Little flowers

While she typically did not venture far from the den on her own, she had a particular mission in mind that was far more suited to the green, grassy land at the base of the mountain than it was the rocky terrain where her parents had made their home. Luckily she was still well within the pack's territory so she couldn't imagine that she would get in that much trouble, but she still wanted to be quick and get back before they noticed just in case. Rúna scampered through the grasses around the Stone Steppe, her keen senses attuned to every rustle and chirp in the surrounding wilderness.

Today, she embarked on a mission close to her heart–to gather dandelions for her mother. Just as she admired her father's strength and wanted to be just like him in that way, she also loved her mother's grace and knowledge about herbs and how they could be used. She was slowly learning what each of the plants her mother used were and what they did and one of the first ones she memorized was dandelion. It was easy to spot with its bright yellow flowers and her mother had said it was fairly common so she felt confident that she wouldn't go back empty handed today.

With unwavering focus, Rúna darted between the swaying grasses, her black and golden fur shimmering under the warm sun. She knew well the significance of dandelions in her mother's healing concoctions–their vibrant yellow blooms held the power to soothe ailments and mend wounds, a testament to the wonders of nature's pharmacy. As she traversed the open space, Rúna paused briefly at the towering blocks of rock that made some sort of strange structure or monument of some kind. The pieces of it were far more flat and square than any of the rocks and boulders that dotted everything around where she and her family stayed so that was very interesting to her. Still, she didn't want to get distracted. She was here to gather dandelions and gather dandelions she would!

Spotting a cluster of dandelions swaying gracefully in the breeze, Rúna's excitement surged. She bounded towards them on slightly clumsy, oversized paws, her tail wagging in anticipation. On her way across the stretch of land that separated her from her prize, she somehow managed in her excitement to trip over her own paws and she went tumbling head over heel. She wasn't going to let a little tumble phase her or keep her from her goal! She quickly bounced back onto her paws and after a quick shake to dust herself off she kept going, bounding toward the cluster of bright yellow, slightly fluffy flowers. She gave them a sniff curiously since the only examples she had seen before now were either dried and preserved or at least not freshly picked. They didn't have a strong floral scent like some other flowers she had encountered, but they did have their own unique scent regardless.

With delicate precision, she plucked each dandelion from the earth, careful not to damage their tender petals. She had several of them stacked into a careful pile when she suddenly remembered how valuable her mother had said the roots and greens of the dandelions were–not just the blooms themselves. Abandoning her careful flower picking, she started digging around the plant to free the whole plant from the ground instead. It took her a minute to figure out how to dig effectively, but soon enough she figured out a method that seemed to work. For once her big paws actually came in handy as she scooped away the earth and revealed the roots underneath. Luckily the plant wasn't all that large so she didn't have to dig very far before she dislodged the roots enough to pull them free.

Lifting out the dandelion plant and laying it out on the ground, she spent a bit of time knocking the dirt free of the roots just so she wouldn't end up knocking dirt all over herself in the process of getting her find back home. With her task complete, Rúna cradled the gathered dandelions in her jaws, their golden blooms and vibrant green leaves a testament to her dedication. Turning towards home, she felt a sense of pride swell within her chest–pride not only in her accomplishments but also in the knowledge that she had contributed, in her own small way, to the well-being of her pack. She couldn't wait to present her mother with the fruits of her labor. For Rúna, this simple act of gathering dandelions was more than just a task–it was a way to prove that she was paying attention to her mother's lessons and that she really wanted to help their pack. Maybe dandelions were just a little thing, but they felt like a big thing to a pup like her.

WC: 812/800

"Rúna"