John bent over to scratch Ruby, his dog behind the ears. He had rescued her from a horrible owner a couple of months ago and it had taken a long time for her to trust him, but she was gradually coming around. Ruby wasn’t much to look at. She was mutt. Mostly a rusty-ish red, but her belly was white and she had an almost raccoon-ish mask that was white as well.

John didn’t know what she was exactly, but she had some type of racing dog in her because she loved to run and hunting dog, because Mithros knows how many rat corpses he’d found.

Ruby tilted her head back and licked John’s hand, her tail slapping the ground eagerly. John unclipped the lead and she stood up, shook herself eagerly before beginning to lap the practice yards.

Gwynn of Northwatch timidly walked towards John. The page's copper lock were tied back loosley, but that didn't stop the flyaways from brushing in her face. Gwynn's hazel eyes twinkled brightly, glinting off the sun. Gwynn leaned against the fence, eyeing John of Elden and his dog.

The page had come out for a walk and noticed the man and his dog. She hadn't really soialized with him, but knew his name.

"Hello," Gwynn brought a hand up, waving.

John looked at the page and gave her a small smile as greeting. “Hello.” He responded simply. “How are you?”

Gwynn returned the smile politely, brushing back her coppper hair shyly.

"Oh, I'm fine," the page answered. "Nice dog you have," Gwynn commented, though the dog was a mutt, she was still nice-looking. "How are you? Where are you from again?" the trainee asked uncertainly.

"I'm John of Elden and I can't complain." He licked his lips and whistled shrilly sending Ruby to run around straight the other way and back to him, sitting down and wagging her tail and look expectant. At the moment she looked over at Gwynn and moved over three feet away from teh page.

Gwynn nodded at John. As the page noted the dog moving away, she smiled at the mutt disarmingly. Reaching out with a small hand, Gwynn murmered compliments to the dog.

"It's okay, girl," Gwynn whispered.

“She’s afraid of most people,” John told her with a slight sigh. He pulled a piece of dried meat from his pocket and held it out to the dog who leapt for it and trotted off to enjoy the jerky, casting a glance back at them.

Gwynn smiled reasurringly at the dog. "It's alright. I would never hurt you."

The page looked back at John. "What's her name?"

"Ruby," John replied. "It's what I call her at least. I don't know what her previous owner called her. Frankly I don't care." John liked dogs far more than he liked most people. They were more dependable than humans, and much better behaved.

"She's lovely." Gwynn smiled at John. "Ruby's a nice name. I have a lot of cats at my home in Northwatch and dogs too. I love animals." Gwynn grinned at Ruby then back at John.

"My older brother once accused me of liking our family dog more than I liked him." He bent down and took a stick from Ruby. He leaned back and threw it as far as he could the dog racing after it. "He was right."

Gwynn laughed openly and brushed back her hair. The sun shown bright and sweat crawled down Gwynn's neck. The page watched Ruby go after the stick then looked back at John. "Yes. The more people I meet the more I like my pets." Gwynn was shy and appreciated the company of silent animals. She giggled again.

John shook his head. It hadn’t been a joke, but sure whatever, take it as such. It was a lot easier to pretend it was a joke. Ruby brought the stick back and John picked it up and threw it again.

“So are you a page?” He asked.

Gwynn blushed. A shy wave had hit her. It was odd how she changed from out-going to dead silent in only a moment. Gwynn had know idea why she had been so comfortable with this complete stranger.

"Yes. I'm a page. I'm in my third year to be presise."

“Congratulations, that’s most of the worst of it. One more year and then you’re a squire and that’s when the real fun begins,” he gave her a little grin.

"Thanks," Gwynn managed a weak smile. "Well, I hope I can make it through and become a knight." And Gods help me not to get thrown out before I can. It'll be risky hanging around with Alexander and his gang. Gwynn blushed as she thought of Alexander. She hadn't seen him in awhile and missed him. Gwynn shook her head and got back to the point. "Yes, I can't wait untill I become a squire."

"You're not a troublemaker are you?" He asked, rasing his eyebrow at her and petting Ruby's head.

"Well, kind of..." Gwynn admitted shyly. "I...I guess I...yeah..." the page blushed deeply. "To tell you the truth I'm very shy. But then I met Alexander of Rosewood, he's quite a trouble-maker, if you don't know him... Well, I...I am sort of a trouble-maker now." Gwynn blushed a shade deeper and bent her head a little. She had been babbling.

“Ah Trouble by association,” John smirked. “Trust me I’m sure I got my friends in trouble plenty of times.” He sighed dreamily remembering the good old days pre-shield. “So why do you want to be a knight?”

Gwynn looked up at the clouds then back at John. She patted Ruby hesitant to speak again.

"I want to fight for Tortall. Northwatch, my home, is being ravaged by Scanrans. I want to help put a stop to the destruction. I know only I cannot stop war but I want to help. Many of my good friends have been killed in Northwatch and I cannot visit because of the battling." The page paused and sighed sadly. Thinking about her lost friends was hard. Another thought hit her. Was it safe to talk this freely to a mere stranger?

Gwynn patted Ruby again and sighed. "I know many girls - woman - have become knights but there are still some who beleive woman are not made for this work. I want to prove to them we CAN fight...I guess...that's all..." Gwynn hoped the comment about some men still beleiving woman couldn't fight wouldn't offend him. She DEFINATELY wasn't directing the comment at him. She didn't even know his point of veiw on that subject.

“Ah,” John said looking at Ruby. She was hunched over staring intently at the stick deposited at his feet. He bent over and picked up the stick. “I like hearing about people’s reasons for becoming a knight.”

Gwynn smiled shyly and gazed at Ruby absently. She averted her stare and faced John, snapping a limp twig between her fingers.

"If you may, Sir, what was your reason of becoming a knight?" Gwynn stretched her legs out and glanced at John again with shy hazel eyes.

“My reason?” John asked. “My reason,” he paused, pretending to be in thought. “I can’t say it was my reason,” he answered after a moment, “more like my parents. They made me.”

"Oh," Gwynn hid her startled look. She examined a beetle crawling on the wood of the fence and let her copper hair sheild her expression. Gwynn had joined knight school because she had wanted to. It was interesting to see other peoples reasons as John had said. "I do hope you enjoy being knight." Gwynn tried to say politely. She hope it hadn't sounded impolite. Gwynn struggled to change the subject but to no avail and resided to subdued silence.

John shrugged. "Enjoy's an odd word to describe knighthood. I've been told more than once that I have it easy, no one's going to deploy me anywhere unless we go to war. Maybe not even then. By the time I get there, the war would probably be over." He shrugged.

"If bandits ever find Elden worth their bother, is the only way I'll probably ever see any real action or if anyone country's stupid enough to try and overrun the palace. Doubtful on either account." He scratched Ruby behind the ear. "So in short, I would have to say that I am rather bored with knighthood, but am enjoying the fact that my country, on the whole, and my fief are rather dull, calm places."

Gwynn creased her brow and pushed her hair back from her neck. Was she going to be bored when she became a knight? Gwynn didn't think so. Northwatch would keep her busy.

"I see." She murmered. "I have met another knight who says she is very bored too. Perhaps you two should meet each other. Her name is Penelope of Whitehorn." Gwynn blushed and stopped talking.

John knew Penelope, well he knew of her. She was a year older than Toni and he, and John had preferred to stick with him and his quote-unqoute delinquent friends. Lord Genlith had said he had never seen such a motley assortment of less chivalrous bunch in all his years.

Something John had never had a problem with. But Penelope had always seemed like one of ‘good’ ones. People that John and company had strictly avoided. “I think if you’re bored. It’s your own fault. If you need something to do, find something. I do, not necessary something I thought I’d spend eight years of my life on training to.”

Gwynn shrugged. "I guess you're right. Well I hope I won't be bored. Maybe I'll be based in Northwatch to fight the Scanrans." She smiled. "Or I could go back to the Yamani Islands. I wish." the page sighed whistfully. "But I have a long time to decide that."