Chapter Four

"Katerina!! Where are you? We miss you." The voice of my parents yell in my head.

"I'm fine i'm happy." My voice yells back.

" No you're not. Your mind is tricking you." The voices come back

"Come home dear." The voice of my mother says

"No!" I yell .

"Whatever you say Katerina Rose, we will find you." An unrecognizable voice says

My family are coming towards me, closer and closer.

I bolted up in my bed panting out of breath,

"Huh." a sleepy Elliot says sitting up.

"Go back to Elliot." I whisper to him

"Why are you up?" He asks

"Bad dream." Was all I said as I put my blanket over my body and lay back down turing away.

Am i really happy? I mean i've only been here for 3 days, but in that short amount of time i felt more at home in this village than i have my whole life. I wonder if i'm going to make a home in this village? I really hope i do. The Thornall have been so kind to me i don't want to leave them, expecilly Niklaus. He reminds me so much of Alaric i don't want to leave him. Then there's Eerika, she is like the sister I've always wanted. Gia oh that lovely woman, she is like a mom to me, more of a mom than my own mom. Elijah the handsome Elijah he gets on my nerves but i can't blame him with what he's going through. Then there is Erik, i haven't talked to him that much since I've been here but he seems protective of his family which I adore. Then there is the youngest of the family Maverick, he is the cutest little human ever. He really looks up to Niklaus he almost worships the ground her wants on. Last but not least Elliot, the dashing young man, he has been such great friend to me, he's been giving me hugs which I enjoy. I continue to toss and turn trying to fall asleep. I sit up again and sigh, i doubt I will be able to sleep for the rest of the night as my mind is now running a mile a minute.

I grab my shoes and slip them on. I take the candle off the table besides and and light it up. I quietly walk along the loft the ladder. I set the candle down on the floor and start to walk down the ladder. Once im about to reach the end I grab the candle and jump off and try to land quietly, once i do so i walk out the door and sit on the ground.

The stars are shining bright, the moon full, and the sky still.

"Hey are you okay?" a voice says.

i jump frightened and turn around to see Elliot standing in the doorway.

"Fine just couldn't sleep." I tell the young man in front of me.

"Same," he tells me walking to me and sitting next to me.

We sit in silence for a little bit until I broke the silence.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I ask Elliot looking at him with my blue eyes.

"You're not like other girls in this village," He says simply.

Oh?' I look at him confused.

"Unlike Eerika and other girls your age you're not keen on getting married." He continues.

" I guess you are right," i shrug

"You seem like you believe in love." He states.

"I do, i don't know if i will ever find it but I believe it's out there." I look at the oldest sons face.

"I agree." Was all he says before it went back into silence.

The sky starts to fill with orange and pink clouds as the sun rise, birds in the large trees start to sing as the light hits their nests.

"I think we should head inside." He tells me.

'Yeah." I stood up and walked outside without a word.

"Where have you been?" Eerika asks me

"Outside." I shrug

"With Elliot?" She asked even though she already knew the answer to that.

"We were just talking." I tell her

"Sister would you stop pestering her?" Elliot says walking into the house.

"What where you guys doing out there brother?" she asks her eldest brother.

"We were merely talking, half the time we sat in silence just watching the sunrise." He responds going up the ladder to the loft.

"Why were you outside in the first place?" Eerika asks me,

"I couldn't sleep so i went outside, Elliot just followed me." i tell the girl.

"Oh." she frowns

"Why is it such a big deal?" i ask her

"Elliot needs to find someone, he was married to a nice girl names Rosalin but she died during the flu outbreak just like your brother." She sighs.

'Oh that's so sad." I tell her not knowing what else to say.

The atmosphere in the room is awkward after she said that. Eerika sighs and walks away. I on the other hand decide to go back outside and continue to watch the sunrise. The weather outside is chilly, the cold is nipping at my nose.

"Come inside Katerina, It's cold." Elliots voice from behind me.

"I'll come in a minute." i respond looking at the sky, he sighs from behind me.

I wonder what i'm going to do. Eerika telling me about Rosaleen made me think what i'm going to do? Am i going to make a life here in Kalda? Or in a week or so will I leave and find a permanent home? Is Kalda going to be my home? Will I maracusly fall in love with someone in this village? I don't know if want to anyways?

"What are you doing out here?" a voice from besides me says. I turn to see Gia

"Just thinking." I respond to the woman.

"Whatever it is your thinking awfully hard." She tells me.

"I'm just wondering if i'm going to build a life here, or go somewhere else after you guys get tired of me." I frown slightly at the thought of leaving the family.

"Oh, dont worry dear. My family has taking quite a liking to you." The kind woman smiles in my direction. "And for building a life, one of my sons has taking quite the liking to you Katerina. I can tell you're the right person for him." She starts to walk away.

"Which one?" I ask her as she walks away.

"You'll just have to find out," she turns to me "could you please watch Zayden for me while i go into the garden?" She asks me.

"Of course," i smile to her.

I walk into the house and go to the table where the family is eating breakfast. I go to the open seat which is next to Maverick,

"Hello Katerina," Erik greets me as I sit down.

"Hello sir." I smile at him.

Today's breakfast is porridge with some fresh blueberries, i take the bowl that is set in front of and start to eat it. Breakfast is quiet as we are all very hungry. As breakfast comes to an end Gia walks in with Zayden on her hip.

"Elliott could you please help Katerina with watching Zayden today?" The older woman asked her son.

'Yes Mother," he sighs and takes Zayden from his mother. He walks out the door to the little patch of land they owned so Zayden could play. I follow out the door after him.

"Rina come play!" Zayden ran tome and grabbed my hand with his small one.

"Of course Zayden." I 'run' behind him and he pulls me to a tree.

"Let's play hide and seek." The young boy smiles.

"Okay 1-2-3," I put my hand over my eyes "7-8-9-10 ready or not here I come!!" I look around the yard to see a little foot sticking out from behind Elliott.

"Oh where could he be," I exasperly sigh "Elliott have you seen Zayden" I ask the older brother.

"No its almost as he disappeared." He says dramatically. Giggles are heard from behind Elliot.

I slowly walked to Elliott and wrapped my arms around him. Once i feel Zaydens hair I ruffle it.

"Gotcha!" I smile at the young boy as I walked around Elliott.

"How'd you find me?" he pouts. I laugh at the little boy and walk to where Elijah is standing.

"Hello Katerina." He kindly smiles at me

"Elijah." I smile back

"You are very good with kid." He tells me

"Thank you," i smile "i love kids"

"I can tell, you'll be a good mother one day." he tells me.

"Thank you Elijah."

"You're welcome."

"Katerina, Zayden wants you." Elliott calls.

''Coming." I yell back.

"Zayden love you." Elliott tells me standing beside me

"I'm happy he likes me." I smile.

The next half hour was spent talking to Elliot and playing with Zayden

"Lunch." Gia yells. Zayden runs to his mother inside the house,

"Let's go." Elliott nods his head in the direction of the house.

"I think i'm going to stay out here." I tell him.

"Okay." He leaves it at that and walks into the house.

I start to walk around the yard looking at flowers around the trees. My eye catches the most beautiful flower i've ever seen, it has three flowers on the stem that are bright blue with dark blue around end of the petals. The center of the flowers have an almost pink middle. I go to pick it.

"I wouldn't do that if i was you." A voice startles me.

"Why?" I look up to see Elijah.

"That MoonFlower it's a very poisonous." He tells me

"Oh." I frown.

"Come on." He tells me and walks over to the house.

"How many times do i have to say it i want to stay-" I am cut off by Eerik running up to the house

"Elijah!! Get Elliott!! And grab your swords!!" He orders his son, Elijah ran into the house.

"What's going on?!?!" I ask Eerik.

"The neighboring village is attacking," He tells me "go into the house and grab everyone and go to the back room and barricade the door, im putting my trust in you Katerina."

I run into the house in a panic.

"Katerina come!!" Gia exclaims waving me over.

"Mother!" Elijah exclaims coming to her.

"Be safe my boys." She tells her sons. They go to walk out the door.

"Elliott," I stop him "Please come back to me." i tell him

"Always." he kisses my forehead.

"You too Elijah." I kiss the other brothers Cheek.

"Be safe!!" I yell as they run to their father.

"Katerina." Eerika waves me over to them.

The room that they are hiding in cant be more than 2 meters by 3 meters wide. But, there is no room for me.

"Katerina come on." Gia whispers to me.

"For there is no room for me, I will go up to the loft and hide." I tell the family.

"Be safe." Eerika whispers as I close the door. I run over to the ladder and quickly climb up it. I go to the back of the loft and try to find a place to hide. I see a silver blade from the corner of my eye. I run over to see either Elijah's or Elliott's sword. If I take it i could have a way to to protect the family that has so kindly took me in. I grab the sword and go back to the hiding spot. The spot I found is in the corner and i pushed a cott to cover myself. I sit in silence for what seems like forever,

"Come on we still have one house to check!!" a voice from outside yells. I hear footsteps coming closer.

"You check down here i'll check the loft," Voices from inside the house yells. I can hear the creaking of the ladder as the unknown person climbs up it.

"Nothing down here!!" A voice yelled

"One second!!" The man on the loft yells back. The footsteps of the mystery man walking around the loft, the footsteps getting closer and closer.'

"I think i found something." The cott that is hiding me was ripped away.

"You think you can hide?" The man chuckles evilly.

"Please." I plee.

"Let's go." The man roughly grabs my arm and pulls me to the ladder.

"Jump down." The man demanded

"No," I shake my head looking over the edge.

" catch her." The man tells the other man. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"No!!NO!!!" I am shoved off the edge of the loft. I am caught in the hands of another.

"Take her to the boat!!" The other man demands coming down from the loft. They both roughly grab my arms and drag me out the house.

"Let-me-go" i struggle

"No can do." the younger on laughs. I continue to struggle trying to get away.

"Seeing you struggle is fun." The one who pushed me off laughs.

'"Help!!" I yell as we near other people.

"Shut up." One whispers harshly. People are fighting, there is blood everywhere, bodys laying on the ground lifeless. I see a familiar face.

"Elliott!!!" i yell but i am jerked closer to one of the man

"Elliott!!! HELP!!!" i yell trying to get his attention. He turns to where he hears his name came from.

"Katerina!!!" he yells. He jabs his sword through the person he was fighting and ran to me.

"Looks like your boy is coming to save you." He pushes me to the ground.

"You release her!!" Elliott points his sword at the man.

I start to move back from the men trying to run away.

"Elijah!" Elliot yells for his brother.

"Katerina." Elijah gasps as he sees me on the ground with dirt on my dress and face. He points his sword at the men like Elliott. I look between the two set of men. Elliott struck first slicing one of the mens leg, The next strike is by the man who pushed me to Elijah's cheek cutting it from the eye to the mouth.

"Ugh." He groans out in pain. I back up further and further trying to get away.

"Katerina get out of here!!" Elliott yells to me

"I'm not leaving you here!!" I look around the ground to try to find something i can use to help. I found a rock. I pick it up and stand, i try my best to sneak behind one of the men. I pick up the rock i hold and my hand and with all my might I slam it on the one who shoved me head. He falls to the ground dropping his sword as he does so, I pick it up and point it at the other man.

"Leave." I demand.

"You think i would listen to a measly little girl," He laughs at me.

"No,but you will listen to me." Erik walks over to us.

"Leave," Elliot growls out. The man runs back to the shore where his boat is and leaves.

"Are you okay?" Erik asks us.

"Im fine," Both Elijah and Elliot says, but i stay quiet.

"Katerina?" Elijah questioned. I look between the two brothers and Erik. I start to breath heavily and look around frantically, I take of running to the house.

"Katerina!!" Elliott yells chasing after me. I stop running and start to walk to the door. Elliot walks up to me.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asks me.

"What do you think Elliot!." I exclaim "I was taken against my will, pushed off the loft I hurt a man." I cry out. Elliott takes my hand in his.

"Katerina, everything will be okay." Elliot reassures me, pulling me into a hug, I hug back wrapping my arms around his shoulders as he has his around my waist.

"Thank you," I whisper.