Gem had been talking to Selkie about the wonderful flowers and berries she had found out by the lake. They had so, so many uses! Like painting and even healing! Well, Gem wasn't any good at that thing, even though she enjoyed learning, she didn't quite have the knack for it as Selkie did. But she loved her sister and anything that benefitted both of them made her happy!

While they were walking out to the lake to scavenge some more plants, a familiar older brother crossed their paths. Stopping in her tracks, Gem looked up at Quill with a puppy smile and happy wag of her tail. He promised them a really, really good spot to go find even better plants, but they would have to keep it secret from Mom and dad. With a side-eyed look over at Selkie, Gem hesitated, but once Quill promised that he would escort them, she agreed and pulled Selkie along with her.

As they began to cross over pack lands into neutral territory, Gem looked up at Quill once more. "You sure we're allowed?" She asks, her paws trembling slightly as she continues to follow Selkie and Quill deeper into the fjord.

Trouble was Quill's middle name. (It wasn't.) So when his little sisters seemed as though they wanted to get into some, he was more than willing to help out. Such a good big brother. (He wasn't.) Initially Quill led the girls off in the hopes that something might go horribly wrong, but, as they walked and he thought, the man came to the conclusion that it would be more trouble than it was worth if his sisters ended up dead. So... what had first been planned as a dangerous adventure ended up being nothing more than a babysitting mission. Ugh.

Gemma asked if they were allowed and Quill fixed his blue and pink eyes on the girl. "You're with me. You'll be fine." Quill's tail flicked from side to side as he moved past the girls and further down the fjord. If they wanted to be safe, it would be wise of them to keep up. "Look, plants." One big paw waved at some flowers and shit. It was obvious that he was bored. How long would it take them to kill some plants?

"Quill"

If they were going to get into a little trouble, then it was better to do it together, right? If one of them snuck out, then it was probably bad. But the two of them? How could you resist the puppy stares of both little girls? Really, no one could. Unfortunately for everyone, Selkie was starting to pick up on that already. They were having a wonderful wander, and Selkie couldn't help but take every last part of it in. "Quill will keep us safe," she nodded, eyes wide... trusting. Out into the flowers and the tall grass, the little pup wandered. She paused to sniff at all of them, curious, tail wagging. The dandelions were some of the first to come up in the spring, and here they were, puffy and yellow. "Gem, can you use these for your paints?" Selkie investigated carefully, picking it from the ground before getting a response as to if it's the right one. It's probably fine, anyway. Careful to get minimal dirt on her dainty paws, the girl takes the dandelion from the ground and trots to see what her sister has found.

Gem attempts to keep up with Quill. His legs are far longer than her's and Selkie's so he tended to get a bit farther ahead of them. Worry creases her brow though he insists they'll be safe. She lets out a sigh and follows her older brother into the fjord. Her eyes look around the steep slopes and tall grasses. Really, it was a beautiful area even if a little bit dangerous. One wrong step and they could go falling down to the bottom. With one eye on the fathoms below, her attention is pulled toward the flowers that Quill waves at.

Then Selkie is asking her if the dandelion will work for her paints. This sends her tail wagging and ears perking up. "Oh, yes! Yellow is the best color!" Gem practically chirps as she plucks her own dandelion from the grass around them. "If we mush it up real good, it can be super bright," she is excited as she gets a really great idea. Turning from Selkie, she calls out to Quill with a bark. "Quillllll, wait up!" Gem's soft voice rises slightly in hope that their brother heard her.

So lost was he in thought that Quill didn't quite realize how far away from his sisters he was getting. Gem's plaintive little voice called out from behind him and the man stopped, looking back at the pair. He just caught Selkie telling her sister that Quill would keep them safe and the smallest of smiles lifted the corners of his maw. Yeah... he would keep them safe. Nothing could get past him. He was a fearsome thing and many a creature gave him a wide berth.

Having reached a swathe of grass and flowers, the patchwork man slid to lay on his belly, tail flicking back and forth over outstretched hind legs. "Don't get too close to the edge," he warned them. They could screw around collecting flowers or whatever while he took a rest, then he would herd them back to Ashen.

"Quill"