Written In Blood

Chapter Two.

The year: 1079AD

Rayna and the older Mikaelson brothers spent an awful lot of time together as the months passed since the ball.
She found herself becoming smitten for both of them and her initial feeling of them became rather clouded in her mind.
"Rayna! Come to your window!" The girl awoke to Niklaus' calls from outside.
She smiled and jumped out of bed, excitedly, running to her window.
She looked down, seeing Niklaus and Elijah sat on two horses, a third tied to Elijah's saddle.
"Coming for a hunting trip with us?" Elijah asked.
"But I thought you said hunting was best left for the men." Rayna smirked, resting her chin on her hand.
"Time you proved us wrong." Niklaus smirked his signature smirk.
Rayna chuckled to herself. "Then you'd better ask permission from the man of the house. I'll get packing."
Rayna rushed back inside, collecting a leather bag.
Niklaus dismounted his horse and knocked loudly on the door, where he was met with one of the servants.
"I beg audience with Earl Hamish." He greeted, bowing slightly.
The servant let him in and led him to the dining hall, where Earl Hamish and Lady Elizabeth were having breakfast.
"Lord Niklaus for you, Earl." The servant introduced.
The Earl and his Lady arose as the out-ranking aristocrat entered the room.
"Lord Niklaus. What a pleasant surprise. What may I do for you?" The Earl greeted.
"No need to be so formal, Hamish. I'm here for pleasure, not business. I was looking to ask if your darling ward would join my brother and I on a hunting trip." Niklaus smiled.
"Would that not be too dangerous, Lord?" Lady Elizabeth queried.
"She'll be quite safe with us, my Lady, I can promise you that." Niklaus pressed.
"I don't see why not." Earl Hamish thought aloud. "It might be good for her."
"My thoughts exactly, Earl." Niklaus smirked.
"Very well then. When shall we expect your return?" Hamish asked.
"A week's time. We're stretching our boundaries a little bit on this occasion." The Lord replied.
"Hm. It's a good job I trust you and your brother, my Lord." Hamish chuckled.
"And I thank you for that, Earl. I'll go and fetch Rayna now, if you wouldn't mind and we'll leave post-haste." Niklaus pressed, turning to leave, but not quite moving yet.
"Very well. We hope you have a pleasant trip and we shall pray for your safe return." The Earl smiled, sitting back down and charging his goblet.
Niklaus bowed his head in thanks and left the room, making for the stairs.
He reached Rayna's chambers and knocked on the door.
"Are you ready, my dear?" He asked.
Rayna opened the door, bag over her shoulder.
"Absolutely." She said.
Niklaus studied her. She wore brown trousers that hugged her legs, boots and a woollen shawl, secured round her middle with a leather belt and sheath, where her sword was tucked, hiding beneath it, a long sleeve black shirt. Her long raven hair was done the way Viking shield maidens did, with braids and accents everywhere.
"You look ravishing, my lady." The Lord smiled.
"Thank you, Niklaus. You look rather handsome, yourself."
Niklaus chuckled and held out his arm for her to take, which she did and they vacated the grand house together.

After only the first day, they had caught an awful lot of rabbits – they seemed to be a specialty of Rayna's.
Sitting by the camp fire that evening, the lords decided to get to know their lady some more.
"So, Rayna. Where did you learn to hunt?" Niklaus asked, biting into a chunk of his rabbit's leg.
"My mother. Father always seemed to be on raids or teaching my brother how to fight, so I learned to hunt and cook." Rayna explained.
"Your mother wasn't a shield maiden?" Elijah asked, seeming slightly surprised.
"No, she never took interest in that. The closest she got was making the odd bow or catching dinner. No, the shield maiden in me is from my father. When I wasn't helping mother with the household chores, I was begging him to train me."
"So who taught you magic? Your mother, I'm guessing." Niklaus smirked.
Rayna was taken aback. She had no idea anyone knew about her gifts.
"Y-How did you...?"
"Have no fear. We shan't tell." Elijah told her, calmly.
"Yes... It was my mother. She was a seer." Rayna replied. "I, myself, am quite unique, so I'm told. I hold my own magic, but I am able to siphon from others to gain more power."
The lords nodded, both knowingly and inquisitively.
"So you know about the other supernatural beings, I assume." Niklaus pressed.
"My family knew a pack of Werewolves who lived in our town. As for the Vampires, they've always been just a recent legend to us; despite we knew their being all too real." Rayna said.
"All too real, indeed." Niklaus gave a knowing look toward Elijah, who just shook his head.
"Why do you ask such things?" The lady asked.
"Oh, no reason. Just making small talk, you know me." Niklaus winked at her.

The week seemed to pass quicker than the threehad wanted, but they definitely had more than enough gatherings to be goingback with.
They rode down the woodland track, minding their own business when a clan ofmen in hoods and masks appeared from the trees, bows arched and swords in hand.
"That's an awful lot of meat you have there." One of them said. "You wouldn'tbe so kind as to share some of your hunt with these starving men would you?"
"Actually, no I wouldn't." Niklaus scowled, looking ready to pounce.
"Well, you'd better change your mind rather quickly. We wouldn't want to haveto kill anyone now, would we?" The man retorted.
"Niklaus, don't. There are too many of them." Elijah snarled.
"Not for the both of us." Niklaus whispered.
In a flash, he used his Vampire speed to grab two of the archers and bite deepinto their necks. Elijah rather reluctantly followed, taking out the last twoarchers.
Rayna stayed sat on her horse, looking at the two in shock.
"Rayna! Get to cover!" Elijah called.
The lady snapped out of her bewildered expression and got off her horse.
She then closed her eyes and whispered an incantation to herself.
The autumn leaves rustled hard and one by one, the group of hijackers fell tothe ground as their necks snapped.
She was too slow to get to the last one though as he picked up his neighbour'sbow and arrow, shooting it.
The arrow planted itself into Rayna's chest as the spell killed him and shefell to the floor as he did.
The Mikaelson brothers Vamp sped over to her, Niklaus taking her in his arms ashis eyes welled up.
"It's okay. We can fix you." He said, nodding.
"I can feel it scraping my heart." Rayna sniffed, a loose tear falling into herhairline.
"You need to drink from me, alright? It'll heal you. You'll be fine, Ipromise." Niklaus instructed before taking a bite out of his wrist.
He put the blood to her lips and she drank, but it was too late.
As soon as she swallowed, her body fell limp and her heart stopped.
Elijah plucked the arrow from her chest, throwing it to the ground.
The brothers looked at each other with pure anguish.
"She's dead..." Niklaus breathed.