Siren looked up at the wall in contemplation as she debated what kind of shelving would be best put to use. Small dugout cubbies? Intricately built branch shelves? Something else entirely? These thoughts crossed her mind as easily as Chimera’s words. They appeared often, and the tiny girl knew she couldn’t let him down. She didn’t feel worthy of such attention or effort, but Siren was trying to change her way of thinking. Starting with this supposedly simple task of creating a store room cellar.

”Dalila?” She called out softly as she lifted herself to her paws and made her way into the main part of the growing den. The girl was usually there as soon as she asked after her, and Siren had little doubt this would be one of those times. After acquiring her Siren had grown quite used to having her to rely on. Her talents were different from Chimera’s and that was refreshing and helped to complete the trio on the island.

Chi’s opinion of her wasn’t incredible, but he tolerated her. Siren enjoyed her presence. Chimera was rough around the edges, she enjoyed the affection she got from him but it was far and few between. Knowing how he looked at her brought a sense of guilt and the only was to relieve it was to do better. Dalila helped. She was subservient, much like Siren had been as a tiny child. Her relationship with Chimera had been much different then. Now she was a princess, and Chimera asked her to show it.

Having a sort of lady in waiting gave her the sense of royalty Chimera wanted her to reflect. She sat and allowed the speckled woman to groom her and arrange her braids and long fur everyday. Siren was now a far cry from the tangled mat of a puppy she had once been. ”I need your help,” Siren called out again as she waited in the middle of the living area.

Dalila very quickly learned to listen for Siren's voice even when she was outside of the den - though it was very rare for her to leave her lady's side much at all. Serving and doting on the pale woman was perhaps her favorite task out of all of the things that she was asked to do in a day. It had easily turned from a chore to something that she looked forward to each morning. Even now, as she worked on clearing away some of the snow from in front of the den so that Siren wouldn't have to walk through it as much, she still kept an ear turned back toward the den to listen for Siren's soft tones. She had discovered after moving to these lands that being a servant of any kind was far less common here than it had been in her homeland, but it was a life she was used to. It was what felt comfortable to her and the fact that she had landed in the paws of someone like the pale princess that she now got to serve made her feel lucky to serve someone as kind as her. It was a far cry from the harsh rule of the guards she had once had to obey and Siren was far more beautiful and sweet than the older woman she had once served. Chimera was harder to read and more harsh in how he commanded her, but that was okay. She didn't mind and it was worth it to serve Siren. As soon as she heard Siren call out to her, Dalila abandoned her task and gave herself a quick shake to even out her coat and get rid of any clumps of snow that might be stuck to her. Slipping into the shadowed interior of the den, she walked into the main living area just as Siren finished saying that she needed her help. The dappled servant smiled softly and dipped her head, asking, "Of course, what can I help you with, my lady?" "Speech"

Siren wasn’t forced to wait very long as Dalila appeared within the dimly lit den. She didn’t really realize how much she appreciated being able to rely on someone always being there. She and Chimera had raised themselves, knowing there was another wolf to rely on was hard to accept as reality. Dalila was doing a good job though, before Siren knew what she wanted the woman was right there to provide for her. She always seemed to wear a pleasant smile as well, something else Siren didn’t anticipate appreciating. All of these opinions were shown in the way she treated her servant. The opposite of Chimera really, Siren was more empathetic than she let on, and tried to keep Dalila’s comfort in mind when speaking on tasks and jobs needing done.

There the speckled woman was, smile playing on her dainty features as she looked for direction with no hesitation. She managed to make Siren’s lips pull back into the hint of a grin as well. Her soft features brightened considerably with the change of expression. ”Chimera suggested this become a store room,” she started with a gesture of her paw towards the small original den. ”I wanted help in creating them. I’m still not even sure what exactly I want.” Siren trailed off, her mind obviously not made up quite yet.

Dalila's tail wagged subtly behind her when she noticed how Siren's expression brightened once she entered the den. All she could really ask for was to know she was doing well enough to keep her lady happy and comfortable and so far it seemed she was doing just that. When she heard that the task at hand was converting the former living space into a store room, she cast her pale gaze around the room with an interested hum. She nodded in agreement and started trying to imagine what they could do with it as well. She liked having a task and having one that employed a bit of creativity was even better. It wasn't something that she had realized she enjoyed until she came here and began working with Siren more closely. Growing up fighting and hunting had really been the only tasks she had been allowed to do so even having this bit of freedom felt like a whole different life. "Well, since it's a smaller room, maybe some alcoves to put shelving into might be nice," she suggested, glancing toward the smaller, pale woman beside her. She padded over to the wall across from them so she could more easily point out what she was thinking. "Dig out this space here, fashion some thinner pieces of wood into shelves to go across the width of it from here to here, and make sure there's a good length of it on either end embedded in the wall so they're sturdy..." She took a little step back, eyeing up the space again with a slight tilt to her head. "Or maybe a couple of tiers of shelves could be useful - like a set of two stairs almost dug out from the dirt with pieces of wood on top to make them flat and easy to use. Then the supplies could be closer to the ground and staggered a bit. We could even make something like that but one level and wider if you wanted a surface to work on!" She turned back toward Siren with a smile, chuckling softly at herself from letting her imagination run wild. The nice thing was that the smaller room was pretty much a blank canvas with just a couple entrances to work around so they could do pretty much anything they wanted with the space. "Just some ideas of course - I'm more than happy to make anything you want come true." "Speech"

Chimera did what he wished with Siren’s handmaiden but the decorated she wolf had full authority over her. Not that the tiny she wolf liked to think about that, she was subservient and eager to help and if she was being honest Siren saw her as more than just a servant. She wouldn’t admit to anyone out loud but Dalila was her best friend. When you turned into such a hermit like Siren was loneliness was your friend. She had Chimera, now and forever more, but he wasn’t around all the time and even then how often did they talk? He looked after Siren and saw to her physical needs, but they weren’t affectionate and Siren didn’t think she would ever fully understand her brother.

However, she knew his devotion to her and what he wished to see in her. Siren would rise up, but that task seemed infinitely easier with Dalila beside her. The woman seemed to enjoy their time together, an echo of Siren’s thoughts. She eagerly took up the challenge Siren posed, and launched into her own ideas. The tiny Klein princess had long decided that Dalila was smarter than anyone gave her credit for. Chimera really had found her the perfect companion, and she wasn’t even sure he realized it.

Siren grew silent and watched Dalila as she spoke passionately, eager to offer suggestions and ideas far beyond what was expected. The spotted she wolf chuckled, and Siren felt her own pale lips pull back in a subtle smile with her. ”I think perhaps giving you creative freedom may be my best choice.” Her grin brightened slightly, an expression Siren didn’t often wear. Dalila’s devotion was special, and the way she looked at her made Siren to believe she really was the princess Chimera saw within her.

”I don’t mind dirtying my own paws either.” Chimera might not have liked that admittance, but Siren liked to work beside Dalila. Besides, there was grooming to look forward to after work like this.

Dalila's pale gaze widened with surprise when Siren told her she should have the creative freedom and glanced shyly toward the ground at the idea. "Oh, I don't know about all that, my lady," she replied with a bit of nervousness, chuckling softly to try and play off the pressure she felt from the idea. She was very, very good at following direction and would carry out anything she was told to do to the letter, but making a decision herself was more challenging. Plus, there was the added worry that she'd pick something and Siren would end up not liking what she decided to go with. She liked imagining the different options they had for the space, but she had never been given the freedom to do whatever she wanted. Then again... if that's what Siren wanted, she didn't want to make her sad by turning her down either... Dalila gave Siren another glance to make sure her princess was sure about the choice before giving a little nod and a faint smile. "Um... Okay, well..." She went back to stand next to Siren again, looking at the wall that they had been studying again before glancing around the rest of the room. "I think... some of the inset shelves would be best on this side because there isn't another room behind that wall and it's not as wide of a space to work with between these two entrances." Yes, that made the most sense in her mind. Some of that original excitement came back as more ideas started to come to her and she added, "Oh! Maybe we leave the space under the bottom shelf empty and dig it a little deeper than the shelf space and that can be a space for some baskets to hold bigger items like bandages and things like that." She grinned and looked back to Siren with her tail wagging gently behind her. "One of the older women I grew up around knew how to make them and I watched her a bunch of times so I'm sure we can figure it out!" Now that they had a plan of action she felt even more eager to get started. She wasn't all that surprised by Siren stating that she didn't mind getting her paws dirty for their task, though she was certain Chimera wouldn't be pleased if he came back and found his sister with dirt all over her pale paws. Who was she to say Siren couldn't take part in building out her storage room? "Shall we get started then?" she asked cheerfully before trotting into the other room to grab her makeshift bucket that she had used when she was helping Chimera dig out the other sleeping spaces. Bringing it over to the wall they were starting with, she sat it down and then reached up with her front paw and started tracing out an outline for where the alcove would be, climbing up onto the wall for a moment to trace out the top. She stood back with a tip of her head when she was done, asking, "What do you think? Is that a good spot?" "Speech"

Dalila grew shy at Siren’s compliment and the decorated she wolf should have known better than to bestow such compliments, but she couldn’t help herself. ”Nonsense. You work the stores as much as I do. Your opinion is just as valid.” Siren’s voice didn’t often sound sharp, but she didn’t soften her words. She meant what she said and she expected Dalila to agree with her. Siren gave Dalila another encouraging nod and the servant continued. She didn’t quite have the same confidence at first but she found her feet.

This was the woman Siren wanted working alongside her. She couldn’t be a damsel in distress anymore. This was her island and she was taking control of it and her own fate. Dalila returned to her side and carefully explained her vision, and it slowly turned into everything Siren could have wanted. Bigger storage at the bottom, common sense options, Siren nodded along with the suggestions. Dalila didn’t often show her excitement like this but the exuberance was refreshing compared to the usual mood that hung over the island. Siren was trying to turn a new leaf, and maybe Dalila’s hidden brightness was exactly what she needed.

Dalila had much more worldly experience than the hermit princess, and she could draw on them in a fashion that made Siren feel.. Sheltered. She hid her feelings and tried to be thankful for the wisdom she could draw upon. ”Your ideas are better than anything I was going to come up with.” Siren encouraged her. ”Good thing I’ve got you here.” She mumbled mostly to herself as Dalila eager went to work sketching the outer lines.

Siren found herself again quietly watching the woman work. She hadn’t been given much in the way of adult guidance when she was younger, Siren was anything but a well developed member of society. She would fake it for Chimera though, she was his princess. Dalila’s princess. Dual toned eyes flicked back to the woman’s form as she asked about the positioning. Siren paced forward, her delicate features tipping slightly. ”I think so.” She thought a moment longer and approached the wall, doing similarly to Dalila a moment earlier. She obviously could not reach as high. ”As long as I have you to reach the highest spots for me.” Siren said, as though reassuring herself Dalila would be there for her.

She was quick to shake her head and deny Siren's insistence that her ideas were better than what she could have come up with, replying, "Oh, no, I'm sure that's not true. You're brilliant, my lady. I'm glad you like my ideas though." She was always so dazzled by the lessons that Siren taught her about healing and was constantly amazed by anything she was taught. All she had ever known before this was hunting and fighting and at least in her mind she had always associated those things with the lower class because of how she grew up. There was still plenty of value in those skills as well of course, but her princess was on a special pedestal in her mind because of the knowledge she had. All of the healers had always come from the royalty of her homeland and so it was only fitting that Siren would be a healer as well. She watched and waited as Siren came to inspect the outline she had traced, seeing the pale woman climb and reach toward the top the way she had to trace the top line. "Of course," came her immediate response when she mentioned having her there to reach the upper most shelves, smiling up at Siren. "Don't worry, I'll always fetch anything you need." At least in her mind there was no question of whether or not she would be there to assist her - this is what she saw herself doing for the rest of her days, or at the very least as long as Siren wished to have her around. She could be happy being the servant for her lady till the end of time. "I'll do the digging," she said now that the shape of their alcove had been decided. She knew Siren had said she could get her paws dirty, but the more work she took off of the pretty woman's plate the happier Dalila would be. "Maybe, if you don't mind, you can get the dirt collected into the bucket as it falls for me to carry outside?" With that she climbed up and started digging away, working her way from the top down, taking away thin layers at a time and steadily making the indent into the wall deeper. For a while she worked quietly, digging and carrying out the bucket to empty it whenever it got full. Eventually she decided to try and strike up some conversation. She still didn't know a lot about Siren or Chimera or what had gotten them both to this point. Though she was taught that there should be a line between who she serves and herself, that didn't stop her from being curious about the pair. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" she questioned, giving Lady Siren a quick glance before looking back to her work. "Has Master Chimera always been so... gruff?" "Speech"

Dalila was swift to turn Siren’s compliment back on her and the hermit princess felt herself thankful again. The servant girl was exactly what Siren needed, a bolster to her confidence and her ego, the perfect tool to help shape her to the perfect example of what Chimera expected of her. She was eager to assure the tiny princess as well. Whenever she called Dalila would be there, ready and willing to reach any and all of her highest shelves. Siren managed a grin in thanks before returning to her more comfortable blank expression.

The comfort of knowing she would have the woman to rely on helped ease much of Siren’s woes. She didn’t enjoy socializing, but she was still a wolf and needed company. Chimera was there for her, but it was different. He was her protector and caretaker, he was distant. Dalila was the complete opposite, she was Siren’s companion. She never had to be alone because the loyal spotted woman was right there.

More forcefully than Siren expected Dalila took the job of digging entirely for herself. Siren well and truly had no problem with dirt, she had been an earthen child as she grew up. She remembered Chimera’s words. She was a princess, and proper for her stature Siren couldn’t be playing in the mud any longer. Still, she didn’t have to just stand and look pretty. Dalila offered her a job and the young Klein nodded dutifully. She gathered the bucket and the dirt as the speckled woman dug out the alcoves.

Siren kept the floor mostly free of the excess dirt, her long furred paws easily sweeping the dirt away. She was given cause to pause as Dalila offered a question carefully. Dual toned eyes looked up towards the woman but she averted her gaze as she asked about Chi. ”Yes, always.” Siren returned softly. ”He’s changed a lot since we were puppies.” That was the truth and more. He’d been a lot different with her when they were younger. When Mortis took her to the Armada… that was when her brother began to shift. "You may speak freely. I know he's more than just gruff." She touched her lip absently where an old scare still remained.

Dalila continued her work absently while Siren replied to her question, occasionally glancing at her princess between scooping away pawfuls of dirt from the wall. She wasn't really surprised when Siren confirmed that Chimera had always been "gruff" which was the only word she could think of to describe his demeanor that was at least slightly positive or kind. She hadn't wanted to offend the smaller woman with talking about her brother in a harsher way, but Siren soon assured her she was welcome to speak freely. She cast Siren a curious glance when she acknowledged that Chimera was more than how Dalila had just described him, but she didn't question it or ask for her to elaborate. At least for as long as she had been around Chimera had seemed to only care for Siren so she quickly chalked it up to her lady just being aware of her brother's actions. As she dug away more dirt from the quickly forming alcove she wore a thoughtful expression as she considered what she could even say. "He's... not the worst I've lived with," she replied honestly. Perhaps she still didn't know the full extent of how bad he could be and her assessment could very well change given more time with him, but for now she still felt he paled in comparison to some of the power hungry guards from her previous life. At best they were degrading and didn't care about the slaves like herself and at worst they were out right cruel and abusive to them. "At least there's only one of him to work around," she added after a moment with a soft chuckle. For the most part Chimera had left her alone as long as she followed his commands and stayed out of his way so she couldn't complain about him too much. As she came back down onto all fours again and paused short of picking up their refilled bucket, she continued with a small shrug. "I guess I was just wondering... For you to both come from the same litter, assuringly with the same upbringing, you both just seem so... different." How could someone like Chimera and someone like Siren both be cut from the same cloth? "Speech"

Siren didn’t elaborate and Dalila didn’t ask which was better off anyway. The young Klein wasn’t ready to make her confession and buried herself in the work they were doing. Keeping her paws busy was better than thinking about the past. Her and Chimera’s relationship had been a whole lot different back then, and she still didn’t know exactly what it was now. He cared about her and no longer did she feel the bite of his teeth. There was still an emotional disconnect, but that wouldn’t likely ever change.

Dalila spoke again, giving a glimpse of her own experiences. Chimera was gruff but Dalila had been forced to serve worse. Sometimes it was odd to have the woman here serving her, but Siren had never seen anything but full acceptance and embrace of where she was. Dalila was the greatest gift that Chimera could have given her, and Siren was glad she had the woman. Not that she found it very easy to show that fact, maybe her kindness was enough. She’d never even raised her voice to her really.

The girl shrugged as Dalila returned to her eye level and mentioned being so different. ”We’re different in many ways, we went through a lot as kids and we both coped in vastly different ways. Maybe it only exacerbated our deeper differences.” Siren looked away, her mind returning to the trials they faced together as children.

With every question she asked she only grew more curious about her lady and what had shaped the lovely woman into the wolf she was today, but she could tell that Siren wasn't comfortable with speaking on the topics so she eventually let it die. Perhaps one day she would be able to learn more about her. Even just knowing that she could ask questions like this made her happy and even more trusting of her princess. With Chimera she constantly felt as if she needed to tiptoe and be careful with what she said or did, but with her lady it felt more akin to a friendship and for that she was grateful. It was a feeling she had never had before and one she held tight to out of fear that one day it might be gone. "Perhaps its best that you're so different," she offered, hoping to be encouraging with her words. "You balance each other out. I couldn't imagine how he would be without your softness." Offering Siren a smile, she picked up the bucket as it was filled with the last load of dirt, carrying it outside and adding it to a pile that had been growing out in the trees away from the dens. When she came back into the den she put the bucket off to the side again and then stood back to admire the work they had done so far. It was shaping up to be an impressive set of shelves - now they just needed the material for the shelves themselves. "I guess we should go gather up some wood for the shelves now," she suggested with a nod toward the exit, a soft smile lingering on her lips. "Unless you'd like to take a break. I could go prepare a meal for you if you'd like." It was a little after mid day now so she was fine either way - not that she would often put her own wants or needs over Siren's. Forever a servant through and through, despite how much she had begun to think of the smaller woman as a friend. "Speech"