Put the pieces back together

There were a few blessed moments in which he was able to simply lose himself in the moment, to let the clamoring of his mind be silenced and to simply appreciate her closeness, relieved to finally be able to hold her close.

"I want nothing more than to be by your side. Until the end of our days." Oh the hold she held on his heart. Was it possible for it to break so many times, so very easily? Those words alone were enough to leave him feeling weak with longing once more to erase all the damage that had been done.

He wanted to swear up and down that they'd never be apart again, to continue reassuring her that all would be well so long as he still had breath in his lungs. He'd protect them both and their future together more fiercely than before. But... the words died in his throat. Not just because he'd made the promise already, but because there was still a part of him that was too wounded yet for him to fully trust that this happy reunion was entirely real. A foolish thought that was agony to entertain, yet it still held a valid place in his mind as he gave Kirsi a gentle lick atop the head. Sometimes words simply weren't enough.

"Sephira..." he hesitated as Kirsi made him remember that there were at least a few pack members who might have something to say about her arrival. Sephira was certainly the most outspoken of the lot... She knew most of what had transpired, at least from Ignatius' retelling, and had little reason to care for or give a second chance to Kirsi. Ig snorted. "Whether she's livid or thrilled doesn't much matter to me. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd err on the side of her not being to happy." An honest assessment, but still he had a difficult time caring one way or the other. So long as an actual fight didn't break out, which... well, they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

"She's not the only one who joined up though. I don't think anyone else will make much of a fuss though. Sou certainly won't publicly..." And Drifa might not even know of Kirsi's involvement. Shaking his head, Ignatius straightened up and regarded the little frost-colored woman for a moment before a smile tugged at his lips and he glanced at the thickly falling snow around them. "Enough speculating though, we really should find somewhere else to head to before we freeze out here."