Fia had grown comfortable with the amount of duties she had around the den and on the occasion she sought out Avacyn to help her with other things she may have been doing. So asking Irilyth what she may have needed help with was an easy task for her even if she didn't have to. It was something to fill the time though she was a rather lazy pup this early in her youth. It wouldn't be a rude awakening but she was taking advantage for as long as she could to keep her "required" duties limited. What all did a princess need to do anyway? It wasn't like she was the labelled heir or anything. She'd go further into the Mendacium's teachings soon enough.

Coming back in from a visit from the lake, she'd come up to Irilyth with a small grin and  slight wag of her tail, "What can I help with today?" She asked in earnest, always happy to find something to do honestly and she did like helping Irilyth and her family so it was really no problem for her especially while she was asking for it. Cleaning up inside the den was nearly a regular routine, but maybe some of the outside needed to be cleaned up too with the fire pit or weeding or something of the sort. She'd be willing either way.

Intellect Seasonal Prompt
Total Word Count: 229 words
Word Count Goal: 1500 words

"Fiametta"

Although Irilyth had been released from her bonds of servitude to Manea and Alastor, the golden blonde fae had spent so much of her life building these routines that breaking them seemed almost an impossible task. Besides, she was just helping out the wolves that sheltered her and provided her a home now out of the kindness of her own heart, right? At least that was the justification Irilyth was using to rationalize why she still felt compelled to maintain the cleanliness of the Mendaciums' familial den. The diminutive woman busied herself scurrying about the large cave den, having already cleaned the rooms of her alphas as well as the chambers of their children as well. Furs were washed and dried, remnants of snacks and scraps from crafting projects had been picked up and disposed of or stowed away, and all the odds and ends that naturally accumulated in a large family's home had been tidied up. She had even gone so far as to dust away some cobwebs and dirt from the floors of the tunnels and rooms.

Irilyth had just been moving into the main chamber of the den when a tiny voice from behind her caught her by surprise. She turned around and raspberry red eyes spotted the darling little Fiametta behind her, bushy tail wagging away with eager enthusiasm and a smile on her face. She was such a sweetheart, a far cry from her father whom she mirrored almost perfectly. "Oh! Hello, Princess Fiametta!" Iri greeted the pup back with a smile of her own, taking a look around what remained inside the den to do. "You're so sweet to offer, my dear! Well, there's still some chores that need to be done around the den. You could help me straighten up the common space. Or we could do some pruning around the herb gardens. What would you like to help with?" She let the girl decide what task sounded more engaging for her. Iri knew of Fia's inclination to the outdoors, and so she wanted to cater to her enjoyment as well. Chores did not always need to feel like hard work, after all!

WC: 360
Total: 589 / 1500

"Irilyth"

As Irilyth had given Fia the opportunity to chose where she could help around the den or outside, Fia took a quick moment to decide. Irilyth was right in thinking that she was more comfortable staying inside the den. She did her best to get out for a portion of the day, but still she'd find herself in or around the den for most of the time. Today wouldn't be one of those days, Fia wanted to be better for herself and for her family. She'd need to start coming out of her shell more.

"The gardens sound nice." She responded with that gentle smile, turning out to walk out ahead of Irilyth before letting her walk more beside her once they were venturing just a short ways away from the den. She slowed a little once they arrived so that Irilyth could take the lead, but she already knew where her paws could help. She looked around at the different flowers and herbs here. She didn't need much directing from Irilyth once they were here, she wouldn't purposely mean to be rude in that way but honestly it may have seemed that way. She was quiet and secluded in nature, Irilyth should know that. But still she was eager to help in every way she could. She liked to live a lazy pup life if a pup life at all, but she felt just that importance of her place in her family.

Tiny and careful paws moved around the base of the flower's stems, finding the hard lines of where the herb flourished and weeds grew within the greens beside it. She was delicate, much more than any normal pup as her paws and claws pulled up around the dirt to grab only the roots of the weeds and not disturb the flower itself or most of the greens around it too. She'd take care of a few herbs before turning to face Irilyth again, looking around the grounds and wondering if she had anything in mind for the main areas here or if they would just be working on the plants themselves.

Intellect Seasonal Prompt
Total Word Count: 943 words
Word Count Goal: 1500 words

"Fiametta"

Fia would not take long to decide on where she wanted to help out. The pup volunteered to give the gardens some tender love and care, and Irilyth responded with a gentle, almost matronly smile. "Then the gardens are where we'll start!" she declared, turning on her heels to lead the little princess out of the familial den and down the mountainous path toward the herb gardens. Once their paws touched the loamy soil at the base of the mountains, the gardens were only a short hop, skip, and a jump before the two wolves had arrived. With so few healers in Elysium at the moment, the gardens themselves were not very large, containing only the most essential medicinal herbs that did not naturally grow on Alias Island. Because the gardens were made up mostly of plants that were foreign to the northern territories, it was especially important that the wolves cultivated them carefully and with rigorous attention. One wrong move could kill a crop and completely remove a medicine from the pack's inventory.

Irilyth did not take Fiametta's quietness as standoffish. She understood the mannerisms of the little Mendacium princess well; as the pups' nanny, she had seen all of them as they grew up and developed into the wolves they would become, first with Avacyn and Saracyn, and now again with Fiametta. Without the need for any instruction, the fire-marked pup immediately went about pruning up the weeds from amongst the flowers and herbs. Iri supervised for a moment while her tiny paws worked with vigor, and when she was pleased with Fia's efforts, she too joined in, moving with practiced precision through the garden to rip up any weeds she found and remove the excess leaf litter from the nearby trees. "You're doing excellent work so far, Fia!" the sandy blonde wolf complimented her small assistant. "Many of these plants are very sensitive, and I'm sure they appreciate you being so careful with them."

With the two of them working in tandem together, it did not take long for them to clear up the gardens. What would have taken the healer a good couple of hours on her own was shaping up to be done in just over one. While they worked, Irilyth would pause to tell Fia about each of the plants they worked around. She did not know if the girl would have a desire or aptitude to learn more about botany or medicine, but it never hurt to try to cultivate a young mind's interests as early and as often as possible! As they neared the end of the weeding and pruning, Irilyth noticed Fia beginning to pause and look around as if searching for more to do. The fae also paused and looked about, noticing the amount of fallen sticks strewn across the gardens from the overhanging trees. "Fia, would you be a dear and gather up all the sticks from the gardens while I finish up here?" she asked. "The big sticks can sometimes prevent new shoots from growing properly, and we don't want that happening. Just gather them up and put them in a pile off to the side. We'll get rid of them later." With that, Irilyth returned to pruning up the herbs, collecting excess growths to use in medicines while making sure no weeds remained to inhibit the good plants' growth.

WC: 562
Total: 1505 / 1500

"Irilyth"