Jan. 5th work for you? 300+



Evening was taking a tighter grip on the day, slowly pulling the sun down past the horizon. The orangey light of the fading day poured in through the windows of the mansion, painting the house in new colors and casting odd, oblong shadows along the ground. Ehno emerged from the small storage room, having just added to the small stockpile of firewood. Winter was growing harsher with each passing day, and the wolves living in the mansion were making use of the few fireplaces whenever the cold was particularly biting. He wanted to make sure their supply did not dwindle.



Ehno wandered through the living room of the manor, stopping near one of the windows. He leaned against the frame for a moment, staring out into the sunset and contemplated the silence. The mansion had felt oddly quiet to him ever since Savina came back from whatever fight she had been in, broken and bloodied. He had wandered up to her room frequently since then, trying to lighten up her mood and--even though he hated to admit it--lighten up his own mood. The Italian boy hadn’t been there to protect his sister from whoever had done this to her. Savina wouldn’t even divulge too much information on the subject to him, and it inadvertently made him feel even guiltier. But as time continued onward and her wounds began to fade, his own guilt started to fade as well. He was just glad that she was okay.



The chocolate-hued male pushed way from the window, deciding to see how his sister was doing now. He traveled up the stairs and down the hall to her room, knocking softly on the slightly-ajar door. “Savvy?” he called after a moment of silence, slowly pushing the door open to peer into her room. It seemed that she had dozed off. Ehno quietly made his way to her bedside, seating himself in the small chair he often sat in when he checked up on her. He didn’t say anything; he just remained silent, not wanting to disturb her. For now he was content to watch over her for a little while. Even if it was only for a short moment, he wanted to feel like he was protecting her. He felt like he had failed at that already. He didn’t want to fail again.

Sounds good! 300+

The female wasn't sleeping as much as she had been, but she still did a fair amount of the time. Her body and mind needed the rest to recover from the ordeal. An ordeal that could have been so easily avoided if she had just gotten a hold on herself. But she hadn't, and now she was still wading her way back through all of the trouble she had caused. Both to herself and others. Though she was finally feeling better about the guilt that had been wracking her mind day and night. She had been lucky enough to meet Lubomir, who had shown her how she could control the beast inside of her. It would still take a lot of hard work, but at least she had the knowledge now. And the other day she and Kansas had finally been able to sit down and talk. They were alright now, and that helped her more than she could explain.



Savina didn't hear her brother calling her name, or the door opening. However it wasn't too long before the sea of sleep drifted her back to the shore of consciousness. Emerald eyes flitted open as she yawned and stretched out her legs. As her head turned and noticed the form sitting on the chair she started. Once she saw that it was Ehno she calmed quickly. "Oh, Ehno, you startled me." The girl gave her brother a warm smile. He had been checking up on her often, but she still hadn't talked to him about what had happened. She wasn't entirely sure why she hadn't either. Maybe she just hadn't had the energy. That was a sorry excuse. It was obvious from his eyes that he blamed himself for what had happened to her. She should have put his worry to rest the moment it appeared. Just another mistake she had made. "Ehno I...I'm sorry I've been so distant lately..." Her eyes looked away from his, ashamed about everything.

I've had this reply written up for days, but only had the chance to post it now. Doesn't make it any less late though. =/

WC:300+



He was staring quietly out the window when Savina stirred beside him, his gaze darting toward her as she spoke. He offered her an apologetic half-smile at her words. “Sorry,” he said, shifting in his chair. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” His smile became warmer at the sight of her own. But then she spoke again, her words hesitant and apologetic and her gaze avoided him. His smile faltered slightly and he sat up straighter in his chair, his amber gaze never leaving her.



“You have nothing to apologize for, Savina. It’s alright.” She had been through a traumatic experience; it was understandable that she would be a little distant with those close to her. He got that. What he really didn’t understand, though, was that his sister had begun opening up again these past few weeks, speaking more often with their pack mates, and yet she had still remained rather closed off toward him, at least regarding her accident. He felt that he may be the only one kept in the dark about whole ordeal, and he hated to admit it, but it hurt. The two of them were always so close, yet during these last few weeks it felt like they were starting to slip apart a little. His continual disappearing act probably wasn’t helping either.



Ehno dismissed the thoughts, putting on a smile for the benefit of both of them. He leaned toward her bedside, reaching for her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’re looking much better,” he said, taking their conversation in a slightly different direction. He wouldn’t outright ask her about what happened again. The Italian boy had tried it a number of times when she first stumbled back to the pack lands like this, but it was no use. Ehno knew his sister would talk to him about it when she was ready to do so. Until then, he was willing to wait, helping her in any way he could.

s'ok! 300+

She didn't know why she'd kept the truth from him the longest. He was the only blood family she had left, so maybe she had been worried about alienating him. Though keeping him at a distance wasn't the best way to avoid that either. Maybe she thought that he would accept her no matter what unlike others that didn't have such a strong tie to her. But if that was the case why hadn't she told him first. There really wasn't an excuse. He was her brother and her best friend. He deserved better than that from her. Closing her eyes tight she shook her head. "Yes I do, Ehno. Yes I do." She was really the only one to blame for all of this. The Italian girl knew that he was only trying to make her feel better, but she didn't need for him to say it was all alright. It wasn't.



Taking a deep breath she looked at him. Looking deep into his pools of amber. "This is all my fault. Don't blame yourself. There's nothing you could have done. It was all me. I wasn't thinking, and I let myself do something stupid and irrational." Even though deep in her heart she knew that he would always love her, the fear that he would be appalled by what she could become frightened her. She was certainly appalled by it. "Ehno there's...something about me. Something dark. It's inside me. When I get angry is when it...comes out. It takes over me. The first time it happened was with Serge..." She had mentioned that incident to him already, but they hadn't gone any further into it than that.



"That's what happened this time. You know how Pilot disappeared? Well I found him just outside the borders. Only he wasn't himself. Something had happened to him. A coyote from Inferni had...done things to him." A disgusted look crossed her features when she thought about it. It made her want to wretch. "When he told me that I just...lost it. I ran off to go find that coyote. I was so mad. I caught his scent and then...it all goes black. The next thing I remember is standing in the forest weak and wounded." There was no doubt in her mind this all would be shocking to him. His sweet, mild-mannered sister could turn into a raging beast.

300+



He wanted to interrupt her, to tell her that it was alright, that he should have been there to help her, but he knew she had to have a reason to feel that way and he remained silent, matching her unwavering gaze and listening intently to her words. As she continued with her explanation, he found himself pulling his ears back and a frown worming its way onto his features. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t find the words.



She had done this to herself. He was still trying to process all that she had told him, forming the images in his mind. He wanted to rationalize her behavior, still finding it hard to believe despite the facts staring him right in the face. Savina would never lie to him, though. Ehno remembered Savina telling him about her attack on Serge, but he never faulted her for it. Ehno knew he would have acted the same in that situation, so he did not think her actions strange at the time. But now that he thought about it, he found it a little surprising. His sister was usually so good natured and calm, and it was hard to believe she would do such a thing. But everyone, no matter how peaceful, will strike back when provoked. His attempt at rationalizing told him that this must have been the case with Serge.



He wanted to say this was the case now with her fight with the Inferni member. But unlike the situation in Italy, where Serge had been right there, a constant antagonizing force in their lives, this time Savina had to go out searching for the fight. Something had made her loose control. Why? he wanted to ask. Why would she go and do such a thing. But she said it herself. In those situations, she had lost control. Ehno couldn’t imagine her flying into an uncontrollable frenzy. He didn’t want to.



“How come you never told me about this before?” The words were out before he could stop them, and he immediately regretted the slight forcefulness that lay behind them. “I could have helped you…” he added a moment later, his words now softer, laced with his care. He didn’t know what else to say, what he should do.

So sad! Good thing she can make it up to him by making him an uncle!
300+

As her brother's expression changed to something much more distasteful her heart clenched in her chest. Gods, she was such a fool. Such an awful, awful fool. He had every right to look at her like that. Not only for her idiotic act and problem, but for keeping it from him for so long. It wasn't right. He wouldn't have done that to her. As the moments stretched on she felt a panic begin to clench her chest. Had she done something beyond his forgiving? Maybe she had. Ehno and Kansas had the most reason to be upset with her. But Kansas and her had talked, they had worked through it, and he had forgiven her. In her concern over her relationship with her mate, she had almost forgot that she had come close to making her own brother lose her as well. Unbidden tears welled up, drowning her eyes. How could she be so selfish?



At his words she clamped her eyes shut and her ears folded back against her skull. Hot tears streamed down her obsidian cheeks. "I...I don't know! Ehno I'm so sorry!" She burried her face in one of her blankets, trying her best to suppress the sobs that wanted to escape from her throat. Why hadn't she told him? If anyone understood her and loved her unconditionally it was him. Maybe once they had found each other she hadn't wanted to ruin things by bringing up something so dark. She had wanted to believe that things were like they were when they had been little. So carefree and happy. Now she wanted to scold herself for being so childish.



"I could have helped you..." Those words made her think of Kansas and her guilt stun her even deeper. "I didn't know what was wrong with me! It hadn't happened in so long I thought it might have gone away. I didn't want to admit that I could be such a monster! I don't have a good reason and I just hate myself for it!" The words just poured from her lips, Savina was unable to stop them. If her uncontrollable tirade was making him feel bad that was the last thing she meant to do. She was the only one who deserved to feel bad.

Yay! 300+



Ehno didn’t realize how harsh he may have sounded until he saw the tears in his sister’s eyes and heard her frantic apology. He didn’t notice wounded look on his features until he saw Savina’s reaction, and everything hit him like a brick. He had never meant to make her cry, or make it seem like she was at fault. Ehno had let his feelings from being kept in the dark get the better of him, and now he had made a fool of himself. Her words were filled with such raw emotion, and he knew that he wasn’t the only one hurting. No, compared to what Savina was feeling now, Ehno’s own sadness seemed like nothing.



He hated to see her like this. His heart ached to see such anguish in her tear-strained features. It was obvious that this was an incredibly difficult situation for her, and he was slowly beginning to understand why she may have kept it to herself all this time. He got up quickly from his chair and sat beside her on the bed. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and tried to pull her close. He may not have completely understood or accepted her shocking revelation just yet, but he was going to be there for her now. Ehno had to be strong for his sister in her moments of weakness. He knew she would do the same for him.



“Non dire ciò. Lei non è un mostro, Savina.” In his distress he didn’t even realize that he had fallen back into his native language. “Lei è forte. So che lei è. Lei può prendere dopo questo.” As he noticed the familiar Italian words, he realized that they helped calm him, reminding him of home and of happier times. Maybe it would do the same for her.

300+

No longer could she hold in the sobs that will building up inside her, so she let them out. Thankfully the blanket she had her face buried in helped to muffle them. Savina was not a drama queen, and she absolutely hating making a scene like this. But she was also a creature that was guided heavily by her emotions and when she felt something so strongly it was impossible for her to hide it. The girl felt awful. It hadn't been her intent to make her brother feel bad, to drive a wedge between them. Ehno and her had always been so close, able to finish each other's sentences when they were pups. Oh, how at times she longed for those days. Being young and without a care in the world. Having their mother again. Being one big happy family. But she loved it here too. With Ehno here and Amata gone, Italy held nothing for her anymore.



It was such a relief when her loving sibling came and wrapped his arms around her that immediately she pressed herself against him; resting her face against his chest. It was as if during this conversation that fear of losing him had taken hold of her again. Now that they had physical contact those scares were mostly abated. Her breathing was deep and heavy, attempting to level herself out again. When he spoke in the language of their birth, it did a great deal to sooth her as well. "Sì. È appena duro. Mi spaventa." Those fears were lessened ever since she had gotten help from Lubomir, but they were still there. "Non ho mai significato per dolerla. Non terrò niente da lei di nuovo. Prometto." Risking her bond with her brother was something she never wanted to do. "L'amo il fratello."

300+



The Italian boy was comforted by the fact that his sister didn’t pull away and continue to put all of this onto herself. When he felt her tears spill onto his chest, the situation seemed to hit him again, more strongly than before. He felt sympathy and sadness for his sister flood his heart, and he pulled her closer. He tenderly rubbed one hand against her back in an attempt to soothe her. Their contact made the situation seem much less frightening, his fear and guilt quickly fading. Though he was almost afraid let her go, part of him worried that she would hide her fears and problems from him again. But he trusted his sister to remain open with him, so when her breathing began to steady and her sobs mostly subsided, he loosened his hold on her a bit, gazing down at her as she began to speak.



He smiled softly at her promise, relieved and comforted by her words. He knew she never meant to hurt him with her secrecy. He was glad that they were moving past this misunderstanding of theirs and, hopefully, coming out of it with their bond strengthened. Ehno didn’t trust anyone as much as his sister, and he was relieved to find that they weren’t slipping apart after all. He loved her so dearly that the mere thought that he was falling away from her stung his heart bitterly. But now he was filled with relief that his scare was only a scare, and nothing more. Ehno nuzzled her gently, pulling her into a closer and more comfortable embrace. “Sono contento,” he whispered softly to her. “Saremo sempre qui per l'un l'altro, vero? Nessuno bisogno dei segreti.” They could count on each other to be understanding, to always help one another out. “L'amo anche.”

Maybe start to wrap this up? That way we can be ready for when she tells him she's preggers!

Warmth slowly began to seep back into her chest. This whole thing had been frightening, more so than she had even expected. She had been taking their strong bond for granted. While she truly believed that it would always be there, she now knew better than to treat it as such. Just as with any relationship, even though stronger than most, it needed to be handled with care. With trust and respect. Unknowingly she had neglected that. Now, just as with all the other mistakes she had made in the past few weeks, she would make sure to the best of her ability not to let them happen again. For her own benefit, but mostly for those that she loved so dearly.



Savina nuzzled her brother back, reveling in their closeness. Their relationship had made her whole from the moment they had been born. She had hated to be parted from him when he had left their birth pack. Now that he was here she never wanted him to leave. Of course he would always have that wandering spirit in him. She simply hoped that he would always chose to come back here and not to stray for too long. "Certo. Nessuni più segreti." The girl took another deep breath and let it out slowly. Once again she had returned to her normal calm and relaxed state. Reaching up she lovingly licked the side of his face. "Noi Marinos deve conficcare insieme fino alla fine, sì? Soprattutto in queste terre strane." That last part had been tinted with humor. While different from Italy, they weren't that strange.

Yep yep. And sorry, this post is a little spacey, lol.



Sitting there cradling his sister in his arms, Ehno began to feel better than he had in the past few weeks. The more her breathing steadied and her tears subsided, the more he felt himself steady. Honestly he was a little surprised at how much their little chat just now had put him at ease. The fact that he had been affected that greatly by the thought of being less trusted by his sister just showed how much he valued that bond with Savina. But now their little misunderstanding had been cleared up and Ehno could tell that she was just as relieved as he was. He had a renewed respect for her now that he was aware of the emotional distress she had been experiencing along with her physical pains. He was proud to have such a strong sister.



He knew that after this situation, neither sibling would keep a secret from the other. Still, hearing Savina confirm this out loud filled him with warmth. The Italian boy’s smile widened as she gave him a loving lick, and he returned one of his own. Ehno caught the light layer of humor on her next words and he chuckled slightly. He was glad to have their conversation take on a much more light-hearted feel. "Certo," he said, his own words taking on that tint of humor. Ehno pulled away from his sibling slowly, content to simply sit there beside her now that she had calmed. It was then that he noticed how late it had gotten, the darkening skies outside drawing his gaze toward the window. “Non i giorni sembrano volare appena da in queste terre strane, fa loro?” he commented, continuing Savina’s little joke.

You can reply once more or I can close it up! Just let me know

The usual feeling of contentedness had once again settled over the siblings. It felt so good to have her life returning to normal again. After finding Pilot everything had been dumped on its head. She had spent the past few weeks not only physically recovering, but mending all the hurt and wrong she had done. Talking with Geneva had been the first real step towards her sorting out all her emotions and mental trauma. From there she had finally been able to sit down with Kansas and apologize to him, and now she and Ehno had sorted things out. Really the last person she needed to talk to was Nani. Thankfully she had feeling that that conversation would go much smoother than the previous ones. Or at least she hoped that.



At her brother's comment she also looked out the little window in her room, noticing how dark it was becoming. Had she really slept that long? Her sleeping patterns were all out of whack. Another thing she would have to fix (though minor). "Sì fanno. Non sono un ventilatore di queste cose di inverno. È così freddo e c'è appena qualunque luce del giorno. La primavera non può venire abbastanza veloce." Rising to her feet she stretched out her legs and shook out her coat. "Bene, andrò la scoperta alcune cose di cibo ed assegno fuori da intorno la casa. La vedrò presto, Ehno." Savina lightly touched her nose to his and gave him another lick.