Still waters run deep


Private for Savina

Finally, the rain had stopped. At least, that was the case for the moment. The delicate Dauphine had been waiting all morning for a break in the storm to the point where she had almost resigned herself to staying indoors all day. Her mate, the Lord and Marshal, was at the stables tending his hoofed charges. That was her intended destination. She wished to not only visit Heath at his workplace, but also to visit her horse, the strong, white stallion by the name of Stark. She had not had the chance to ride him with Heath lately, due to the inclement weather and, as was natural, she missed the large creature that seemed so fond of her. Her other furry companion, the longhaired kitten, Soleil, was content to lie in front of the warm fireplace all day. He could not begin to fathom what would possess his blind owner to go outside in the chilly, wet weather. As a feline, he rather disliked water, although when it was in its solid, white form he did not mind it nearly so much. The kitten had grown significantly since Ruri and Heath had first found him in the stables, and he was beginning to gain some of the tremendous size of his Maine coon ancestors. The tufts on the tips of his ears had grown longer and the flaming orange stripes on his fur had grown darker and more distinct. It would likely be a long time yet before he reached his full size, but Ruri had noticed his gradual increase in weight from the times that he sat on her lap.

With the pause in the rain, ivory-furred foot paws carried her to her bedroom closet where she quickly slipped on her cashmere tunic, which she rarely left the house without. Once dressed, the blue merle luperci dashed out the door, not even bothering to check if Soleil wanted to come along because she knew he did not in the least. Milky blue eyes, danced aimlessly over the landscape in front of her as Ruri carefully scampered down her porch steps and turned south, towards the stables. On her way down she would make a nearby sweep of the borders, just to be careful. Jac had cautioned her about going to the borders too often, but she was the Dauphine. It was part of her job to check the borders; though she did heed the kings warning somewhat and only took the border route rarely. Should someone attempt to assault her, she knew one of her friends would be there in moments if she called. Plus, she knew enough of the landscape to run away if it came down to it. Of course, the fragile collie girl hoped that that would not happen. It was wet, and as such the landscape was muddy and slippery making it difficult to navigate even her memorized paths through the lands of Cour des Miracles.

Yay! I just realized something funny. I'm sure Savina will really like Ruri, but she hates Heath XD 300+



The Dreamer was glad that the rain had stopped for she wanted to make a quick run over to the Cour des Miracles pack. She had actually never really been there, outside of skirting around their borders to make her way to Halifax. It was really quite unacceptable that she had not met the leaders of Crimson Dreams' two closest neighboring packs, but she would hopefully be amending at least one of those oversights today. She also needed to go along with her daughter to meet the leader of AniWaya, considering that he was the one tutoring her daughter in the healing arts. Part of her felt like a bad mother for not having met the man, considering how long he had been teaching her girl. He was the leader of his tribe and Cambria trusted him and had not let on that there was anything suspicious about their arrangement and so she believed that Dawali was trustworthy. Still, she really needed to meet him to put her own thoughts to rest; she didn't want him to think she was some neglectful mother! Doing it before her pregnancy progressed much further would be best as well. Thankfully though, her talk with Princess this morning had given the Commander the perfect excuse to make the trip to the Miracles land.



As Savina came close to the borders her pace slowed to a gradual halt as her emerald green eyes searched out the lands. It didn't seem there was anyone in sight at the current moment, but hopefully someone would be nearby. Raising her head to the air her voice called out for someone to meet her, preferably a leader of the misfit pack, though she supposed anyone would do fine. As her howl died off the Italian wolf lowered down onto her haunches to wait to be found or answered. Had Princess made it here yet, she wondered? Did Haven know that she was coming to him yet? She was glad that the two had found happiness with one another. Both had lead troublesome lives and both deserved for something to work out for them. If there were any occasion for a wolf to leave her pack she could think of no better one than love. Hopefully it would all work out and the two would stay together and be happy, however if things went poorly she had assured Princess that there would always be a place for her in Crimson Dreams. Perhaps that could be awkward given that many of Haven's family resided there, but she would not have felt right if she hadn't extended that assurance. Princess was a sweet girl and she wanted her to know that she had always had a place she could belong.

Still waters run deep


I'm not sure that I like this post, but I'm very tired and my brain is drained so...sorry ^^'

Ivory feet splashed through a large puddle as the young Dauphine strolled towards the borders on her way to the Niobrara Racetrack and Stables. Just as she was about to reach the borders, a long, feminine howl pierced the air leading her half-folded ears to perk and train on the sound. How nice, someone was calling at the borders before entering. Not to say that she minded too much when friends of her pack mates came into the pack lands unannounced for that was understandable. The time Ruri thought of was her recent encounter with Princess Chance who had come into the lands to visit Haven but had found Ruri instead. Politeness was something Ruri carried in high regard; in fact she often scolded Jac when he was rude to others. As a king, it was likely his right to be rude when he pleased, but the innocent Border collie also had the right to protest such behavior, as second in command. So, with a smile on her face, the silver and ivory optime increased her leisurely stroll to a brisk walk, heading directly for the area that the call came from.

It did not take her long to reach the source of the howl, for Ruri's paths through Cour des Miracles were always as direct as possible, leaving out as many unnecessary turns as possible. The wind carried the scent of the stranger with her and the blind woman immediately noted a similarity in this individual's scent to that of Princess Chance. This strange woman must have been from Princess' pack. What would bring her here? The merle female would likely find that out soon as she strolled towards the stranger. "Hello there! I heard your call. My name's Ruri Aceline. I'm the Dauphine, second-in-command of Cour Des Miracles. I'm sorry if I'm not the person you're looking for, but perhaps I could help you find someone?" she offered, a friendly smile etched upon her visage as she attempted to start out on the right foot with this stranger. This person might very well be an important member of Princess' pack and as such it was her responsibility to be a good representative of her pack. As this thought bounced around in her mind, the lautari self-consciously fixed her hair, making sure her long, silvery locks hung down neatly behind her shoulders. Several of the longer strands had blown into her face and, while this did not bother Ruri, she knew others could see her and as such wanted to try and look her best.

It's all good! 300+



A damp breeze blew over her and the woman shivered, head hunching closer to her body. If only she could wear her coat in this form as well, but it would only restrict her movements and she'd make it filthy. The weather was starting to warm back up, but it was still a little too much on the cold side for the Italian's preference. Hopefully though the weight she would be gaining during the course of her pregnancy would help to keep her warm until spring came back in full force. The last few weeks of it she wouldn't really be leaving the mansion either. This second pregnancy would go much smoother and not be as stressful she thought for now she knew what to expect. Not knowing was what had made the first time so nerve wracking. Savina knew the drill this time around however and everything had gone fine last time and she trusted it would this time as well, as long as she was careful.



It wasn't long that a slender, clothed figure appeared on the horizon and came walking towards her. Savina couldn't help but tilt her head in curiosity at the appearance of the approaching canine. She had heard of dogs, and had heard that many that lived in this pack were dogs, but she had never seen one and found the other female's appearance quite intriguing. When they were closer though her emerald gaze averted, not wanting to seem rude. Little did she know that the other could not see and relied on all her other senses. As she was greeted by the silver and ivory woman Savina smiled kindly and dipped her head in recognition. "Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you Ruri. I am Savina Marino, Commander and head of Crimson Dreams." She caught a whiff of some vaguely familiar scent on the Dauphine. Not the girl's scent itself, but one that clung to her fur. Savina shrugged it off though, there were other matters to attend to. "Oh no, I wasn't looking for anyone in particular. I haven't met any of the leaders here and was hoping to catch one of them, which I have!" she explained in her accented tones. "I came to let you know that one of my members will be seeking to join your pack here, she might have already come in fact. I wanted to let you know that her departure is on completely amiable terms and there are no hard feelings whatsoever about the switch." That could at times be the case when someone left one pack for another, but that wasn't the case at all for Princess. It would have been wrong for her to stay in Crimson Dreams away from the man she loved.

Still waters run deep


WC: 300+

Plumed tail wagged casually behind the collie woman as the stranger introduced herself. Savina Marino, what a pretty name, and with a beautifully accented voice to match. Ruri loved the way that Italian flare of Savina's voice seemed to tickle her ears. The sensation was similar to the feeling that the voice of Alaine Winters, the apothecary of Cour des Miracles, produced in the blind woman. Out of respect for Savina's title, Ruri immediately did her best to focus her pale blue eyes in her direction before dipping her head respectfully. As the Italian woman explained that she was not looking for someone but was rather coming to inform the pack of something, the delicate lautari listened intently, making sure she had heard everything before formulating and giving her response. Someone was switching packs, a woman in fact. It did not take long for Ruri's mind to piece together the information and realize who Savina was referring to. "Do you mean Princess Chance? I had no idea that she was joining, but I'll be sure to give her a warm welcome when next I see her. She and I met a few days ago when I found her wandering the lands looking for Haven Aate's house. I assume you know Haven, as I believe he was once a member of your pack. You're not his mother are you?" Ruri questioned curiously, trying to piece together bits and pieces of information about her friend that Haven had yet to tell her himself. "I only ask because I know he told me that his mother is a member of your pack. Oh, and I'm sorry for all of the questions. I get carried away sometimes," she replied, pale cheeks reddening in a blush of embarrassment. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her yet again. Hopefully Savina had not gotten an ill impression of her, or worse the pack, because of her behavior. Jac would be very disappointed if she were to mess up an important meeting like this.

300+



Savina noticed that Ruri's eyes were completely blue, but that didn't really tip her off that the other female could not see. Cwmfen, one of Dahlia's leaders had eyes that were purely white and she could see just as well as anyone else. The Italian had never actually met anyone who was blind and so simple, telltale signs were lost on her. The collie woman seemed to be a perfectly competent and capable individual and so she did not suspect for one moment that she actually had a large handicap to overcome. At Ruri's show of respect Savina almost protested, but managed to kept her mouth shut. The woman still had not really gotten used to people outside of her pack placing her somewhat upon a pedestal. In Crimson Dreams the only time she wanted to see such physical displays of respect were from loners searching to join their ranks. She wasn't better than anyone else, but she knew that other leaders might be a bit more touchy about such things and that Ruri was only making sure not to offend.



It surprised her that the Miracles leader already seemed to know well the situations, aside from the fact that Princess was coming to live here. It did make explaining things easier though and it comforted her to know that the Chance girl would be cared for here by more than just Haven. "I do indeed. I wasn't aware that she had other acquaintances here, but I'm glad to hear that she does." It would certainly make the transition smoother for Princess. Savina couldn't help but chuckle at the idea that she was Haven's mother and shook her head as she responded. "Oh no, I'm not Haven's mother, though I have known him from the moment he took his first breath." The subject of Naniko was always touchy, but she managed to remain fairly unperturbed, not wanting to make Ruri feel bad. "His adopted mother, Anu, is still in Crimson Dreams and my second-in-command, however his birth mother left our ranks quite a few months ago. She now resides in Phoenix Valley. Don't worry about asking questions, it's only natural." The Marino would never get annoyed at anyone for asking a few questions.

Still waters run deep


Word Count: 312

When Savina seemed surprised that Ruri knew Princess, Ruri could only smile. She imagined she would have felt the same way were she in the other woman's shoes, so to speak. The chuckle coming from the Italian woman quickly told Ruri that her guess was incorrect, making her chuckle along with Savina, though there was a bit of embarrassment as well as amusement behind hers. As the Commander explained how she knew Haven, and the rest of the details regarding Haven's mothers Ruri listened carefully, making sure to remember. Learning about her friends was always very important to Ruri. As lautari it was her job to make her pack mates happy, and if she knew more about each of them she would do better at guessing what could be bothering them when they were upset. "I see. I appreciate you telling me this Savina. I'm always glad to learn more about my friends, and Haven's a very dear friend of mine. You might find it interesting to know that he helped save my life when I first washed ashore on these lands. If he hadn't found me, I might have laid there until I died." Ruri was perhaps being a bit dramatic; for indeed Firefly had found her soon after Haven had, but it was possible that Firefly might not have seen her if Haven hadn't been kneeling beside her. Perhaps Savina would tell Haven's adopted mother about his impact on Ruri's life and give even more reason for her to be proud of her adopted son. Ruri owed much to the young Knight, more than even she knew. If it hadn't been for Haven, Heath might have come to see Ruri when he was drunk and their relationship might be in a rocky place right now. Instead, she and Heath were mates, and Haven had had a sizeable part in that.

300+



She sensed such a kind and gentle soul within the collie that it felt as if she were talking to an old friend instead of someone she had just met. There were certain personalities that the Marino just clicked with and Ruri's was one of them. It was probably lucky that it was the Dauphine that had come at her call and not the King. Savina knew nothing of Jacquez, but the male's boisterous and flirtatious attitude would have almost certainly rubbed her the wrong way. Starting pack-to-pack relations off on a good note was crucial and it was a relief to find such a one as Ruri helping run the Miracles pack. Even if she and the other leaders of this place didn't exactly hit it off, she would always be able to talk to this leader.



"As am I, so I am glad that I'm able to share more with you about Haven." She did find it interesting that the Aatte male had helped to rescue the sweet girl from the sea, though not surprising. Haven had always had a big heart and had dreamed of being a hero. From all she heard of him recently, he was well on the path to becoming one, if he weren't one already. It seemed that at least to Ruri, he was. "Haven has always been a very kind and conscientious boy and I'm glad that he's been able to help you, and your pack." Right now though, the Italian was more interested in the fact that Ruri had washed up on shore here, for it was the same way in which she herself had arrived in Nova Scotia. "You say you washed up on shore, may I ask where it is you are from? I also washed up on the shore when I arrived here. Were you on a boat that sank?" It seemed the most logical conclusion, but she supposed there were other possibilities as well. All the foreigners she had met in these lands had come from across the Atlantic, just as she had, and she was curious to see if it were the same case for the Aceline woman.

Still waters run deep



As Savina commented on Haven's exceptionally good nature, the blue merle female tried to think of all the ways that he had helped both the pack as a whole and herself. She could not begin to remember them all for his helpful actions were indeed inumerable. Savina's change of subject was slightly unexpected by the fragile optime. She had not been asked about where she came from in quite awhile, but it took her only a moment to recall the story, "King Jacquez, our leader, and I are from a land several days journey down south. We lived in a place called, Florida. Much of the population there is made up of dogs rather than wolves and coyotes, but the living conditions were incredibly cramped. Oh, and yes we did sail up here on a ship. In fact, Jac was our captain. Most of my young life was spent out at sea. Unfortunately, we were caught in a storm just as we reached the coasts. The ship that had served as our home for so long was destroyed by the rocks." Her explanation complete the petite Border collie turned the question back to Savina, "What about you, Savina? Where are you from?" Pale blue eyes danced back and forth in the direction of the Italian woman, ears focused forward, eagerly listening for the Commander's accented voice to tell her story. Ruri, of course, knew not what Savina looked like physically, but her voice and personality conveyed a unique perspective of the other woman's obvious beauty.

300+



The woman had no doubt that Haven was a great asset to Cour des Miracles. He had shown great promise all through his youth and then he had mysteriously disappeared from their home. It had taken her a while to learn what had happened to him, but when she had she had understood why he had taken off without a word. Coming face to face with such an awful truth would be enough to send anyone reeling, not to mention someone who hadn't even reached their year mark. Thankfully though it seemed that he had found his purpose once again in the ranks of this pack and had grown into the fine young man that she knew he would be. She knew that Anu and his sister Mati missed him a great deal, but she also knew that they wanted him to do what was best for him and it appeared that this was the place he was meant to be.



Savina listened with extreme interest as Ruri began to explain the place that she and the main leader of this pack had come from and how it was they had ended up here in Nova Scotia. Her knowledge about this continent and its canines were limited entirely to this peninsula and she found it fascinating that in the south there were mostly dogs. In Italy there had been very few dogs, and any that had been there must have lived mostly in the cities and so she of course had no knowledge of them. Even more surprising though was to hear that so much of Ruri's life had been spent aboard a ship. Honestly the sable wolf couldn't imagine being stuck on one of the vessels for such a long span of time. "Wow, that's all so interesting. I know so little about this continent and had no idea that that's how things are down in the south. Do you like it here?" It sounded like the environment was vastly different than that she had been born into, and she personally knew how strange those transitions could be.



"I'm actually from much farther away. It's a place called Italy and it lies across the ocean. I lived there until I was a little over two years old and then one day I went aboard one of the ships to see what it was like. What I didn't know though was that the ship was ready to sail and I ended up getting stuck inside of it. I can't say how long I was in there, but at some point a huge storm came up and the ship was torn apart and I got washed out to sea. The next thing I remember was waking up on the shore east of here." She decided to leave the part about her mother dying out. It would only bring the pleasant mood of their conversation down and she didn't see any reason to do that.

Still waters run deep


ooc: Word Count: 476

A frigid gust of winter wind whipped through Ruri's long, silvery hair as her ears trained on Savina's voice. When asked whether she liked these northern lands, her lips curved in an affirmative smile, "I do like it here, very much, although I must say that I am not quite accustomed to the colder weather. Down in Florida it was always so warm, even hot on some days. However, I think I'm slowly getting used to all of the snow and ice," she replied, wrapping her hands in the lower part of her cashmere tunic to re-warm them.

The Commander's own story captivated Ruri. Savina was from across the ocean? Though the blind girl could not see, she had been told several times by Jacquez how big the ocean was. Sometimes it could take a whole month to cross the ocean, or longer if the weather was bad. It sounded like a long, hard trip, made even worse by the fact that her ship had sunk. Having experienced such an event herself, the fragile Border collie could certainly relate to the Dreamer's story. "It certainly sounds like you had a rough trip. That's a shame too, because sailing can be so much fun in the right weather. I wish our pack at least had a small ship of some sort so that we could go on small trips down the coast, but that's neither here nor there," she paused, stopping herself before she became too sidetracked. Surely Savina would not want to talk about sailing after having such a bad experience with seafaring life. "What is your pack like, Savina? What I mean is, do you have a lot of members and pups? We don't have too many members, but we do have a few pups. Last time I checked, I think we had five. Some of them should be learning to shift soon, which I think is a bit exciting. I remember when I first learned how to shift, it took me a whole day just to learn how to walk on two legs, not to mention how to feel my way around. I suppose the process is different for everyone, though," she remarked, realizing that she had gone off on a tangent again. It was difficult for her because she loved pups so much. Jac's daughter, Jontae, had moved out several months ago and Ruri had heard nothing from her in that span of time. Her younger sister, Sylvie, was almost at the age where she would start to shift forms. Ruri knew that the young Border collie was eager to shift so that she could start caring for the pack's herd of sheep. It was an exciting time for the whole pack. Ruri would have to make an effort to visit Sylvie during the next few days to see how she was doing.

500+



The gust that hit Ruri hit her as well and Savina's fur bristled and she shook herself in an attempt to also shake away the chill. It helped a little, though not as much as she would have liked. She couldn't help but chuckle at the collie's assessment of the winter weather here in the northern reaches of the world. "Well, you're not alone in that. The weather where I'm from was also always warm and it never snowed. This is my second winter and I'm still not quite used to it." The Italian fey doubted she ever would be "used" to it, and she would never really enjoy it. It was Mediterranean blood that flowed through her veins and it craved warmth and a comfort that only high temperatures could bring. The weather during this season wasn't to her liking, but there were few other things she had cause to complain about here. It seemed that Ruri held a similar view.



Her trip upon the sea had been far from any semblance of pleasant, only compounded by the fact that it was a trip she had not intended to make. The whole venture had been a mistake, but in the end she saw it more as a blessing than anything else, considering what she had found in these lands. The Dauphine appeared to share a similar fondness to sailing and ships that the Russian wolf, Rurik, she had met a few months ago did. While her first and only experience had not been a good one, she had to admit that she was intrigued by the notion of trying it again. Of course, she would not be venturing anywhere far from here. "So I've heard from another. I wouldn't be against trying to sail again. If you want a ship you might want to track down a wolf living in the city, Rurik Russo. He's also from across the Atlantic, but from a different region than myself. He's a sailor and I don't know if he'd have any boats to spare, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind you asking." The Russian had been incredibly friendly with her and she couldn't imagine him treating Ruri any differently.



As the conversation turned back to her pack Savina's smile grew. Crimson Dreams was always something she was happy to talk about, especially the younger generations. "We have a goodly amount of members. As far as pups go the only ones we have currently are my sister's little boy and girl. I would like to still count my own children among the pups of the pack, but I must remind myself they're nearly a year old now, hard as it is for a mother to believe," she said somewhat solemnly, but with pride shining through. "However, though, I will be adding to the number of young ones we house soon." It didn't surprise her that Ruri hadn't noticed, for she was barely showing, but she figured the kind woman would find the news exciting. "I remember well the difficulties of learning to shift and getting used to your new body, for really I only tackled that hurdle when I came here. Where I lived in Italy we never shifted our form." One of the things that the collie said caught her ear oddly though. "What is it that you mean, learning to feel your way around?" The Dreamer was still painfully oblivious of Ruri's lack of sight.

Still waters run deep


WC:700+

Savina's response regarding the cold weather sparked a twinge of worry in the collie woman. Would she ever truly get used to cold weather? Savina was a wolf after all, from what Ruri had gathered from their conversation, and she was more suited to environmental adaptation than a dog like so many of the members of Cour des Miracles. However, those worries were quickly silenced, the silver and ivory woman scolding herself for being foolish enough to worry about such a trivial matter. She had clothes to wear to keep herself warm. Those would do for now.

The prospect of meeting someone who shared her love for sailing left an excited smile on the ivory lips of the lautari. This Rurik fellow sounded like a most enjoyable individual. Ruri would definitely have to tell Jac about him. Perhaps when spring came around the king could take a trip to the city to find this sailor from a distant land. After all, the two of them would likely have loads in common, sailing being just one of them."I would love to meet such a person. I'll have to tell King Jacquez about him. He'd probably have more to talk to Rurik about than I would. I don't know what constitutes a good ship, as I only spent my time on one of them. Jacquez on the other hand would know what to look for," she explained, plumed tail swishing back and forth casually as she spoke.

When Savina answered her inquiries about Crimson Dreams, Ruri listened, ever eager to learn new things about the people who lived in the surrounding packs. Savina's account of her pack's couple of youngsters combined with the fact that Savina herself was now pregnant with more pups made the Border collie giggle with excitement. "You're pregnant?! Congratulations! I certainly hope that everything goes well and that both you and your future pups all make it through in the best of health," her good wishes to the Commander were only natural for the polite girl, but Ruri could not help adding, "I would love to have pups some day, but my mate and I aren't quite ready yet. We just became mates a few weeks ago, and we're still adjusting to the changes that go along with that. I do hope when your pups are old enough that you'll bring them to visit. Cour des Miracles is a wonderful place to play when the weather is warm, what with the beach and everything," she finished, extending her invitation to the Dreamer woman. The young Dauphine had only been conversing with Savina for a few minutes now, but she already considered her a friend, one whom she liked more and more as she got to know her. The fragile optime was so caught up in the excitement of Savina's announcement, that she almost had not heard her next question. What had she meant? "Oh, I'm blind. I have been since I was born. In fact, my mother abandoned me when I was barely able to walk and speak, and left me for dead. Jacquez found me and raised me. He's the closest thing I have to a father, though sometimes I think we act more like a pair of siblings. I'm sorry if I confused you earlier with what I said. I meant that it was difficult to learn how to feel my way around because that's how I travel. I memorize where things are around me, various paths to and fro. I have several trails in these lands that I know by heart. It's not always the quickest way to get around, but it's better than staying in one place all the time," she added with a laugh. Ruri was an active woman. In fact, the idea of staying indoors all day was rarely appealing to her unless she was spending the day with a friend. Her innocent, naive nature left no place for shame over her disability. In fact she had explained to most of her friends that she could see, just in a different way from all of them. If Savina were to ask she would gladly tell her the exact same thing. Life was just a little different for the collie girl. Some might have said it was a lot different, but not her.

500+



Rurik had offered to teach her more about boats and sailing and to give her a better experience than the one that she had. At the time he hadn't been aware she had a mate and he had been flirting with her a bit. She had been nervous that explaining her situation to him would put him off, but the Russian wolf had handled the situation with poise and there hadn't been any awkwardness between them. He truly seemed like a gentleman to her and with how few she had met it was a quality she held in very high esteem. As Ruri mentioned the name of the leader of the pack Savina memorized it and took it to heart. Even if she hadn't met the man, knowing his name was a good start. "I'm sure Rurik would be thrilled to talk to another sailor. He seemed pretty passionate about it when I met him." Ignorant as she was she hadn't been able to provide good conversation on the matter and so surely he would be happy to talk with someone who also knew something about boats.



As Ruri's excitement of the news bubbled to life in her giggling Savina couldn't help but let her tail happily sweet against the damp ground she sat upon. She and Kansas hadn't been trying for more pups, but it had happened and Savina was overjoyed to have the opportunity to be a mother again. There was also less anxiety with this pregnancy, it being her second one. She still needed to be careful of course, but she wasn't so afraid of the unknown anymore. "Thank you Ruri, it means a lot. Everything has gone fine so far, so I hope it continues in that trend." The fear of something going wrong always lurked in the shadows, but the woman was optimistic that this litter would be just as healthy as her last. "Congratulations to you as well! It can take some adjusting, getting used to mated life, but it's worth it. My mate and I didn't try for pups until we'd been mates for a few months. It's best to have some time just for yourselves before you start trying for pups. I'm sure you'll be an excellent mother when you're ready though." With how sweet and kind the collie was there was no question in her mind about that. "I'd love to bring them to visit when they're able to. I'll look forward to that day." Cour des Miracles seemed to have much more beach than Crimson Dreams did and the Italian did love the beach.



The answer to her question was quite unexpected and she felt her ears fold back in embarrassment for the asking of it. It didn't seem to bother Ruri at all, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for bringing it up. What her mother had done to the girl was shocking and it appalled the woman to her core. How could a mother just leave her child?! The very notion of it sickened her. She would never leave any of her pups, even if something were physically wrong with them. A mother was supposed to love her children unconditionally and the idea that any could be so heartless was awful. "Oh Ruri, I'm sorry for bringing it up. I honestly had no idea. That's so awful what your mother did. I could never, ever leave any of my pups." She paused, eyes searching the ground at her feet. "You've grown into a wonderful adult though, and it's her loss. She was the blind one to have thrown you away." Any woman would be proud to have such a kind, and clearly strong, daughter.

Still waters run deep


600+

Ruri knew that Jac and Rurik were bound to become fast friends if they ever met. It was incredibly likely that the both of them would have more than just a love of ships in common. From her experiences down south the petite woman had come to learn a few general characteristics of sailors. First, they loved the sea. Second, they loved their ships. And third, they enjoyed their liquor particularly the hard stuff, or so Jac had told her. So, if Rurik fit that stereotype even to the smallest degree, the blue merle woman imagined that both he and Jac would be spending lots of time drinking and trading stories of their adventures.

The subject of mated life and pups was one that the collie hybrid always loved to discuss. She greatly looked forward to the day that she would be blessed with pups of her own, but for now she would have to be content with enjoying other people's children. The Italian woman congratulated her on her new mateship and Ruri dipped her head in a gesture of thanks. When the Commander explained that she thought it was best for new mates to have some time for themselves before having pups, Ruri could not help but blush. "I know what you mean about that. My mate and I have been enjoying the journey so far. It's amazing being with him. When we're together it's like we're the same person, each knowing what the other is thinking and simply enjoying being together. Sometimes I still try to shake myself awake just to make sure I'm not dreaming," she laughed, the redness fading from her cheeks. She loved her family most of all, her mate, her best friend, and even her cat, Being around them made her feel complete. "I'll personally make sure that you and your pups have the best time ever when you bring them to visit. Believe it or not I know a few good games that most pups can't get enough of. Jacquez had to make up little games to keep me occupied during the times when he had to go do important, captain business. Often times I'd get so involved in playing that I wouldn't even notice he had left until he came back," she replied, a reminiscent smile gracing her features. Her favorite childhood game was the game Jac had titled, "Treasure Hunt." He would hide little pieces of meat, sweet smelling flowers, or pieces of soft fabric around the ship, or wherever they were staying, and she would have to search it out. The 'treasures' Jac picked were always things that didn't need sight to be found and that would always provide some other sort of pleasant, sensory stimulation. When Ruri had been helping to take care of Jontae, she had hidden several things around her cabin for the mischievous little pup to find. It had kept Jontae busy for at least a little while, and from what Ruri had been able to tell she had enjoyed it.

The change in Savina's tone of voice after Ruri had explained her earlier statement, perhaps with a little too much information, made the collie-girls ears droop slightly. She had not intended to make Savina feel guilty for asking a valid question. "Yes, my mother was an awful woman, but I suppose she'll always be a point of reference regarding exactly what 'not' to do when I become a mother. You didn't need to apologize for anything," she replied, a reassuring smile on her face. Milky blue eyes were locked in Savina's general direction, hoping to further emphasize the words she spoke.

500+



Savina was similarly happily inclined to talk about the joys of family life. Her pack was of the utmost importance to her, but family would always be the more valuable thing in her book. It probably stemmed from her childhood, where the pack she had grown up in hadn't been very supportive and so the only ones she could really depend on were her mother and siblings. Them and her English tutor Lorenzo, who had in a sense become a part of their family. With a bit of sorrow she wondered how the kindly wold was doing. She couldn't imagine that his lot in Monti Sabini had improved any with her departure. She wouldn't think about that now though. Now she had much more cheery topics to speak on. "Yes, I know what you mean. I feel very much the same with my mate. We've been mates for over a year now and none of the excitement of being together has gone away for either of us. I hope that you and your mate can keep that as well, though from the sound of it there's no reason to think it won't." It appeared that Ruri was one of the lucky ones who had found the person she was meant to be with. It filled the woman with warmth to see a strong relationship so similar to her's and Kansas'.



The Italian fey smiled broadly when Ruri assured her that the time she spent here with her pups would be fantastic, and she had no doubt that the claim was true. She was especially intrigued by the mention of the games that she knew and the ones she had played herself as a pup. Being from a very different part of the world, surely the games she knew were ones that Savina had never heard of or seen before. "I'm sure we will! And I can't wait to see the games that you know. I might have to bring my adult children along as well so they can see too. They may be nearly grown ups now, but they still love to play games." This was especially true of Gotham. The mother and son had even made up their own little impromptu game of making up fables to explain the reasons things happened in the world as they had. That had been one of her favorite afternoons as of late.



Savina had not wanted to pry or open old wounds in Ruri's life, but it seemed as if the collie woman was not upset over the subject. Perhaps it was one of those things that had dulled with time and distance, much like how she felt towards her sire. Of course given the right cues she could still get quite upset over the subject, but those times were few and far between now. "Yes, sadly it seems such things happen more often then not. My father, if you can even call him that, wasn't much better. He didn't want my mother or any of us when we were born. I suppose he helped me to see what I didn't want in a male though." Sighing, she looked back up at Ruri, glad that the conversation hadn't been ruined by her question. "Okay, I'm glad I didn't upset you. I know how delicate these kinds of subjects can be."

Still waters run deep



The blind collie stood, thinking about how much she loved Heath as Savina expressed her own similar feelings towards her own mate. The mere thought of him made her happy. She would have to give him a big hug next time she saw him, just to let him know how much she loved him. The Italian fae's expressed encouragement about Ruri's mateship made the silver and ivory woman smile in gratitude. Of course, she hoped the exact same thing for Savina and her mate.

The subject of Savina's future visit continued to excite the petite luperci. When the Commander suggested that she might bring her older children, the young Border collie couldn't help but chime in, "The more the merrier, I always say. Besides, you're never to old to have fun. I must say I'm so excited that it's going to be difficult to wait for that day to come. I suppose there isn't anything I can do about that, though. I'll just have to force myself to be patient," she replied with a giggle of amusement. There really was nothing she could do to expedite Savina's visit with her future pups as the pups had yet to be even born. That was always the difficulty with planning fun things so far in advance. One just couldn't help but get excited, and therefore the waiting was only made harder.

When Savina explained her own history of parental trouble, Ruri was easily able to empathize. Father, mother, the same sort of thing really save for the obvious gender differences. When the Dreamer made the point that her father taught her what not to look for in a male, the lautari's lips curved in a smile, "Fate has a way of doing things like that. Often the bad things in life serve to change us for the better, though it rarely seems like it at the time," she stated, moving her arms from their folded position in front of her chest to their normal resting place at her sides. The long sleeves of her tunic had served their purpose of re-warming her fingers and now they were again ready to face the chill temperature of the air. In a few minutes Ruri would likely have to repeat the procedure again and re-warm her fingers. On such cold, wet days, it was almost a habit of the Dauphine, she rarely noticed that she was doing it.

sorry for the wait D: and figured this was a good place to wrap up? 300+



Honestly, Savina would have been shocked to find out the actual identity of Ruri's mate. Her knowledge and experiences with the hybrid male were far from pleasant and she wouldn't have been able to understand what it was the sweet collie girl saw the scoundrel. However, she was blissfully ignorant of who this mate was and so she felt nothing other than happiness for the two of them. Love was a special and important thing and love, more than anything else, guided the woman's actions. It wouldn't have surprised her at all if Ruri were the same way. Her kind and gentle ways spoke loudly of that possibility.



It pleased her that Ruri would be willing to play hostess to so many of her kin. It wasn't often that large groups visited other packs and the last thing that Savina wanted to cause was any sort of burden. The Dauphine didn't seem to view it as any sort of an inconvenience though and the more she thought of bringing her whole brood the more exciting the whole notion became. "Of course not! One of the great things about pups is that it gives us adults the excuse to act puppish as well." Savina loved being able to romp around and be silly with her kids. It was one of life's great joys. "I'm very excited for it as well! It will be hard to wait, though I'm sure the time will pass by much more quickly than we think." It would end up being no time at all, in the long run. Surely the time between then and now would pass as swiftly as the wind.



Savina's resentment towards her sire had dulled with space and time, but she could still get very angered by it giving the right situation. She would never forgive Serge for what he had done, but she was thankful now that she and her siblings were far, far away from him. No longer would his shadow hang over their lives like an ominous presence. The positive way in which Ruri spoke though was a wonderful perspective, and it was very insightful of the younger femme. "Yes, it does seem to be like that, doesn't it?" she concurred with a smile. Noticing the way the other had finished warming her hands, she too felt the uncomfortable bite of the cold. "Perhaps we should both retreat to more hospitable environments?" Neither of them needed to catch a cold out here.

Still waters run deep


I agree this is a good place to wrap up. I will go archive this now.

Word Count: 200+

Savina's comments regarding the difficulty of waiting made Ruri nod in agreement. Her milky blue eyes focused in the Commander's direction glowed with the same excitement that her face showed. What the older woman said was absolutely true. The time would pass quickly, as it always seemed to do, and before she knew it the Crimson Dreams leader would be returning with all of her offspring, young and old, in tow. "It will be well worth the wait. Make sure to come by on a nice warm day. Playing on the beach always seems more enjoyable in the warm sun," she replied, wanting to make sure Savina would come on a day that would be the most conducive to fun ocean front activities.

The conversation was quickly coming to an end as nature seemed to warn of another bout of showers with the sudden drop in air temperature. Savina suggested it first and Ruri quickly nodded in reply,"Perhaps we should indeed. It was very nice to meet you Savina. I hope your pregnancy keeps going well and I look forward to your visit. Now hurry and get back to your home before it starts raining," she replied turning and waving goodbye in the other woman's general direction. That was the convenient thing about waving; one did not need to be entirely precise in the direction they waved in as it was a general gesture of farewell. As they both parted ways, the cashmere clad Border collie strolled over the damp ground towards her warm cabin where her kitten would be waiting, likely sleeping in front of the fire. Heath would hopefully make it home before the rain came again.