The Girl in the Woods

Chapter 1: The Girl in the Woods

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Mikael's POV

It had been several years since I lost her. My princess. My beautiful little angel. My sweet Freya.

Even with the number of years that had past, the pain did not seem to lessen. It was especially hard today, the day she had been born many years ago. The day I first held my precious baby girl in my arms.

Since her passing, we had moved to this new land hoping to keep our family safe and well. While it was peaceful for the most part, but even here there were dangers still. Even when I took the boys hunting, we had to be armed and alert.

Today, I was out hunting with Elijah and Niklaus. We had separated to cover more ground but were still within earshot of one another.

A sound to my right drew me out of my thoughts. My hand instinctively readied the bow in my hand. I looked around searching the woods for what could be our meal for tonight.

The boys noticed my reaction and started to follow my lead.

We moved quietly, tracking any signs of prey.

The leaves rustled in the distance. Again, my ears perked up and searched for the source.

I weaved through the trees and started to hear the sound of shallow breathing.

Following the sound, I found a girl lying on the ground at the base of an old oak tree.

Without meaning to, I sucked in my breath at the sight and the boys followed suit. She had her arms cradled around her knees and she was rocking herself. She was semi-conscious and did not notice our presence. She struggled with breathing and her face looked pale beneath the mud that covered it. Her eyes rolled and we could see the whites of her eyes. She looked cold and weak and if I were to venture a guess, I would say she was running a high fever. It was all the symptoms of the plague.

In that instance, I knew what I had to do. I swung my bow behind me to free my hands. I then knelt beside her and cradled her in my arms. As I expected, her body felt hot and she was shivering. Immediately, I lifted her up. The sudden movement startled her, and I whispered, "It's alright. It's alright." I needed to reassure her.

She quieted down and I barked orders to the boys. Elijah to go on ahead back to camp and for Niklaus to pick up the rest of the prey that may have been caught in the traps we had set up earlier. Even in my hurry, I needed to remain calm and rational. There was no point in leaving perfectly good food to waste.

Then with all haste, I headed back to camp with the girl in my arms. One thought running through my head.

Not this time.

~TGITW~

Niklaus' POV

The past few hours had been unbearable. Hunting with father when he was a in a mood was not fun. I could sense the bitterness in his voice and every time he shouted, I found myself flinching at his voice.

We had been hunting for hours now and had caught several preys. It was almost dusk and soon it would be too dark to hunt.

My brother and I followed our father for what I assumed would be the last prey of the night.

Suddenly, my father stopped in his tracks causing us to stop as well. From behind him, I peeked to see what he found.

In front of us was a girl in a white dress lying on the ground. She was covered with a mixed of earth and leaves. She seemed to be mumbling something, but I was too far away to hear. I stole a glance at my brother who was as surprised as I was then I looked to my father.

He had a strange expression on his face. Though there was confusion on his face, his eyes softened at the sight. In all my life, I had never seen him make that face.

"It's alright. It's alright."

My father had moved closer to the girl and was whispering assurances. I could not believe the scene enfolding before me. I have never heard father speak in such a kind and soft voice. His usual stern tone replaced with a gentleness. All my life he had always spoken in a harsh or mocking tone, never like this.

Who was this man before me?

It was bewildering.

Then, without hesitation, he carried the girl, barked out orders, and raced home.

I too hurriedly picked up the hunt that had been caught in the traps and headed back to camp myself. In my mind, curiosity sparked towards the girl who could garner such attention from my father.

~TGITW~

Henrik's POV

I could hear mother shrieking.

"You brought the plague back to our home!"

I stopped what I was doing and followed her voice.

It looked like father and my brother Elijah had arrived back.

They were arguing about something with mother. From what I could make out, it seems father had found a girl in the woods and had brought her home.

It was then that I noticed the black-haired girl in father's arms.

She looked disheveled and there were leaves in her hair. She must have been wandering these woods for days before they found her.

In the end, mother relented at father's insistence and they brought the girl into the hut.

As the doors behind them closed, I caught one final glimpse of the girl and wondered who she could possibly be.

~TGITW~

Elijah's POV

I sat beside her and watched her sleep.

The girl we had found in the woods.

She had been in really bad condition when we brought her home. Mother and Ayana had to work hard to save her from the plague. And even after they did their best, she had struggled the past few nights, but the worst was finally over. She was now sleeping peacefully before me.

She looked so serene. As if she had not been struggling against death.

I couldn't help but smile. I'm glad she survived. There was something about this fragile girl that made me feel protective of her.

I moved towards the fireplace to check on it. I prodded it with a stick and added more wood. Then I turned back to her.

I chuckled softly. It looked almost comical to see the pile of blankets over her. A product of my siblings taking a liking to her and wanting to ensure she was warm enough.

All of a sudden, she sat upright. Her eyes wide open revealing them to be a warm brown color. The blankets drop to the floor as she got out of bed. She fumbled around in the dimly lit room, disoriented by her surroundings. She started pacing back and forth, mumbling her questions.

She looked scared and confused and my heart went out to her. I wanted to embrace her and comfort her but that might just frighten her more.

Instead, I reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist. She turned around and faced me.

"What's your name?" I asked her softly.

"Faith." She answered. "My name is Faith Mikaelson."