The Carvagi Sisters: Book One--The Rise

Chapter Five

"Everyone on their horses? Right, let's--"

"Wait!"

Rufus was interrupted, and everyone turned.

Nicola and Rosalina rode on their horses towards them, stopping only once they were next to their father. 

"We're coming too!" Rosalina stated, pulling her hair back out of her face.

"You've got a competition tomorrow!" Rufus argued, turning in his saddle to look at them. "Why would you wear yourselves out today?"

"Come on, Father." Nicola didn't bother with the hair on her head, already a twisted mess from the wind. "You really think we'd miss out on a hunting trip?"

"Let them come!" Kol shouted, and all heads turned to him. "It'll be exciting to see if they really are as good as you say they are."

Nicola smirked. "I'll take that challenge."

Rufus grumbled for a moment, then turned back forward in his saddle. "Fine, fine, let's get going. Onwards." He clicked his heels, and the group set off in the early morning air.

Nicola rode up front at her father's left, followed closely by Kol and Elijah. Klaus dropped back to ride beside Rosalina, and two of her father's friends rode behind them.

"So you enjoy hunting?" Klaus asked Rosalina. She blushed, nodding. He smiled. "You don't have to be embarrassed. It's a very respectable pastime."

"Oh, I'm not ashamed of it." Rosalina said quickly. "I just prefer to let the men talk in this subject because they think they know more than I."

Kol, taken aback, sat straighter. "Oh?"

Rosalina blushed again. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that they've always talked down to me about hunting and then the competitions happen or the hunting trips and I'll come back with twice the game, if they even got any at all."

"And how would they end up with none?" Klaus asked, now genuinely intrigued.

"Well, I'm a little more merciful than Nicola." Rosalina smiled. "I generally allow them a deer or two before I take all of their kills. Nicola, however, goes straight for it. When it comes to hunting, she doesn't hold back."

Klaus grew silent, thinking about her words. Not holding back? Maybe he was after the wrong sister as his main target.

At the tree line, Nicola stopped her horse and hopped off of it. Sighing, Rosalina followed, tying her reins to Klaus' saddle.

"Where are you two going?" He asked, perplexed.

Nicola smiled over at him, tying her reins to her father's saddle. "We hunt better on foot. You all go ahead, we'll meet you here later."

Rufus rolled his eyes. "As you wish. Come along." Him and the other men rode off, Nicola and Rosalina running off in the other direction, bows in hand.

Klaus' mind was enrapt with thoughts of Rosalina and her sister the entire day. The two hunted as a pair, it seemed. He should have noticed it the first day. But how necessary was Rosalina to the equation? From the way she spoke, Nicola seemed to be the aggressive one. How had he not seen it before? 

However, if they were to turn, Rosalina's demeanor would surely turn her into a ripper. Those were useful, he mused. He required a ripper for his future plans.

Kol continued his search for Nicola in the bushes. Once, he thought he saw her tunic flash by, but even with his heightened senses, he could sense nothing. Not even a breath.

He smirked to himself, ignoring the other men's comments about the forest being "unusually quiet". He could imagine it now: the look on her face when he grabbed her, fangs out, the heightened heartbeat, the terrified look in her eyes…Chills crept down his spine. How he couldn't wait for that day.

"I suppose we should head back. Most of the deer have probably been caught for the competition tomorrow." Rufus announced, turning his horse around. The line reversed, trotting slowly outwards. As they neared the forest line, they saw two figures standing in the entrance. The taller one turned and waved. 

That must be Nicola. Kol thought to himself. How long had they been there?

"Good heavens, girls! No wonder we found no game!"

Nicola and Rosalina stood proudly in front of a pile of eight deer, two pheasants, and six squirrels.

Nicola shrugged. "Just wanted to get some practice in before tomorrow." Rosalina smiled shyly at Klaus and mouthed, I told you so. Klaus smiled at her, nodding. That she did.

Klaus watched Nicola carefully as the other men congratulated them, asking her about how she was going to prepare for tomorrow. She replied with calculated answers, a dash of sarcasm thrown in for a laugh.

Yet behind it all, Klaus heard her heartbeat, sensed her emotion.

Her heart was still beating quickly, eyes and other body parts still moving tensely as if she were still hunting.

He smiled. Rosalina did indeed say her sister didn't hold back, and Klaus couldn't wait to witness it.