Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Chapter Seven

Autumn 1001AD:

Katri, now 8 months pregnant sits with Kol in the family cabin, though she's technically moved in with Loki she still visits her brothers and sister, and her parents. Kol holds up a coloured stone and Katri nods a little, Kol sets the stone on the table and picks up another one.

"Mother!!!" Kol and Katri look out the window and frown.

"Is that Niklaus?" Katri asks trying to Stand, Kol grabs her elbow and helps her up. "Something is wrong" Kol takes her hand and they live the hut together to see Niklaus carrying the dead body of their little brother Henrik. "Henrik" Katri whispers.

"Mother!!" Niklaus shouts. Esther runs out the hut behind Katria and straight to Niklaus and Henrik.

"No, no!! What happened?"

"The wolves! I am sorry, I'm so sorry!" Niklaus tells her. Esther turns to Ayana who has gathered to see what's going on.

"We must save him. Please, there must be a way!"

"The spirits will not give us a way, Esther. Your boy is gone" Ayana argues.

"No! No!!!" Esther clutches Henrik's body. Katri starts to cry, Kol clutches to her hand tightly.

..................

"I found your favourite flower" Loki tells Katri as he walks into their cabin, she lays in bed curled up around her bump. "Kat?" he asks, she sniffles and starts to cry. He sets the flower down and moves to her. "Kat, what is it?" he asks climbing onto the bed to join her.

"Henrik" she whispers sadly looking up at him, eyes tearful and puffy and red. "The wolves...." she hugs his chest and he wraps his arms tight around her kissing her head.

"It is alright, love, I have you" he coos. "Tell me what happened"

"Henrik is dead" she admits, Loki looks to her. "He is dead" she whispers looking to him sadly. He brushes the tears from her cheek. "Henrik..." she whispers. "Loki..." she whimpers, he strokes her hair and kisses her forehead.

"I am sorry" he whispers. "Oh, love, I am so sorry" He keeps her close as she cries, cradling her to his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He holds her until she falls asleep, exhausted.

............

Loki joins Katria on the bed, she's not exactly very mobile lately because she's about bursting at the seams, Loki touches her bump and kisses her cheek, she reads a note from her father

"I am to have dinner with my family" she tells Loki. "Probably the last one before the little one is here" she rubs her bump, Loki kisses her head. "Plus it will be nice, our first family dinner since Henrik" she adds softly.

"I know you miss him" Loki takes her hand and kisses the back of it. "I miss him" he admits.

"You miss having someone to teach how to prank" she corrects, Loki smirks and shrugs a little.

"I am not going to lie to you, love" he kisses her nose as she chuckles and the gasps grabbing his hand and pulling it to her bump.

"Loki....He's moving" She whispers smiling at Loki who feels her bump. "I cannot wait, Loki, I really cannot" she admits. "We are going to be a real family" he nods and kisses her.

"You said he" Loki states.

"It feels like a boy" she whispers. "I do not know how to explain it, I think we are having a son" Loki smiles and caresses her bump softly.

...............

The messenger had found Loki whilst he was picking herbs from Katria's small garden, for her potions and poultices, she can't physically bend over to pick them any more, and he finds he rather enjoys it. The messenger had been sent by Mikael, Katria was to have their baby, she only went to her parents for dinner and now this is happening. And he could not move into the village faster.

"Where is she?" Loki asks approaching Mikael who sits on the stoop outside the house. "Your messenger said Katria.....that the baby is coming"

"It was" Mikael agrees. "But...something went wrong" Loki frowns at him.

"Wrong?" Loki asks. "Wrong how?"

"Katri and the baby....." Mikael starts and then shakes his head. Loki's features harden slightly.

"Take me to her" Loki demands. "Please, I must see her" Mikael looks to the house behind him and Loki moves straight to it, moving through the rooms till he finds the children's. She is there. His breath catches as he moves to her, his hands trembling at his side, heart pounding in his chest. He looks down at Katri's body, he doesn't hide that he is crying, why would he, she really is dead, laying there unmoving, covered in her own blood.

"I am sorry" Mikael tells him stood in the doorway, his voice thick with emotion, with grief and sincerity. Loki sniffles and moves to sit on the bed next to Katri, hesitantly touching her face and brushing her hair back from her forehead.

"She was fine" Loki whispers. "She was fine earlier.......I do not understand"

"Esther did everything in her power" Mikael tells him. "To save them" this is not a lie. Loki nods and closes his eyes. Loki strokes Katri's cheeks and smiles sadly, how could this have happened? What did he do to deserve this? What did she do? What did this family do? Two children in a month, lost. A grandchild, gone. Loki stokes her hair as his lip trembles. He knew one day he would loose her. But not this day, not this soon, how is this fair? How is any of this fair? On him, on her, on their child, on her entire family.

"My heart and soul" he whispers and sniffles, he blinks, sending more tears down his cheeks, he leans closer to Katri. "I love you" he whispers to her. "Always" He then kisses her softly, he stands and brushes his hands over his face. He wants to stay, but he can't, he cannot look at her like that. He cannot see the love of his life lying in her own blood. He just can't.

"We will take care of her" Mikael tells him, Loki nods and wipes away more tears.

"I am sorry for your loss" Loki offers.

"As I for yours" Mikael counters, Loki nods and then leaves, fleeing, he leaves the cabin and starts away from the Mikaelson home, he does not make it far before he is leaning over a bush to vomit. His love and his child are gone. Just like that. Loki pulls back from the bush as he starts to cry, he flees further, deep into the trees of the village, as far as he can get before he stops hearing the voices of the villagers. He needs his mother. That much he does know. Loki closes his eyes and then looks up.

"Heimdall" he whispers knowing the man can hear him. Loki is encased in the bi-frost.

.....................

Two Hours Earlier:

Esther looks into the room where Mikael had placed Katri, on her bed, Esther looks to Mikael as he reaches her side.

"It must be now" Esther tells Mikael, who nods.

"I will find a messenger to send for the boy" He offers.

"Wait until I have the baby in my arms" Esther warns. "That boy is faster then he looks. Send word to Bori, tell them to be ready to go" Mikael nods, Esther moves towards where Katri lays. Esther takes a knife and looks down at her daughter. "It is for the best" she states and then crouches at the bed side.