The Times We Loved

Planing the Trials

AN: Before I start this chapter I thought I should say hi... Hi, I would like to thank all of you who have read my story thus far... 250 reads is a lot, probably more since I wrote this. I would just like to say THANK YOU very much! This story may be about 50 chapters and there might be a sequel. So without further ado here is chapter ten! I hope you like it as much as I loved writing it! WARNING FLUFF! :-)

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Caroline woke to birds chirping and a house full of life. The sound of Esther and Rebekah making breakfast coming from the kitchen area and faint manly voices from outside. That was probably Finn and Mikael getting ready to go hunting today. As Carolines eyes fluttered open she was met with the sight of Kol on his side facing her on the floor.

"What are you doing Kol?" Kol rolled away from Caroline and stood up. "Were you watching me sleep?" Caroline was outraged.

"No... well yes I was," Kol turned towards his sister and mother. "She's awake!" He called. Rebekah came skipping next to Kol then sat down next to Caroline.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes very well thank you for asking"

Kol grew jealous. "I was going to ask her that!"

"Why don't you ask me if I had a dream?" Caroline suggested

"Okay, did you have a dream?"

"Alas no," Kol looked disappointed, then Caroline continued, "but I can remember a dream I once had about flying on a rainbow on a white horse with wings." Kol was intrigued.

"Then what happened?" Kol inquired

Esther chuckled and waddled over to the three. "Leave the poor girl alone she has just woken up," Caroline smiled, "hungry love?"

"Starving!"
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Once Esther and Caroline made breakfast Kol and Rebekah joined then at the small wooden table inside the house to eat.

What they ate looked like porridge or oat meal or a mixture of the two. Caroline did not complain though because this was all they had and she appreciated them looking after her.

"So what trials are you going to have for the tournament?" Kol inquired trying to influence the final events.

"Oh you are serious about that?" Caroline choked on her breakfast. "Well I guess archery, melee combat, strength, hmmm what else?" Caroline couldn't think of any more then Kol pipped up.

"What about charming skills, or good looks?" Caroline and Rebekah laughed as Kol ran a hand through his hair trying to act irresistible. "What?!"

"We'll talk about this later" Esther suggested picking up the empty bowls and put then in a wicker basket. "Caroline could you help me wash these?"

"Of course" Caroline picked up the basket of dirty pots and carried them outside. Rebekah and Kol ran out after Caroline and went to play. Carolime waited for Esther so she knew where a he was washing the pots.

After five minutes of walking they cane to a river where a few others were washing clothing or pots. Caroline set the basket down and sat on a mossy rock. Esther sat next to Caroline with some dry rags ready to dry the things Caroline had washed.

Caroline was enjoying herself washing the pots and hummed while she worked. Esther smiled at her and sighed in the morning sun. Caroline was also daydreaming as she handed Esther another pot. Her eyes were on the clear water that licked her hands and feet.

Caroline's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a chopping noise. Her gaze went from the water to what was across the river. A tree was being hacked away at. The man doing the chopping had a smooth steady rhythm and didn't stop until the tree fell.

Caroline realised it was Klaus! She stared at him as he worked and hadn't noticed that there was only one more pot left by the time Klaus had chopped up the whole tree unto little log pieces. As he wiped his brow Klaus looked across the river to see Caroline smiling.

She turned her gaze and lifted the basket of clean pots that Esther was about to lift. Caroline hauled it back to the house and put the basket of pots on the floor.

"You can go now Caroline, I'll tidy up in here" Esther waved Caroline away but she stood there not moving.

"I'd like to help, it's fun to clean!" Caroline started to put the bowls back where she found them yesterday. She turned to Esther who smiled in appreciation.

It took the both of them an hour and a half to clean and tidy the inside of the house. There was nothing more Caroline could help with so she decided to go back to the river. When she got there she saw Klaus picking up three logs in one arm and turn to walk. He stopped when he saw her and they both smiled.

Caroline was about to call to him when Kol and Rebekah bounced up to her and jumped up and down excited.

"Are you going to come to market with us?" Kol asked in a whiney voice.

"Please it's ever so fun and you'll see some of our friends!" Rebekah pleaded tugging on her left hand gently.

"As long as it's okay with your mother" Caroline smiled. A look of realisation came across both their faces and they bounded back to the house in search of their mother.

Caroline turned her attension back to Klaus but found him directly behind her instead of across the river. Carolime let out a small yelp and wobbled backwards but kept her balance. Klaus put his arm around her anyway.

"Here we are again" Caroline chuckled and Klaus smiled. He let her stand by herself and still held the wood logs from earlier.

"You look beautiful today Caroline," Klaus's expression changed to worry as Caroline. Caroline nearly thanked him for the compliment, "not that you were uglu yesterday, I mean you looked beautiful yesterday but you also look beautiful today and-" Caroline cut him off with a kiss to his cheek.

She smiled and began to walk back to the house. Klaus easily caught up and they walked together back to the house. Klaus laced the wood down where he had put the others. He then opened the door for Carolime but before she could go in Kol and Rebekah burst out laughing and jumping.

"You can come, you can come!" That both choruse.

"Where are you going?" Klaus asked, hope in his eyes.

"We're going to market Niklaus, would you like to join us? Show Carolime around?" Esther stood in the door way and smiled at her son.

"I'd love to, I mean if it's okay with you Caroline" Klaus asked Caroline.

She smiled in return and nodded. The five of them made their way to the market that was a ten minute walk from the house.