Norn's POV:
The base creature, Tyler Lockwood, pinned the girl, Vickie, against a tree, disregarding her virtue as she had given it away years ago. They wanted nothing more than to make her their puppet in the battle against the Volva. Although these virginal divinities created only destinies that would cause humanity and the Gods' destruction, they still valued Gyda's chastity. They praised her for not having known a man sexually. Despite their plans for the child, it would eventually bring forth; they were proud that she had yet to be intimate with anyone.
"No, Ty. I'm not having sex against a tree." She protested as The Norns were aware of the Valkyrie's astral presence, he could force his soul out of his body and travel the astral plane, and they let him watch their manipulations, unaware that it was their doing so that Gyda would suffer.
They could see his revulsion as the boy tried to have his way with his girl. They could feel the incredulity roll off him as he observed the mortal boy in his most base and natural human state.
"Oh, come on, it would be hot." the boy whispered in his victim's ear. It made them squirm in pleasure to see such sorrow fill her eyes.
Tallinn snarled in rage, fueled by Tyler's disrespectful manner towards the girl. The Norns were delighted, knowing that Gyda and Tyler were from two of the founding families of Mystic Falls and thus should be on good terms. But Tallinn was angry to hear a boy behaving rudely towards a woman who had already demeaned herself in other ways. It was a source of frustration for him and pleasure for them.
"For who? No, it's not going to happen. It's not going to happen, not here, not like this." she said as he persisted in trying to undo her pants. "No. I said no. I said no! Ow, that hurts!"
"Hey, leave her alone!" Jeremy Gilbert yelled out, pulling Tyler Lockwood away from Vickie. As they suspected, their good sisters had sent in a savior destroying part of their plans for the girl, but she wouldn't let them down; no, that was the thing about girls with no self-esteem. They didn't want to be saved; they tried to sully their Knights and bring them into the dark with them.
"You know, you're starting to get on my nerves, Gilbert."
Tyler's Angry eyes stared at the Volva's brother harshly through dark eyelashes, his lip curled in anger that he could barely control, and his muscles tightened as if he were readying himself to launch at the Volva's youngest sibling; Tyler bawled his fists and just as he was about to act, he was shoved in the chest by Vicki, and the Norns laughed with wicked mirth. "Just go, Tyler, get the hell away from me."
Tallinn, even in his astral form, could smell the beer, mixed with other hard liquor on Tyler's breath, along with a hint of wild animal which was subtle and underneath his skin. Tallinn and the Norns watched as he scoffed to cover his sense of rejection and threw hurtful words back in her face, "Wow. Vicki Donovan says no. That's a first." Tyler then turns and leaves her alone with her savior, whom she doesn't really want.
after the Norns watch Tyler go, they turned just as Vicki did what they knew a girl like her would. She would turn away from understanding, run from care, and hate the savior for saving her, "I didn't need your help."
"Poor creature," said Sorgen in a mocking pitiful voice.
Kaoset nodded, agreeing with her sister, and whispered to the girl, "he just doesn't understand you, dear girl, as she and her sister circled the duo whispering lies and malice into their minds weaving their threads and furthering their plans.
And Doden cut the final thought into Vicki's mind, "You like Tyler, and he was just drunk."
They watched as their sisters tried to battle against their words from a distance. It seemed to be working a bit, "It seems like you did." he said, trying to show her that he wanted better for her than that scum that only wanted her for her body.
Vicki took the bait the Norns had laid and spat out her defense of the boy she was falling for, "He was just drunk." The Norns glanced at each other in Glee. Oh, how they loved pitiful, disdainful mortals; they were so easy to use for their cause.
Their sisters spoke to the Gilbert boy, telling him to point out the difference, to shine hope into a girl that had nothing going for her; that's what their sisters didn't understand hopelessness and sorrow were never-ending circles with no end, and if someone managed to pull themselves out of it they were genuinely extraordinary, but that wasn't Vicki, no she was a no one in the grand scheme of things something to further the plot. "I'm drunk. Am I throwing myself at you?"
"No, you're worse. You want to talk to me, get to know me, see into my soul, and screw and screw and screw until you're done with me." Tallinn shook his head.
He didn't feel sorry for the girl's circumstance and choice that had led her to this point. Like he told Gyda not thirty minutes ago, destiny and fate have their place, but it doesn't discount free will. He was unaware of the battle before him between both factions of the Norns; all he knew was that this girl was miserable; Jeremy was trying to help, and, in the meantime, he was making himself more miserable. "Is that what you think?"
Tallinn watched as Jeremy blanched at her accusation.
Vicki rolled her eyes and flicked the severing knife into Jeremy's heart when she spat out, "That's what I know." She then stomped off into the forest to the next stage of the Norns plan.
Gyda POV:
I found Elena and Stefan by the bridge; they had intense looks. It was that look moment before the moment of a couple's first kiss. I looked off to the side because I didn't want to see that, but what I saw was Jeremy making his way into the forest in a huff; he looked upset. I sighed, not seeing Tallinn anywhere to tell him where I was going, shrugging, unaware that he was witnessing what I had just seen in my spasmatic vision quest, I followed my brother into the woods; a minute later, Elena joined me, she jogged fast enough to catch up to me. I greeted her with a wave, and she smiled back, and then we tried to catch up to our moody brother.
I let Elena call after Jeremy since it was a bit difficult to type and fast walk/ jog, so I settled for grumbling my irritation at my stubborn brother in my head because he was ignoring Elena, or at least trying to. "Jeremy, where the hell are you going?"
"I don't want to hear it!" Jeremy threw over his shoulder, annoyed at the two of us for following him; I paused and hurriedly typed on my text translator, "Hey, you big jerk, you can't just ignore the people that can't talk. We can't have two mutes in the family." I put my device back in my pants pocket and continued after my siblings.
"Yeah, well, too bad!" Jeremy yelled just before Elena, and I saw him drop to the ground after tripping over something I couldn't see until I got closer. When I did, my feet stopped dead as I focused on Vicki's body, the blood pouring from where she'd been bitten. My mouth opened reflexively in a scream, but it was a silent scream.
But Jeremy was screaming precisely what I was in my head, "Vicki? No! Oh, my god, it's Vicki!" We ran up to Jeremy, who was cradling Vickie in his arms, "Oh, my god!" Elena shrieked.
Fearfully I tapped Jeremy's arm, he ignored me, but I was insistent when he looked at me. I used my hands to sign to him. He gave me a confused look because he didn't know what I was saying, I flopped my hands in my lap in frustration before turning to my sister and signing again, "Pull off her jacket Jer, so we can stop the blood." she translated for me.
The three of us carried her back to the party; when we got closer, Elena called out frantically, "Somebody helps!" As we placed her on the ground, and I stood back up and backed away from the scene because this was precisely what I had seen not twenty minutes ago, my back slammed into someone when I whirled around to apologize but found that it was Tallinn looking at the scene in front of us. I could see the calculating gaze in his eyes as if he were waiting for something. I wanted to question what it was, but I didn't.
Matt came pushing through the crowd, and when he saw who was lying on the floor with his ex-girlfriend, her sister, and their little brother surrounding his sister, "Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!"
I tapped Tallinn's arm to gain his attention. When he looked at me, I signed, "I saw this- the Images of Vickie being loaded into an ambulance flashed through my head." He stayed silent but gave me a slight nod and held onto my shoulders as if to anchor me in place. I was forever grateful for that.
Tyler kneeled on the other side across from Jeremy, who was softly murmuring to her, "What happened to her?" Tyler asked, looking between the three of us; I looked at him, remembering what he had been attempting to do to Vickie in my vision. I gave him the darkest glares, which surprised him; I signed, "You shouldn't have done what you did." I could see he didn't understand what I was signing. He shook his head and brought his attention back to Vicki lying on the ground.
Matt called out to the crowd demanding, "Somebody, call an ambulance!" I was feeling crowded as people kept pushing forward to get a sight of what was going on. I turned to the side, indicating that I felt Closter-phobic. Tallinn walked me away. This was all too reminiscent of the tragedy of my own family tragedy. I cursed Dr. Hastings for convincing me to come; I would avoid as many Bonfires as possible from now on.
Tyler got up and urged, "Everybody back up. Give her some space!" Tallinn looked toward the back of the crowd and caught Stefan's eyes.
He minutely moved his head, silently telling Stefan to get out of there because he could see the tiny veins begin to protrude from under his eyes; Stefan nodded and slowly backed away.
Tallinn gazed upward and spotted his other companion, with a smug expression, perched on a tall rock pedestal above everyone else. He had caused the disorder, and now Tallinn would have to have words with him. Gyda had been hurt partly due to his acquaintance's actions; he'd make sure to make it clear that she was off limits and get his point across clearly. "It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood." Elena frantically explained.
Matt took his sister from Jeremy, who fell back on his butt and looked at the blood on his hands drying. He miserably looked at the two of us; I could see in his gaze that, like me, he was feeling the memory of our family tragedy rising back into his memory. I rushed over to him, fell at his side, gathered him into my arms, and let him lean his head on my shoulder.
"Vicki, Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me." Matt pleaded as we heard sirens coming closer to the falls.
Dark-haired Vampire's POV:
"It's been a long time, Tallinn; roughly fifteen years?" I said, my stance stiff but mocking.
He knew I was trying to intimidate him; it was a game we like to play; he chuckled at my effort, but that would never happen because I was only a hundred- and seventy-eight-year-old vampire. Little old me was hardly the scariest thing he'd seen in his over eight hundred years of life as a Valkyrie.
"No, not at all. I have enjoyed watching you for years now: last night, last year, the year before that, and on and on and so forth. But as usual, my Runes kept me from your sight, and in so doing, you were too oblivious to notice the signs that I'd been there." he said, smirking mockingly at me. If I were older, more experienced with Valkyries as some other Vampires were, I would have known and sensed his presence. I had to capitulate to that.
I squinted my eyes at the preppy outfit he had on; my light blue eyes and his gray eyes moved to the sockless Riomar leather boat shoes he had on; I scoffed at the pretentiousness of his foot ware; he shrugged and grinned at me, "They're comfortable," Tallinn responded mirthfully.
I smiled at his playfulness. It was never dull with him around, he liked to play just as much as I did, but he didn't eat his toys afterward; no, he screwed them, and Rune'd them to forget they were ever with him. That was our style. Our eyes met again, and I rolled mine in contempt and annoyance at his chipper-ness and arrogance that vastly outweighed my own because he wasn't just all talk and speculation.
Tallinn's eyes prickled and shined with glee at having annoyed me; with his assessing gaze on my clothing, I was dressed in black like a serial killer's worst Cliche. But I continued to observe his outfit further, assessing the neat, rolled Black slacks and the pale blue and purple striped polo shirt with the collar flipped up in the back. Finally, I sighed with a shake of my head in mock disappointment at his choice in style.
Still, I could tell by the set of his smirk and the quirk of his brow that he thought it was leaps and bounds better than mine; ordinarily, it was hard not to like him- Tallinn made a great drinking buddy, sparring partner, and always brought a good joke or two.
But it seemed to me now that my friend didn't know I was in town for a reason. I weighed my choices in silence. Wondering if I should tell him I was here for Stefan, bent on returning him to his reckless escapades, or that I'd come home with a newfound respect for life; either way, he knew I would be lying. But I also knew he was on assignment if he was here.
I had also been following the Gilbert Twins and their little brother through the woods and saw him trailing after them. Also, he hadn't been invisible then, just silent in notice because of the chaos I had caused. "You're here for someone, aren't you?" I asked him vaguely.
He understood I wouldn't try to get him to name the people I should stay away from, but I still nodded, hoping he'd tell me anyway. I flashed a sly grin as he closed his eyes momentarily, leaving me to figure it out alone.
I wanted to avoid incurring Tallinn's wrath, especially after what had happened when I left our mutual friend on the roof of a New York nightclub. I had no intention of making the Valkyrie that angry again, but I couldn't, for my immortal life couldn't figure out who my friend was there for, so I said nothing. "I'm not going to pry into your business, but I will warn you that whatever it is, It won't involve Gyda Gilbert," Tallinn suggested with conviction as hard as steel and as cutting as a Diamond blade sawing through granite.
Without further delay, the Valkyrie lingered long enough for me to nod in acknowledgment before hurrying towards the Bonfire, arriving just in time for Gyda to back herself into him.
Gyda POV:
I guided my despondent brother up to his room; it was the first time since I came home, and he hugged me. That he let me offer him any kind of comfort like before he hit puberty at age twelve, Jeremy cuddled on his bed, head in my lap. I pushed play on his C.D. player, and the angsty dulcet tune of some 'Emo' rock band began to play. I just stroked his hair, down his brow, and over his nose. I rinsed and repeated the sequence before he fell into Hypnos's arms; he said, "I can't believe it happened again, and it feels the same 'G' we won't ever escape it."
I knew what he was saying, but after my conversations with Tallinn this evening and everything that I saw and experienced in my visions, or hallucinations, whatever they were, I was beginning to believe that there was some merit to what we had discussed now whether it was fate being a bitch and giving us the finger or the gods finding amusement as they moved us like chess pieces I couldn't say. Still, I wasn't going to be ruled by any of them. I'd do whatever it took to live my life my way. I suffered enough and sacrificed enough to hope for a chance of some kind of happiness.
When Jeremy was asleep, I was surprised to see the light still on in the living room when every other morning was off, and Jenna had gone to bed. I crept down to see why Elena was still up and found her sitting on the couch, smiling, chatting, and even laughing with Stefan. Elena saw me from over his shoulder, and I quickly put my finger to my lips in a shushing motion.
I didn't want to disturb her, she smiled again, and I went back upstairs and into my room; I got ready for bed. I pulled my Viola from its case, tuned the strings, tightened the bow, and softly played 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' in a long legato.
"Somewhere over the rainbow,
way up high
There's a land that I've heard of
once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds
are far behind me.
Where troubles melt
like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
bluebirds fly,
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can't I?"