tended to steer clear of witches because all Valkyries were susceptible to the magic of witches, they drew their magic from the earth, and the elements and they were malleable to the desires of the witch using them to cast their spells.

Whereas Runes are the manifest symbols through which Valkyries work magic, it's powerful because the mark and the word have meaning; when Tallinn carves the single Hagalaz rune on his skin for strength, the power is directly used to increase his physical strength. When the Hagalaz rune is bound with other Runes, it can increase the strength of mind, spirit, body, or spell depending on the bind Rune matrix. And whereas I was eight hundred years old, I could use My Runes and bind Runes for all the magical purposes that wiccan witch magic was used for.

Runes formed the language of magic and the Norse gods and expressed the forces upon which the gods are framed, so when he manipulated the Runes, it was difficult because they were bound to the power of the gods themselves and the Valkyrie's direct control over the actions of the symbol and the energy from the deity were what empowered that symbol and that symbol was limited to the God. It's the essence and the natural, spiritual, and physical power they had control over. That made Tallinn and every other Valkyrie vulnerable because their magic couldn't freely bend, ebb and flow as natural and spirit magic could.

I, or any other Valkyrie, could not reverse the spells cast by witches. Still, if they were knowledgeable and experienced like me, they could use their Runic magic to create loopholes from the essence of every rune and binding Rune, which corresponded to God, spirits, or magical powers.

The Runes I invoke are powerful and violent, more so than those of a witch because all I had to do was pour more magic into it or carve more Runes and overpower the Wiccan spell; I was glad that witches relied on gaining power from their bloodline, ancestors, spirits, or nature to tap into their power – and not the gods who control them all, because my runes enabled me to access the same source of godly power.

So, when I walked past the girl and sensed her wiccan magic, I figured she was just coming into her powers which also made her dangerous because they were linked to her emotions and morals, which could change at the change of the tine and because of circumstances. If there was a fledgling witch, there was probably an adult witch in town too.

When I found out who the adult witch was, I would have to watch Gyda more carefully to ensure no harm befell her because of them; I was also planning on keeping an eye on the girl I passed. When I strolled down the hallway on the second floor to my assigned class and presented my new student slip to the teacher, she directed Tallin to his school guide, Tiki Mathers.