Ame was special in more ways than he knew, perhaps in even more ways than Meryl knew. He was special not only for his kindness but also for Yin - for her, to give birth to a child as dark as he, it was simply unheard of in her home land. Often, those that were born to resemble the night sky were born to others of their kind, or through special unionships. Hers, however, had been by pure chance, or perhaps but a union that she had created herself. It felt freeing, in a way, to not be restrained by such cultural restrictions. She was free to love who she wanted, and in return, she had been blessed with two beautiful children. Of the two of them, however, she felt most tenderly towards Ame, a fact that often made her sheepish. He simply shared a heart all too similar to her own, unclouded by hate but as timid as a hummingbird's at times. He was a gentle soul, and she found a certain fun in trying to show him the glories of the world. She had no doubt he would see them soon enough.

He bounded into her, and she received his affection openly, licking his crown with all the adoration a mother could muster. She had always been observant, however, and his flush of emotions did not slip by her. She watched him move from curiosity to pride and finally to uncertainty, an emotion that caused her brow to flicker in concern. It seemed Ame often felt such a way, or at least he seemed to fluctuate often between happiness and several rather... more negative emotions. She supposed it was just part of growing up, the same way Yuki teeter tottered between joy and boredom, a longing for something she did not even understand herself. Children simply did it, and yet she still noted each instance nonetheless. In time, she hoped, she would find a way to prevent such emotions entirely. Folly, perhaps, but it kept her comforted.

He spoke then, speaking of his tracking adventures and she smiled broadly, stepping forward and licking at his muzzle before sniffing wearily at the empty den he had been shuffling about. For several seconds, she hummed over the den, pawing at the earth lightly and sniffing at the stones and twigs that surrounded it. Then, with an almost look of surprise, she turned back to him, mouth gently open and eyes wide. Of course, much of it might have been a show but she knew it would perk him back up; after all, he had not done so bad of a job. He had found her scent.

"This one was wrong, Ame! This one must have come by here today. This one has been busy, see, and must have forgotten. Ame's nose is incredible!"

She stared at him in awe for a moment before sniffing at the den once more, taking a moment to grin to herself. The best reinforcement, after all, was positive reinforcement. She would have to actively teach him more tracking eventually and yet, he was already doing a brilliant job on his own. Who would expect a child to differentiate between old and new? It would be silly to do such a thing. All wolves, not just mothers, must encourage the young to seek their own knowledge and have fun while doing so. It was the only way.

As she ambled by him, leaning down to give him an affectionate nuzzle once more, he seemed to perk up even more so, his tail giving several thumps of happiness. She paused beside him then, a brow raised and her lips turned up into a little smile. Where had she been? Well, perhaps today would be as good as any to begin teaching him the more... fragile aspects of life. With a little hm, she sat down promptly, motioning for him to follow suit; it was a lesson, after all, but certainly not of the practical variety this time around.

"Ame, this one was ensuring those that are not like us have a place here. Ame knows of deer, yes? Of foxes? Little mice?" She paused for a moment, allowing him to surely picture them all and imagine his relationship between them. They were, after all, either food or something to be chased out to many. "Does Ame know how important each is? This place is not just for those like us. Sharing is important. Without the mice, who will take the seeds? Who will plant the flowers without birds? The fox - who will take the bones away?"

For now, she merely wished to see what he thought of it all already. It was only natural for those of his age to have their own preconceived ideas of how the world worked, and the place of those within it.