It was cold. To deny it would be foolishness. However, despite the frigid air, and the occassional clumps of snow that built up on her bare foot-paws, the Dauphine of Cour des Miracles had ventured forth from her warm cabin seeking to test out her legs, after being mostly confined to a small area for nearly a month. Surely she had missed much, and she had lots to catch up on. The air carried with it many unfamiliar scents, though all were intermingled with the familiar scent of the pack. This meant that there were many new people to meet, new voices to memorize, new scents to attach to those voices and perhaps new pelt textures to analyze, though that last distinction would remain reserved for her dear friends. She knew how each member of the Royal Court felt, and she would never forget it. The ivory and silver collie-girl rarely forgot anyone, but letting them touch her and touching them herself firmly cemented those select individuals into her mind, never to be forgotten.

Of course, Ruri wore her warm, grey, cashmere tunic, but over that she wore the large woolen poncho that she had also tried on with Firefly. The large poncho hung down further than her tunic, just above her knees. This left her lower legs exposed, although this did not bother her in the least. Much to her delight, the fur on her extremities had thickened considerably with the winter months. This meant that her body was slowly adapting to the chilly weather of these lands. Soon, she would not need to pile on the several lairs of clothing she was wearing, but she would likely do it anyway, as she enjoyed the textures against her fur.

Of course, Ruri did not care about her clothes at the moment, her mind was busy recalling her memorized paths through the lands, which had become more difficult to navigate in the slippery mixture of wet snow and dirt. She was headed towards the ocean, simply to enjoy the sounds and the smells. She had missed those sensations after being cooped up inside for so long. After having been raised on and near the sea, Ruri felt that it was a part of her, one that she could not easily leave behind. While she certainly had no desire to attempt touching the water at this time of year, she simply wished to engage in a quiet visit with the ocean. If she ran into anyone along the way, that would simply at to the pleasure of the moment.

OOC: I hope you don't mind me joining in! If so, please just ignore this post :3 Also, sorry for how big it is!

The wind was bitter and sharp against the peaks and outcrops of the Cour des Miracles landscape. Brilliant emerald eyes, a pinpoint of color in the winter-bleached landscape, scoured the land with momentary hesitation. It was daylight, and after a restless night of tossing and turning, the old Chien Hotel creaking and moaning about her, Alaine had decided the best way to ease her agitated soul was to take a wander down to the coast line. Secure in the knowledge that the two children currently under her care, her own son Caillen and a mysterious young girl names Sylvie, were tucked away from the cold wind and still likely to be asleep in their little beds, the feo finally ventured out to brave the weather.


Cursing softly as the first teeth of cold nibbled under her skin, the too-young mother pulled the red leather cloak tighter about her, the hood slipping up to cover her eye-catching tumble of copper curls. Blast this weather! If only I'd one of those nice thick pelts to keep me warm... For hers had yet to develop; She simply hadn't lived here long enough yet. Her sleek cream collie fur was still thin and soft as down, no match for the winter that was coming fast on the hells of the pack.


Her footpaws were silent on the worn path that led down to the beach. Perhaps, had there been no wind, Alaine would have picked up the scent of another woman who had passed through her only moments ago. Soft curls of steam rose into the air as she exhaled heavily, concentrating to keep from slipping on the frosted dirt and stone. Soon, she could hear the soft lapping of the ocean - It beckoned to her in a way it called to many, a relaxing and peaceful sound. Alaine wondered absently if anybody else had taken the opportunity to brave the elements this morn, and greet the sea. She chuckled soft; Surely, nobody else would be as silly as her. That was not to say Alaine regretted leaving the house - She needed times like this, just to escape.


Believing herself to be alone, the young lady began to hum, and then to sing. Her voice was pure and sweet, lilting like bird-call through the trees and out towards the sand. She didn't like to sing in the company of others - When she was young, it had been her most notable trait, and was often abused for entertainment rather than her own pleasure. Completely unaware that she could be overheard, the wordless tune thrummed softly and pleasantly, her footpaws now making a soft crunching sound as they broke through the thin frost on the sand.



Speak think walk

The damp sand clung to her white foot paws as the delicate optime wandered down the coast. She would need to find a suitable, preferably dry, place to stand so that she could enjoy her visit to the ocean without her feet freezing solid. A gust of ocean wind brought with it the scent of another individual, a pack member, this she was sure of. Quickly accompanying the scent was the nearby sound of singing. No words could be detected by the blind Border collie's keen ears, but she could easily distinguish the voice's feminine quality. The tone of voice was sweet, wonderful to hear. Before she knew it, Ruri found herself following along and echoing the stranger's melodic trills, even adding some improvisations of her own. One such improvisation brought forth a familiar tune that quickly travelled from her memory to her lips."What do ya do with a drunken sailor? What do ya do with a drunken sailor? What do ya do with a drunken sailor, early in the mornin'?" She began, though her version of the old sea shanty was far more drawn out and melodic than the version she had first learned as a young pup following the Pirate King of Cour des Miracles around from place to place. She used to sing it on the rare occasions when she found him drunk, passed out somewhere late in the day with the smell of alcohol on his breathe. It had always managed to irritate him enough to awaken and tuck her into bed or care for her in some other fashion. However, he had always been one to offer some sort of apology for behaving in such a fashion around a little girl like herself. Jac had always been funny that way. Everything unsavory he did was alright to him, so long as he did not do it around Ruri. She admired that about him, and always would.

Ruri continued to sing, now completely absorbed in her song as her nightingales voice rang out over the frigid water. For the moment she forgot that she had initially been mimicking the stranger who had an obvious taste for singing. Her favorite pass-time had completely enthralled her and she was now intent on singing as sweetly as possible, perhaps as a friendly gesture to the great being that was the sea. Pale blue, pupil-less eyes wandered aimlessly as the wind whipped her long, silver mane leading her to vaguely resemble a siren, though clad in warm winter clothing. It would certainly be an interesting sight to whoever happened upon the lautari of Cour des Miracles.

OOC: Yay! :] Gosh, I know what you mean *moan*

The world seemed to fold around her, till all there was was the morning, the air, the ocean and Alaine. In light of her song the ocean pounded softly, its roar lulled to a soft purr that made the perfect beat. It wasn't until the clear, icy water was in sight that Alaine finally noticed she wasn't alone - From afar, a second voice joined her own. Startled, the young mother's maw clamped shut, her trill shut off sharply as the feo froze, deer-like. Her emerald eyes scanned the surrounding blanket of trees, but there was still only the ocean, Alaine, and that other voice.


It was mimicking her. The same tune sashayed out, unbearably beautiful, as that which had come from her own maw. But now with this strange voice came words, and accompanying those, a rush of memory.


Her mother used to sing that song, when she was a whelp... When her mother was still alive. She had died shortly after Alaine's birth, so the memories were long suppressed, and very foggy. Yet her heart leaped a beat in her chest, floppy collie ears flicking up at the sound. And, suddenly wrapped in nostalgia and wonder, the too-young mother began to head towards the sound. Her voice rose again, till the two female tunes were a duet, strangely perfect and glorious in the cold, crisp air of morning.


" Hey ho and up she rises, hey ho and up she rises, hey ho and up she rises early in the mornin'..."


Perhaps their words were slightly different, but the tune, that glorious tune, was one and the same. Overwhelmed by curiosity, Alaine felt her chest constrict as she realized that the other singer was just ahead. There was a small cluster of pines that had broken of a part of the beach, and through them, the young mother's keen eyes could spot a slender figure. Still singing softly, she approached with a certain air of caution - Bad things had happened to her, and she wouldn't be so foolish and youthful to wander into another dark alley. But this felt... Natural. Like perhaps she and this stranger had always been meant to meet here, this day, this morning, this ocean.


With that thought in mind, and just as the song concluded, Alaine emerged from the shadows of the trees, and stepped out towards the stranger.


The lady was beautifully feminine, clearly very comfortable in her own pelt. There was no shyness, nor any signs of wariness or caution. She had soft, silvery grey hair, and it tumbled and swayed in the ocean's salty wind. A pair of dead blue eyes traveled over Alaine's form, and she shivered... But they did not seem to recognize her for the living thing she was, nor hesitate to see her properly, judge her, measure her. Those clear milky-blue eyes did not see her at all.


" Oh!"


The soft sound of surprise slipped out into the air before Alaine could hold it back, her wary expression now fazed by both shy curiosity and understanding. The other lady, her fellow singer, was blind.



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"Put him in the brig until he's sober! Put him in the brig until he's sober. Put him in the brig until he's sober, early in the morning..." her voice slowly faded out with the final line of the old sea shanty. For a moment, she stood there, silently enjoying the company of the sea. It had occurred to her that the stranger had begun to sing along when she had started the song, but she had not registered that the other feminine voice was coming closer. That was, until she heard a faint, surprised utterance coming from a few steps behind her.

The yarn tassels of her woolen poncho swirled about her as the petite collie girl whipped around, blushing slightly that she had been discovered, seemingly singing for no apparent reason at all. She enjoyed singing, and was proud of her hobby, but the thought of what it might have seemed like to a stranger led Ruri to feel slightly self-conscious. Cashmere clad arms reached out from under the brim of the poncho revealing the form-fitting garment beneath as she absentmindedly fixed her hair, which had become disheveled by the wind. "I'm sorry if I bothered you, I just heard you singing, started following along, and I guess I got a bit absorbed in what I was doing." she stuttered, hoping her explanation for her actions would be sufficient. The air carried the other woman's scent to Ruri's sensitive nose and she immediately memorized it, though for the moment she had no name to associate with the scent. Perhaps if she introduced herself first she would be able to learn this unknown pack mate's name."I'm Ruri...Ruri Aceline, Dauphine and Lautari of Cour des Miracles. You have a lovely voice by the way." It was true, Ruri had heard many women sing during her brief lifetime, but this woman had an exceptional, distinctly beautiful voice.

OOC: Sorry for the wait <3

Emerald eyes were steadfast, where the milky blue of the other woman's were not. She was blushing, and Alaine, too, felt the warmth of embarrassment creep up her cheeks. She stood still, struck by nerves and surprise, wary of the strange but beautiful lady who stood before her. Finally, the other spoke, and her voice was soft and smooth and apologetic. Alaine shook her head hastily to make light of the apology, but upon realizing that the action was really quite useless considering the silvery feo could not see her, blushed deeper.


Her tongue seemed to be caught in her throat, and there was another uncertain moment before the strange lady spoke again. Floppy ocher ears lifted to the sound of her voice, and the too-young mother immediately stored away the features and tune of this 'Ruri Aceline' to memory. Pushed by her strict upbringing, it was manners that finally forced words from between the dream lady's lips.


" Good morn' to you, Lady Aceline..." She paused, unsure of whether that was an appropriate greeting for one of such high rank, before continuing hastily, " I am Alaine Winters, new to this pack; I wish to be a healer of some sort. A-and I thank you, lady, but your melody far sweetens my tune."


Alaine's voice was accented, marking her to be a foreigner in these lands. It was musical and gentle, the anxious twist cautiously hidden under a respectful tone. Her hands fumbled nervously, two white doves clasping and unclasping at her waist. This collie-woman was the highest ranked member of her new pack that Alaine had met, and she wanted very much to make a good impression. She felt awkward and clumsy underneath the gaze of those unseeing blue eyes, and fidgeted restlessly, not able to meet the blind woman's off-putting gaze. She'd never met such a being before... Having said that, though, there was something distinctly familiar about the woman, something recognizable in her grace.



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The accented voice of this new acquaintance was exceptionally pleasant to the petite collie's sensitive ears. Although, the woman's hasty introduction gave Ruri precious little time to enjoy the sensation. This, Alaine Winters, seemed very formal and polite which caught the young lautari off guard. She had never been addressed by any other title than her name, Ruri. Rarely did anyone use, or even seem to remember her last name or her station within the pack. It was a foreign concept, even as second-in-command to the king, that she should be addressed so formally. "I'm glad to meet you, Alaine. Our pack certainly needs a healer. You can just call me Ruri by the way. I'm not one to enjoy such respects. I want to be your friend, rather than someone you see as an authority figure," she explained, not wanting the polite fae to worry herself with such pleasantries.

Plumed tail swished behind her happily as the silver and ivory woman did her best to focus her gaze in the direction of the other fae. Though direct eye contact was next to impossible, it was best to try and look at people when they talked to you, or so Ruri thought. The blush had faded from her white-furred muzzle as she had quickly grown comfortable with the presence of this other woman. Perhaps the fact that they had both been equally nervous around one another had cancelled out Ruri's own timidity. As the two women moved closer to one another Ruri could detect a familiar scent lingering on Alaine's figure, the scent of her little sister. "I don't mean to pry but do you live at the Chien hotel? That's where most of the new members live, including a pup that I just recently met. It turns out that she and I are sisters. Perhaps you've met her? Her name is Sylvie Ciel." Ruri questioned, her head tipped to the side in a curious posture. If the woman lived at the same place as Sylvie it would then make sense why the woman had the pup's scent. Ruri couldn't quite remember, but Ruri did seem to remember Sylvie mentioning that she lived with some other people at the hotel. Perhaps Alaine was one of them.

ooc: :3

The other lady seemed to be shocked at her voice, her words. Alaine was more than used to people finding her musical accent intriguing, or pleasant (The people of this place seemed to talk so roughly, so plainly, and took no pleasure int he formation of words), but to be treated with the respect she had shown the lautari was surely not offensive, nor to be surprised at? Alaine frowned slightly, afraid that she'd misplaced some bit of information, said something not fitting. When Ruri spoke, though, her fears were put at ease. The woman's voice was soft, unlike many of the others whom the young healer had met, and she seemed to talk straight from the heart. Smiling slightly, Alaine took a step nearer to the mysterious beauty.


" That is very kind of you, lad-... Ruri. I am in need of friends."


Though it sounded pathetic, the words were true. She longed for companionship, and had found very little within the walls of the Chien hotel. Not to say that the members of the pack were unfriendly - There were many she'd met, many she'd healed, whom had been pleasant and kind. But none whom had sought her out merely for her presence, for her personality. It seemed everyone in this land was measured and judged by what they were worth, by what they could make or who they could damage. That had been the way of her home, also, when men were judged in the arts of war and women by their beauty.


When Ruri moved towards her, Alaine stiffened, but purely from habit. She was still uncomfortable in the presence of others, though the blind woman seemed easier than most. There were no eyes judging her, measuring her, pricing her. The lautari moved with grace, and the too-young mother wondered how she could be so certain with her steps when she could not see the ground beneath them.


At the others words, faint awe was replaced by the stirring of curiosity, thick in her blood. Then, further shock, eyes wide as they reviewed the other woman all over again. This was news - Sylvie's sister! So THIS was the woman she'd been speaking of? For a moment, the collie-woman was silent, her opposite-colored companion left to wait for a reply. When she did speak, it was with caution, her slender ivory hands clasped together anxiously.


" Yes, I do... I am her guardian, ma'am. I found Sylvie on the beach, and nursed her back to health."


What she did not say was how close she'd bonded to the girl, how much she saw her as an adopted daughter. Though she was about the same age as Ruri, Alaine's life had been vastly different. She already had a bastard child from her womb, her beloved son Caillen, and her mind was already scarred by the vast shadows of her past. But finding Sylvie had been a strange thing, a twist of fate she'd not foreseen. She wondered now, how she'd not made the tie between the two earlier - Sylvie had Ruri's grace, had the slender beauty of Ruri's features. Their blood relation was now as clear as the day itself. Alaine cleared her throat, and spoke again.


" She has been living in my care, miss Ruri. I have a son, and he was very ill... They helped each other heal. Sylvie is like a daughter to me."



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The blue merle collie drew her cashmere sleeved arms back underneath her woolen poncho as a gust of chilled wind came forth from the ocean. Alaine's response to her earlier comment made the Dauphine smile, "One can never have too many friends, Alaine. Should you ever need someone, feel free to call me. I'm always within earshot," she explained, offering to be the other woman's companion. Not to lessen the quality of the offer, but it was an easy offer for the blind woman to make. From her home further down the coast she could hear almost every call made in the lands of Cour des Miracles. Canine howls often carry far and for one with such keen ears as Ruri, it was simply out of necessity that she heard so many things.

Alaine's next response made Ruri give a sigh of relief, a grateful smile etched on her features. Alaine was the one taking care of Sylvie. This was wonderful. Though the lautari barely knew Alaine, it was obvious to her that Alaine was a kindhearted, gentle, motherly figure. Sylvie needed someone like her."Oh wonderful, thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you are doing for her. She's had a rough start to life. As Alaine confessed that Sylvie was like a daughter to her, the silver and ivory woman's heart leapt inside her chest. Sylvie would not only have a better mother, but a brother, of sorts, to grow up with. The thought brought tears to her eyes."Again, Alaine, I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. To think that my sister is going to grow up with someone who loves her, and someone her own age to play with. Our mother is an evil woman. She left me for dead when I was just a bit younger than Sylvie. If King Jacquez hadn't found me and raised me, I wouldn't be here. He's the only family I ever had before I met Sylvie. Thank you, Alaine, for being there for my sister." Wiping the one stray tear that had escaped her pale blue eyes, Ruri thought about what life would be like for Sylvie. She would have a mother to teach her about life. Jac had done his best to raise Ruri, and he did a good job. She would not trade anything in the world for the life Jac gave her, but she had had to learn much of what it is to be a female on her own or with occasional help from the women that passed through her life. After meeting Firefly, Ruri's knowledge had grown significantly, but she still felt she had much to learn, though Heath seemed to think she was a natural motherly figure. Sylvie wouldn't have to worry about learning those things on her own. She would have Alaine there to teach her. Ruri couldn't be more thankful.

ooc:

At the lady's first offer, Alaine felt herself smile broadly, her emerald eyes twinkling with a gratitude her new friend couldn't see. Instead, she took a hesitant step closer towards the silver-furred woman, enthralled by the beauty and grace of the lautari. The stone under her footpaws was cool and smooth, and made little noise as the too-young mother stepped closer. When the other gave a sigh of relief, the healer felt a strange relief bubble in her own chest, perilously close to her heart. She wanted Ruri to believe that shew as good enough to be a guardian for her sister, a foster-mother as the world would have it. Though the situation was certainly out of the ordinary, that was what made it special, strange and unique to all the individuals involved. Ruri was about her age, perhaps even a little older, though that could have been by just how mature and elegant she acted. Her words, though intriguing, were also disturbing; Though Alaine had often wondered at Sylvie's life before she washed up on the shore, she'd never asked the girl, fearful of pressuring her into reliving memories that begged to stay hidden. If anyone knew of and could empathize with that feeling, it was the young mother. Sylvie would come and speak to her when she was ready.


Alarm thrilled in her heart as tears came to the gray collie-woman's unseeing eyes, concern coloring her own with deep emerald shadows. Without thinking about it, Alaine took the last steps towards the other woman, let her hands wrap gently about the seemingly frail lautari's wrists. She didn't want her to cry, certainly not! But as the woman spoke her short tale, the young healer figured that perhaps as much of those tears were of joy as they were sorrow. A soft crooning sound thrummed in the too-young mother's throat, as the two women, wounded from the inside out, stood alone in the ocean breeze.


" I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had no-one. And I promise, I promise that I will do all I can for Sylvie Ciel, for she is precious to us both."


Her accent grew strong as emotion bubbled in her chest, her own eyes glimmering with tears reflected by those in the eyes of the silvery maiden. For a moment, she felt her own story tumble forth, burn on her tongue for want of being spoken. Just this once, her mind pleaded, just this once! But Alaine bit it back firmly, as came with the habit of doing so. There would be no telling of her story, no remembering. It would only re-open wounds that had never properly scarred over.


The two collie-women were so different, had led such different lives. But they were alike in many ways also, Alaine thought with a watery smile. Ruri's friendship would be important to her, was already important to her. And if or when the day came that Alaine was ready to speak of her own horrors, her own nightmares, she could only hope it would be to one as kind as the lautari. The wind turned colder, and the first few flurries of snow began to fall from the heavens. Broken from her trance by the glittering earth-bound flakes, Alaine glanced up, saw the bad weather approaching. Wanting to keep the contact, her gaze returned to the milky blue orbs of the other.


" There is a snowfall coming, Ruri. Do you know of someplace nearby where we can take shelter?"



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The sudden feeling of Alaine's hands around her wrists surprised Ruri for a moment, but she did not jump or make any other sudden movements that might have indicated such to the other woman. Instead, Ruri took the time to analyze the unique texture that Alaine's hands possessed. This young mother's hands were soft, delicately boned and gentle. Ruri's own, soft-furred white hands began to instinctively feel Alaines hands, both top and bottom, palms and fingers. Alaine had promised the Dauphine that she would do her best for Sylvie, and the silver and ivory woman believed her.

It was not long before finished examining Alaine's hands that the woman noted that there would be snow coming and she inquired about nearby shelter. Half-folded ears perked momentarily as the petite woman thought. Jac's grotto was nearby, but she knew that it was far too drafty and cold for them to take shelter. On the other hand Ruri's own home was just a few minutes walk down the beach. That would likely be the best option, "We can go to my cabin. It's just a short walk down the beach. We can start a fire in the fireplace and we'll be warm in no time," the lautari replied, gripping one of Alaine's hands in an attempt to lead her to the home that she spoke of.

Long, silvery locks blew in the ocean breeze as the slender lautari led her newest friend down the beach. Each step Ruri took was along a memorized path. In fact, if Alaine looked hard enough, it wouldn't be hard to see that indeed Ruri had worn a recognizable, but small depression in the earth from her repeated use of the same, memorized route. For one with eyesight, Ruri's particular paths might seem to ignore certain short-cuts through certain areas of the lands, but most often the blind woman had ignored those shorter routes because of certain unavoidable obstacles or risky terrain. If being safe and not tripping meant taking the long way around, Ruri often chose to do so. After all, if she was really in a hurry she could run.