Fia had spent most of her days inside the den or on the occasion outside by the lake like she was today. She had her teachings with Irilyth and really tried to help out around the den as much as she could. She got enough free time with all of her family or so she thought. She never really felt left out or like she wasn't a priority or anything. She was born into the pack life and learned that her parents had their own duties to attend to as well as her siblings really. She didn't really like the idea of meeting or spending time with others in the pack but she did get lonely from time to time. It wasn't overwhelming but it was there.

She was seated out by the lake, just living in the quiet sounds of the water and wildlife around the island. It was peaceful, and easy for her to fall into this kind of silence even at her young age when she should have been bounding around and bothering whoever was in her path. She wouldn't really know the difference of how she should be, but hopefully that made her a better, or at least less annoying sister. She still had a lot to learn.

"Fiametta"

The calm early spring day was still fairly chilly in the northern territories of Boreas, but it was more temperate than the winter had been, and almost all of the snow had melted by now, washed away by the ceaseless torrential rains the warmer season brought with it. Saracyn didn't mind of course; he quite enjoyed the storms and rains. Which was more than he could say for his littlest sibling. Did he hate Fiametta? No, of course not. He didn't really know how to feel about the newest addition to the Mendacium family. She just... sort of existed now. Maybe it was because he was still a yearling and the familial importance of reproducing often and frequently hadn't really sunken in yet, but he didn't get why his parents felt the need to have even more kids. They already had their perfect heir with Avacyn and their backup in him, so why have more pups? All in all, Sara wasn't really jealous or bitter of the little girl, he just didn't understand her. Perhaps that was why he found it easier to just ignore her, override his feelings, and go on pretending she just wasn't there.

Today was a clear day with a pleasant wind coming from the sea, a perfect day to practice with his raptors, so Saracyn headed down to their usual spot by Alias lake. With Vindr and Veior perched on his back, the giant red teen made his way through the pine forests towards the lake—only to find a familiar little puffball of red fur sitting down by the water. Sara blinked in surprise, not really sure why he was so shocked by his little sister's presence here; it wasn't like she didn't roam the island, after all. It did however mean he'd have some unexpected company if he was going to stay down here. He frowned, briefly considering going off to find somewhere else to train his birds... but something in him wouldn't let him. He glanced back to Fia sitting on the rocky shore, all on her own, and he felt... not quite empathy, but something akin to it. She liked to be alone, just like he did. Avacyn was his only exception. It would have been easy to just turn and leave her there, but what if something happened to her? He didn't care much for her, but that didn't mean he wanted anything bad to happen to her. Plus then he'd be responsible as the last one to see her.

Breathing an exasperated sigh, Saracyn trudged his way down to the lake, crunching some fallen branches and pine needs as he went. "You planning on going swimming?" he asked her as he came up to her side, taking a seat beside his little sister as Vindr and Veior took to the skies to stretch their wings. "Do you even know how to swim yet?" Alastor had taught him and Avacyn when they were pups, but was Fia still too young to learn? He didn't exactly keep tabs on what his parents did with his other sibling.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Fia didn't flinch as her big brother joined her and she wouldn't be too aware if he had actually wanted to be there or not. Her tail swished maybe once to his presence, but quickly went still. It was almost like the familiarity of him made her happy, but maybe she didn't want to show that. She found her gaze following his birds as they flew over head and her eyes stayed out on the lake's surface. She wasn't really uncomfortable around him, but getting to know her older siblings a little better wasn't so easy. She felt like they may have been some of the wolves she knew best but also didn't quite know them at all. Maybe it was her, or maybe it was them. There was still plenty of time for that to happen though.

As Saracyn mentioned the water and asked if she had known how to swim, it took her just a moment to think in response. "I don't know." She maybe didn't want to admit that she didn't know how to swim yet. It was some kind of confidence or lack thereof. Not just of her brother. It was of everyone really. She still had so much to discover of herself. To determine who she was at heart. She wanted to be strong and fearless but there was really no way of showing that now or finding out if she simply wasn't cut out for it. It was made in her not to be weak, she could feel it. But she couldn't be so sure. One of her paws reached out into the water's surface just rippling over the edge but she didn't go any further. She didn't look at Saracyn for help or even his reaction. Maybe he didn't care, she could pretend like he was never here if that was the case.

"Fiametta"

Saracyn pursed his lips tight to prevent himself from scoffing derisively when Fia explained that she didn't know how to swim. It was just in his nature to be sardonic and disparaging by default, nothing personal against his baby sister specifically. The little pup seemed so reserved, so shy, around basically everyone except their parents. He didn't remember being such a timid little thing when he was her age. It was kind of pathetic, really. A Mendacium, the exceptionally grand family they were, and here she was acting as meek as a lamb instead of the proud and mighty wolf she was. Saracyn didn't know whether he should pity Fiametta or laugh at the ridiculousness of it. In the end, he did neither, remaining quiet while neither sibling said another word. He looked about the lake, perhaps trying to avoid the awkwardness between him and his sister, or perhaps just trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do with her.

A soft splashing of water caught his attention, keen ears swiveling in her direction, followed by his piercing cerulean gaze. He saw Fia had crept closer to the edge of the lake, dipping one paw into the rippling surface as if experimenting with the mere existence of water. Sara pursed his lips while he considered her and his options. He could still just get up and leave, but with Fia inching closer and closer to the water, how long would it be before she got the stones to try and go in? What if something happened and she ended up drowning? He wouldn't be able to handle the lamenting wails of his parents if they lost their pup all because he hadn't given a shit. Saracyn breathed a sigh and clicked his teeth together while he pondered his options, looking down at the little pup who shared his red-hued color palette all the while. Deep down he knew what he was going to do even before he made the decision.

With another hefty sigh, Saracyn stood up and stretched out his limbs, arching his back to limber up his body for the unexpected exercise it was about to get. "Well, I guess I'd better show you if you're gonna keep hanging out around the lake," he muttered, stepping forward until his large white-tipped paws were submerged in the shallow water. The lake was cool, still returning to its normal temperatures after the winter, but at least it wouldn't be bitterly cold to the fur-coated wolves. He looked down to Fia once again, waiting for her to step into the shallow water with him. At this level, it would likely only come up to just below her knees on her legs. "Dad taught me and Ava how to swim when we were about your age so we wouldn't drown ourselves in the lake. You can learn too." He still remembered the lessons Alastor had taught him and his twin when they were wee pups and the different methods he had used.

After giving Fia a little while to adjust to the water, Saracyn would slide down to lower his belly into the cool water, bringing himself down to Fia's level. "Climb up on my back. We're going a bit deeper." This would be an exercise in trust as much as a practical lesson on how to swim. Would Fiametta trust her brooding brother to keep her safe?

"Saracyn Mendacium"

When Saracyn had mentioned showing her how, her eyes flashed up in the best puppy way they could, really just full of some sort of high joy that he'd show her how to swim. She couldn't hide it. It wasn't because it was him, but maybe a little bit. She had just chose not to take things so personally or think that Sara or Ava didn't want to spend time with her for whatever reasons. Maybe it was just as she thought that they had other responsibilities to attend to, or maybe they didn't really like her. She liked to think otherwise, but the way Avacyn could be around her was more clear to her than Saracyn. Her view was starting to change on him right now though.

She was quick to step in, or more accurately fall in. She didn't tumble or roll though, just fell forward on her chest but kept her head held up over the shallow water until she found her footing again. Maybe it showed that bit of fearlessness she had, or confidence. The rush of chilly water took her by surprise as it felt drastically different than it had on just her paw pads. With a wince she settled at a stand looking up at Saracyn as if nothing happened. Naturally she felt embarrassed but it was easy for her to throw that over her shoulder and move on. Hopefully he would too.

Maybe it was a little scary how forward she was, because she didn't hesitate even a second as Saracyn leaned down and told her to ride on his back. She didn't jump on him, but she wasn't acting wary of him. She did want to impress her older siblings in some way, and to her this may have been a sense of earning it. She'd never expect Sara to dump her out in the deep end but she also wasn't scared of the water. Finding her place up on his back she was quick and eager to see what he would show her.

"Fiametta"

The joy that lit up Fiametta's dark eyes nearly made the moody Saracyn roll his eyes, but dammit, even he had to admit that the enthusiasm was adorable on her tiny face. It wasn't really that he disliked her, after all; Saracyn just didn't see a point to her—kind of like how he didn't see a point to himself either. They were excess Mendaciums, spares in case something happened to their sister. Maybe he would understand one day, or maybe he never would. But in either case, he couldn't hold Fia at fault for something so beyond her control. Sara watched as Fia virtually fell forward into the water with a splash, drawing a snicker from the taller lad when he had stepped easily into the cool water beside her. She was a wily and brave one, he had to give her that. Nothing seemed to faze her, and it reminded him of himself and their father, a trait he held in high regard for the three of them. The cringe in her expression to the cold temperature was ultimately ignored by the older brother, who was more entertained by her trying to be tough than anything. He didn't tease her or even acknowledge it, instead leading her into the deeper parts of the lake as far as her little legs would take her.

Fiametta showed no fear or hesitation when he lowered his body and told her to climb on. The weight of the pup on his back felt, Saracyn rose up just enough to be able to walk forward once more, and gradually he began to submerge both of them into the water. Fia's trust in him was apparent and unconditional; Sara wondered what he had done to earn it. Thoughts of dumping Fia into the deeper end of her water, whether maliciously or as a prank, never even crossed his mind. Saracyn was a vicious cur, sure, but he never considered harming his family in any way. They were the most and only important thing in his world. The water rose up to Saracyn's chest, and when it reached the bottom of his shoulders with the surface just barely lapping over his back to lick at Fia's paws, he ceased going any further. This would do nicely.

"I'm going to sink down a little until you're in the water," he explained to his tiny sister from over his shoulder. "When you feel the water lift you up, start paddling your paws, all four of them at the same time. I'll be floating right beneath you the whole time, so don't be afraid okay? If you need a rest, let me know and I'll put you on my back again." This was how Alastor had taught him and Avacyn to swim, allowing their instincts to show them the way to paddle in the water and learn how their bodies buoyancy worked naturally, but he had always been floating with them, so if they got tired or for some reason went under, he just needed to stand up to aid them. Now he would do the same for his little sister. "Ready?" And then Saracyn lowered his body again until his body sank beneath the surface, going down until just his head was above the water and Fia had been lifted up by the water. He kept glancing over his shoulder to watch her, making sure to move in sync with her so his larger form was only every a few inches below hers in the water in case she needed help.

"Saracyn Mendacium"