12 Seth & Ruby Discuss

Ruby had gone to the river today.

Seth had been going there every day since the day he met Ruby, but she hadn't come around since then. Part of him thought he had scared her away but seeing her there that day proved him wrong. [So, she wasn't frightened of me, after all], Seth thought.

[She wouldn't have come for a bath if she knew I might be here, right?]

He finished up the reps target he had given himself for that day and waited for her to finish what she came to do too. Seth noticed she was always deep in thought and wondered what must be troubling her mind in such a manner.

[Maybe I would ask her... or would that be forward of me?]

[What were all these thoughts and concerns going through my mind?], his deep concern for her troubled him.

Seth did more exercises... thinking that would calm his mind a little before he appeared nervous while talking to her.

[What a nice name she had. Ruby suited her perfectly], he thought.

* * *

Ruby had finished washing her hair, so she began to dry it with the thick cloth she had brought for that purpose.

She had to get it dry for Greta to braid when she got back to the house. Ruby had also taken a quick bath and had changed into dry clothes, but she didn't dare take everything off because she thought about that snake-eyed man that might just be around somewhere.

As she thought about him, Ruby saw his dark hair and tall self emerge from the woods half a mile away from the bank of the river. She rushed to hide a smile that came to her lips.

[Why was I smiling?]

[I didn't have time to make friends, I have to keep that in mind]

"Hi, Seth"

"Hello, Ruby. Your hair is a sight to behold, do you know that?"

"Not really. Not like I can see my hair myself. I thought they said, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder '...

"Oh?... I haven't heard that before. I have actually not heard lots of things before. I grew up in a strange way, or so it seems"

"I have been meaning to ask..."

"Okay... ask about what?"

* * *

Seth was happy she was even asking questions. It showed some level of interest in him, and that gave Seth an elated feeling but at the same time, he was uneasy about what she wanted to know.

[What if she asks about his mother? Or even his father?]

He didn't want her to know he was royalty yet and he didn't know why he wanted to withhold that information.

[Or was she going to ask about his eyes?]

Many thoughts ran through Seth's mind.

* * *

"Your eyes, Seth. Why are they different and why does one look like a dragon's own?", Ruby asked.

Seth knew she was serious, but she made it look like she was asking on a lighter note.

Seth, himself, didn't even know why his eye was the way it was. Looking at Ruby, he couldn't tell her anything false. Seth wanted her to know things about him...he didn't feel like hiding anything from her.

He began to make her comfortable by arranging some large leaves over the branches they were sitting under, to shade her from the sun. But it had begun to set already casting comforting shadows.

"To be honest, Ruby, I don't have a certain answer to that question. The people that trained me made a vague mention of my birth mother, having some kind of powers. Oh, I think they said she was a witch, but I never met her".

She wasn't looking at him as he explained to her. Seth followed her gaze and saw that she was studying the markings on his arms, with an unclear look on her face.

[What if she sees the tattoos on my back... how would she feel then?], he thought.

"So, it is not like you are evil..."

He laughed... a deep laugh that hardly came out of him.

"I think I can be if the situation warrants it. I wouldn't want you to think I'm evil though or that I've got some strange thing going on inside me"

"Who told you I'm thinking of you, Seth? I only asked some questions anybody that comes in touch with you, would ask". 

Seth saw as she rolled those gorgeous eyes.

What she said was supposed to make Seth feel somehow yeah, but he found himself smiling.

Seth perceived stubbornness in the redhaired lady beside him and he admired it.

[Was stubbornness even supposed to be smiled upon? Not like I could help myself], he thought.

* * *

Ruby queried her curiosity concerning the man she had just met, but really, who wouldn't be?

The sun was setting, and her hair had dried to her satisfaction, she had to get going.

[He had a nice smile though... if one ignored his eye, it was obvious that he was handsome to death]

Ruby's mind immediately went to Rudy, and she got up from where she sat.

"I have to get going, Seth. I enjoyed talking to you"

* * *

He didn't want to ask about when he could see her again. This time, he would leave it to chance. Hopefully, it would be soon. He walked her down her own path a little and left with a heartfelt goodbye.

As she walked off, she turned back and looked at him... found him standing there looking at her too. She just smiled and waved.

Ruby had things to attend to, and her mind started going through her plans.