Spring. It was finally spring. Though the collie hybrid lacked the means to visually identify the seasonal change, the gradual increase in temperature, the sounds of animals returning from down south or simply awaking from hibernation, and of course the various smells brought on by the entire change. Finally Ruri was able to walk around without having to wear her long, dress-like, cashmere tunic all the time. She enjoyed walking around without clothing during such pleasant weather, though she did want to find something else to wear for those occasional times when she wanted to be clothed. When she had last gone clothes hunting she had had an experienced 'shopper' with her, the lovely Firefly, but as the golden woman was oddly scarce of late Ruri had resorted to searching Lunenburg by herself, not an easy task for a blind woman. Sure she knew the town inside and out, but all of the buildings were just that, buildings on the outside. Their interiors were mysterious and potentially treacherous for the Dauphine, but for some odd reason she had resolved to search for a new outfit by herself.
Her constant companion, the young Maine Coon, Soleil was following dutifully at her heels as she strolled down the old sidewalk of Lunenburg. Bushy tail carried high above his form, green eyes staring upwards at his mistress, the orange tabby was doing his best to be the ever vigilant guard-cat that he was meant to be. He knew that his feminine owner was unable to see, and while she had not given him much reason for concern, his attachment to her made him want to be mindful of her actions. She seemed intent on searching out these old buildings, so he would have to watch her footsteps carefully. If she were about to step on something, or into something potentially hazardous he would have to dart in front of her and brush against her leg to make her stop. This protective behavior would likely have been considered strange by most cats, but then again Soleil wasn't most cats.
However, Ruri was better off than her feline companion thought. She was always aware of where she put her feet, often having to feel around a bit if she was unsure about taking another step. The silver and ivory lautari had been forced by necessity to learn to care for herself while living with Jac on the ship. While he rarely left her side, or she his, she had had to learn to follow precisely behind Jac's every footstep so as to not trip into anything. Her hearing would tell her where each foot fell. After having perfected that she had learned to feel her way around and explore. With those skills polished, travel had become as easy for her as most people with eyesight. Though, she personally had no comparison to go by, as she could not watch a regular person walk. Her belief was based purely on the naive speculations of her relatively innocent mind.