The children wasted no time in arriving. All except for Alectrona, her sick daughter, came quickly to her call. First to arrive was Hercules, and she greeted him with a lick on the cheek. "You are beginning your training today, Hercules." Next came a niece. "Hello, Aura," she greeted with a smile. She would plant a nuzzle on Chione's head and greet Hera with a smile when they arrived as well, before getting down to business.
As Poe arrived with a small collection of herbs in his grasp, she cleared her throat. "Children, today you begin your training. Unfortunately your sister and cousin, Alectrona, is too ill to be present today. However, that will make this a little easier. Today I will teach you about the most common medical herbs in our area and their uses, then you will spar each other." She paused, spreading out the plants Poe set before her before gesturing to each in turn and sniffing them to check their identities.
Pointing to the purple (colors for the reference for the pups, obviously she has no idea what they are xD) alfalfa, "This is alfalfa, mainly used to help with weight gain. It generally is not dangerous, except if ingested in large amounts during pregnancy." To the yellow dandelion, "This is dandelion. It is usually used for increasing appetite and fixing digestive issues. It is not known to be harmful." To the orange marigold, "Marigold is applied to heal burns, cuts, bites, and scrapes, and chewing it can help with pain in the gums and throat. This one also is not known to be harmful. These are only the most common in our area, but they are useful for many common ailments and injuries. In future training sessions I will teach you of more of the plants of the continent."
She paused only briefly to give opportunity for questions before continuing. "Now, it is time for your spars. Due to your respective ages and this being your first training, I want each of you to spar your siblings - Hera with Aura, Hercules with Chione. In the future, you will be mixed to create a different challenge. The rules are simple - you will fight until I say you are done, at which point I will give you feedback. You are allowed to attack and defend as you like, but you must not break skin. Stop any attacks before you reach that point, like so." She demonstrated by appearing to strike at the raven standing at her feet, only to slow abruptly as she began to close her jaw around him. Her teeth rested gently on his feathers before she pulled back.
"When you all finally reach the age of one, minor injuries will be permitted without punishment. Now, please take your places with one another and begin. You may decide between yourselves who will make the first move."
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