Modern travel was definitely a wonder, especially when it was tailored to the special needs of the supernatural. Less than twenty-four hours after reuniting on a mountainside in Bhutan, Sakura drove up a winding path toward a cottage nestled into the hills above Loch Ness, bringing the car to a halt outside. She looked over at her passenger with tender warmth, bathed in autumn moonlight.
"Home."
It had been something of a shock leaving the monastery after so many years of seclusion. While flight was a little scary, it was a much faster form of transportation than anything he'd ever experienced before. Everything, it seemed, was powered by some kind of engine, including the strange carriage she was driving to take them to the place she called home. A lot had happened in the last century, and he had a lot of catching up to do, but there was no rush. Thankfully, "home" was a small stone cottage surrounded by trees, quaint and secluded and peaceful.
"Complete with electric lights and heat?" he teased as he looked the place over.
"Of course." Sakura laughed softly, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "And indoor plumbing. I honestly believe, of all the inventions of the past two centuries, that one is the greatest." She leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Come inside, love."
"They say the Romans had plumbing," William pointed out, but that plumbing was certainly nowhere near as sophisticated as that of the modern world - at least, from what he'd seen, so far. Then again, vampires didn't really need to use toilets, but bathing was still pleasant. He smiled as she kissed him, touched by the simple gesture of affection. "Where you go, I follow."
"So they say," Sakura mused. "Freya says otherwise." She chuckled, absentmindedly releasing him from his seatbelt before her own, opening the door to slip from the car into the cool night air.
He looked puzzled as she released the belt that held him safely in his seat. He'd asked her at the start of the journey whether it had been necessary, seeing as how they were practically immortal, and she'd explained how there were laws to enforce such safety measures. Yes, the world had certainly changed; he only hoped it had changed for the better.
"Freya would know," he replied, swinging his long legs out of the vehicle to drop his feet to the ground.
"I don't think she had much contact with the Romans," the little woman mused, locking the car remotely as she rounded the vehicle to take his hand.
A howl went up on the hill above the cottage, picked up by other throats, until it was clear an entire pack were howling around them. Sakura laughed.
"Those silly wolves," she murmured. "I've only been gone a month."
He glanced back at the carriage, brows furrowed as it made a strange beeping sound, his curiosity quickly distracted by the howls that went up around them.
"Friends of yours?" he asked, a curious look on his face.
She smiled, nodding. "They'll be down in a few moments," she warned. "I've known all of them since they were born - they're no threat to us."
Indeed, as she spoke, the howl broke off, followed by the sound of several paws thudding on cold grass as shadowy shapes rushed down the hillside toward the cottage.
Not werewolves, apparently, or even shapechangers, but ordinary wolves, as tame as domesticated dogs, as far as Sakura was concerned, it seemed.
"How did they come to be your friends?" he asked, unafraid but wary, standing his ground at the wolves' approach.
Releasing his hand, Sakura knelt to greet the wolves as they reached the pair, padding around in excitable circles, scenting them both as she spoke.
"Their ancestors refused to let me die," she said simply. "I don't know why, but they covered my entire body with their pack and refused to let the sun touch me. They brought me to this place - abandoned back then. They looked after me, and these are their children's children. In return, no hunter sets snares on these hills. I see to that."
"I don't understand," he said, brows furrowing again. They saved her life" When" Why' Had she become injured somehow, or had she given up on living sometime during those years when they were apart' There was still so little they knew about each other, especially after they'd been forced apart.
"I gave up," she said quietly, ashamed of herself for that weakness. She didn't look at him as she spoke, stroking her fingers through the fur of the alpha female fondly. "I tried to end my eternal life. Their ancestors would not allow it. I don't know why."
"You weren't alone in that," he admitted with a frown. "If it wasn't for Julian ..." he said, trailing off with a shrug. It was Julian who had pointed out what a tragedy it would have been if he'd destroyed himself after all Sakura had sacrificed to save him.
A cold nose pressed into his hand - one of the wolves brave enough to ask him for a little affection in the way she gave to others.
"It is done now," Sakura said, still soft in the stillness. "We need never feel that pain again."
"No," he murmured. "But we should not forget it," he pointed out, because they couldn't risk repeating the past ever again. He glanced down at the cold nose that was nudging his hand, and he turned his palm up to let the wolf inspect him and decide whether he was trustworthy or not.
Rising to her feet, Sakura stepped back to stand beside him, smiling as the young wolf at his side nuzzled into his hand before obeying the quiet command of the alpha pair as the pack turned to disappear back into the hills. Her hand slipped into his, lacing their fingers fondly.
"Shall we?"
"They just came here to greet you?" he asked, as the wolves made to depart and return to the wild of the wood that surrounded the house. "They watch over you," he murmured thoughtfully. He had a feeling the wolves hadn't decided it on their own - that someone older and more powerful had been involved.
"Home."
It had been something of a shock leaving the monastery after so many years of seclusion. While flight was a little scary, it was a much faster form of transportation than anything he'd ever experienced before. Everything, it seemed, was powered by some kind of engine, including the strange carriage she was driving to take them to the place she called home. A lot had happened in the last century, and he had a lot of catching up to do, but there was no rush. Thankfully, "home" was a small stone cottage surrounded by trees, quaint and secluded and peaceful.
"Complete with electric lights and heat?" he teased as he looked the place over.
"Of course." Sakura laughed softly, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "And indoor plumbing. I honestly believe, of all the inventions of the past two centuries, that one is the greatest." She leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Come inside, love."
"They say the Romans had plumbing," William pointed out, but that plumbing was certainly nowhere near as sophisticated as that of the modern world - at least, from what he'd seen, so far. Then again, vampires didn't really need to use toilets, but bathing was still pleasant. He smiled as she kissed him, touched by the simple gesture of affection. "Where you go, I follow."
"So they say," Sakura mused. "Freya says otherwise." She chuckled, absentmindedly releasing him from his seatbelt before her own, opening the door to slip from the car into the cool night air.
He looked puzzled as she released the belt that held him safely in his seat. He'd asked her at the start of the journey whether it had been necessary, seeing as how they were practically immortal, and she'd explained how there were laws to enforce such safety measures. Yes, the world had certainly changed; he only hoped it had changed for the better.
"Freya would know," he replied, swinging his long legs out of the vehicle to drop his feet to the ground.
"I don't think she had much contact with the Romans," the little woman mused, locking the car remotely as she rounded the vehicle to take his hand.
A howl went up on the hill above the cottage, picked up by other throats, until it was clear an entire pack were howling around them. Sakura laughed.
"Those silly wolves," she murmured. "I've only been gone a month."
He glanced back at the carriage, brows furrowed as it made a strange beeping sound, his curiosity quickly distracted by the howls that went up around them.
"Friends of yours?" he asked, a curious look on his face.
She smiled, nodding. "They'll be down in a few moments," she warned. "I've known all of them since they were born - they're no threat to us."
Indeed, as she spoke, the howl broke off, followed by the sound of several paws thudding on cold grass as shadowy shapes rushed down the hillside toward the cottage.
Not werewolves, apparently, or even shapechangers, but ordinary wolves, as tame as domesticated dogs, as far as Sakura was concerned, it seemed.
"How did they come to be your friends?" he asked, unafraid but wary, standing his ground at the wolves' approach.
Releasing his hand, Sakura knelt to greet the wolves as they reached the pair, padding around in excitable circles, scenting them both as she spoke.
"Their ancestors refused to let me die," she said simply. "I don't know why, but they covered my entire body with their pack and refused to let the sun touch me. They brought me to this place - abandoned back then. They looked after me, and these are their children's children. In return, no hunter sets snares on these hills. I see to that."
"I don't understand," he said, brows furrowing again. They saved her life" When" Why' Had she become injured somehow, or had she given up on living sometime during those years when they were apart' There was still so little they knew about each other, especially after they'd been forced apart.
"I gave up," she said quietly, ashamed of herself for that weakness. She didn't look at him as she spoke, stroking her fingers through the fur of the alpha female fondly. "I tried to end my eternal life. Their ancestors would not allow it. I don't know why."
"You weren't alone in that," he admitted with a frown. "If it wasn't for Julian ..." he said, trailing off with a shrug. It was Julian who had pointed out what a tragedy it would have been if he'd destroyed himself after all Sakura had sacrificed to save him.
A cold nose pressed into his hand - one of the wolves brave enough to ask him for a little affection in the way she gave to others.
"It is done now," Sakura said, still soft in the stillness. "We need never feel that pain again."
"No," he murmured. "But we should not forget it," he pointed out, because they couldn't risk repeating the past ever again. He glanced down at the cold nose that was nudging his hand, and he turned his palm up to let the wolf inspect him and decide whether he was trustworthy or not.
Rising to her feet, Sakura stepped back to stand beside him, smiling as the young wolf at his side nuzzled into his hand before obeying the quiet command of the alpha pair as the pack turned to disappear back into the hills. Her hand slipped into his, lacing their fingers fondly.
"Shall we?"
"They just came here to greet you?" he asked, as the wolves made to depart and return to the wild of the wood that surrounded the house. "They watch over you," he murmured thoughtfully. He had a feeling the wolves hadn't decided it on their own - that someone older and more powerful had been involved.