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6

16 February 1850

Niklaus watched calmly as his young charge busied himself with his books; this was the first moment Niklaus had been able to think of more than the Salvatore Patriarch in days.

After leaving Giuseppe in his office, he had managed to find Damon in the stables caring for the horses.

It seemed the boy carried a love for the noble creatures the same as he did.

He hadn't known what to say upon first finding Damon, not that he would ever admit such a thing to anyone.

The words had seemed lost to him; unlike Marcellus, Damon still had a father no matter how much of a miscreant the man was.

Then the boy had glanced at him, not noticeably or for very long at all, but for one second, those ice blue eyes had connected with his sky blue.

That one second had been enough to encourage him to step forward and approach the boy as confidently as he had when it had been Marcellus in front of him instead.

Damon had seemed to close in on himself as he listened to the words leaving Niklaus's lips.

Damon's hands had quickly tangled in the mane of the horse he had been caring for as worry started to encompass him.

Niklaus had just finished informing Damon that he was now in his care when the soft-spoken words that had left Damon's lips made his blood run cold.

"I'll be good, please. I do not wish to...." The words were whispered fervently, breaking the silence that had seemed to encompass the warm afternoon since Niklaus had approached him.

"No, Damon." Niklaus had quickly cut off that line of thought even as he plotted the demise of the elder Salvatore.

"I have no desire to harm you or behave in a manner such as that. When I say that I will be taking you, Damon, I mean that I would be taking you as my ward. No harm, physical or otherwise, will come to you so long as I am with you. Do we have an accord?"

By this time, Niklaus had bent down to Damon's level, his right hand coming up to lay gently on Damon's shoulder.

Damon glanced down as Niklaus brought his left hand out to greet him in acknowledgment of their bargain.

Glancing into Niklaus's eyes, Damon's hand came up to grasp his tightly with a softly whispered, "Yes, Mr. Mikaelson."

Nearly a full week had passed since he had gained wardship of Damon and the boy remained quiet and fearful in his presence.

It seemed that despite the deal they had struck, the boy was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Niklaus refused to bring the boy home to New Orleans at this moment; Kol alone would eat Damon alive upon seeing him so apprehensive.

Rebekah would no doubt try to smother him in an attempt to play mother to the dear boy and Elijah; if he had to hear one more remark about how utterly dismal, he was at caring for his wards, then Elijah would be the next one to gain a dagger through the heart.

No, until Niklaus had gained the boy's trust and gotten him to act as himself, he and the boy would stay in the old village.

Surely, it could not take very long to pull Damon from the fortress he had hidden within.