The Apprentice (The Originals/The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter Three

 "I was born in Norway centuries ago, in the days of the Vikings. I was a Viking warrior myself. My childhood was difficult, but it was a difficult time. I wasn't much older than you by time both my parents were dead. I was alone. Until the day I did fall in love.

 "I was still rather young when I met Esther. We quickly fell in love, and were soon married. Our first two children were a girl named Freya and a boy named Finn, one after the other. And everything was perfect."

 "What happened?"
 
 "I went off to war one day. When I returned, Esther told me that Freya had died from the plague that had been spreading, and she'd had to burn the body to keep the disease from spreading any further. We left Norway after that, for the newfoundland in the west. It's called America today. Not long after we arrived, our third child, Elijah, was born."

 "Did you have any more after that?"

 "Esther gave birth to four more children: Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik. We were happy, I suppose. Esther seemed to forget Freya; we never spoke of her. But I never forgot her. Things were never the same for me after she died.

 "Then that night came. One night, Henrik was murdered by werewolves. In our grief, Esther and I made a terrible decision. We used Esther's magic to turn ourselves and our living children into vampires."

 "Esther had magic?"

 "Yes. She was a witch. We were the first vampires. We did not realize how difficult that life was until we began to live it. And then I made another horrible discovery. Niklaus was not-is not my son. Esther had an affair with one of the werewolves in our village. I-she cast a spell on him to suppress his werewolf side, and began to turn her back on him. She was sorry for what she'd done, I know she was. I killed Niklaus' real father and his family. And then...I don't know what I thought would happen. I thought Esther and I could get past it somehow. And he killed her. Niklaus."

 "He killed his own mother?"

 "Worse. He killed her, and then he convinced the others-my own children- that I had murdered her. They believed him, and most likely still do. Any love or respect they may have had for me disappeared. They turned their backs to me. I have been alone ever since. I have made it my life's purpose to hunt down Niklaus and end him."

 Mikael stood. "That's the end. I lost my family just as you did, Annette. I will leave you be now. I have some thinking to do myself."

 Annette did not know whether to fear Mikael or to feel sorry for him. He did seem to understand how she was feeling. His family had been lost to him for centuries, and he still had not recovered. They were both very alone in the world now.

 Annette thought about following him, but she decided to give him time alone. She finally fell asleep, dreaming about vampires.

~~~~~~

 It was sunset when Annette awoke. She looked out the window to see Mikael sitting alone out in the grass. She decided to go out and join him. She quietly exited the house and sat down next to him in the grass.

 "How long has it been?" she asked. "Since your wife died?" 

 "Over 900 years now." He sighed. "I still think about her. I've dreamed about her. I sleep very little, but when I do, she's always there, haunting me." 
 
 "Could that happen to me?"

 "I don't know. Grief works differently for different people. I know Niklaus doesn't feel any grief of murdering Esther. He convinced my children that I am a monster. But I have seen the things he has done, the destruction he has left. I have to kill him, or I will never know peace."

 "Where is Niklaus now?" Annette asked.

 "I don't know. There's been no sign of him in years. France was one of the last places where there been any trace of them, but I have had no luck. None at all. Some great hunter I am."
 
 "Mikael, if vampires die when you drive a stake through its heart, why didn't you die?"

 "Because I am an Original. The only thing that can kill an Original is the wood from the white oak tree from my old home. I do have a white oak stake with me. I mean to use it to kill Niklaus, if I can ever find him."

 Annette wasn't sure how to be comforting. She gently placed her hand over his. "Surely, you'll find him someday. He must be somewhere in the world, mustn't he?"
 
 Mikael nodded. "Yes, I suppose he must be." He looked down at their hands. "Annette, you have just lost your parents. You're grieving. I understand how you feel. You can stay with me for now if you like. But when you are done grieving, if you want to go somewhere and start your own life, you should."

 "And perhaps I will someday," Annette said. "But now, I want you to teach me to kill vampires." 

 Mikael raised his eyebrows. "You want to learn?"

 "Yes, I do. Would you like a student?"

 "Well, if you're going to be here, I may as well teach you something. Follow me."

 Mikael led Annette to the old barn that stood next to the farmhouse.

 "This is where I will be training you," he said. "You'll learn about and practice using stakes, daggers, and wooden bullets. We will start tomorrow morning." 

 "Not now?"

 "No, we'll wait until dawn. Be up then, and we will begin."

~~~~~~

 For the next two weeks, Annette got up at dawn every morning, ate a quick breakfast, and then joined Mikael in the old barn. She soon realized he was more the strong, silent type and not talkative at all. He would tell her what to do with a weapon, hand her said weapon, and let her practice. For practice, he had her demonstrate on him. He had attempted to fashion a wooden dummy, but it went horrible and he soon abandoned the project, saying it was a stupid idea, anyway. 

 It did not escape Annette's notice that she never saw Mikael drinking blood. She wondered if perhaps there was something wrong with him, but didn't know how to ask.

 When two weeks had gone by, Mikael said to Annette, "Tonight we are going hunting."

 "Hunting? I'm ready?"

 "Yes, I believe so. Tonight we are going to hunt vampires. We'll take a train back to Paris; there's bound to be plenty there."