( 10th century — kingdom of norway )

Athena made her way to the cottage where she knew Finn and Freya were. She let herself into the place, rolling her shoulders back. She was exhausted both mentally and physically.

All she wanted was her mother's.

Finn and Freya looked up as she entered.

"Hello, dearest. Are you better?" Finn asked curiously.

Athena nodded her head. "Mikael left. He had another task to take care of," she replied. She had done a couple of laps around her family's land and the village. Her siblings were fine and her mother seemed as she usually was when Mikael was there.

"Good," Finn nodded, sighing slightly. He hated that man and everything he did to his mother and siblings. Unfortunately, Esther, Athena, and Niklaus took the brunt of their father's abuse.

"Have a good conversation?" Athena asked, hovering by Finn instead of taking the open seat between her siblings.

"Enlightening," Freya replied, standing. She gave Finn a look and the man hesitated, then left. He pressed a kiss to Athena's temple much to her dismay. "Athena..." the strawberry blonde looked at her, raising an eyebrow, "I am sorry for stabbing you."

Athena just blinked at her, unimpressed.

Freya sighed and stepped toward her, looking down into her eyes. She gently brushed some pieces away from Athena's eyes. "You look like mom. And Mama," she murmured. Athena cast her eyes down. Freya just as gently tilted her little sister's face up. "I am truly sorry. I was five when I was taken and have grown up in an environment where someone knows who I am, they are taken out."

Athena nodded slowly. "I didn't mean to—"

"You're young," Freya smiled, pulling her to sit down. "So, you're a wolf. When did you trigger it?" She asked softly, knowing that wolves have to kill someone to unlock their wolf side.

Athena glanced at her for a moment then sighed. "Five."

Freya paled a little. "Five?" She repeated, confused. Wolves shouldn't be able to transform that young because of how fragile they are. Not to mention what that does to their psyche.

Athena shrugged a little. "I was searching for you with Mikael. He didn't know I knew why we were going on 'missions'." She sighed heavily, "we were meeting with this man very ugly and terrifying. I was sitting aside while they spoke. I asked who Dahlia was and Mikael turned to answer me. The man then pulled a knife and was going to kill him." She huffed, rolling her eyes. "I was five and panicked. He was still my father even if he was a dick. I ended up throwing the man onto a branch and he died." She smiled wanly and then looked down at her hands.

Freya grimaced and nodded. "I am sorry that you had to go through that at a young age. Mikael should not have taken you on a mission so young." Especially for me, went unsaid.

Athena frowned a little. "Nothing mattered to him but you. Not really. At least until I shifted. Then he tried to attack mother because he knew some of us weren't his biological children. Screamed about bastards and stuff." She shrugged once more, "I bashed him over the head."

Freya grinned then, "did you think you killed him?"

Athena nodded with a smile of her own.

Freya laughed, clapping her hands once. "Oh, you are me. I did the same thing about a year younger." She reached over and ruffled Athena's hair. The redhead gave a little groan but smiled. 

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

Athena pulled Finn along quickly, wanting to get home as soon as they could. She wanted Freya home. She wanted her mother free. Freya was the first step.

"Easy," Finn muttered as he stumbled over a tree branch, "not all of us are wolves."

Athena huffed and paused in her steps. He caught up even though they were connected, their arms had been fully extended with Athena in front. "Come on! We're almost home."

She cast another spell and a portal opened in front of them, showing the edge of their village. Finn watched curiously as Athena yanked him through.

"Where did you find that spell?" He asked. He had never heard of a spell that could take them to a different place.

"I made it," Athena said offhandedly as she broke into a jog. She didn't notice the aw on her brother's face since the only thing on her mind was finding her mother.

"You made it?" Finn asked in shock, wondering when she found the time for that.

"Yeah," Athena said as they came up to their door, "I was searching for Freya and needed a way to get back." Then she went inside, not noticing the wide eyes and slightly agape mouth that donned her brother's face. "Mommy!" She called.

Esther came out, looking annoyed. She put her hands on her hips as she looked between her two children. "Where have you been?" She demanded.

Athena dropped her head, scuffing her shoe on the ground. Finn pointed to his little sister, "she made a spell."

"She what?" Kol asked, appearing beside his mother like a shadow. Esther jumped a little and sighed down at her child. He was getting more sneaky as the years went on. "Can you teach me? Please, please, please—"

"Stop it," Athena muttered, stalling her little brothers jumping with her hands on his biceps, "later. I must speak with Mother then I'll teach you, Nikol."

Kol huffed but nodded. He was just a bit shorter than Athena, coming up under his chin despite only being thirteen. He pressed a kiss to her cheek then made his way back into his room to take care of Henrik and Rebekah.

"You made a spell?" Esther asked curiously and in slight awe. She had created some of her own in an attempt to find her daughter and counter the spell put on her by the cuff, but they never worked. They were still powerful spells though.

Athena blushed a little and nodded.

"Oh, just wait until your mama hears," Esther smirked, crossing her arms. Finn scoffed a bit, shaking his head in amusement. The two always liked to compete about who had more influence on the children (playfully).

"But that's not the point!" She grinned happily. Esther cocked an eyebrow, smiling at her daughter's happy expression. Athena bounced a bit and looked at Finn wondering if he wanted to deliver the news.

Finn smiled softly and Esther's heart warmed. It was always hard to get a smile out of Finn even if it was small. He hadn't been the same since Freya was taken. "Go ahead," Finn muttered, "you did it."

Athena beamed and turned back to her mother. "I found Freya!"

Esther's eyes widened as she felt her heart drop to her feet and her stomach swoop. She stared for a moment, unsure if what she was hearing was true. She glanced between her two children, wondering if this was a joke and how long she'd have to ground both of them.

"It's true, mother," Finn said softly, reaching for her hands, "I saw her with my own eyes. We talked. She's alive and well."

Esther felt tears well up in her eyes. "Freya is alive?" She whispered. She didn't know what Dahlia had done with her daughter. She had hoped that her eldest was still alive, but she hadn't known for sure.

Finn nodded.

"Oh..." She murmured, staring over her son's shoulder as memories of her daughter before she was taken flew through her head.

"We can take you to her," Athena said excitedly, "she wants to see you."

Esther glanced at her daughter and then looked back to Finn. He nodded once more. "Okay," she said.

Athena beamed.

"Let me send a message to your mama. We... We need a plan. I'm not... I'm not losing my daughter again," she said seriously, determination settling into her features.

Athena smirked and nodded as her mother rushed off further into the house. Finn set a hand on his sister's shoulders and kissed her temple. "You did good," he murmured.

Athena softened and hugged him around the waist, setting her head on his chest. He rubbed her back gently. 

( 𝖈𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖔 )

"That spell was very well crafted," Esther praised, "I did not even feel any of my insides move." Athena chuckled a little, knowing that her mother had tried to create a similar spell but ended with her spleen on the opposite side.

"It took a couple of tries to perfect your spell. The basis was very good," Athena said with a grin. Esther rolled her eyes slightly, pushing her daughter's head away away. Athena laughed. Finn shook his head, amused at their antics.

His sister had always been sort of a smart-ass.

"Your mother should be back at the house by sundown. Then Elijah will give her the second message. Freya said Dahlia would be back in two days time which gives us time to prepare for her arrival," Esther said as they made their way through the village with Athena leading the charge, "I will have to sit out for most of it because of—"

"The spell, yes," Athena nodded. Dahlia could very quickly use Esther against them at any point in the battle so Athena would need to destroy the totem before them. She didn't quite know what it did nor why it had so much control over Esther, but her mother just said it was crucial to their victory. "Freya!" Athena called excitedly as she saw the woman tending to the flower garden.

The blonde looked up, smiling when she saw the redhead bounding over to her. She steadied herself as Athena crashed into her for a hug. "Hi," Freya greeted, laughing as Athena spun her around. Wolf's strength was something else.

Esther had frozen the second Freya had stood. Finn stayed by her side as a steady presence.

"It's her, mother," Finn said quietly, "I made sure."

Esther glanced at him for a second before nodding. Finn held out a steady hand and she gently took it with a shaking one. Together, they walked closer.

"—totem first so that mom can fight," they heard Athena finish. Freya was listening intently.

"Sounds good," she admitted, nodding, "I know the village well so I should be able to help you guys stay safe."

Athena nodded, bouncing up and down once before her eyes met her mother's. Something in them had Athena stepping away and settling off to the side.

Freya's brows furrowed before she followed Athena's gaze. The breath left her lungs as she met her mother's eyes. She could feel her magic, the familiar—but unfamiliar—feel washing over her. Warmth spread through her as tears sprung to her eyes.

Esther let out a small sob. "Freya," she murmured, reaching for her daughter's face. Freya stepped toward her, tears falling from her eyes as she felt her mother's hands on her cheeks. "Oh, how I missed you. I am so sorry," her mother said sincerely and pulled her daughter into a firm hug.

"I've missed you so much, Mommy," Freya cried, hugging her tightly and burying her face into her mother's neck.

"I'm here now," Esther murmured, closing her eyes. 

AN: aww mother-daughter reunion!

wc: 1879