Caelum

[ Age 0 - 2 months ]
The first thing Caelum knows when he's born is the smell of milk and the scents of unfamiliar herbs. He liked the smell of it.

When he finally learns how to crawl, and then walk, on his wobbly legs, he attempts to find the plants he smelled when he was born. They were somewhere close by...

But his mother pulls him back into the warm comfort of their nest. He settles again, waiting until the next time he can leave.

Finally, when he and his siblings are strong enough, they are let free to terrorize the pack. He strides confidently towards the scent of strange plants, different to the ones right outside his bed. He hears an old wolf wheezing quietly in the back of this new den. He smells the herbs that have been taunting him so. He wonders if the old wolf might tell him what the smells were.

But she doesn't get up.

He wanders away before anything else can happen, when more new smells distract him. His siblings whine for him to play with them.

[ 3-6 months ]

Caelum watches with envy when Mossfeather retires. It's Harvest who takes over, not particularly excited, which Cealum criticizes quietly to himself. The best job in the world, the most interesting work to learn, and yet she seems less than enthusiastic. How dare she.

He grows angier with every passing day that Harvest doesn't seem to be grateful for her role. He scolds her harshly for every mistake she makes, but only to himself. He's too little to push such a larger wolf around. Yet.

During these months however, Mossfeather, in her old age, finally pays some attention to him. He's too angry with Harvest to ever realize she started preparing him for an apprentice role under Harvest. Giving him tricks and tips about plants and how to take care of them, scenting certain herbs amongst the forestry. He doesn't even realize that he's being trained, too upset with the world to realize that the lessons he's been put under is that of a high ranking role as a pup.

[ 6 months - ]

He's finally old enough, now. On his ceremony of age, he's allowed to hunt and follow the older wolves to see what they do. And he knows exactly what he's going to do.

He roughly enters the small den full of wonderful smelling herbs, startling Harvest, who had been daydreaming. He growls at her, having had enough of his young life wasted. He needs them to know what he wants. To put him in the role he desires. He will fight Harvest over it. He's ready.

Harvest wags her tail at his proclamation, catching him completely off guard. Why isn't she going to fight him for the role? Had she really taken that little care about her work?!

"Mossfeather has told me of your skills excelling in healing. I will teach you, with the help of our mentor, together. We won't deny you of the love for this job, Caelum."

Unwillingly, his voice cries out, in sudden relief, to be finally heard. He whines at her, all fight gone in an instant, and she cuddles the pup for a moment until he's regained himself, so that she can take him out on his first outting.

She also bargains with a few traders on the way, allowing him to receive a few new coverings for himself.

His world view flips, and suddenly he is grateful for Harvest. For Mossfeather. They had been noticing after all. He weeps quietly as he sniffs out any interesting plants on their trip, overwhelmed with relief of all that anger he had felt for the last 5 months of his life.