"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to goals, not to people or things."-Albert Einstein
A few days had passed. Vivien did not forget to put her yellow bolo tie on, that morning.
Her and Sylas walked inside Elton High and went to the future realm, once again. Their task was to hopefully find the Huldra and to kill it, as instructed by Leonard.
The Huldra was a female creature that mimicked humans, yet you could recognize it because it had a tail. It usually sang to attract a man to marry, which made their task easier to find it.
They hiked up the mountain, once again. The both of them were short of breath, but kept going without stopping until they came to the same place they went for, last time. Once arriving at the exact location which had the wonderful view of Tallis in front of them, they kept moving through the woods.
There weren't any birds chirping, no sounds of cars passing by, just silence as they stepped forward, looking for the creature. Sylas breathed heavily, and Vivien felt concerned for his well-being. Even if she had no clue what happened to her two years ahead of time, she knew he would get a heart problem.
They stopped walking, admiring the trees around them and the pathway which kept leading up the mountain. Vivien came towards him, asking him if he was okay. The boy waved his hand, letting her know he was fine.
„Hey, Vivien?"
„Yes?", she asked, wary of the dangers around her while still trying to discern what he wanted to share.
„If we can't befriend the Huldra, it will attack us. Please be safe if that happens, I don't want you to get hurt."
„I've got spider skills, remember?"
„No, you don't, not in this case."
„I can assure you that no incident shall transpire. The true purpose for why we came here won't be revealed because I'm very amiable. The Huldra will like me."
„Let's make a deal. If we get out of this predicament without being attacked by the Huldra, you'll have to make one of my wishes come true. I won't tell you what it is, yet."
„Deal is sealed!"
Vivien stretched her arm and wanted to shake hands with him. Sylas stepped forward and shook hands with her, their hands emitting a purple light. Once they let go, the purple light disappeared without a single trace.
„I get this feeling I shouldn't have come in your life... You're an extroverted person and you always make others laugh. Meanwhile, I sit on the sidelines and watch without interfering. Everyone forgets about me, I'm not important. I don't understand why you still want to talk to me. I'm bringing you down with me, I've upset you many times..."
Vivien didn't know why she shared that with him, but she needed to get those thoughts out of her head in hopes all the pain would disappear and that she'd finally be at ease.
She was scared of what his answer would be. Others usually told her there was no motive for her to think this way, then complimented her, adressing positive words which felt forced. Like they didn't belong. Nothing most people said to her helped. All she wanted was to feel connection with somebody else, and positive words only helped for a few hours or days. She needed a strong, safe and certain relationship.
She waited for Sylas to speak, that heaviness in her chest pulling her further down into a hole of darkness, fear and despair.
„I love you, Vivien."
Hearing those words, her heart almost dropped from her chest and her cheeks reddened. She wanted to cry, she never believed she could possibly matter that much to anyone.
„I love you, too, Sylas!"
The shock made it difficult for her to shed tears in that moment, even if she wanted to free herself from her past and remember just the good parts of it.
Sylas came forward and took her hand in his, then embraced her tightly. He was at loss of words.
...
The two walked up the mountain hand in hand. They kept up a normal pace, listening in for any creatures making their way through the tall trees, but it was silent. The forest was reticent and ambiguous, waiting for its mysteries to be discovered.
They kept hiking up the mountain without catching a break. They looked around.
They stopped when they suddenly heard the loud voice of a woman, accompanied by the soft sound of a lyre which was being played. It was obvious the lady was trying to attract attention for people to come her way, she was almost yelling the lyrics of the song, yet it still sounded melodious and pleasant to hear, like a form of hypnosis.
Vivien and Sylas looked at each other, then gathered the courage to follow the sound. They went through bushes, making it difficult for them to follow the path. They stepped on branches which snapped and attracted attention their way, walking further into the forest.
After a few more moments, they arrived at their assigned location. In front of them was a beautiful cottage, it looked very well taken care of and kept in good condition, despite the harsh condition of winter. Sitting on a small chair was a lady which held a lyre in her hand. She was dressed appropriately for the weather, so Vivien couldn't tell if she had a cow tail.
The lady did not sit up, she simply greeted them.
„Hello! Can I help you?"
They couldn't simply ask if she was a Huldra. Nevertheless, they did their best to figure out how to find out the information they needed.
„We're looking for a place to stay at. It's very cold, do you mind helping us warm up?", Sylas asked.
„Heavens... I was not prepared to have any guests this early in the day! My apologies if my home will look a bit messy. Come forward, lovelies!"
The lady immediately sat up and invited them inside. They followed her, and she closed the door behind them.
To the right was a kitchen, and the woman offered them warm tea to drink. Sylas and Vivien sat on the wooden chairs and held their hot drinks, grateful for the woman's hospitality.
But they noticed she indeed had a cow tail that she was trying to hide with pieces of clothing. The lady wore a shawl and a long skirt. She had warm tights on, and her hair was dark blonde. She looked kind, yet was in possession of strong power the two didn't even know about.
Vivien's hands were trembling as she held the mug because of fearing for what was to come next. She did not want to hurt the sweet lady, and the woman did not seem like a bad „creature", as they liked to adress the Huldra.
„It gets very lonely on these mountains, sometimes. I am not used to chatting, sorry if I'm too quiet! Are you enjoying your hot tea?"
Vivien noticed the woman seemed to apologize a lot.
„It's... great. I have to ask, what is your name?", Sylas asked.
„Kari Johanna."
The woman brew tea for herself, waiting in silence after telling them her name. She looked at the counter, at the window on her right, or at the plants. There were a lot of plants in her small cottage. Many of them were placed over special supports which were held up by thin and frail ropes, some were placed simply on the ground, others were set on tables and window sills.
„Do you like to take care of plants, Kari?", Vivien spoke out.
„I do, it is one of my many hobbies. There are many plants around my home."
„You said your house would look messy, but everything is squeaky clean, here. I bet if I licked that carpet, it would taste like candy. Are you made of candy, too? This is all difficult to believe it exists."
Kari looked over at Sylas, one of her eyebrows raising in cofusion.
„Nothing here is made of candy.", she said, seriously.
The two seemed a bit concerned at her tone. They feared she knew what they were there for.
„My abilities to take care of my plants have been lessened overtime. It takes a toll on your mind because it isn't as much of a physical activity as mentally and spiritually. It requires utmost dedication, will, and desire. Physiologically and metaphysically, tending for a garden heals you from the inside, although it demands you keep up a rigurous plan. It is why I've hidden myself amongst tall trees."
Vivien and Sylas kept quiet, listening in. The girl brought the mug up to her face, taking the last sip of the warm tea.
„A while ago, I was informed of a pair of teenagers who would try to kill me. I am positive you are that pair."
Vivien set down the mug and went still. Who could have let her know of their coming? No other than Leonard or Jude.
The lady didn't look upset, didn't retaliate. She simply sat down on a chair in front of them and took a sip from her mug. Then set it down on the table. She looked up, as if taking something into consideration.
She took out her tail which was hidden by her skirt, and placed it down on the floor for them to see. Now, it was visible. Now, they knew what she was.
„I am the Huldra you've been searching for. I was turned into this monster years ago. Let me explain my side of the story to you, it won't take up much of your time."
Vivien and Sylas could only nod and wait for her to continue. Their limbs were cold, they no longer felt warm or safe.
„After watching a blood moon a few years ago, I was given great power, but it also came with a curse. Something transformed me into this being with a tail. Whenever I went outside, people gave me horrible looks I detested. Therefore, I had to isolate myself, not only because of my looks, but the superpowers I hold were also to blame for my notorious decision. Going out would be a nefarious settlement, because I couldn't control myself, I could easily hurt people. In the meantime, I found out that the only way I can make my tail fall out and escape from my curse is to marry a boy, but I haven't found anyone willing to settle for that condition with me. I left Norway in search of a man, isolating myself up in the mountains of Tallis. Thus, I wait here."
Kari finished her talk, then went silent. Vivien was at loss of words, Sylas responding to the Huldra just then.
„We were also cursed by watching a blood moon. That brings us to one conclusion... we should all throw a party to celebrate we made it this far despite our curses!"
Vivien rolled her eyes, his behavior was getting on her nerves once again.
„I have not been to a party in a long time. That would be nice.", Kari answered, which made Vivien's blood boil even further.
„Ahem... Kari! We won't kill you. Instead, I ask you to remove yourself from Tallis' vecinity forthwith. Don't interfere with anything that even speaks Tallis to you ever again. That is my sole request. Have a pleasant rest of your day and thank you for your hospitality. Don't forget to convey my dearest compliments to the individual who apprised you of our future arrival. He or she deserves the highest regards. Leave as far away as possible, preferably right after we go."
„Move from Tallis, right now? That can be done in an instant, I've been wanting to change locations for a long time. Though a tad too sudden, I agree I should try my luck somewhere else. Have a wonderful trip back, lovelies! You'll find me somewhere north if you wish to see me again!"
Sylas looked confused, but he complied. Vivien sat up from her chair and bid farewell to the Huldra, which held its tail up, radiating with happiness at the thought she might see them again another time.
The boy followed behind her. Once Kari was standing on the threshold of the entrance door, she waved to them, and the two waved back.
Vivien started walking back from where they came from, contemplating something which Sylas had no clue about. He reached for her arm to stop her from walking ahead.
„What got you to change your mind?"
„If Leonard would have informed her of our arrival, that would've meant he wanted to get rid of us. He mentioned, longer ago, that he has a radar that can detect where the Huldra is located. It works by measuring her powers... and if she is located in that radar, he knows she still exists. But if she leaves town, he will think she's gone."
„In other words, Leonard wasn't the one that informed her."
„But if Leonard wasn't the one that informed Kari of us coming... who else could it have been? Either way, her leaving town is a better option than killing her. We've got her as our ally, now. There were multiple options to choose, here: to let her go, or to get rid of her. To take into account Leonard could be her enemy, or that he lied to us, and that he could actually be her friend, letting her know we'd arrive to kill her. In each situation, something would have happened differently, bringing various consequences. The two are most definitely enemies... but I still am unsure who could have apprised her of our arrival... We have to take every situation into account. I tried to follow a script for both situations which included if Leonard was working against her, after all, or with her and against us. Killing her would have meant we placed our full trust in Leonard, and letting her go without instructing her to leave Tallis would have meant we placed our full trust in her, since Leonard would have found out we let her go. Therefore, allowing her to leave far away from town made us still have them both as our allies."
„That's good critical thinking. Your spider skills have proved to be effective in THIS predicament and are still active, I presume."
She rolled her eyes once again.
„Let's go, I'm tired of so much silence. It's starting to become uncanny..."
„Which predicament do you think is true?"
„I think... that him and Kari are enemies, and that somebody else let her know of our arrival. Let me explain why. We go ahead and eliminate the probabilities that haven't happened to us. She did not attack us straight away, so she was not working with him to get rid of us. Therefore... they clearly aren't friends, and I'm pretty sure he does not keep a radar on her because they're friends. Which leaves us to our last two options. They're enemies, and if he was the one to let her know of our coming despite their bad terms, she would've realized we work with a person she hates and would've been angrier than that. Kari couldn't have possibly also been informed we were instructed by Leonard to kill her, but she would have most likely mentioned something about him if he was the one to let her know of our arrival, which she didn't. She only mentioned somebody let her know we'd come. Assuming all of this happened, Leonard would have only sent us to her to make her attack us, but it hasn't occured. That leaves us to the last option, which is that..."
„Somebody else must've let her know, and the two are enemies... but you forgot one more predicament. What about the option where he let her know we're coming, but instructed her not to attack us?"
„That is the least probable. He would've just been toying around with us, trying to see what we would do, if that was true. For a guy that wants to salvage his time, toying around with random people is improbable."
„Look at us, deducting!"
„It's basic logic. It's more simple than you think, it doesn't pose as intellectually stimulating."
„I have to disagree, there!"
„I think it's safe to say we must take a trip to Leonard's office."
„After you, m'lady."
"Don't... adress me that way again."
"Alright! So you're telling me I carried this with me for nothing?", he took out a gun from his pocket.
"SYLAS!"
"Hah, relax."