Anemoia • Mikaelsons mate

Chapter 8

• • • Mystic Falls, spring 1001 • • •

"You startled me!" Asta jumps up, hand pressed to her chest. She had been busy picking herbs for one of Esther's spells when she heard sounds coming from the forest behind her. She had been briefly concerned for the intruder to be an animal but was relieved to see Henrik and Kol emerging from the tree line, running towards her with broad smiles.

"Sorry, Asta. We didn't mean to frighten you, but-" Henrik shouts elatedly, coming to a hasty halt in front of Asta, nearly knocking the basket out of her hands.

"Finn and Elijah have returned!" Kol cuts Henrik off, excitedly jumping up and down. He didn't care much about their return but knew that his friend would surely be cheered up by Finn's return. Despite Asta's efforts to conceal her feelings, it was clear to him (and everyone else in the village) that she was miserable during Finn's absence.

"Really? Just now?" A blush rises to her cheeks, and Asta cannot hide her happiness. As usual, Asta visited the Mikaelsons almost daily to play with the younger Mikaelsons or to help Esther. Finn usually found an excuse to be around her or vice versa, in short, they were quite involved with one another, even if neither would admit it out loud.

Although Finn had only been away for a few days, his absence felt like an eternity. Asta was so used to having him around her that she experienced a strange emptiness whenever he left her side.

"Yes, yes. Come!" Kol demands, grinning broadly.

"No, Kol. I must finish this, and I don't think Finn needs to see me right this-"

"Of course he needs to see you!" Kol protests, playfully tugging at a strand of Asta's hair.

"I've not dressed appropriately-" Asta objects, trying to find an excuse to extend her meeting with Finn. She had wanted to braid her hair before his arrival, but she had once again lost track of time.

"Nonsense, you look great. Let's go!" Henrik joins Kol's attempts at persuading and grabs the basket from her hands. With his free hand, he grabs Asta's, more than willing to drag her back to the village if required.

Rebekah had confided in Henrik that Finn was madly in love with Asta and Henrik couldn't wait for them to be wed, permanently joining their families. His sister had already been working on a wedding gift in secret, and he was giddy with the idea of becoming an uncle. Henrik wasn't particularly close to Finn, but the idea of a family expansion and getting to see a paternal side to his usual stand-offish brother was exciting.

Kol grins at Henrik's insistence and follows his lead by taking Asta's other hand, dragging her back to their village.

• • •

"You have unquestionably angered father with your various blunders yesterday." Elijah mutters as he watches Mikael stride towards their home, clearly agitated. He briefly glances at Niklaus who was indulging Rebekah in a toned-down version of Knattleikr, he would certainly bear the brunt of their father's bad mood.

"He can be angry with me." Finn shrugs. It was true he had been more distracted during the hunt than usual.

"You know as well as I do that it is not you to whom he will direct his anger." Elijah sniffs, annoyed with Finn's nonchalance. Finn was never really the instigator of Mikael's irritation, being the dutiful son he is, but he had never felt the burden of it either, not like Niklaus did. Finn follows Elijah's gaze.

"I shall keep an eye on Niklaus." Finn promises, aware that he should have done so before. He thinks back to the man his father had been, loving and kind. That man disappeared when Freya was ripped from their lives. Now all that remained was this distant and hostile man. Elijah nods, mind involuntarily wandering to the pretty brunette who would surely be waiting for him at the edge of the forest.