The Original Love (Book 5)

Chapter 52

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Klaus and I continue following Dahlia into the village in her mind. "Spare us the agonizing boredom and explain what it is you want" Klaus said frustrated. "Quiet" Dahlia said and we stop when we make it to the end of the village square. It immediately becomes clear that we aren't just in her mind, but in her memories. There are young children running around while adult women clean and cut fruits and vegetables and men tend to their livestock. "I have no use for demented dreamscapes" Klaus said annoyed.

"Listen" Dahlia says to us and we listen, realizing that the village is being attacked by Viking warriors, who are violently and mercilessly attacking the locals. We watch as a young Esther, wearing a yellow dress and a flower crown, and young Dahlia, in a rose-pink dress, scream as they run away from the fighting and hind behind a large barrel of hay. "The Vikings came while you were in the garden" young Esther said terrified.

As she speaks, dead men, women, and children lay motionless on the ground while the Viking warriors rush to take down anyone they can find. "I'm scared, Dahlia" "don't be, I will protect us, Esther. Come what may, we must stick together, always and forever. Promise" Young Dahlia said cupping Esther's face in her hands. "I promise" she says and nods. They begin to hum Dahlia's song as Klaus and I watch them curiously as they are eventually found and tackled by a Viking who tries to pull Esther away from her.

Young Dahlia thrusts her hand forward and screams "no, no, unhand her" she yells and throws the Viking backward forcefully with telekinesis, but when the other Vikings see this happen, two other men rush toward the young girls and throw feed sacks over their heads before taking them captive. They scream and kick while Dahlia looks troubled as she revisits this memory, but Klaus seems as though he's beginning to make sense of her.

I am silent, not knowing what to think or say. "Let me guess, the Vikings slaughtered the entire village" Klaus said. "Esther and I were the only ones who survived. We promised to stay together" Dahlia starts emotionally. "Yes, "always and forever." A familiar promise. But, then, you knew that. I suppose you think that makes us kindred spirits" Klaus says intrupting Dahlia. "Not exactly, what I mean to show you both is that we can be allies" Dahlia says.

"In what world will that ever happen" I asked "you will soon see" Dahlia says and she brings us to a little cottage full of lit white candles and is showing us around. Klaus looks around "charming" he says. "This dismal hovel is where I endured the terrors of Viking captivity for years" she says and points to the door, where a Viking is bringing in a struggling young Dahlia before throwing her onto the floor. She's dirty and disheveled, with several healing cuts on her face along with a fading black eye, and as soon as the Viking is gone, she scrambles to her feet and walks toward a table with more lit candles. She grabs a snake, which is laying on the table, and slices it open, squeezing its blood and intestines into a wooden bowl.

"I performed the dark magic they demanded so that Esther would be free of their violent abuse. While she was out in the sun gathering herbs, I toiled in the gray of this room. But, I never resented her. We'd made a promise" Dahlia said, smiling a little "I wouldn't know how that feels" I said. "Is this your feeble attempt to garner sympathy" Klaus asked and Dahlia rolls her eyes in annoyance "to what end? No ancient plight will justify your intentions to enslave our daughter" Klaus said a little loud.

"Oh, Niklaus, our plights are the same" Dahlia said and I scuffed "yeah we all can't stand family" I said. Just then, a smiling young Esther, still wearing a crown of flowers upon her head, walks into the cottage and joins young Dahlia. Young Esther is holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, and tries to cover up the fact that she is clearly blushing. "You've been with Mikael" young Dahlia says to young Esther unhappily. Young Esther giggles " we were only talking".