Big Salmon Lake primum non nocere

It was night time when Aureli next sought mother and son. Long days had passed; he was weary, but eager to begin the grand task of training an apprentice.

He had long been ready. He'd simply been waiting for the right pupil to come along.

"Leave us, please," he asked quietly of Leto, turning to lead @Delos by moonlight around the edge of the ink-black waters. He only wanted to be out of her immediate reach, to a place where Delos could not look to her for guidance. There was no true privacy here on the lakeshore — only the quiet susurrus of inland waves to whisper under the voices, and the bright light of the moon shining down on their faces, and up again at their throats as it reflected off the still waters.

"Moonshadows," he said to Delos, nodding to their long, gangly twins. In shadow, they were twisted together into a two-headed and many-limbed beast. But, "My master used to say that they were a good omen." And it had always frustrated Aureli to hear such superstition from the otherwise intelligent man. Now he felt nostalgic for those times.

He turned his attention more fully to the pale boy.

"Have you made your decision, Delos?"