Oh, how time was flying! Solveiga couldn't believe her children were now two seasons old, growing so fast. It was only a matter of time before both Aurielle and Aramis surpassed her in height, which she had already come to expect, considering the size of their father. And even with the two seasons she had now spent caring for them, she still couldn't quite get over how unique they were. Her children practically sparkled in the sun, unlike anything she had ever seen. They were miraculous. Of course, to her they would have been miraculous even if they had been perfectly plain in appearance. They were her children, and she loved them with every ounce of her being. Now that spring had come, Regulus had decided it was time to start training their firstborn, shaping her into the leader she would one day be expected to become. Solveiga agreed with her beloved's decision, of course, but she couldn't help panicking a little when she thought of her little princess learning to fight. It was necessary, she reminded herself. And Aurielle was so strong and capable, even at such a young age. She could handle it. And Regulus would never let any harm come to their children. So, this morning he and Aurielle left the den to go and explore and learn, while Aramis stayed curled against her side. But she didn't want her little prince to feel left out, especially with his beloved sister gone for the day. And so Solveiga had planned to take Aramis out on their own day of exploration. For a long time her son had expressed interest in learning about herbs and healing. Perhaps today she would begin training for him as well, to follow in her footsteps just as Aurielle followed in those of her father. She was the first to wake and, noticing that Regulus and Aurielle were already gone, turned to her secondborn and gave him a gentle but rousing nuzzle. "Wake up, sweetheart," she whispered. "I have a special day planned for the two of us." The little healer couldn't wait to see his excitement when she told him that they would be learning about herbs today. He'd been so patient for so long.

While his father and sister were early risers, Aramis was definitely the type to enjoy sleeping in a bit. At least until the sun had fully risen and the world outside began to wake up as well. Waking up when it was dark and quiet, he didn't like that so much. And besides, how could he pull himself away from the security and warmth of his mother? But eventually, it was time to get up, and the gentle but insistent nuzzle against his little head was enough to pull him from his deep sleep. He grumbled a bit before stretching his small, dark body, and as his mind caught up he was able to process what his mother had just said. "You do?" he asked, suddenly much more alert as his bright blue eyes met hers. "What are we gonna do, Mama?" Oh, he really, really hoped it was what he thought it was. For a long time she had been promising to teach him about the things she called herbs. The lovely smelling things that he and Aurielle, but especially Aurielle, loved to roll around in. Aramis liked to think that he was a bit more mature and respectful than his rambunctious little sister, though in reality they were both quite well behaved. She was simply more outspoken and bold, which wasn't a bad thing. It just meant she had a tendency to push at the boundaries a little bit more. But it was good that it was in her nature to be bold and brave and strong. She was the firstborn of the litter, which meant someday she would follow in their father's pawsteps and become the leader of the pack. Aramis was fine with that. That sounded like a lot of responsibility. He was content to cheer his sister on from the sidelines, thank you very much. So, while Aurielle and their father spent the day exploring and learning about leadership and the pack, Aramis desperately hoped he would get the opportunity to learn from his mother about herbs. Taking a chance, he asked her outright: "Are you going to teach me about the herbs?"