Pale paws collect some rope from the stores of the castle. An idea had come to Fern the night before and she now sets out to execute it. With the rope in her mouth, the gray girl makes her way out to the gardens, laying the new rope alongside the others she had already brought out. Puff scampers around, the stoat bring long, twisting lengths of ivy to her and leaving them in a pile. Fern’s plan is to pretty up the lengths of ropes, they can then be used to help guide guests that arrive to the reception. Hopefully, the ivy will make it seem more elegant then just having plain old rope hanging around. Setting out her first length, Fern pulls the growing pile of ivy over toward her, read to start the process. "Fern Lark" | "Puff"

Everybody in the Hallows knew a wedding was coming. Much preparations had to be made, from the decor to the meals, the ceremony and the location. All of it had to be meticulously prepared and organized and furnished to accomodate the pack and, of course, those who were to be wed. It certainly brought about a refreshing atmosphere that Lae took in with great strides, her ruby eyes twinkling as she marveled at everyone’s preparations thus far. She, herself, had been considering crafting some things - through her digits could only do so much with such tiny flowers, and her arthritis would certainly flare if she attempted to make as many as she wished. The thin woman padded about for something to help with, her expression marked with determination to find something to do. Mel clambered next to her, his own beady eyes scanning the place with a slightly more overwhelmed expression - neither of them had ever witnessed or been in a wedding before, but the badger in particular had much to learn about the pack’s traditions. "Lady Laeta, th-they would surely understand if you cannot maneuver about to decorate and prepare for the festivities like they can," Mel murmured to her, pressing against her side to balance her as they turned into the courtyard. Laeta simply replied as she always did, with a graceful smile and a warm chuckle at her friend. "Mel, I am feeling much better, and stronger too. What Hallows wolf would I be if I did not contribute, at least a little? They would appreciate it, after all," She said simply. It wasn’t long after her words to Mel that a familiar grey figure appeared as they ventured into the gardens, Laeta’s tail wagging gently behind her as she padded slowly up to the girl she’d come to know as a good friend. "Ah, Fern! Lovely to see you today," She said kindly, soon letting her eyes settle upon Fern’s task - she had ropes laid out and her stoat, Puff, was helping her find strands of ivy - presumably to wrap around the rope. That seemed a bit less daunting than her intricate flower crowns idea, so she perked up and said, "Mel and I would love to help, if you need any assistance!" She was always hoping to be of help to her packmates, especially her friends. Mel glanced up at Lae, then at Fern and Puff with a smile and a polite nod of his head, though he would always worry for his lady’s health. Though, wrapping ivy ropes seemed pretty easy on her physical condition, so perhaps it would be a nice activity. ”Speech” ’Thought’

Fern had taken care to make sure her work area is comfortable, laying out a plush bear pelt on the grass that she had then laid the ropes and growing pile of ivy on. It is comfortable to sit on and, if she has to be there for a long time, it will be much better for her hips. Pale paws maneuver a length of the braided rope, working to stretch it out so she can see exactly how long it is. Mouth pulls into a small frown as she thinks, trying to guesstimate how much ivy she will need and how she will work it around. A sound catches Fern’s ear and she turns to see Latea padding slowly toward her. With a huge smile on her face and tail wagging happily behind her, the gray girl says, “Latea! It is lovely to see you too. Enjoying the sunshine?” Eyes flick over to the woman’s companion and Fern gives the dapper badger a wink. He reminds the wolf so much of herself. Worrying about those he loves, wanting to keep them safe… she offers Mel a smile before turning back to her project and Latea. The monochrome woman offers her and Mel’s assistance which Fern exuberantly accepts, saying, “I would love some help! I went to make the ropes pretty and I thought wrapping them in ivy might help. But, uh, I’m having some logistical issues.” She gives the older wolf a sheepish smile as she admits, “I never learned how to braid things.” At that moment, Puff runs up from her ivy gathering duties, a red rose clutched between her small teeth. Moving quickly, she comes to a stop in front of Latea and stands on her hind legs, taking the flower from her mouth and stretching her arms up to present to her friend while saying, “Hi Latea! This flower reminds me of you! Want to keep it?” Wide eyes watch the monochrome wolf hopefully as Fern smiles to herself and makes room for Latea and Mel to join her on the bear pelt. "Fern Lark" | "Puff"

Laeta’s offer to help was met with great happiness as Fern greeted her as well, enjoying the sunshine as she was. The monochrome woman nodded in agreement to her statement, feeling the pleasant warmth seep deeply into her aching bones. "Oh, I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit. Nothing like the warm sun to soothe my joints," She replied kindly. It seemed despite all she did to stave away the creaking of her arthritis - and all the discomfort attached to it - the beating rays of gold from the sky always seemed to be the best medicine. The bear pelt that Fern had laid out also appeared relatively comfortable, perfect even, for Lae to work on without worry of her bony pelvis aching from sitting on flat earth. When the younger girl mentioned she wished to wrap the ropes she’d laid out in ivy - but never learned how to braid properly, the woman offered a wide smile in return. An understanding one, with her ruby gaze twinkling with a wealth of knowledge tucked away in her mind. She’d never admit it, humble as she was, but she had picked up many thijgs in the course of her life - even something as odd to a wolf as braiding. She’d done it before, way back when, and hadn’t forgotten the skill, either. It would be a wonderful opportunity to help out her friend, especially as the wedding loomed ever closer. "I’d be happy to help, Fern! As it turns out, my mother taught me how to braid once. We used to take tendrils from willow trees and braid them into ropes for special occasions, similar to a wedding," She said, still continuing to smile as Mel help her take a seat nearby on the plush bear rug. It was nice and soft, and comfortable for extended sitting. Just what she needed. Mel watched with curious eyes, adjusting his monocle. Seeing if Fern was watching, Lae would have Mel reach forward and bring her three tendrils of ivy, which he held down at the end of the rope opposite of the wolves. With the three tendrils secured, Lae took her forepaws and began to maneuver the ropes, slowly enough for Fern to pick up on. "The way I was taught, you take the middle tendril, see, and cross the left tendril over it. Then, take the tendril on the right, and cross it over the middle. Now, I’ll repeat that - left over center, right over center - until I get to the end." She paused to glance at Fern as she gently braided the ivy about the rope, securing it at the end with a loose knot. The result was a beautiful length of ivy wrapped securely around a rope - the end result she hopes Fern was looking for. "Would you like to try?" She inquired, smiling softly at the younger girl. Sometimes doing things was more helpful than simply explaining, so she hoped her demo helped her understand the process. Out of the blue, Puff appeared from her own duties, a red rose in her mouth, which she presented to the monochromatic woman with a grin and outstretched hands. She said the flower reminded her of Lae, and asked if she wanted to keep it - Laeta beamed as brightly as the sun, clearly joyful from the gesture. "Oh, Puff, of course I’ll keep it - thank you!" She gently took the rose and placed it by her ear, gently lowering herself to the eager stoat with a smile. "Well, how do I look?” She and Fern were truly a wonderful pair, just like her and Mel. It was certainly a happy surprise, and one that paired nicely with a calming activity such as this. ”Speech” ’Thought’