Gem was... small. Not quite the smallest of her siblings, but small enough that she felt just a tad bit terrified every time she stepped out of the den. The world was massive. When she looked up, it was as if the sky never ended. When she looked around, the world went as far as her little eyes could see. For a pup like Gem, it was obvious why she trembled slightly with each step she took.
But she had taken those steps. Her delicate paws swathed in a layer of red dirt that quickly turned dark as she reached the muddied area that surrounded the lake. Standing there on the shore, almost hidden completely by reeds, she looked. She looked at the ducks that waded by in the clear blue waters. At the grasshoppers that flew and leaped around her. Her ears could hear the buzzing of bumblebees as they lazily drifted from flower to flower. Even the sound of squirrels scurrying up trees or the gentle step of deer through the tall grass. Oh, how she was so very aware of her surroundings.
She had come to the lake with a purpose that day. Not only to admire the scenery and all of its beauty, but also to gather supplies so she could make her ailing mama something pretty. After she had asked her papa to obtain her a tanned hide, she had set out with one of her siblings (or more, she didn't mind the company) to the lake where she now stood. While the bright sun overhead made her red eye squint, she tried her best to look around. Admittedly, she could smell them. They were sweet and tangy and with the help of her nose, Gem was able to find the large bush of prickly blackberries ready to be plucked.
Hematite, Gem's Mastiff, is always with her unless stated he isn't.
