Your Little Knight

Silvano Sadira · 01-29-2011, 05:32 PM

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500+
For Savina. &hearts

This whole affair was straining everyone, and everyone was feeling the immense tension. The pack was still, stiff even, as Artemis lay silently sleeping her strange sleep. No one knew why she still slept, but the two healers that he called his sisters all said that her body was healing while sleeping, but Silvano was worried regardless. The sleeping do not eat and do not maintain their health. Such a long time of shut eye could not possibly be good for his litter mate. What if she woke up and was too weak to do anything? She would be bedridden for even longer while her siblings and parents took care of her to get her back up to her past levels. And who knew what kind of state her mind would be when her pretty eyes opened again. Silvano's heart broke at the thought that Artemis might not wake up and be the same Artie. He hoped she would be okay, he really did, for all his annoyance toward her.

But that still left the question of what was happening at this moment, and at this moment, Savina was running the pack from her daughter's bedroom, letting Anu do most of the pack relations while she cared for Artemis. His mother was always by the girl's side, holding her hand, brushing away strands of hair, trying to do something to help, anything. Silvano had noticed how tired she looked, how worried, and how that worry might make her sick. That was not something he wanted. The Sadira youth knew he was on the cusp of manhood and it was time to do what he had to. He had to take care of his mother while she took care of his sister. It was high time he did so anyway. He had to grow up and be a man sometime. Savina had only a few men in her life, her mate, her brother-in-law, and her two sons. It was high time the second son grew up and joined the ranks of the men.

Silvano had hunted down a rabbit, rather scraggly because of the winter, but it had to do. Wrapping the skinned and gutted rabbit in a thick cheesecloth, the boy grasped the neck of the bundle as he traipsed into the library. No one was there, but he was sure they would not have noticed him come in if there had been. Instantly, he found his hands grasping Treasure Island, which he tucked under his arm, holding the meat in the same hand so he could push open doors. As soon as he got into his sister's room, the boy's look softened as his emerald eyes fell upon her still sleeping form and then on his mother sitting beside her. "Mamma, ho portato qualcosa per te." He pulled up a chair beside the woman, still holding both book and cheesecloth sack. "Ho trovato un coniglio vicino al lago. Ho pensato che si desidera qualcosa da mangiare." Silvano looked at Artemis, sadness evident in his eyes. "How is she?" He turned toward his mother, look soft as he observed her tired looks. "How are you?"

Savina Marino · 01-29-2011, 06:30 PM

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<3 SoSuWriMo 507

It was too much for one mother to take, for one parent to take. Two of her children needed help and she couldn't give it to either of them. One, because there was no help that could be given, and the other because she could not leave the side of the first for enough time. Savina had made stunted trip away, desperately calling for her runaway son, but before any headway could be made on finding him her conscience called her back to her comatose daughter's side. Each day that past with Artemis unwaking and Denali gone, the woman's hope dwindled, and since she couldn't help her children, her desire to care for herself had disappeared entirely. How could she sleep? What if something happened to Artemis when she wasn't there? How could she eat when her daughter couldn't and her son was likely out there going hungry? So she went without as much as she could, only sleeping when her body could simply not stay awake any longer, and she made no effort to hide it from anyone. She just couldn't.

As almost always these days, Savina sat by her daughter's bed, her dulled green eyes watching her lively girl slowly waste away. She was becoming so thin and frail. Amata and Cambria gave her as much sustenance as they could, but it wasn't easy. There was no solid food, only broth, and even then there was only so much they could slowly pour down her throat. If Artemis didn't come to soon, there would be nothing left of her. When that fateful line would be crossed, and how soon it was, the Italian woman didn't know. She only knew with an ominous certainty that it was far too close for any kind of comfort. She found herself debating in her head if it would be better to go and full out search for Denali, for the child that she possibly could save, but she still couldn't bring herself to make that choice. Her heart and soul ached with her indecision and her impotence.

The Consul's gaze lifted lethargically as Silvano entered the room and she couldn't even find the energy to muster a fake smile for her boy. The scent of rabbit was unmistakable as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her. Against her wishes, her concave stomach growled at the prospect of food. Half of her wanted to reject the offered meat, and likely the only reason she could swallow accepting it was because her son had brought it for her. "Thank you, caro." Her voice was soft, a weakness to it that was not usual. When he asked how his sister was, Savina looked back to her. "No change," she said in a defeated tone. Then he asked how she was, and she had no idea how to respond. "Survivng." The woman settled on. It was hard to put a brave face on, even a weak one, but she didn't want Silvano to know how deep her despair truly went.

Silvano Sadira · 01-29-2011, 06:48 PM

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300+
replies will be a bit shorter for ya since I'm done trying for SoSu xD

Savina looked worse than he thought. Clearly she was having a hard time dealing with it all, with Artemis, with Denali, and then with herself. She probably blamed herself for not being able to give both of them the attention they needed, but Artemis needed it so much more now, even if Denali had run off and was now unattended. He would be fine. Surely, someone would find him soon or he would come home hungry and apologetic. His adopted family loved him, but he was convinced they would not now. If only the younger boy could see how much worry there was in his adopted mother's eyes for him, and how she was dying inside with worry.

Silvano put the book on his legs, perched like a table, as he untied the cheesecloth and revealed the vibrant pink meat. There were plenty of smaller pieces, most of it devoid of bones too. He left the ribs on, wondering if his mother would like to eat them with the bones, since they were half crunchy cartilage anyway. It was fresh, and it looked good. Savina had to be hungry; her growling stomach was evident of that. Was she starving herself? He choked back tears at the thought his mother was slowly killing herself, hoping for something to change. "Mamma," began the boy, placing the unwrapped meal in his mother's lap, thinking she would not take it for herself. "Devi mangiare." He knew she probably would not. "You have to be strong for Artie. For Denali. For the rest of us. You gotta eat something..," he implored her, not wanting his mother, the Dreamer's leader, to waste away in the darkness. "You gotta be strong, Mamma. You gotta eat. Please. Artie.. Artie would not be happy to know you're not eating."

It was up to her in the end, and he was so sure she would set it aside, give a weak smile, and then tell him she would eat it later, so as not to eat in front of him, but it would go uneaten. He had to find a way to feed her, somehow. He sighed, knowing it was no longer in his hands if his mother would accept the meat and eat it. He tapped the book in his lap, staring it rather than Savina or Artemis. "Per Artemis. I thought.. I thought she'd like it if I read something to her while she slept. She.. she's our adventurer. But.. I don't know if she read this. Sapete se ha fatto?" he asked, hands gripping the book tightly as he shifted his green eyes up to his mother slightly lighter ones.

Savina Marino · 01-29-2011, 07:19 PM

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That's fine! Smile Hopefully you don't mind my rambling XD; SoSuWriMo 542

It was unusual for Savina to not hide her pain and worry away. She was a lot like her sister in that regard, not wanting others to see how truly fragile she could be. That urge had only become stronger as she had taken up the mantle of a leader. The pack looked to her for guidance and it was her job to be strong for them. This time though, she simply could not do it. She had no strength to pretend that she was handling this well. The Consul wanted to believe that it was because she knew that the pack would understand, that they would be no better if they were in her situation. The truth of the matter was though, she knew deep down, that she didn't have the strength to even care what the pack thought. She was falling to pieces and it was no use trying to act like she wasn't.

Silvano untied the cloth and revealed the fresh meat. Even if her mind wanted to act like it did not appear appetizing to her at all, her body knew better. Hunger pains gnawed at her insides and saliva gathered in her mouth, craving to taste and devour the meat that her son had so kindly brought for her. Was Artemis having a similar reaction to the presence of the food? Unlike Savina though, she could not give in to those desires. That thought made her want to do exactly what her son thought she would, but his words made her take pause. Here her son was, begging for her to take care of herself. Telling her she had to be strong. As Silvano finished, guilt etched itself over her face and she spared another quick glance to her daughter. Her son was right, she knew. He had hit the nail on the head. Savina had been muted, out of shame, but to show him she had heard him, she picked up a piece of the meat and took it into her mouth. She chewed, and her body exulted in the tasted and feel of the food.

Here she had been, thinking it was only right of her to abstain from things that her children were being denied, and it had caused her young son to make the effort to take care of her. After she swallowed the first bit, she looked back to Silvano. "Sono spiacente..." It was her job to care for him, and she had forced their roles to reverse. "You're right, il mio piccolo cavaliere." This time, she did manage a smile, even if it was small and not exactly happy. Savina couldn't let herself waste away like Artemis was, there were still others that depended on her too. The woman hadn't even really noticed the book in her son's lap, but when he brought it and asked if Artemis had read it, her eyes scanned over the cover. "I don't know, but," she said, with a more real smile, "I think she would like that no matter what." How sweet her boy was. She had never thought of that. She wanted to hug him, but he wanted her to eat, and so she brought another piece of the rabbit to her mouth.

Silvano Sadira · 01-29-2011, 07:49 PM

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300+
bwhaha I don't xD

There was some kind of feeling of elation bubble inside of him as he watched her pop one of the small pieces of meat into her mouth, and he gave her a tired smile, matching the one she gave him, but with a little bit more happiness. Oh, he was still simply dripping worry but he was elated to know that his mother was listening to his suggestion and his pleas to feed herself. "Grazie Mamma." Silvano's look was so relieved as the woman put another piece into her mouth, making his inside untwist and relax. At least he could do this much for his mother, his beloved mother. He could do almost nothing else but he would do this for her, for their growing family. "Noi siamo una famiglia. Ci prendiamo cura l'uno dell'altro. It's just what we do." He gave another weak smile, trying so hard to be strong for everyone, Savina included.

Silvano nodded at the woman before him, eyes looking down on the dusty cover. The title was in a fancier print face with a picture of an island with what the boy assumed were palm trees; such things had long since been dead in the climate. It looked warm, the water was such a pretty blue. Even the prospect of pirate treasure was something he thought that Artemis would like. He patted the cover, knowing the contents already. "Have you read it, Mamma?" he asked softly, having hoped to read it to both of them, since Savina was unlikely to leave the room. "I thought I could read it to you both," he offered gently, watching his mother eat more, the knots in his stomach untying. "It's an adventure story, and I thought that Artie would love it." He just knew that she would. A tale of pirates? Sea ships? Battles? Treasure? Oh, Artemis would have loved it, for sure. Maybe when she woke she would remember him reading it. If not, he would tell her and hand her the book, and tell her to read it. Because she would surely love it.

Savina Marino · 01-29-2011, 08:44 PM

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<3! SoSuWriMo 395

She could see the worry that she felt herself mirrored in her son's eyes, though this worry was also directed at her. It seemed to be a bit of a family curse, the way they worried over things. There were worse things to have in a bloodline, she supposed, but her mind was not wandering to such thoughts right now. Silvano seemed so relieved when she ate some of the rabbit and it gave her all the more motivation to continue eating it. There was nothing she could do for Artemis or Denali but if eating would ease Silvano's worry, then she would do it, even if it were more for her son than herself. As he spoke about family the words sunk deep into the woman's heart. It was her tendency to try and take all her family's worries and concerns on her own back so that no one had to suffer but her. This was not a situation in which that could be done though. They all felt worry and pain at the fact that Artemis would not wake up and Denali had run away, she wasn't keeping it from anyone. Softly she nodded her head, "Sì, facciamo." Without family, she would have been lost long ago.

The scene on the front of the book, from what she could see of it, looked much more akin to Italy than anything here in Nova Scotia. Even that was not a close comparison though, as she had never seen the odd trees that were painted on the cover. Whatever the scene depicted, it was a much more wonderful place than the winter they were currently enduring. As she chewed up more of the rabbit, she shook her head, her raven locks sweeping over her shoulders. "I haven't." There were many books in the library that she had yet to read. Silvano was acting so thoughtful and grown up, and beneath all her sorrow, there were rays of pride shining through the clouds that veiled her eyes. "I would like that, just as much as I'm sure Artemis would," she said, touching her daughter's hand gently. "So che farebbe." Savina looked back to her darker eyed son, interested to hear this story that would so thrill Artemis were she awake again. Who knew, maybe this was just the sort of unconventional medicine the sleeping girl needed.

Silvano Sadira · 01-29-2011, 09:05 PM

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300+
"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum".

Silvano smiled more broadly, much more genuinely than he had before. He loved to read and he loved reading to others. One day, he figured, if he ever had his own kids, he would read them stories to get them to fall in love with them. But that just seemed like the most far fetched idea he had ever let run through his head. It was half expected of him to have kids, but that was really just his instincts for procreation. Who knew what would be. Besides, now was definitely no time to let a girl distract him, not when the most important women in his life suffered. Nodding to his mother, after a satisfied glance to see that she was still eating, he gently opened the cover of the book, hearing it creak a little from the stiffness. It was hardcover and still so well preserved, if not a bit on the yellowed side.

The boy cleared his throat as he skipped through the title page, table of contents, preamble, and introduction. The first part. "Part one, the old buccaneer," he said clearly, turning the page to the bulk of the reading before him in paragraph form. The print was on the large side, but it was a hefty book. Silvano cleared his throat again, wary of his sadness for his sister and how it might stifle his voice. "Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and the rest of these gentlemen having asked me to write down the whole particulars..," and so he continued, able to keep his expression pleasant, having read this book before. Little surprised him about it, but he knew he could still find something he had overlooked in the past.

On and on he went, occasionally pausing to look at Savina or at Artemis. But always, always, his emerald green eyes darted down to the book He had just finished the part where the doctor had threatened the pirate with death, if he kept on boozing. Placing a finger between the covers, he closed it, looking at his mother. "Mamma, will alcohol really drive a person to the grave?" It was a long book, and he had only gotten through the very first chapter of it. The language was tough and a little tricky, but he knew that the intelligence in his bloodline was high and that they understood it all.

Savina Marino · 01-29-2011, 09:34 PM

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Yarr matey! SoSuWriMo 415

She was glad that her children had taken an interest in reading and learning. It was something that had mostly been denied to her in her own childhood. The only thing she and her siblings had had were their lessons in the English language, which had proved to be invaluable, but reading was not something she had learned until she had come here and Kansas had taught her. Savina had grown to love reading through all the old books the manor housed and it was nice to know that Silvano shared a similar passion. He was such a bright boy, and she knew that he would continue to make her proud throughout his life. The mother listened raptly as her son began to read the story, one of her hands kept on Artemis' sill one, and the other continued to pick out bits of the rabbit to eat.

It was a story unlike she had ever heard before. Savina supposed she had had a vague notion of what pirates were, but she had never heard an individual one described. Even though he sounded such a scoundrel, she had to admit there was a certain allure to the loud, drunken character. Silvano was doing just a marvelous job reciting the novel. He paused for a moment though, closing the book, and asked a question about what one of the characters had said. "It can, yes." She didn't know much about alcohol, only having had some a time or two herself, but she knew it could be quite dangerous. "If you drink it in moderation, in trusted company, it can be fine. Though if you act the way this sailor acts and drink it with disregard, then it can be harmful." There were too many instances of men she loved and trusted making horrible decisions under the influence of the drink, she certainly didn't want to see that happening to her son as well. There was no reason to be dishonest, or try to scare him though. It really could be fine, one just had to be cautious.

The Consul wouldn't have really believed that listening to her son read this story would have so thoroughly distracted her from all the ills in her life if someone had told her so prior to this. Already though she had become swept away in it, and things felt somehow normal again, the weight on her shoulders not quite so suffocating. It was amazing the power a good story had.

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