Back in Mystic Falls

11. Water Hemlock

Pairing: Ester/Kol (F/m) hand 3x

Ester/Finn-Elijah-Niklaus-Kol (F/mmmm) hand/spoon

Afternoon

Tuesday, June 26, 1855

Damon got up to use the privy. Kol grabbed a mug of blood from the kitchen and went back up to the bedroom and laid in the bed. Damon came back in and got in bed beside Kol. Kol put his arm around the boy, he could still tell he was walking stiffly. A part of him wanted to heal him with his blood, but Damon had attacked two Originals with magic on his first day of successful spells. Kol figured he needed to learn a harder lesson.

"You started to tell me the story," Damon reminded him.

"Oh yes, where was I?..." Kol said picking up where he left off. "I must have only been five summers, but I was already ready to cast spells and wreck havoc with my magic....But I just remembered something about Finn that I never really thought about. It must have been 988 AD or so..."

988 AD.

New World

"Stop! Do not touch that," Ayana shouted. "That is poison!" The normally kind witch had a severe look on her face that made little Rebekah cry and Kol back up from the plants he was grounding up. He had a play mortar and pestle carved roughly out of wood where he liked to pretend to help Ester. Aryana moved closer to the white flowers that grew in umbrella like clusters. She checked to make sure the thick rootstalk chambers were not burst open, releasing the deadly toxin into the child's small hands.

"But I wanted to help Mother!" Kol defended. He waved his arms up and down in frustration and stomped his feet. No matter how he tried to help, he got yelled at.

Ester came out of the hut and to her horror, saw the water hemlock about to be pounded open on the rough table by her young son. She cried, "What is wrong? Kol, you need watch what you are doing. That is water hemlock! Did you touch it? Let me wash your hands. Rebekah, back up. Gods, Ayana, you saved him. I thank you." Ester rushed Kol over to a water bucket and scrubbed his hands and striped him of his rough tunic.

Ayana frowned, "Not sure I saved him from a whipping. I will get rid of this mess. Where did you find this, child? Please tell us you did not go down to the river!"

Ayana used a stick to scrape the residue into a large leaf and threw it into the fire. If this was put near the animal feed or water, it would sicken or kill the livestock. Ayana had her hair held back with a bright indigo dyed scarf. Her brown skin and eyes sparked with health and vitality. Ester, on the other hand, was seven months into a rough pregnancy. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked tired. Her skin was pale and her blond hair hung down to her waist in loose curls held back by a strip of leather. Her rough dress was patched and worn.

Ester called to Finn, "Son, take Rebekah and Elijah and feed the pigs. Niklaus is already up there shoveling hay. The slops are over there." Finn, fifteen years old, took his two younger siblings and dragged them and the bucket of feed down the path to feed the pigs. He had a feeling, this was going to turn ugly. Kol was always causing some trouble. Finn glared at his youngest brother harshly, Kol knew everyone was angry, but he had been trying to help.

Kol began to cry, "We wanted to help Mother. I did not know they were poisonous."

Ester leaned down to look her young son in the eye, she was heavy with child, but managed it for a moment. Ester stated, "You know you are not allowed by the river alone. Did you take your sister there? Kol, do not lie."

"It was just for a moment! We thought it was wild parsnips or sweet anise. You were tired, Mother, and we wished to help," Kol cried.

"My sweet boy, I appreciate the thought, but that gives you no right to disobey me, What did I said would happen the next time you misbehaved and got into mischief? Hmm? Tell me now, child," Ester prompted gently.