(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Daphne is still in dog form two days later. She hasn't really moved from her bed, not even to eat anything. She just sleeps and lays there. Her mind is just fuzzy. Though that could be because she hasn't eaten or drank anything in a while. The bedroom door opens as Damon lets himself in. He has been coming and going since the ghosts were sent back. Elena asked him to keep an eye on her.

"Red, you up?" He asks, closing the door again. He moves to the window and pulls open the curtain, when he turns back, he can make out the dog on the bed clearer "I don't know what you got up to at the magic school of yours but" Damon pulls an envelope from his pocket. "There were all these weird carvings on a cave wall, figured you might be able to make sense of them" He sets the envelope on her bedside table. "With that big brain of yours" He looks at the dog on the bed. "You know, if you want..." None of them had any luck figuring out the markings on the wall, but he remembers seeing a book about decryption. He's making a big leap but if it helps them and gets her out of her little funk then great. She might be the sort of person that prefers to get stuck in rather than wallow. "Oh, and I brought this back" He reaches into his jacket and pulls Pad out, upside down by his foot, a few coins fall from his pouch, followed by a bangle and a set of keys. Daphne rolls her eyes a little. Damon sets Pad into his cage and then adjusts his jacket.

"Damon" He turns to find that Daphne has turned back into her human form and sitting up.

"I know" He assures her. She doesn't need to talk about it with him if she doesn't want to. But he knows. It was clear that she was going to be deeply affected by Sirius and Tink leaving. She fought so hard against feeling anything. But it failed. And she's feeling everything. "Just think about it" He nods to the envelope. Leaving it up to her. She lets out a breath and looks at it. Wallowing isn't working for her. It's just making her feel worse about everything. She picks up the envelope and pulls out the photos from inside.

"It's runic" She offers. "Old too" She turns the photo a little. "Urm...Proto-Germanic" He frowns a little as he moves to sit on the bed with her. "Viking" She elaborates.

"Okay, so you just know Viking runic?" He asks.

"I studied ancient runes" She answers. He snorts and leans back on his hands.

"Of course you did" He mumbles with a smirk, she looks down and then takes a breath, her eyes going to study the photos, one by one.

"Here" She states and he leans up. "These...these are names" She motions to the photos. "This one...it's Niklaus"

"Klaus" He whispers as she moves through the photos.

"This one..." She turns it a little. "Elijah" She translates and traces her fingers over the photo. "Rebekah..."

"These are the names of the Original Family?" He asks her as she stands, moving to sit on the floor, spreading the photos out across the floor.

"Give me some time" She offers. "I'll translate the rest..." He knew that with her mind she wouldn't be able to ignore this. To get her mind off of Sirius and Tink. "Oh," She leans up and looks at him as he goes to leave. "I still need some of your brother's blood" She points out, he nods.

"I'll get you some" He gives her a small smile. She hums and goes back to the photos. He then starts to leave again. Hand on the doorknob before she makes a noise. He frowns and glances at her. "What?" He asks, she shakes her head and touches the photos. "Oh, come on, Red, you can't make a noise and then refuse to tell me why" He teases, she then leans back and bites her lip. "What is it?"

"Mikael." She answers. "His name's here too" He raises an eyebrow at her.

.........

At Alaric's apartment, Alaric is looking at a set of the same photos that are spread out over his desk, while Damon is helping Elena with her combat training. Just something to make her feel better about being able to do something. Anything. Even if she doesn't have magic or super speed or super strength. She knows she would be utterly useless, but she feels like she has to do something.