Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Chapter Twelve

1114 AD: Rebekah and Alexander are in bed together. Rebekah is sitting on top of him and they are kissing passionately. They pull apart. Alexander smiles. Rebekah runs her hand across the tattoo on his chest.

"How do you read these symbols?" She asks.

"The map took my brothers and I years to translate" He grabs a sword leaning against the bed. "The sword is the key to reading it" He puts down the sword. "Have you considered my offer? To come with me when I leave to follow the map"

"I have and I would like that very much" Rebekah tells him, Alexander smiles. Rebekah kisses him. When they pull apart, Rebekah glances over at something on the cabinet next to the bed. "What is that?"

"Oh, that. That" He picks up the silver dagger. "Is a very special weapon. For a very special kind of vampire" He dips the dagger into the white oak ash. "When my brotherhood has achieved its destiny, those monsters will cease to exist. Until then, we have the daggers"

"Do you really believe they're all so evil they must be put down?" Rebekah asks.

"Let us not talk of such evil. Let us do this" He kisses her. "And this" He kisses her again. "And this" He kisses her neck. "And this" He stabs Rebekah through the heart with the silver dagger.

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

Later; Rebekah gasps and wakes up. Katri is standing at the foot of the bed. She is covered in blood. The walls are stained with smears of blood as well.

"What happened?" Rebekah asks her big sister.

"Ask him" Katri answers and then steps aside revealing Alexander behind her. He's been stabbed against the wall with his own sword. Rebekah starts to cry. "Only, he cannot answer, because I have ripped out his tongue" Katri adds calmly, it's the calm on her sister that unnerves Rebekah, where Niklaus is quick to show his anger, Katri keeps it in, and then explodes when it becomes too much, then she is down right dangerous. "And Nik got the rest of them"

"Kat, I had no idea" Rebekah tells her.

"But you should have" Katri argues turning to Rebekah. "Your only family was nearly wiped out, because of your stupidity. What did he promise you?" Katri asks.

"Nothing" Rebekah answers, Katri shoots her a look. "Nothing" Rebekah assures her.

"He would not have made a move unless he knew you were vulnerable" Katri argues. "You trusted him, over me, over Nik. What did he promise you?"

"Nothing, Kat. I swear"

"What did he promise you?" Kat snaps, Rebekah starts crying.

"Nothing, Kat. Nothing" Katri moves and grabs Rebekah roughly by the shoulders and stands her up.

"Tell me, Rebekah" Rebekah stares at her sister.

"A cure. He said there was a cure" Rebekah admits, Katria releases her sister and steps back.

"What?" Katri asks. "You are lying" she accuses, Rebekah shakes her head.

"I promise, I am not" Rebekah tells her.

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

Across the world: Arkin swings an axe around in his hand and then tightens his grip around the handle and then swings it, cutting into a tree in front of him. He's 114 now. And still hasn't aged. He's moved many, many times since he reintegrated into the world. He swings the axe again, this time cutting through the tree, it falls heavily. He sighs and turns moving towards him camp, slamming the axe down into a stump as he passes it. He sits in front of the fire and drags his bag closer to himself, pulling a letter from within, his mother's letter, he's been carrying it around with him but he hasn't opened it yet. He hasn't the heart to. Fear and self loathing both to play. The fear, he has no idea what could be so important that his mother used her dying words to tell him about this letter. And self loathing, he doesn't deserve to read it. He sets it down and shakes his head before scratching at his beard.

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

1400ish: Norway. Arkin has made his way to Norway. After travelling from his homeland he made his way up through the Americas and then managed to get passage on a ship across to Norway. Where he bought a horse and took to riding across the country. The road is thick with snow and the horse struggles. No wonder the carriage ahead of him is stuck. And he's not the sort of person to not help. How can he, not when there is a pregnant woman struggling with either her lover or her husband, but either way Arkin cannot not help them. He pulls his horse to a stop and climbs from it.

"Do you need help?" he asks, the man turns to him, noting Arkin's size he nods, he'll take all the help they can get.

"The wheel has caught in a ditch" he tells Arkin who moves towards the carriage.

"Here" Arkin moves to the cart and lifts the carriage easily from the carriage easily from the ditch in the snow. The travelling pair relax, relieved.

"Thank you" the pregnant woman tells him. "We would have been stuck until the snow melted" she stares at him a moment narrowing her eyes a little.

"It is no bother" Arkin assures her.

"I am Freya. This is Mathias" She holds out her hand and Arkin takes it, she smiles at him, something flickering across her eyes.

"Arkin" he offers, she clutches to his hand and he frowns a little.

"Have you read your mother's letter yet?" she asks, Arkin drops his smile and glares at her. "I am sorry" she is quick to release him.

"Freya is gifted" Mathias offers.

"They are not dead" Freya tells Arkin, he frowns.

"My parents are dead" he corrects. "I know that, I was there" Freya shrugs a little and smiles.

"Will you stay for some food?" Mathias offers. "As thanks" Arkin nods.

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

Later: Arkin sits by the fire, an empty wooden bowl at his side, his mother's letter open in his hand, he'd given in, curiosity now edging out everything else.

"You should find a witch to help you" Freya offers sitting with him.

"How did you know about this?" Arkin motions to the letter in his hand.

"I am witch" she admits. "Not very powerful though" she whispers.

"I never even...." Arkin looks to the letter. "I had no idea I was not theirs" he sighs a little. "It says my real parents are dead"

"They are not" Freya offers. "The plaque spoken of in the letter, it did not kill everyone like they believed...." Freya offers him a smile. "If you head South" she offers. "There are shamans and witch doctors in the desert that will help you find them"

"Thank you, Freya" he tells her. "I should be making a move" he stands and tucks away the letter. "I have a long travel ahead of me if I am to make it to the desert" she smiles and nods. "Good luck, wherever you end up, both of you"

"Thank you, Arkin" Freya smiles warmly at him as he moves to his horse and climbs on.

"You did not tell him" Mathias whispers in her ear.

"I could not" she argues. "He would stay, and 'she' would find him"