Work Text:
When they realize Henrik and Niklaus aren't in the caves, it is already too late. The moon has risen, and Elijah can do nothing but pray that his brothers have found shelter to protect them from the woods.
As soon as it is safe, he darts outside, where he, Mikael and the other men of the village spread out across the wood. Each villager offers their aid willingly, but their furtive glances reveal their doubts about a good outcome.
Elijah has been searching for over an hour when he hears a crash in the undergrowth ahead of him.
"Henrik?" he calls out. "Niklaus?"
"Elijah?"
Elijah's heart skips a beat at the soft call. He rushes forward and almost collides with Henrik, who stumbles out from under the trees. Elijah crushes him against him, trembling in relief. He cups Henrik's face in his hands and presses a kiss against his forehead.
"We were worried," he breathes.
Henrik swallows. Only then Elijah he notices the blood covering his arms.
"Henrik," he asks, tone carefully controlled. "Where is Niklaus?"
Henrik starts shaking as tears well up in his eyes. He points further ahead.
"The bear cave," he whispers. Elijah nods, forcing down the dread which is welling up inside him.
"Stay here," he orders gently. "Father will come for you."
Elijah whistles sharply to notify the rest of the search party before he takes off, running as fast as he can in the dense undergrowth, until he reaches the clearing in front of the bear cave. A lone figure is lying against a tree, his form intimately familiar, but almost unrecognizable in its stillness.
"Niklaus!"
Elijah crashes to his knees next to his brother, his hands flying over the wounds on his chest. It is rising and falling faintly, but blood oozes from the numerous cuts.
"'Lijah?"
Niklaus' voice is little more than a mumble, but Elijah almost cries in relief. He takes off his shirt and quickly presses it against Niklaus' chest in an effort to stop the bleeding. Niklaus whimpers, and his fingers clench around Elijah's wrist.
"Leave it," Niklaus gaps. "It’s too late."
"No. No."
Elijah presses down harder, but his arms are shaking. Blood is already seeping through the cloth. There is too much, far too much.
"Henrik," Niklaus mumbles. "The wolves..."
He shudders and his fingers dig into Elijah's skin.
"He wanted to watch. I should have stopped him... I'm so sorry. I failed you."
Elijah shakes his head fiercely.
"No. No, you protected him, Niklaus. He is safe. You saved him."
But Niklaus isn't listening. His eyes are glassy and his breath comes in more and more ragged gasps.
"Our ancestors won't ever accept me," he whispers. "I'm too weak."
Anger flaring, Elijah grabs his brother's neck, forcing his attention on him.
"You are not weak, Niklaus. You are and have always been the most fierce of us all. They will-"
His voice catches, but Niklaus drinks in his words, expression desperately trusting, and he continues, almost choking.
"They will sing songs and hold feasts in your honour."
Fresh tears run down his cheeks, blurring his vision.
"They will be so lucky to have you."
Niklaus' lips curl up in a tentative smile. With shaking arm, he reaches up and places his hand on Elijah's neck. Elijah allows him to pull him down, and rests his forehead against Niklaus', releasing a shuddering breath.
"Protect them," Niklaus breathes.
"You know I will."
Niklaus' hand tightens. His fingers caress the nape of his neck, and Elijah gasps, wishing he could hold on to the sensation forever.
"I will see you again, my brother."
Niklaus' words ring through him, too clear to have been spoken out loud. Beneath him, Niklaus' chest has fallen still.
"Niklaus?"
His brother’s blue eyes stare out into the distance, his face slack.
"Niklaus?"
Elijah can't hear anything over the hammering of his own heart. His lungs refuse to expand, and dark spots dance across his vision as runs his fingers across his face, feebly holds the cloth against the wounds.
A wail bursts from his mouth. It scrapes through his throat, leaving it raw and bleeding. Niklaus' name is like a dagger against his tongue as he repeats it over and over again, a prayer to the gods and all that would hear him. But the gods have taken his brother and refuse to give him back, no matter how much he pleads.
He doesn't know how long he sits there, clutching Niklaus' stiffening hand. At one point, another figure sinks down next to him, her blond hair obscuring his sight, and then his arms circle around Rebekah, holding her close as they cling together in shared grief.
His Mother and Father arrive moments later, along with Ayana, who utters the final, damning words.
"Esther, your boy is gone."
Elijah goes numb. Gone. Niklaus is gone. He will never be whole again.
"Niklaus might be gone, but be grateful Henrik survived!"
His Father's harsh words pierce through the fog in Elijah's mind. For the first time since he found his brother, he drags his gaze away from him.
"At least the boy wasn't too cowardly to protect him," Mikael continues. He is pacing, arms crossed. "I have to say, I am surprised."
"Mind your words. He was your son," Ayana says fiercely.
"If it hadn't been for Niklaus' obsession," Mikael spits, "they wouldn't have gone to see the wolves in the first place."
He shakes his head disgustedly.
"Elijah?"
Rebekah's voice is a whisper, and Elijah ignores her. He is focused solely on Mikael.
"He brought this on himself," Mikael scoffs. "The gods must have wanted him to die."
Elijah is on him in a flash. His first punch connects before they hit the ground, and then he keeps going, fists raining down on his father's face. Every moment of anger and fear fuels his muscles, brought on by the man who's blood is now mixing with Niklaus' on his knuckles.
Arms grab him and pull him away, and he stumbles upright. Mikael is curled up on the ground, shaking, and Elijah glares down. The trees swirl around them and the hairs on his arms are raised. In the distance, there is a crack of lightning.
"You will never speak of him again," Elijah thunders. Mikael peaks up at him through his swollen face and broken nose, but the sheer force of Elijah's will forces him down.
"You are not worthy of uttering his name," Elijah continues. "You are not worthy of residing with my family."
Elijah crouches down, and Mikael flinches backwards.
"With the gods as my witnesses," Elijah growls, "I banish you. If you ever speak to us again, Mikael?"
He smiles.
"You will be dead."
Elijah is shaking as he rises and turns his back on the creature. The other villagers shrink back as he walks over to Niklaus and gathers him in his arms. With only Rebekah at his side, he stumbles into the woods, ready to take his brother home.
The other villagers will not address Mikael again. Elijah's curse will make Mikael an outcast, forced to fend for himself. Some villagers might leave food in pity, but Mikael would need to lower himself to accept it. For a renowned warrior, it is worse than death.
It is not enough. Not enough to still the guilt and sorrow in Elijah's heart. As wind lifts up his brother's ashes into the sky, part of him longs to follow, to join Niklaus in the adventure beyond.
But he made a promise. Rebekah's hand slips into his, and to his side, Henrik hugs Kol, hiding his tears in Kol's chest.
"Until we meet again, my brother," he whispers.
And together they walk back towards their little hut, ready to face another day.