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It was cold, really cold this morning, at least for the petite border collie fae from down south. She had her gray, cashmere tunic on, as it was a bit heavier and more resistant to the chill within the house. She had even managed to slip on a pair of those sweatpants that Firefly had found for her. In fact this was the first time she had put them on since bringing them home. The fabric was stretchy and it was rather loose around the lower part of her legs, but the pant seemed to hug her feminine hips a bit. Perhaps that was why Firefly had said boys liked it when girls wore pants. It had been a miracle that Ruri had been able to even get the pants on, considering that she could barely stand on one leg. Her sprained ankle made it almost impossible to walk without a heavy limp and even that became unbearable after a few short steps. The swelling had gone down quite a bit over the past few days, but the injured limb was still tender. Fortunately, though, Ruri was at least able to limp the distance between her bedroom and the couch in the living room where her fireplace was. Unfortunately for her, the fire had burnt out already. Jontae had been gone already this morning when Ruri had awoken which worried with ivory and merle female a bit, but she doubted the small pup was far from home. Perhaps she was with Firefly. Ruri couldn't blame her for not waiting for Ruri to wake up. After all, Ruri could not play with Jontae in her currently injured state so the easily bored pup had found other things to do for the time being. However, the delicate lautari did miss the fact that she couldn't be as active as she liked. She didn't know how long her ankle would be hurt, but she kept hoping that it would not take long. She wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to stand being unable to wander around the packlands and being stuck at home. She kept wishing that someone would show up to keep her company, but it wasn't like the other packmembers didn't have things to do. Heath, as much as he liked seeing her, had his horses to take care of. Not to mention that he had to be on the lookout whenever he did visit to see if Jac was nearby. Jac had to wander the lands performing his kingly duties and Haven and Leroy were likely policing the territory as they usually did. Ruri paused for a moment and thought about how long it had been since she had seen Haven. The last time she had seen him at the race he had still seemed a little upset about what had happened between himself and Siobhan. Her brow furrowed for a moment as she wondered if he had finally moved on and found someone new. Of course if he had not found someone new yet she would understand. Love was not something that could be rushed into.
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It was starting to get colder, and he couldn't say he was looking forward to winter. He had been born in late fall and so for the first few months of his life the snow and cold had been all he knew. Now that he knew what spring and summer were like though he knew he liked those seasons much better than the biting chill of winter. The hybrid wasn't as well prepared genetically for the cold either. Even though the majority of his blood was wolf, his coat did not get as thick as many other's did. This made him wonder how Jac and Ruri would fare during the frigid months. Their hair was light and thin and probably did very little to keep them warm. Hopefully neither of them would get sick. Thinking about the two of them made him wonder on the whispers he had heard of a bit of a confrontation that had happened between those two and Heath. Haven had known Jac would be protective of Ruri, but not to the violent extent that he had heard tell of. He hadn't heard from Heath and hadn't seen Ruri for a long while, so he decided to go and visit her and see how she was doing.
Haven wrapped his jacket around him and tucked his arms across his chest, trying to keep out the cold of the wind. This really wasn't even bad yet, it would get so much worse. He huffed, trying to push those thoughts from his head as he made the trek to the cabin that the blind collie took residence in. It didn't take him too long to make it there and as he walked up he noted the wood that was outside. It was good that she had some supplies for a fire, no doubt she would be needing them. The Knight walked up to the door and knocked. "Ruri, are you there? It's Haven, I came by to see you." He hoped that she was home, he really wanted to see her. Hopefully their chat this time would be more pleasant than the last, at least this time he wouldn't be crying.
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A knock on the door immediately alerted the injured border collie to the presence of another individual and the voice that followed quickly identified her visitor. What a wonderful coincidence! She had just been thinking about Haven and now here he was coming to visit. "Come on in, Haven! The door is open," she called, finishing what she was doing in the bedroom, grabbing a blanket to keep warm and immediately limping into the living room to her couch. For each small moment that her injured ankle bore her weight Ruri winced, biting back a small whimper of pain. The pain did not last long, though, as she quickly limped to the couch and plopped down, grateful that she could now rest her injured limb. She had not noticed if Haven had seen her limping into the room as she had been far too focused on getting from point A to point B that she hadn't taken the time to listen for Haven's entry. That was yet another reason why she hated being in pain. Each time her leg twinged her senses were all dedicated to stopping the pain as quickly as possible, shutting out the things around her which she usually focused so much on. It was another addition to her feelings of vulnerability. Fortunately Ruri was now to distracted to dwell on such an upsetting topic. She had a guest, and not just any guest but her friend Haven, the great knight of Cour des Miracles. The slate and white female could not wait to start conversing with him. Surely they would find something interesting to talk about. What that would be, Ruri had not the slightest clue, but she was eager to begin just the same.
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Ruri's light and musical voice drifted through the closed door and beckoned him in. A small smile took its place on his face as he opened the door and stepped inside. He hadn't been looking, but he noticed the sounds of movement in the house seemed odd and irregular. His gaze rose to find Ruri limping into the the room and finally plopping herself down on the couch. Immediately his expression turned to one of worry and concern. "Ruri, what happened?" He couldn't believe that she was hurt! What had caused it? A million different possibilities, each one more unsettling than the last, whizzed through his mind. "Nobody did this to you, did they?" That would be the worst of all. Haven hadn't caught any suspicious characters around their borders but he couldn't be everywhere all the time. If someone had done this to her he would feel so awful.
Haven looked about the room quickly and noticed that there was no fire burning in the fireplace. He looked back to Ruri and noticed her blanket and assumed that she must be cold. "Hey, do you want a fire? I could make you one, help warm you up." The poor girl was already in pain, she didn't need that discomfort multiplied by being cold as well. The collie had done so much to help him in the past and now it was his turn to do anything and everything he could do for her. Whenever they were done talking he would even carry her back to her room if she wanted him to.
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The ivory and silver female could only shake her head for a moment, smiling in a mildly embarrassed manner as Haven hurriedly asked her what had happened, obviously referring to her ankle. "It's a long story, Haven. Don't worry, no one did this to me. It was my fault entirely," she replied, giving only a brief summary of what was sure to be a long explanation. In what seemed like a flash Haven had noticed yet another problem to try and remedy. She had no fire in her fireplace, something which she rarely let happen these days. Normally it would be easy for her to go outside, grab a few logs and race back indoors before being too chilled by the cold air, but being unable to walk made going outside impossible without assistance. So, what was normally an easy task of keeping her fire constantly burning had grown exponentially more difficult in a remarkably short span of time. However, Ruri didn't have to worry anymore for the great knight, Sir Haven, had come to her rescue. "Oh yes please. Thank you very much Haven. It only just burnt out this morning. I wasn't sure how I was going to try and get some more logs inside to try and get it started again. I'd really appreciate the help," she replied, her blanket covering her legs and her small hands pulled inside the long sleeves of her tunic. It always amazed her how everyone was always so willing to help her even when she hardly did anything for them, or so she thought. As far as she knew, she didn't do much of anything except talk to, or sing for people when they asked her to. In fact, she hadn't done too much singing lately. She couldn't think of a reason why she had no sung any songs lately, other than the fact that she had simply been preoccupied. She would have to make it a point to practice her singing while in this temporary crippled state. That would at least give her something useful to do.
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Her smile and assurance that her injury was an accident soothed him but he was still curious as to how it had happened. Ruri was usually very careful about moving around and had the paths that she used to walk about the lands memorized. Perhaps it had been something as innocuous as a branch that had fallen down in one of her paths and she had tripped over it, but it seemed that it was no something so simple. Part of him wanted to immediately launch into questions to get to the bottom of it all, but he decided to hold his tongue for the moment. The more pressing issue was to get a fire started so her little cabin could warm up. "No problem. I'll bring some extra logs in too and set them by the fireplace so you won't have to go outside to get them." The last thing she needed was to catch a cold from being too chilled.
Haven moved to the woodpile he had seen on his way in and gathered up as many of the logs as his arms could hold and then moved back inside. He walked over to the fireplace and set them down in a noisy clatter, laughing a little as they rolled around. "Well, you shouldn't need to worry about getting more wood for a while." He gathered the wood back up and set the logs he wasn't using in a nice pile to the side of the hearth. "I'm setting the extra logs to the right side of the fireplace." Haven then took the two driest logs and set them in the fireplace, lighting a match and waiting patiently for the wood to catch. Thankfully they did in only a few minutes and soon there would be a nice fire roaring and warming the Lautari's home. "There we go, things should start warming up soon."
Dusting off his hands Haven walked over to the couch and looked at the bundled up female. "So, you want to talk about how that happened?" If she didn't want to discuss it then he would let it go, but he wanted to make sure that it hadn't been anything too traumatic for her.
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A grateful smile wandered across her features as the ivory and merle Border collie listened to Haven bringing in some logs to start a fire for her. The fact that he had even brought some extra logs in made her even more grateful to her friend. Now all she would need to do is toss another log on the fire in order to keep it going. "Thank you very much Haven. I don't think I would have been able to walk outside, let alone carry all of those logs. I really appreciate it. she replied, her keen senses detecting the sounds of the wood beginning to pop and crack as it slowly started to burn. Ruri knew what was coming next and like clockwork, Haven asked her if she wanted to talk about what had happened. She quietly nodded yes as she gathered her thoughts together, trying to decide where to begin. When her mind was made up, the blue merle collie turned her useless blue eyes upward towards Haven. "It happened a few days ago. Heath came to visit me. He told me that he loved me. I already knew that, but I think he felt he had to tell me out loud after I had told him how I felt a day or two before. It was all going wonderfully, I think we were close to kissing...when Jac showed up," she paused, taking a deep breath in order to settle her mind once more. She had to choose her words carefully. She didn't want Haven to think that she was mad at Jac, because she wasn't. "Jac threw a whiskey bottle against the porch and started snarling and shouting at Heath, saying he was a traitor...and a lot of other things in French. Heath responded very calmly, speaking in both French and English, although that still made it hard to understand what was going on. I tried to tell Jac that he had it all wrong, but he just told me that I didn't understand what I was talking about. He said Heath was trying to seduce me and use me. I knew that wasn't true, but the fact that Jac said that, along with the fact that he wouldn't listen to me made me really upset," she sighed, her tone dropping slightly, "I started crying, which of course only made things worse. Jac and Heath started arguing about some stuff, I can't really remember, but then Jac said that Heath should leave. Heath didn't, but instead told Jac that he should go. I knew it was going to go downhill really fast from there...and it did. Jac punched Heath and roared at him to leave and never come back. Heath didn't respond. He just reached down, held my hand for a moment, told me that he was sorry and then got on his horse and left before I could figure out what was going on. When I finally did get a clue, I ran after Heath begging him not to leave, but he was already too far away. Then...I tripped and hurt my ankle. Jac carried me back here and I've been stuck lying down for the past few days. Heath came back to visit me...and...after we talked for a little bit...we kissed. Then he slept here...until I fell asleep. He was gone when I woke up. That's understandable though, he didn't want Jac to catch him here." she smiled, her spirits lifted a bit. She knew Haven was probably a bit overwhelmed with all the information that had just poured from her mouth, but she wasn't quite finished yet. She still hadn't really told Haven what her problem was. Up until now she had just been giving the back story to the dilemma. "My real problem, is what to do about Jac. I love him...he's family. Nothing will ever change how I feel about him, even if Heath and I are together. Jac just doesn't understand though. He probably thinks that if I'm with Heath that I'll stop being his sidekick, his little follower. That won't happen, of course, but I just don't know how I can explain it to him. There, now the problem was stated so that Haven had the entire issue laid out in front of him. Ruri was always good at giving thorough answers, no matter how long they might be.
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Haven smiled over at his friend. "Of course! It's not a problem at all. Don't want you being uncomfortable or catching a cold. You know if you ever need anything you can just call for me." He meant his offer wholeheartedly. If it hadn't been for Ruri he might not be here. He might still be in that dirty bar in the city drinking himself into an early grave. Though they had never spoken of it, he knew that it was she who had told Jacquez who he was and how he needed some help or guidance. In a way she was kind of his savior, and he would never be able to thank her enough for all she had done for him. He was where he was and who he was today because of Ruri and he was man enough to recognize that and he wanted to make sure that she was always taken care of.
The Knight listened patiently and uninterruptedly as the Lautari recounted how she had come to hurt her ankle. Whatever Haven had been expecting, it had not been this incredibly upsetting and troubling situation between Heath and Jac over Ruri. His stomach dropped as he listened to her and a sad frown formed his face. Haven had known that the King would be protective over Ruri, but not the extent that things had happened and escalated so quickly. Heath had done nothing wrong and yet Jac had gotten so angry, angry enough to strike. He was relieved, and proud, to hear that Heath had taken the high road though and not fought back. That would have been a very difficult thing for the hybrid to do, he knew, and he also knew that it was because he truly did love Ruri. Which made him all the more disappointed in Jacquez and all the more saddened that his two dear friends were facing such difficulties only because they loved each other and wanted to be together.
"I'm sorry Ruri, that things happened that way. I feel kind of bad too, I had reassured Heath that everything would work out alright." The hybrid scratched the back of his neck. He hadn't seen Heath since that night and now it was pretty apparent why. He hoped that Jac would come to his senses and knock off this unfair persecution. It was really making him see his King in a light that he didn't like. His mind worked to try and think of a way to make their monarch see that he was being unfair and taking things the wrong way. "Maybe you just need to calmly sit down with him and tell him that. Tell him that you love him and you love Heath but your love for Heath is different. That it doesn't mean that your relationship with him is going to change, that things are just going to be a little different. You're an adult and you can make your own decisions and lead your own life." He didn't like Jac treating Ruri like she was a child, she was stronger than he was giving her credit for. "If it would help I would talk to him too and reassure him that Heath only has the purest intentions towards you."
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The silence that followed her explanation made Ruri's ears droop slightly. She certainly understood that Haven would be distressed over such an occurrence. After all, he and Heath were friends, and it was likely that he, like Ruri, had not expected Jac to act in such a way. Haven then apologized for what happened, and revealed that he had assured Heath that everything was going to be fine. Ruri could only shake her head and smile as she replied,"You don't have anything to apologize for, Haven. You were being a good friend to Heath, and I'm really thankful for that." Haven's pep-talk to Heath had probably given him the courage to tell Ruri that he loved her and Ruri was very grateful for that indeed. Even if what had happened afterwards hadn't been ideal, Haven had done a good thing for Heath. When Haven advised Ruri about what she should do about Jac, the ivory and merle collie listened intently. Everything Haven said made sense, in fact Ruri had been thinking something along the same lines. However, she had not thought to act upon her ideas. When the idea came from Haven, it sounded much more doable. "I think you're right, Haven. I already told Heath that same thing, and I think that's why he doesn't want to fight with Jac over me. Now I just need to tell Jac so that he can stop behaving like he is. Plus, I think if I explain it to him, he won't feel like he's losing me to someone else." Haven offered to talk to Jac before her and she only shook her head,"I'm not so sure that would be such a good idea. As much as Jac trusts you, I think that he might consider you to be interfering in something that doesn't concern you and he might get defensive. He wouldn't mean to, it's just the way he is. He's already convinced himself that he did the right thing, you see? On the other hand, if I talk to him and explain to him what you talked about a second ago, Jac will be a bit more likely to listen. Don't ask me why, it's just the way he is." she explained, smiling in mild amusement. This plan could work. She would be able to explain to her best friend, and king that Heath didn't want to take advantage of her and that her loving him did not change whether or not she loved Jac. The delicate collie girl couldn't help but grin in anticipation. The next time Jac came by to check on her, she'd be ready. She would be able to explain to him exactly how it should be.
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Haven was still shocked by how messed up everything was. What should have been a joyous and uncomplicated thing had turned into almost everything opposite of that. Jacquez had overreacted and raged at the new couple, Ruri had gotten upset, Heath had been hit and forced to flee the lands, and Ruri had ended up hurting her ankle. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he sincerely hoped that their King felt guilty for acting the way he had, if for no other reason than Ruri getting hurt in the process. Sadly he had a notion that there were no such feelings of remorse in the man. He had no idea what had made Jacquez the man that he was, but there were some very crucial experiences that he had never had apparently. Haven understood wanting to protect those that you considered family, but the way he had reacted to this all was just over the top. He had abused his authority and that put a sense of unease in the Knight.
He was glad that Ruri found his suggestions on how to handle the situation useful, aside from his offer to speak to the monarch first. As his friend explained it it did make sense that it probably would hurt more than it would help. Despite the fact that none of this involved him directly he was a little too emotionally involved to be able to talk about it calmly when Jac was apparently being so adamant in his own position. Haven would almost undoubtedly become too defensive of both Heath and Ruri and accusatory of Jac's reaction and that would only lead to making the situation even more messy. That was the last thing that his friends needed, and he wasn't about to muck things up any worse. "Yeah, I guess you're right about me talking to him. It probably wouldn't be a good idea. I just wanted to help because I can't stand the thought that you two are facing this kind of thing when all you want to do is be together because you love each other." Haven understood how important and fragile those emotions were, how easily they could turn from pleasure to pain, and he didn't want that happening to them. Even though his relationship had been a failure and left him broken didn't make him a cynic or make him want others to feel his pain, especially not two people as dear to him as Ruri and Heath were.
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When Haven admitted that she was right about his desire to talk to Jac, Ruri smiled slightly. She was thankful that Haven was her friend. He was always trying to make sure she was alright. He was the best knight the pack could hope for. "It'll all work out, Haven. This is just a test that life has seen fit to give to Heath and me. We'll be alright and so will Jac," she replied, nodding to add emphasis to her words. "I don't want Jac to be hurt by any of this. You see, I think that's partly why he acted how he did. He might not admit it, but he gets lonely just like I do and he doesn't want to be left alone. He probably thought Heath was going to take me away," she explained, hoping she would not taint Haven's opinion of their king anymore with the her revelation of a few of Jac's lesser known personality traits. "You see, Haven, Jac isn't a bad person. He just reacted the way he did because he perceived what was going on as one of his greatest fears being realized. I think he's terrified of me leaving just like I have always been, and still am afraid of being abandoned. Jac just tries to cover it up by drinking and being tough, but deep down I know he's just a sensitive, emotional person like me. She wasn't sure if her explanation of Jac's behavior would help Haven understand, but she had tried. The invalid blue merle border collie didn't want Haven thinking ill of Jac because of what he had done to Heath. Of course she felt bad that Jac had hit Heath, but to Jac it had just been a gut reaction. Ruri, of course, was always trying to see the good in things. That might have biased her views a bit, but there was little doubt that what she said had at least some truth to it. She had spent nearly her entire life following the one-armed pirate king around. If anyone knew him well, it was her.
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The male had to admit, he was so impressed with how well Ruri was handling all of this. It had to be stressful, having the man she loved and her closest friend at odds. He was in a somewhat similar situation with Princess and his sister, but at the moment he didn't love Princess. He thought he might though eventually, and even now having the two most important women in his life not getting along was hard on him. What was happening with Ruri was so much worse, and yet she was still able to stay positive. To be certain that it would all work out. In that way, he felt, she was so much stronger than he was. If he had been in her place he knew he wouldn't not have been handling it so respectably. "Yeah, it will. You're pretty amazing Ruri, handling this as well as you are," he said, the admiration clear in his voice.
He listened attentively as she did her best to explain how Jac was seeing all of this and how it was perhaps effecting him. It was hard to think of the boisterous king as being vulnerable in anyway at all, but it did seem to fit in this situation. Still, it was completely irrational for him to think that just because Ruri wanted to have a relationship that he would somehow get left behind and abandoned. It was clear that when it came to some things, their leader was a little out of touch with reality. "I don't think he's a bad man, I don't. I was just shocked that he acted that way over this. I know Jac only has the best intentions for us all at heart, it's just when it comes to more personal matters that he and I don't see eye-to-eye and we probably never will." Haven would never understand being able to use women like they were disposable objects. Still, if anyone knew Jac then it would be Ruri, and so he trusted her analysis of the situation.
"So, how are you, aside from all of this?" There had obviously been more going on with her since the last time they had talked. Hopefully the other stuff in her life wasn't quite so hectic and frustrating.
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The blue merle female could only blush as Haven complimented her. She didn't feel at all amazing. She was just doing what came naturally. When Haven responded to her explanation about Jac, Ruri breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She had not wanted Haven to harbor any negative feelings towards their king. That would just not be good. He admitted that there were certain things that he and Jac would likely never see eye-to-eye on and an amused laugh flowed from her lips."I can't help but agree with you. He's my best friend and yet we still disagree about stuff. I've been told it's rather amusing to listen to the both of us arguing about something," she replied, smiling the entire time. Back down south Ruri remembered hearing several crew members chuckling and commenting about how funny it was to listen to Jac and Ruri as they argued on occasion. Haven then asked how she was doing aside from the dramatic occurrences of the previous night. The ivory and merle female had to think for a moment before she responded,"Well, Firefly helped me find some clothes to wear in order to keep warm," she paused to point at the cashmere tunic she was wearing,"Then, a few days ago, a member of Jac's old crew came to the borders and dropped of Jac's daughter. Her name is Jontae. She lives here with me, but Firefly helps me take care of her. Come to think of it the little thing's probably with Firefly right now. Other than that, not much outside the ordinary has happened. What about you, Haven?" she finished. For a moment Ruri's thoughts returned to Svara's recent suicide, but surely Haven knew about that already. There was no reason for Ruri to talk about it. So now it was Haven's turn. Surely he had some interesting things to talk about. After all, he patrolled the borders day in and day out. He probably had more interesting things to talk about than half of their pack mates.
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Her laugh made him smile and he wasn't at all surprised to hear that Ruri too had her differences with Jac. It was a pretty obvious assumption to make. Jacquez was loud and boisterous and wasn't exactly much of a sympathetic person when it came to most thing. Ruri, on the other hand, was sweet and quiet and was very much in tune with the emotions of others. The collie had been one that he could depend on to listen to him when he was down in the dumps and she had on various occasions. If it hadn't been for Ruri, Haven wouldn't be standing here right now. For all he knew he could still be back in that dingy bar drinking himself to death. "Hehe, yeah. It's easy for people like us and people like Jac to butt heads on certain topics." He had never witnessed the King argue with his close friend, but he could imagine that it would be quite the thing to see and listen to. "I'm trying to picture that and from what I can tell it is pretty amusing."
He hat noticed her clothes, but hadn't thought to say anything about them. He was glad Firefly had helped her find some clothes. His knowledge of dogs was slim to none, but it didn't seem like Ruri or Jac's coat was well suited for keeping them warm in the winter. "That's good! I'm sure you'll need it, it gets pretty cold around here in the winter." Even Haven got cold and he was much more naturally prepared for such frigid temperatures. The Knight's eyes widened at the mention of a child of Jac's. "He has a daughter?" Okay, he really shouldn't be surprised. No one can go off fooling around that much without getting at least someone pregnant. He almost asked why the King wasn't caring for her but then he realized that firstly, Jac wasn't the type to raise his ill-begotten kids and secondly, Ruri would be a much better influence on the child than her father would be. Still, if the girl had inherited her father's personality it had to be quite the handful for the blind femme. "Well, it's good that she's got good people looking after her."
"Me? Nothing all that interesting has been happening..." That wasn't completely true though. Haven was nervous to delve into the subject of Princess though, simply because he didn't want Ruri to find out how he had met his new girl. "I am...kind of seeing this girl. She lives back in my old pack. It was pretty unexpected." Now that was an understatement.
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Ruri could only smile and nod in the affirmative as Haven agreed with her that the image of her arguing with Jac was an amusing one. He was bound to see them having one of their little disagreements someday and he would be able to enjoy the spectacle then. He seemed pleased that she had been able to find some clothes to keep her warm. That was just like Haven, so positive and happy for others when the need arose. He might not see it in himself but Ruri perceived him to be a very warm and happy person for the most part. When he responded in a curious, inquisitive manner to her statement regarding Jontae, Ruri could only laugh and nod in the affirmative as she replied."Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but Jac has a daughter. She's quite, rambunctious shall we say. Definitely an active soul like her father. She's a bit of a handful sometimes, but I need to learn to get better at taking care of pups. Females like me are supposed to be good at that sort of stuff right?" she sought reassurance that her assertion was indeed correct. She had no real frame of reference regarding child care, except for what she had learned on the fly. Fortunately Firefly was around so Ruri could learn from her. As the conversation turned to focus on Haven's life, Ruri listened intently, ready to memorize any new information that Haven gave her. It was important to her to keep tabs on all of her close friends, althought this was becoming more and more difficult as her circle of friends grew. Then Haven said something that Ruri had been hoping he would say. After all the sadness that had gripped him when Siobhan had left him Ruri had prayed to whatever deity was out there that Haven would find another girl. His revelation that he was kind of seeing a girl made Ruri's heart leap in excitement."Haven that's great! I knew it wouldn't take long. After all, you are a knight, aren't ladies supposed to practically fall at your feet as you walk by?" she commented jokingly as she feined to swoon as she lay there on her couch with her leg propped up. She didn't mean to make light of Haven's statement. What she had said was all meant in good fun. In truth she was ecstatic that Haven had found a new girl. Although, only time would tell if it ever came to anything. For Haven's sake Ruri certainly hoped that it would.
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This revelation of the King's daughter made Haven curious as to how many other fatherless kids there were out there thanks to the collie. It was really quite the sad picture. Haven had grown up without a father, but for a long time he hadn't even really thought about it because he had still had two parents, they had just both been females. It had never been odd to him, it was just the way things were. It had only been when he mentioned he had two mothers to outsiders that he started to see that it was not actually the norm. He still didn't mind his upbringing though. From the sound of it, he was better off having never known the man who had sired him. "Ruri, you're a natural with pups, I'm sure of it." She was so sweet and loving, just what ever pup needed. She might have a had time playing with him due to her blindness, but she could give them everything else they would need.
The Knight wasn't surprised by his friend's reaction, but it still made him blush. He had never seen himself as some Casanova, stealing hearts left and right. Still, the time between his lost love and this new interest had been much shorter than he had expected. He probably had the alcohol to thank for that, but it had done the trick of getting him over Siobhan more quickly than he would have thought possible. He couldn't help but laugh at her last comment and theatrics. "Haha, I don't know about that, but I guess I can strike some people fancy," he said chuckling. "It is kind of funny though, her name is Princess. Almost seems like a story..." He had never heard of any princesses named Princess, but it was still quite the amazing little coincidence.
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The ivory and merle luperci smiled as Haven assured her that she was a natural with pups. She wasn't so sure, but she appreciated the gesture just the same. "Why thank you, Haven. I appreciate that. It certainly does not seem like I'm a natural sometimes, most of the time in fact. Let's just say that Jontae is...clever. She finds ways to do things just so that she can walk the fine line between obedience and disobedience. If I scold her, she immediately claims that she wasn't disobeying and if I don't she gets away with it. I can't imagine what it would be like to care for more than one, but I'm sure I'll figure it out someday," she replied before listening with rapt attention to Haven's response to her earlier, theatrics. Of course, the knight was as modest as ever, one of his many endearing qualities. When he announced that the girl's name was Princess, Ruri couldn't help but smile. That was just too perfect. Haven, the Knight of Cour des Miracles falling in love with a girl named Princess. Surely it was fate."That is definitely an interesting coincidence. It's funny how life seems to do those sort of things to us. I hope things keep going well for you, Haven, and I'm sure they will." She encouraged, her pearly white fangs gleaming as she smiled in the direction of her pumpkin-hued friend."Oh, how is your horse doing? I think Heath told me his name once...Drogon isn't it? Heath mentioned him the last time I was at the stables." Ruri inquired, desiring to keep the conversation going. There were many things in Haven's life that she could ask him about, his horse, his swordsmanship, his border patrols. There would likely be quite a bit to keep their conversation going. This was good, as she was enjoying her friend's visit and did not want it to end quite yet.
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He could see where having to take care of a pup that took after their King would be quite the task that could drive the most patient of canines bonkers. He couldn't help but wonder how many heart attacks he had given his mothers. He hadn't been disobedient, but he had done many things that he probably shouldn't have. "That probably has more to do with her father than anything else. I can imagine any pup of Jac's that would take after him would be more than a handful. Whenever you have your own pups it'll be different, they tend to take after their parents so I imagine any kid of your's won't be as hard to handle. Besides, if Jontae got away with a lot before she came here then I'm sure she's going to keep trying to get away with as much as she can now. Not all pups will be that way." Haven could understand her concerns, but to him they seemed unfounded. He had no doubt that Ruri would be an excellent mother and caretaker. She already did such a great job of taking care of all of them.
It relieved the Knight that Ruri wasn't asking any specifics about how the two met. The last thing he wanted was to have to tell her that he had pulled a Jacquez and gotten drunk with her and slept with her. He supposed lying could have been an option, but he didn't want to lie to Ruri. Haven just didn't want her thinking of him in that light. It wasn't who he was, it had been a slip-up, and the fewer that knew about it the better. "Yeah it is, for sure. Thanks Ruri, I hope so too." The biggest hurdle, if things started getting really serious, was what they were going to do about their living situations, but he figured that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
He was a little surprised that she asked about his horse, but it made sense. Ruri was in love with the Marshall, after all. "Yes, it's Drogon. He's doing well, thanks. It's funny, I haven't had him for all that long but already I can't imagine not having him around." The stallion had become a very big part of his life and daily routine. "Has Heath found a horse for you at all?" It would be hard for her to ride one without assistance, but it was something he could see his friend doing.
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The knight's response to her concerns about Jontae left the silver and ivory woman feeling somewhat relieved. As much as she loved little Jontae, she couldn't imagine what life would be like if every pup she ever took care of ended up being the same way. The fact that Jontae was taking after her father struck Ruri as amusing as Jac wanted little to do with his own child. However, regardless of his lack of influence she was still a little reflection of her father."Just as long as she doesn't end up exactly like Jac. It's hard enough dealing with one of him, I can't imagine that the world could handle two individuals with such personalities," Ruri chuckled before listening to Haven's other responses. The Aatte male thanked her for her good wishes, which of course she appreciated. However, such thanks were not necessary. It was only natural that she would wish her friend well in his relationships. As the topic drifted to horses the blind female found her head slowly tipping to the side inquisitively as Haven talked about his stallion. Then he directed the conversation back to her with a question about a horse of her own. Heath hadn't officially selected a horse for her, but he had let her ride Stark with him. Plus, Stark seemed to be fond of her or so it had seemed when they first met. Stark was certainly not hers, but at least she could respond to part of Haven's question. "Heath hasn't picked one out for me yet, but he does have a second horse that he lets me ride on. Of course, Heath has to ride with me because I can't tell where I'm going without my feet on the ground. The horse is another stallion named Stark. He's not as fast as Heath's horse, Lumiere, but he seemed to like me when I first met him. I'm looking forward to riding him again after this ankle of mine heals." she replied, pointing toward her injured appendage. The pain and discomfort had been decreasing with each day, and Ruri was hopeful that she would be able to walk on it in about a week. Either way, she would have to wait until then before she could return to her normal, active routine. At least there was the comfort of knowing that she had friends like Haven to keep her company.
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Though he of course did not doubt Ruri's assessment of the daughter of the King, he wanted to see this pup for himself to see how similar the father and daughter really were. It was hard to imagine any young little thing being quite so boisterous, but he supposed if any genes could elicit such behavior it would be Jacquez's. Haven broke into hearty laughter at Ruri's statement, for it was oh so very true. "Lord yes, we can only hope. I think the world might end if there were two Jac's running around. It isn't big enough for two such egos." It seemed that they were poking a lot of fun at the King's expense, but really it was all done in fun and he didn't doubt that if Jac were here he'd be laughing right along with them. He wasn't the kind of canine to take things, even himself, too seriously. Hell, Haven had punched him in the face out of misguided anger and the collie had shrugged it off. He wondered if Ruri knew about that, but he had a feeling that might have been one event Jac kept to himself.
Haven was aware of the two horses that were under Heath's care and honestly he wasn't sure how his friend managed it. Clearly he could see the benefit of having more than one you could rely on, but he knew if he ever took serious interest in another horse that Drogon would grow horribly jealous. Even when he just teased the dark stallion by giving some of his apples away to Stark he could feel the daggers coming from those large brown eyes. No, he was sure he would never have another horse as long as Drogon was around, he didn't trust the mustang to control his temper in an amiable fashion if pushed that far. "Ah yes, I know Stark. He's a good horse. I'm glad you two are able to go riding like that together, I'm sure it gives you some good quality time together." Maybe if things progressed he could teach Princess how to ride. He wasn't sure if she would have any interest in such things, but it would be something they could do together, just as Heath and Ruri did. "Hopefully it'll heal soon, I'm sure it's no fun being stuck inside here like this. If you ever need company though all you have to do is call for me. I'm usually out and about so I'm sure I'll hear you." Haven would always be willing to spare some time for her.
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