Dabble 33: All Natural Helper

“Hello, Lord Zeno, can I get your help with the garden today?” Nimoh, the Newfoundland dog asked. “I’d like to get to the crops on the farm, but I need to get some weed out the garden and water the plants there.”
Zeno, the brawny brown phox of the family, resting under a shaded tree on the family property, opened his eyes then gave a strong, bone popping stretch before standing up. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Nimoh fixed his straw hat and secured his jumpsuit as he led the way back towards the monastery. With the three-story monastery in the center of the mountain, the outside facing west was the farmland while the outside facing east was the garden.

Zeno used his seismic sense along the ground as he walked, helping him detect the plants in the earth. Zeno went from walking to firmly stomping, pop the weeds out while Nimoh caught them in his basked.

“By the way,” Zeno started. “In case you weren’t aware, you don’t need to call any of us a lord. I’m sure the rest of the family wouldn’t mind it either. Though Zenium might enjoy it a little more than the rest of us.”

“Maybe,” Nimoh said. “Nevertheless, as the landlords of this land, the lord and ladies of the monastery, and guardians by duty and birth, it only feels right to call you all with a proper title. It may just be how I grew up but I’m more comfortable speaking to you all like that.”

“Well… So long as you’re comfortable I guess,” he said as they continued walking, stomping, and catching the hard to reach weeds in the ground. Zeno witnessed the fresh flowers, the organized patches, and the eye-catching color pallets of different flowers. “With the way you organize your plants, I’m surprised you don’t own a shop.”

“I did for a while, but it would’ve taken too much time. I found I enjoy spending time around plants and gardening more than I liked being a shop keeper. Plus, my family’s way of farming still won’t leave me. I never imagined getting a job working the lands for spirit phoxes though. That wouldn’t have been in my wildest dreams.”

“I didn’t expect us to move to a mountain to call home. We all use to live on a prairie but after too many… negative people kept bothering us, we decided to move someplace more secluded.”

“That’s fine by me,” Nimoh said as he placed the full basket down and stretched his arms. “The calm and quietness, the peacefulness and literal magic in the air, plus all this still undeveloped land is a perfect project for me. The fancy cooking lessons from Lady Zenora and Lord Zenium are a plus too.”

“I’m glad you feel comfortable here,” Zeno smiled.

“I do have one question if you don’t mind me prying,” he said, taking his hat down. “How… old are all of you? My birthday’s coming up and I don’t recall celebrating anyone else’s here.”

“Well…” Zeno scratched behind his head, unsure of how to answer that question.