Savina had never imagined to find someone that would adore her, and someone who she could adore in return. Back in Monti Sabini she had been ignored. An outcast of the pack in all but the fact that she was actually allowed to live within their lands. No men there had ever looked at her, for she would not have made an acceptable choice of mate. She had been below them. Even if they had taken an interest in her though it was doubtful that she could have reciprocated their attraction. They were all too much like Serge, completely absorbed with their status and their own personal gain. They did things only for themselves, not for others. Sadly, she had figured that most males were like that and had resigned herself to the idea of being on her own, no matter how much her heart yearned for love. When she had met Kansas though, it seemed as if immediately she had recognized him as her counterpart. There had been no questions, no concerns, only the knowledge that they were meant to be together.

Even if she did not see him in this light, she knew that he did not see himself as confident or worthy, and so she worked every day to make him see that he was worthy and that she thought that he was exactly that. Kansas was so much more than he gave himself credit for. He was a wonderful, gentle soul. He was a kind and loving father. He was smart and knowledgeable. The Sadira had one of the biggest hearts that she had ever seen. No matter what, he would always be a hero in her eyes and that was exactly what she saw now. Her knight in shining armor come to whisk her away on some grand adventure. Excitement pulsed through her at the thought of them being completely alone together. Not in the pack lands, but out in unclaimed territory with no responsibilities and no duties to perform. Just the two of them and their love.

She didn't know much about his past, and perhaps that was a little odd for mates of over a year, but it seemed the past was somewhat irrelevant to them. Not that it didn't matter, for the past shaped who one was, but the present did that as well and they had both grown tremendously since being together. Both had gained confidence and the knowledge that if all else fell apart, they would always have at least one other soul that they could count on being there for them. If it hadn't been for Kansas and their children, Savina wasn't sure if she could have made it through what had happened with her brother recently. It was the thought of them that had brought her back from the brink of self destruction. It had been a selfish moment for her, thinking that her pain was too great to bear. How could she have even entertained the idea of tearing herself away from him? It seemed so foolish to her now, that she could have even temporarily been so blinded. Their souls were bound together and she would never do anything to undo that stitching.

There was a marvelous feeling of weightlessness that descended over her as they road through the snowy forest. There was no roughness to the horse's gait. It was like he was simply floating over the ground like a dark smoke, carrying the duo-toned lovers with him. If it weren't for the excitement coursing through her veins Savina could have easily fallen asleep like this, arms clasped around her mate's waist. It truly felt like she had wondered into some dream world where all the worry and concern had been sucked out of her life. It felt, aside from their mount, that they were the only two beings in the world. Her friends and her pack meant the world to her, but to be in such communion with her man was pure bliss for now and she was content to let everything else slip from her mind. As far as she were concerned, they were the only two beings for now. Until they returned home, the world was theirs and theirs alone.

There were times where she thought about how her life would have been different if her mother hadn't died in that tragic accident. That had been one of the most horrific events of her life and had set everything after it into motion. She had loved her mother with all of her being and to lose her so shockingly and suddenly had rent the girl asunder. By that time Ehno had left Monti Sabini and Ghita had fled after her miscarriage so she had had no family to turn to for comfort. Her pathetic excuse for a father had tried, but it had only made things worse. Savina had wanted nothing from him and for him to try and come into her life at that moment had been a horrible mistake on his part. Still, if none of that had happened, she probably would still be living back in Italy. She would have never left her place of birth, would have never gotten on that ship and would have never ended up here and met Kansas. The Marino could never be happy or thankful for her mother's fate, but it almost felt that Amata had not only sacrificed herself to save her daughter's physical being but her entire future. She felt that her mother was still watching over her from the heavens and she hoped that she was proud of her girl.

Savina too wished that this sense of serenity would follow them back home, but she wasn't sure if that could be. If not for the war it might be possible, but until that conflict was over and buried then she would always be concerned about that dark shadow looming on the horizon. Thankfully Crimson Dreams was pretty well removed from the conflict but until Haku was deposed from his ill bought throne they would have cause for concern. The woman would do everything in her power to keep her home and family safe, but they were not warriors. Of course they could all fight to a degree, and would to protect their home and friends, but compared to the battle-hardened Dahlians she didn't know if their determination and solidarity would be enough. She prayed they were never tested in such a way.

Hmmm, maybe just booze. With the current mood of the thread I think both would be too much, but some wine would be just perfect! 598

There was nothing that either of them could do to undo the wrongs and tragedies that had already befallen them. Nothing could erase the pain of her mother's tragic death or the actions of Serge (or rather, his lack of actions). She could do nothing to make all of the bad things that had happened to him disappear, no matter how badly she might wish she could. Some things would come and knock them both down on occasion, but as long as she had him she would do her best not to dwell on what was wrong. The woman had slipped in that with the advent of everything that had been going on with her siblings, but she made a promise to herself and to him that she would do all in her power to avoid falling so deep into depression again. Kansas loved her with all his heart, she knew, and she was so lucky to have him. Not only that, but they had three beautiful children together. Savina was blessed but with all the drama she had lost track of that fact. She wouldn't let herself forget it again.

Savina would be content to never leave his arms, to always be cradled against his body and to share their warmth. Before him she had always been a fairly independent wolf and she still was to a degree, but she didn't mind being dependent on him. She would never wish for them to lose their own identities, but there was nothing wrong with wanting to be as close as they possibly could be. The time they were able to spend with one another meant so much to her and their current removal from their home made that feeling more acute. There would be no interruptions out here. It was just them, for as long as they wished to stay. The thought of them taking some time away for themselves had crossed her mind before, but she had felt a certain amount of guilt at leaving Crimson Dreams even for a time. The Italian fey didn't feel that now though. Perhaps it was because it had been at Kansas' inclination and not her own, or maybe it was because this was too wonderful to think about not doing now. Either way, she was elated to be out here with him.

It would have filled her heart to the bursting point if she knew how much she did for him. It had been a constant thought of her's to make him see the good in him, because when they had met it hadn't seemed like he had seen any of it. It had boggled her mind, because she had seen it so easily. Then again though, she was prone to do the same thing with herself. It had been more isolated to her specific relations with males, but she also would greatly downplay her appearance and other attributes. She didn't think she was anything all that special or amazing. Humbleness was a virtue, but at times the Marino took it to an extreme, and Kansas did as well. However, as with so many other aspects of their lives, they balanced each other out. They were able to make the other one see in themselves what they couldn't see on their own. Alone they had both felt as if they were somehow worth less than they really were. Some may have thought it sad, that they hadn't been able to feel validated on their own, but to Savina it was just more evidence of how right for each other they were. They were both still their own individual person, being with one another just enhanced them, and why would anyone think that wrong?

The only time Savina had partaken of any kind of altering substance had been the marijuana with Anselm, and even then she had been hesitant. If it hadn't been for the stressful and trying time she had just been through chances were she wouldn't have tried it at all. Circumstances being what they were though she had taken the chance and she didn't feel she had done anything wrong. It had helped her to relax and she had just had some fun with her friend. It wasn't a habit though, and she didn't intend to make it one. Savina preferred to have all her wits about her but letting loose everyone once in a while wouldn't do any harm, especially not in the presence of people that she trusted.

Thoughts drifted momentarily to their three beautiful children. They had grown up so fast it seemed like. They were on the cusp of becoming full fledged adults and she would have been lying if she said it didn't make her a little sad. Of course she was proud of them, so very proud of the wolves they were growing up to be, but she was struggling a bit to keep up with the change. It seemed to the mother that they had shot up nearly overnight. There was still mental and emotional growing for them to do, but they now wore the bodies of grown wolves and yet she remembered the day they had been born as if yesterday. Their tiny, squirming bodies huddled against her belly for food and warmth. She hoped that each of them were able to find a love like she shared with their father. They deserved nothing less. The woman also hoped that they would be lucky enough to find it on their first try, for seeing her childrens' hearts broken would surely break her own. As any mother, she wanted only the best for them, and she knew Kansas did as well.

Even if she had decided not to indulge in the wine he had brought along she wouldn't have been mad at him for a second. If it had been anyone else suggesting it she might have possibly been a little miffed, but she knew that he was only trying to make this evening as special as he could. Savina wondered how long he had been planning and putting this together. In her mind she could almost see him searching the forest for this exact spot, painstakingly working to make everything as perfect as he could manage. Well, he had managed amazingly and the Italian fey had never been met with such a wonderful and heartfelt surprise. "I think it'll be more than fine," she said with a bright smile. She couldn't see any way that tonight could be diminished. She was on cloud nine thanks to him.

Savina was certain she would be happy of whatever path in life they chose to pursue, but selfishly she hoped that those paths wouldn't lead them away from Crimson Dreams. Even if they did, she hoped that it would not take them outside of these lands. Family was the foundation that kept her strong and being separated from any member had always affected her greatly, and none would cause so great an effect as the departure of her babies. Luckily as far as she knew they all seemed to be happy in Crimson Dreams for the time being. If and when the day ever came for one of them to depart she hoped that it would be far from now when she could be more certain of their safety. She knew that whenever one of them left she would worry about them, her comfort though just depended on the degree of worry that she would have. She wondered how Kansas felt about the subject, but they could speak of it later. Now was a time to let their concerns go, not bring them to the surface.

The woman didn't think it possible for her to think any ill of something that he worked so hard on. The only time that she had ever disapproved of something he had done was when it came to Naniko, and she had forgiven him on both those accounts. She recognized that he wasn't perfect and he would make mistakes, just as she was far from perfect herself. Making mistakes and making the wrong choices were simply a part of life, the only problem came was when you did not learn from them and she did not believe this to be the case with her love. That catalyst was for the most part out of their lives now though and she thought they could both breathe easier.

She would never stop loving him. It wasn't even the faintest of possibilities in her mind. Even when she had been hurt or mad at his actions her love hadn't ceased to exist. She was meant to be his, that was what the woman truly felt. Her coming to these lands were no accident, the fates had brought her here. They may have been separated by an ocean for the beginning of their lives, but then the world had brought her here. Brought her to him. No one else could even come close to occupying the space that the Sadira held in her mind and heart. No one could come close to being as attractive in her gaze. Kansas was everything she had ever wanted and everything she had ever needed. He was her partner; her other half, and she knew with all her being that that bond would surpass even death itself. Not even the void beyond this world would keep them apart.

The wine was in her blood now, intensifying every sensation and making it feel twice as good. Savina supposed she could understand why people would drink if it made them feel like this, but she would only drink around him. The buzz filling her mind may have been good, but it was only this good because he was there beside her and he had done this and planned this night for them. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to come up with something so wonderful. He had though, and here they were in their own private little corner of the world, enveloped by the heat from their bodies and the fire crackling near them and basking in the mystical glow of the blue lake.