The blacksmith sighed as he stepped back from his work, turning his head one way and then the other before rolling his shoulders, stretching a bit as worked the ache from his muscles after a long stint of hunching over the large piece he was constructing. The Hallows alpha had become a regular client with the numerous swords of all shapes and sizes that they had stashed away in that castle of theirs, but this was a new kind of project for him and it had absorbed a large amount of his time and attention. The table that Artorias had envisioned for their meeting room was quite the undertaking, but at this point in his life Ruga was really only hoping for some kind of job or commission that was at leas different from all of the other pieces he had made in his years of doing this. He was enjoying it, but he was in dire need of a break.

He stepped away from his workspace and went into his living quarters for a moment to get a drink from the water skin he kept there. Setting it back down, he glanced around the empty room until his seafoam gaze landed on a couple of little trinkets Keahi had left her in her numerous visits–including a large seashell they had found during a trip to the shore they had made together a while back. Well, formerly numerous visits, he supposed. After the raid Keahi had understandably had to see to herself and her wounds so he had given her some space to relax, but since then her visits had been few and far between and he had only really seen her in passing. A frown crossed his lips as he began to realize just how long it had been. He had been absorbed in his own work so he had assumed that she had been as well, but as he stood there in the quiet space looking at a seashell he started to wonder how true that was.

After giving his russet coat a good shake and taking a second to wash off the dust and metal shavings from his paws and front legs, Ruga went out through the Col to look for her. He went some of the places he was used to finding her, but when his initial search turned up with nothing he started to look elsewhere, asking a couple of wolves as he went if they had seen the red-hued woman anywhere. Finally he was pointed toward the tall, twisted woods outside of the Col and he made his way out into the cold, winter air. Once he was out in the woods it wasn't all that difficult to pick up on her scent so at least he knew she hadn't gone too far. Sure enough, he spotted her following the border, obviously on some kind of patrol, and a little lopsided smile pulled at the corner of his lips as he approached her. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were avoiding me," he teased with a chuckle as he came up alongside her, falling into step beside her easily.

"Ruga Amanto"

Life has been strange since the pirates had raided the Armada. The hardened warriors of the Armada had been so certain in their skills that they had had no doubts that they would win. In the end, they had failed to defend their homelands and the bitter sting of defeat that was left had made them all irritable. It had shaken everyone to their very core and the failure is felt even more keenly by Keahi. During the botched raid, the red woman had lost her fight against a large, mottled man and, to add insult to injury, her short-comings as a warrior are now permanently etched into her face.

On her right cheek, the pirate had gifted her several jagged wounds that, even after they had been stitched up, have left behind a series of scars. Yet, that isn’t the worst part of it all. No, the red woman has noticed the way Ruga hesitates to touch the healed wounds. That fact alone hurts worse than when she had received the wounds and she has been finding reasons to avoid the large man. If it was any other wolf, Keahi wouldn’t have given them a second thought since she does not care what others think of her. However, Ruga is different. The man has slipped into her heart and, in her darkest time, she has found tenderness and understanding with him.

Since the first time they meet, Keahi has found that being with Ruga makes her want to be a better wolf, to do better at everything she tries. She has even found herself going out of her way to make their moments together more enjoy with simple things like bath oils. Now, the red woman avoids him because, when he hesitates with his touch or avoids talking about the scars, she finds herself feeling… ugly. She does not blame him; knowingly all too well just how horrible the puckered skin looks since, every time she looks into the still waters of the baths, she is reminded of it. Oh, how she has come to loath the sight of her own reflection.

That is why she leaves every chance she can, takes every patrol that needs to be done because, if she is busy, she doesn’t have to face Ruga and her own feelings of inadequacy. Today, red paws slowly plod along the familiar patrol paths of the forest, keeping alert for danger while trying to ignore the aching of her heart. The sound of pawsteps reach her ears and she turns her head to see who is has decided to join her on her patrol. To her surprise, and apprehension, the large form of Ruga greets her ocean blue gaze and Keahi quickly turns back around. She pushes down the burning sensation that threatens to make tears form in her eyes as he easily falls into step with her.

Casting a glance toward him, she catches the lopsided smile on his lips and, despite the hurt that swells in her chest, Keahi cannot stpop the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. Ruga speaks and her steps falter for a moment, uncertain of how to answer. It is true that she has been avoiding him but her reasoning has been valid in her mind. She cannot stand to think that he finds her ugly so she does not give him the chance to think it. Even as she thinks about it now, the woman knows how stupid that sounds so, clearing her throat, she says, “Well… there is something I have been meaning to talk to you about but, uh, it is kind of difficult.” Her words are hesitant, worry lacing them as she speaks.

Sighing, she tries to think of how to proceed with the topic of, ‘do you think I am ugly’ without seeming so… shallow.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

In all the time that he and Keahi spent together, he had never seen her hesitate or show the uncertainty that he saw in her now as her steps faltered a bit and she struggled to answer his mostly joking statement about her avoiding him. He quickly began to question his original assumption that they had both simply been independently busy and he had just had his head too buried in his work to notice. He tried his best to keep the easy smile on his lips, but even that became a bit difficult as he naturally started trying to guess what it was that would have been so difficult for her to talk to him about. While their difference in age had been a frequent topic on his mind when they first started to meld into something that felt closer to a real relationship, it was something that Keahi had admittedly assured him wasn't an issue. Still, that's immediately where his mind began to shift as he tried to grasp at what could be bothering her or what could be driving her to avoid him.

A small twist of doubt and regret started to twist at his stomach as he managed to reply, "Oh... I see." His ears flicked a bit as he continued to match her pace while trying to prepare himself for her to tell him that she had found someone else or that they simply hadn't been as exclusive as he had imagined and that she had decided to focus her attentions on the other guy. He simply couldn't think of another reason for her to be avoiding him the way she had or anything that would be that difficult to talk about. Maybe she had decided to move away and not ask him to come with her. Maybe she had finally gotten sick of him constantly working and wanted someone who would spend more time on her. Whatever it was, not once did he assume it was anything about her–only that he must have fallen short somehow. "Well... Whoever he is I hope he's at least better looking than me," he joked after a moment with a bit of a laugh, attempting in some way to deflect with humor despite the gnawing defeat that was settling heavily on his shoulders. "You can just tell me, you know. It's certainly not the first time I've been dumped. I'm a big boy, I can take it."

"Ruga Amanto"

As Keahi tries to screw up the courage to air her self-doubt about her appearance, the red woman has no idea what Ruga is weighing in his own mind. Truthfully, she feels that she is being petty about the whole damn thing and, lost in her thoughts, she slowly turns over why it is bothering her so much. His words pull her gaze up to him and she blinks in silent surprise, as he seems worried all of the sudden. Brows furrow in confusion for a moment until he speaks again and the realization that he has his own doubts about their realtionship slams home. Paws stop and her blue eyes are suddenly ablaze with determination and she demands, “Ruga. Look at me.”

The fire in her ocean blue eyes is bright with love and the need to reassure him overtakes her as she waits for him to stop and meet her gaze. Once he does, a soft, gentle smile appears on her red lips and she says, “There is no one else, Ruga. And I am not dumping you. I know you worry about that but I swear, this has nothing to do with… that.” The last word is carefully picked and it takes a moment for her to choose it as she skirts the word relationship and us. Holding his gaze for a moment longer, she begins to feel the scars on her cheek burn and she finally breaks the eye contact.

Huffing a sigh, Keahi rushes through her next words, too afraid that, if she stops or meets his eyes, she won’t get them out, “I’ve noticed the way you look at me since the raid. And the way you won’t touch them. I know I failed the pack Ruga but I… I can’t stand the thought of you thinking I am failure.” Tears sting her eyes and looks up, meets his gaze as she finally admits, “I can’t stand to think that you now look at me differently. Like I am… ugly.” The last words are hard to get out as her throat sudden feels swollen and she bites the inside of her cheek to keep a sob from creeping out. Chest puffs out as she readies for him to admit everything she has been worrying about.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He braced himself for what felt like the inevitable. Everything in his life had ended with some kind of disappointment so he didn’t know why he had thought that this would be anything different. Instead, what he got was Keahi suddenly coming to a stop and telling him to do the same, demanding that he look at her. He very much did not want to, but with a sigh he stopped and turned to face her, bringing his sea foam green gaze up to find the blue of hers. He was surprised by the familiar fire that he saw in her gaze and the soft smile that touched her lips, making his brows pull together in confusion. He had been so certain that like all other good things in his life it was time for whatever they were to come to an end, but instead she looked him in the eye and told him that everything he had guessed and assumed was wrong. She wasn't trying to leave him and what this was wasn't about that. The relief that hit him at that fact caught even himself off guard, but he didn't have a chance to fully unpack what that meant. There was still the question of what had actually been keeping her from him and what was so difficult for her to talk about.

His head tipped slightly as she looked away again, that uncertainty and discomfort he had seen before when he first approached her reappearing. As she spoke, bringing up how he looked at her since the raid, the confusion in his expression only deepened and he struggled to think back to find examples in his memory to back up what he was saying. They hadn't seen much of each other since the raid the pirate pack had launched against Armada, but as he thought about those few moments he realized what she was saying. He had been overly cautious about touching the wounds that had still been fairly fresh or newly scarring at the time. He had been careful to avoid talking about the raid or the result of it. He had been upset and moody at the time and perhaps even more willing to get lost in his work. The realization began to dawn on him as he drew the dots in his mind between what she was saying and his own actions and his ears flicked back as she admitted how she couldn't stand the thought of him looking at her differently or how he might think that she was ugly now with her new scars.

He was speechless for a moment, his mouth hanging open slightly as he struggled to find the words, until he finally just muttered a frustrated and emotional, "Fuck," under his breath and then moved toward her. There was no hesitation as he went to slip a foreleg around her and pull her into his chest, sitting back on his haunches as he went to tuck her head under his chin and wrap her up in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Keahi, I... None of it was about you. None of it. Yes I was angry, but not at you." He lifted his cheek from where it was leaning into the top of her head and lifted a paw to the side of her face, tipping her head up so he could see her eyes. His paw pads gently traced over the scars that ran across her cheek as his ears folded back against his skull. "The raid reminded me of the wars I despised and was forced to witness and outfit when I was growing up. These... These just remind me of the casualties of those wars, of all the wolves I saw torn down and scarred far worse than this." There was a pause as guilt etched on his features before he added more quietly, "And they remind me that I wasn't there to protect you."

"Ruga Amanto"

The fact that Keahi is giving voice to her deepest, darkest fears, no matter how petty they now seem to her, she feels a weight slowly lifting from her shoulders. As the moment stretches and Ruga’s mouth hangs open, the tropical wolf begins to considers just how idiotic the whole situation is. Maybe this will cause him to look at her different and, with a sinking realization, she knows that she cannot take any of what she has said back. No easy laugh and attempt to brush away the stated fears will work and she suddenly hates how stupidly insecure she has been. As thoughts wheel about in the red woman’s mind, the flurry of berating self-talk is suddenly halted when frustrated and emotional ‘fuck’ is softly breathed out onto the cold air.

Bright, ocean blue eyes snap up to Ruga’s beautiful sea foam green gaze, searching for anger, hatred, or disgust in those unfathomable depths. But, Keahi finds nothing of the sort in those gentle, loving pools and, when he steps toward to slip a foreleg around her small frame, she easily melts into him. Tears fall unhindered but she bites down the sobs that attempt to escape and the force of holding in the sound causes her body to quake uncontrollable. He tucks her under his chin in a tight embrace and the red woman sinks further into him, burying her scarred, ugly face from sight as she further mars her cheeks with tears. His voice rumbles out, vibrating deep within his chest and she sighs sadly into the fur that covers his chest.

Eyes drift closed, as tries to believe him, to believe that this isn’t about her, but it is… difficult. One of his large paws suddenly touches the side of her face and Keahi’s eyes shoot open, fear abruptly lancing her gut as the impulse to escape overwhelms her. But she fights down the urge and allows him to tip her head back so that their eyes meet. Water clouds her vision but, she keeps her gaze locked with his as she feels his rough paw pads gently trace over the scars. Lip wobbles slightly as his ears fold back, the familiar bite of self-doubt beginning to take hold until his deep tones break the silence. The water that clouds the woman’s vision clears as tears slip free, sliding down her cheeks to wet the paw pads that trace the flawed skin.

Understanding blossoms like a flower after the winter cold and Keahi listens to everything that he has to say. His quiet admission that he wasn’t there to protect her, has a smile crawling across her lips and, without warning, she lifts a smaller paw to catch his chin and guides him down into a passionate kiss. However, the kiss doesn’t last long as she pulls back, forcing his soft green eyes to meet her, once again, blazing ocean blues. A gentle, loving smile is on her lips as she says, “Oh, Ruga. It seems that we both got pulled into our own little worlds. You don’t have to protect me. However, I will say, I actually quite enjoy that idea.”

A gentle laugh fills the air as her eyes sparkle, not with tears, with happiness. She brings one of her paw that was under his chin, up to cup his cheek and her heart flutters underneath her ribs as she gazes lovingly into his sea foam eyes. Gently, the red woman says, “I wish I could say that there will never be another war but we both know that would be a lie. Maybe, instead of looking to the past, we can start looking toward the future… together.” A warm smile pulls at her lips as the suggestion she has given is open to interruption. Whatever Ruga sees in his future, Keahi knows that she wants to be in it, right beside him.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

He wasn't necessarily afraid that she wouldn't believe him, but he did worry that he wouldn't be able to break past this fear and self-doubt that had built up in her mind over the last several weeks. He had no way of knowing just how deep this ran and when he felt how she tensed when he touched her scars he wondered to himself if he really had what it took to help her the way she needed. He had never had a very high opinion of himself when it came to his abilities to hold relationships or commitments, but when Keahi looked up at him with tears in her eyes and he felt those same tears dampen his paw pads she made him want to try. For the first time he felt like it might actually be worth it to actually give a damn about someone for more than just a meaningless fling and the thought was overwhelming and terrifying. Not because he didn't want to continue being with her, but because he was absolutely certain that he couldn't possibly be what she needed. But gods did he want to be when he saw how she smiled and felt the way she clasped his chin to pull him into a kiss that melted him like nothing else.

That kiss ended all too soon, but he was just as happy to meet her gaze again. A little grin tugged at his lips as she smiled and insisted that while he didn't have to protect her, she did enjoy the idea. He had never been a protector and had never wanted to be, but Keahi gave him a reason. She was worth fighting for and for a pacifist like him that was saying an awful lot. The sound of her laugh made his smile widen and the last of the tension slip away from his shoulders and when her paw came to cup his cheek he leaned into her touch as he looked down at her with a soft, adoring gaze. He knew she was right when she mentioned how there was sure to be more wars. It was an unfortunate side effect of the world and how others viewed their place in it, but the idea of focusing on their futures together gave him a hope he wasn't used to feeling. He didn't know what that future looked like yet or what he wanted them to be, but he did know that he didn't want to do it without her.

With his forelegs around her sides, Ruga held her against him and leaned his head down to nuzzle affectionately into her scarred cheek and to press a tender kiss across the raised skin, making a point now to love and cherish every single part of her. "I can't promise I'll be a great partner. Every relationship I've tried to have has always failed," he rumbled quietly with his cheek leaned into hers, his paws rubbing slowly along her back as he spoke. "But I can promise that I've never felt this way about anyone else and no one has ever made me want a life and a future the way you do." He wondered to himself if this was what love felt like. He had never seen love in action before. It had always felt like a fairy tale, like a mythical thing that only fools fell for. But if he was going to be a fool then at least he could be one for Keahi. He couldn't force the words past his lips, at least not yet, but he spoke them silently as he drew his muzzle back to capture her own again in a deep, passionate kiss that he hoped said what he couldn't. He held onto her there for a while longer, catching up on all of the affection that he had been missing in their time apart, and when he finally broke his lips away from hers he didn't pull back or loosen his grip on her. Instead, he gave her a sly grin and whispered, "Unless you want me to show you how much I've missed you out here in the woods I suggest we get back to my den as soon as possible."

"Ruga Amanto"

As the pair talk, Keahi finally allows herself to admit, to herself, that she is fully and deeply in love with Ruga. The red woman doesn’t know exactly when it happened but, somewhere along the way, her heart had been stolen by the tall man. As he presses a tender kiss into the scarred skin of her cheek, the woman’s breath hitches and a part of her is suddenly, utterly terrified of what this love means. Before they had started any kind of relationship, they had been completely open with what they expected from… this. Neither one had been willing to settle down and they had both agreed that they would keep their meetings relaxed.

Now, she has just thrown a bomb in Ruga’s lap and asked him how to defuse it. Would he reciprocate the feelings that Keahi had not allowed herself to think about until now? Or would they continue to be just fuck buddies? Or… the red woman pushes away the thought that he might dump her, wash his paws of every tender moment and heartfelt word that they had ever shared, and walk away. Thoughts move through her mind at the speed of a runaway freight train and every hope and fear that she feels, flashes in her eyes within mere seconds of each other.

He pulls back to lay his own, soft cheek against her ugly, scarred one and, as his voice softly rumbles out, Keahi feels every ounce of tension that she had been holding in her shoulders, evaporate. The red woman presses her cheek into his, leaning heavily against him as she closes her eyes to listen to his voice. However, fear once more needles at the back of her brain, telling her she isn’t good enough for him and that she never will be. Ruga draws his muzzle back to capture her lips in a keep passionate kiss and she reciprocates, drawing it out as long as she can while butterflies take flight in stomach at the dizzying thought that they are now a couple.

The kiss lasts a long time and they make out like two teenagers figuring out, for the first time, what lip locking actually is. Ruga’s lips pull away and Keahi opens her eyes as she pants softly, heat blooming from deep within her core and she knows that he is feeling it too. A smirk plays across her lips as she catches his sea foam gaze with her own blue eyes, desire burning brightly in them. Softly, breathily, she says, “We better hurry then. Because I have missed you… greatly.” She leans up to catch his lips one more time, teasingly ghosting them across his before giving a wink and moving to shift away. Tomorrow they can face what being a couple means for them but right now… there is something more pressing to attend to.


"Keahi Mogotsi"