What was Taken From Us (Edited)

(Esther POV)

I have been on the Other Side, for over a year now. In that time I have realized that I have very little control over where I am. One second I will be watching one of my children, as they quickly become more monstrous than I ever thought they would become. Or I will watch as Mikael hunts down the wolves of Ansel until the day he decided to hunt our children. Seeing my family breaking apart before my eyes, (while not being able to do anything about it) is a horrific experience.

I am brought back to the moment, as I hear Mikeal yell in pain. Erik is stabbing him in the chest with the white oak stake, I watch Erik, whisper into Mikael's ear, before he bites into Mikael's neck. I think about what he whispered to Mikael.

"The one your sword Rawthul, reminds you of still lives."

Making images of my past, flash through my mind.

(Flashback)

"MAMA."

"NO MAMA, PLEASE."

"I DON'T WANNA GO."

the screaming of my first-born Freya is heard at the edge of the village, which has snowflakes quickly coming down adding to the already covered ground. As Dahlia, who has just threatened to take all my children from me if I told Mikael what has happened, lifts Freya, turning sharply and walking into the distance. While I am holding a devastated Finn, who has just had his best friend, his older sister, taken from him before his very eyes. I look towards Dahlia who is leaving with Freya and back to Finn, with tears in my eyes.

(End flashback)

I had to convince little Finn to never mention anything about what happened that day. When Mikael, came back to the village, carrying the very sword that Erik had mentioned, I had to lie to my husband, causing us to flee to a new land.

(Flashback)

I watch as the Warriors and shield maidens enter the village. That is when I see Mikael breaking apart from the other warriors, making his way towards Finn and me with a happy twinkle in his eye. It dims a bit when he doesn't see his oldest daughter. As he finally reaches us, Mikael asks.

"Wife, my son, where is little Freya? I have brought back gifts for her and little Finn."

Finn, not being able to say or do anything more than to allow a small sob to escape his lips, before buying himself into my dress, as he cries to himself. I rest my hand on little Finn's head, as I look at Mikael with sadness saying.

"My love, I am so sorry. Something hap- happened. Freya, she got sick, when the first snow fell... She came down with the plague... Mikael, I am so sorry, my love."

Mikael goes through more emotions than I can read all in a split second of me saying anything. I watch as the light in his eyes dies, and unrestricted tears fall down his face as he drops to his knees, clutching the hilt of his sword, with a grief-stricken scream.

"NOOOO."

(End flashback)

Mikael was a completely different person after what I told him had happened to Freya. The light in his eye didn't return, even after Elijah was born as a healthy and strong baby. When we learned of a new magical land, with people who were able to take the form of wolves, and no signs of plague.... we sold the land Mikael had owned and sailed away from our homeland.

I am again broken from my thoughts as I see Erik dropping his father's body, whose neck has nasty-looking red veins slowly spreading out from the bite. I see Erik's body lock up for a moment before his new glowing red eyes begin scanning the whole room, only stopping on the spot where I am standing. Then something to my left with his eyes opening wide. Before I am pulled away towards my child, who I haven't seen since she was five years old.

(Qetsiyah POV)

As I look into the latest Doppelganger's eyes, I see he recognizes me. I can't help but mutter.

"Interesting."

As I disappear from the castle going to find answers for what I just saw.

(Mikael POV)

Looking into the strange fiery, red eyes of Erik, as he leans towards my ear, before whispering.

"The one your sword Rawthul, reminds you of still lives."

Erik, then bites into my neck, and I instantly feel a heat under my skin that feels like it's burning me from the inside out. Having been hunting werewolves for the past year, I know that his venom is working itself through my system. Quicker than any other wolf bite I have had.

When Erik drops my body, I only have enough consciousness to see a phantom of my past. Little Freya, standing directly behind Erik, then my world turns to darkness.

(Flashback)

I am standing on the edge of the forest, outside of my village, looking for the light of my life when I hear a small whimper coming from behind one of the bigger trees. I look behind it and see my five-year-old, first-born. Freya, who has her golden, sun-colored hair, covering her face as she silently cries to herself, seeing this I crouch down and ask.

"My little Valkyrie, what is wrong?"

Freya's tiny head shoots up showing me her bright blue eyes as she crashes her little body into my chest saying.

"I don't want you to go, Father. Please stay with us.... With me."

I hug her tightly, rocking her from side to side as I say.

"Shhhh, my sweet Freya. I will come back. You will see me again. Always believe that my sweet girl."

After a long moment of her crying, I get her to calm if only slightly. I pull away from her so there is space in between us and unsheathed my sword, showing her the hilt, as I tell her.

"See this, my child, its name is Rawthul after the early morning sun. What does it look like to you?"

Freya grabs one of the locks of her golden hair before looking at the sword again, as I continue.

"Yes, little Valkyrie. It is the same color as your hair. It's to remind me of you while I am battling for our family's future. And no matter how far away I am from you, you will always be by my side."

(End flashback)

When I come out of my forced visit to the past, I can't stop thinking about what I just saw. The pain that specific memory holds, because of how many times I lied to Freya. In what I would later come to know was the last conversation I would have with my daughter. Then came a memory of later when Erik and I were out hunting.

(Flashback)

"Father, wh- what was she like?"

A fifteen-year-old Erik asked while we were lugging a buck back to our village. To our home.

"Who boy? I have known a lot of people."

Erik, looking at me from the side, with his green eyes says.

"Freya, neither mother nor yourself has told us anything about her. I was just curious about what she was like... For when I meet her one day."

I stop walking, dropping the buck, forcing him to do the same, as I turn to Erik, and tell him.

"You will only meet Freya when you are called to the home of the gods like she was."

I see a twinkle in his eyes, that I know means he disagrees with what I just said, but before he can say anything more, I tell him.

"She had golden hair like the sun, or the hilt of my sword... And eyes as blue as the sky... Her laughter was..."

I composed myself, before saying.

"Freya was the light of my life. Then the gods took her from me. This is the last you will mention her... Understand, Erik?"

(End flashback days later)

Shaking my head, I repeatedly tell myself, 'The bastard is lying' over and over until I feel a hand on my shoulder. On instinct, and thanks to the werewolf bite, I react without any control. Ripping into who looked like Niklaus.

(End Of Origins)