At That Age

Satira's insistence that she would be the one to rip a bastards face off brought honest laughter from her mother. Aslatiel grinned, flashing pearly whites. "That's my girl. I'm so proud of you." There had been times where Tira had shown a more timid side. Asla was glad that she'd gone past that. There would always be points in ones life where self doubt was a plague, but Aslatiel had faith that her daughter would overcome just like she did. "I know you won't need me to win your fights for you, but I'll always be in your corner, love." Asla's paw lovingly brushed Satira's cheek as she spoke. It wasn't a lie. She would always be there for her children, no matter what.

The girl seemed to have absorbed the lesson about the herb, so Asla moved on to the next. She pulled a thick, yellowish white root from her bag and placed it between them. "Ginger root," she informed her daughter. "Consume enough of this and it will jumpstart your menses." Asla snapped the thick root in half, letting Satira smell the strong, pungent scent of the root. "You can eat it, grind it into paste to mix with other things, you can powder it to make a tea."

Satira took her mother's advice and asked questions. She wanted to know how she was supposed to accumulate this experience and learn her tastes. Asla smiled softly. "It comes when it should. It could come slowly or it could come quickly. It's all about trusting yourself and your own intuition. There's a balance though; a line to tread." The fawn and grey woman took a deep breath and continued. "There's a difference between being confident in your own sexuality and just giving yourself to anyone that comes your way. Be proud of who you are. Embrace your sexuality. Share yourself with anyone that you wish, but always maintain your sense of self. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you as long as you hold yourself in high regard."

Then Tira asked how Asla had gained her experience and the woman laughed, purple eyes crinkling at the corners. "I took opportunities where I found them. I followed my instincts and was true to myself." Aslatiel grinned and her gaze cut away from her daughter just a moment for a dramatic touch. "I also used to fight wolves and the winner received a kiss as reward." The older woman smirked cheekily. "That's why I'm such a good fighter and such a good kisser." Asla chuckled and gave her head a little shake. "Joking aside, follow your instincts, but be greedy with who you give yourself to. Be the smart young woman that I know you are and if you ever have a bad feeling or a doubt about a partner, then you're probably right."

"Aslatiel Indarra"