"...'Cause there's holes in the floor of Heaven
and her tears are pourin' down
that's how you know she's watchin'
wishin' she could be here now
And sometimes if you're lonely
just remember she can see
there's holes in the floor of Heaven
and she's watchin' over you and me."

Steve Wariner from his song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven"

Holes in the Floor of Heaven

Riis slowly opened her eyes. She hurt, everywhere. A bird chirped and she lazily looked in that direction. From what she saw in that brief glance, she was back in her room in Fanelia. Sighing, the bird taking wing, Riis closed her eyes again. She was so tired . . .

Koyo was dejected. This morning Riis had woken up only to fall back asleep again. He remembered that her shoulder seemed to be shattered, that she'd probably never be able to use her arm again. Cuero had done something that had lessened the swelling, but had also forced him out of his fox form. They had then sent Solace to Austuria to see if Millerna could come to Fanelia on medical call. When the group had arrived, Millerna set about fixing up Riis while Van was reprimanded by his advisors. Van thanked Millerna profusely when she called him into the "operating" room.

When they had asked her to look at Dutch, Millerna obliged, but told them not to keep their hopes up. She wasn't a vet. After an examination, she told the group with shimmering eyes that she couldn't do anything. Dutch had died shortly there after from complications. They had buried Dutch at the back of the rose garden at the end of the rows of Dragon's tooth and Dragon's bane, hoping his spirit would be at ease.

That was two days ago, and all Koyo could do was stare out the window at the rose garden. Eventually, when his stomach growled, he decided he needed to eat, and, just maybe, he'd go and visit Riis after that.

It was close to a week after the group's return to Fanelia that Riis managed to pull herself out of bed in time to join everyone for breakfast. With each step carefully placed, Riis limped her way to her seat next to Hitomi where she had sat to eat her first meal in Fanelia. Easing carefully onto the edge of her chair the young shadowfox was straight as a board. She ate her meal in silence, eating whatever was on her plate without question or a second glance. When she was done, she waited until Van got up before she excused herself.

She was always in her room these days. Cuero could be found basking on her balcony or under the potted plants at the west end of it. A few of the maids and servants were a bit nervous with him around, not knowing why a shadowfox, who usually hid in the forests, would suddenly take a fancy to living in the king's palace. They usually dismissed it if someone brought it up, though. They didn't like talking bad about someone who had provided for them.

On a day that the skies were overcast, Koyo managed to see Riis. He knocked softly on her door, hoping not to disturb her. He was a little surprised when Cuero answered the door, then remembered that he was her father and she probably couldn't get around easily.

"I wish to visit with Lady Riis, if I may," Koyo asked.

"Let me ask her." Cuero softly shut the door and his relayed message could be barely heard through the thick wood of the door. He supposed she replied for the door opened again and Cuero admitted him into her room. He excused himself to get some water before he closed the door behind him. Koyo, alone, walked toward Riis.

Her torso was completely bandaged from her waist to her neck. Her one arm was in a sling and the other was bandaged heavily on the lower part. She had a few bandages on her face, and the tops of her ears were bandaged. She looked a mess, but in reality she could be much worse off, or dead for that matter.

He noticed her ear flick back as he situated himself in a whicker chair near her bed. She carefully turned around and smiled at him.

"I was wondering when you'd come to see me," she said softly. "Hitomi had come to see me this morning, so I figured you wouldn't be too far behind." Her eyes shone with a soft light.

"Well, I'm glad that I could make you smile," he replied in kind. If she was talking quietly, then her ears probably still hurt. He chanced a brief glance at her ears. She noticed and her smile faded some.

"Yeah, they're still a bit sore," Riis stated. "Just like my back."

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two before she asked something that he really didn't want to answer.

"I asked Hitomi earlier where Dutch was," Riis started in her quiet manner. "She said he had gone off chasing one of the odd animals when Van had taken him on a walk through the roses." Koyo just sat in silence. "Is he back yet?"

"I think one of the gardeners mentioned seeing him earlier today when I went to the outdoor courts," Koyo replied. "I'm sure he'll be back by this evening."

Riis smiled brightly at him. "Could you ask Van to bring him by later? I'm sure he'd be worried about me, what with me being in and out all the time."

"'In and out'?" Koyo asked.

"Um . . . I think I'm going to take a nap now," Riis replied. She looked around the room with her lower lip in her teeth. It was obvious she let something slip. "Could you, um, please excuse yourself?"

"Sure." Koyo stood up and made his way to the door. Before he left he glanced back to see Riis getting herself situated on her side. His eyes became sad at what he had to tell his father. His father didn't need another burden on him. Sighing, Koyo carefully closed the door and headed down the hall.
Cuero joined them for dinner that night with the excuse of Riis was sleeping. Dinner was tense to say the lease, since Van was entertaining guests. The other lords and princes were a bit nervous of the shadowfox. Shadowfox were in legends and myths after all. Cuero, feeling the tension he had caused, told Van in a note from a servant that he would be willing to grant a reasonable boon to his guests for upsetting them.

Van sighed as he made his way out of the dining room. The meal had been tense for a while, but, then again, he had forgotten that Cuero occasionally joined them, albeit late, for meals. He should have told the shadowfox that he had guests. He put his thoughts away for a later time and stretched, something most unbecoming of a king, in the middle of the hallway. Hearing running footsteps behind him, Van turned around mid stretch to see Koyo running towards him.

"Koyo," Van nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Father," Koyo replied in kind. "I don't know if this is good news, but I visited Riis earlier today."

"And?" Van felt there was something that Koyo wanted to tell him, and yet he didn't want to say.

"Well, she asked about Dutch." He said it as if it was obvious.

"And what happened? What did you say?"

"Riis said that mother had visited her before me and mother had told her that he had run off after something," Koyo started. "I said that the gardeners had seen him and you probably had him."

"Oh . . . oh, I think I know what you're getting at," Van said as he narrowed his eyes.

"I just couldn't tell her, father!" Koyo hissed as a servant walked by them.

Uncomfortable silence settled over the Draconians as more servants walked past.

"Follow me, please," Van commanded as he turned and felt Koyo pause and follow behind him as Van led him to a small conference room. Once seated, Van started the conversation again.

"The servants were cleaning the dining hall and a subject as touchy as this," Van explained, "I felt didn't need to become maids' gossip." He gave a wry grin. "Everybody knows where that ends up."

Koyo nodded.

"You said earlier that Riis said something that should be brought to my attention?" Van asked, changing the subject.

Koyo bowed his head briefly. "Yes, father. She acted like she didn't know Dutch was . . . you know. Dead. She said that she thought that he would be worried about her because she had been 'in and out'. Those were her exact words."

Van frowned. She had never mentioned that to Hitomi, and Hitomi had told him all about her conversation.

"I see," Van replied, masking his emotions. He steepled his fingers as he thought. "I'll talk to her tomorrow before my meetings. I'll tell her then."

Koyo nodded. With the tension gone, Koyo smiled at his father, who returned his smile whole heartedly. Bidding good night to each other, Koyo and Van went their ways.
Riis opened her eyes. The outside light showed that it was around dawn time. Something had woken her up. Carefully sitting up, Riis looked around, her ears swiveling to find the noise. A soft rapt on her door caused her ears to fix themselves in that direction and her eyes to flick towards the door.

"Come in," she called softly. Riis watched Van enter her room clad in his red shirt and khaki pants, boots and riding gloves. His sword was at his waist and there was an air about him that caused her to become wary. She bowed her head. "Good morning, King Van."

Van nodded. "Good morning, Riis Zannen."

There was an uncomfortable pause. Van didn't know what to say to start his bad news off. Riis didn't help by staring at him with her predatory eyes.

"It's Dutch, isn't it?" Riis asks, her tri-coloured eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Riis, I'm sorry but . . . " Van's shoulders slumped as he watched Riis turn around, her back now to him. Her shoulders started to shake and he could hear muffled sobs. Carefully, not exactly knowing what to do, Van made his way to Riis' bed. "Riis?"

"He was my only family," Riis sobbed out. "I convinced my mother to let me get him from a friend. She had rescued him from an abusive house. He talked to me and I talked to him. He was like my little brother."

Van sat down next to her, careful of her injuries. She leaned into him sobbing outright. She pulled away and, looking up at him, managed a sad smile.

"I was so happy. He was a beautiful dog. I was so wrapped up in having the prettiest dog in town. I never thought about anything like this," she sniffed. "I did have a dream though."

"A dream?" Van asked, his voice slightly surprised.

"Yes," Riis replied. "When I was in Japan with Hitomi . . . and when I was in and out." Riis sniffed. "Dutch had run off, and I followed him. When I was walking back to the house, Dutch ran across the street after me. A van hit him, breaking his leg and hitting his head. I had tried to get him to a vet." Riis' voice wavered and her vision blurred. "This kind gentleman had helped me, driving me to various vets, trying to find one that was open. In the end, when we found one that was open, he told me the damage to Dutch was too extensive for what he usually handled."

Van patted her shoulder. She cried. Van thought to himself that it was almost the same scenario with what they had asked Millerna to do. His advisor found him with the crying shadowfox on his shoulder when he was called to his meetings. Thunder rolled in warning as rain soon followed. The wind howled around the castle.