The Next Morning, Lillian woke up to the sound of her husband's voice, his deep voice ringing through the halls of their home. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and listened closely to what he was saying. It sounded like he was waking up the boys. She smiled, knowing that today would be a special day.
As she got up, she heard Nathanielle and Aurelian protesting, saying that they did not want to wake up so early. But Aiden was persistent, and eventually, the boys relented. Lillian quickly got dressed and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family.
When the boys came downstairs, they were grumpy and sleepy-eyed. But as soon as they saw the spread that Lillian had prepared for them, their moods lifted. They sat down at the table and dug in, eating heartily. Aiden sat across from them, a big smile on his face as he watched them eat.
"Why do we have to go, Daddy?" Aurelian whined.
"It's a surprise, boys" Aiden replied with a grin. "You'll love it, I promise."
As they walked, Aiden pointed out various flowers and trees, telling the boys about their names and their significance. Nathanielle was fascinated, asking question after question, while Aurelian listened intently.
Finally, they arrived at the swimming spot. It was a hidden gem, tucked away in a secluded part of the forest. The water was crystal clear, and the trees provided a natural shade from the sun. The boys were in awe, their eyes wide as they looked around.
Aiden took a deep breath and plunged into the water, making a loud splash. "Come on, guys! The water is great!" he exclaimed, his head bobbing on the surface. Nathanielle and Aurelian looked at each other, then back at their father.
"I don't know, Dad. What if we drown?" Nathanielle asked nervously.
Aiden laughed. "Don't worry, I won't let that happen. I'll teach you how to swim." He gestured for the boys to come closer, and then he took. Nathanielle’ s hand and helped him into the water.
At first, Nathanielle was scared and clung to his father, but soon he relaxed and started kicking his legs, splashing around in the shallow water. Aurelian watched them from side-lines fiddling with a stick.
The lake was crystal clear, and as the boys kicked around, they could see fish swimming around them. "Wow, look at all the fish!" Aurelian exclaimed, pointing at a school of tiny fish.
Aiden turned to Aurelian and beckoned him over. "Come on, Aurelian" he said. "Let's get you in the water too."
"I'm scared, Dad. What if I drown?" Aurelian whimpered, his voice shaking.
"You won't drown, son. I am here, and I will not let that happen. Just keep trying," Aiden reassured him.
Aurelian hesitated for a moment, but then he took a deep breath and stepped towards his father. Aiden took hold of his hand and led him into the shallow end of the lake.
“It’s Cold” Aurelian exclaimed.
“Aurelian , Just Jump in. Once you jump in there it will feel great”.
"Okay, now just start kicking your feet," Aiden said, holding Aurelian's hands to support him. "That's it, you're doing great."
Aurelian kicked his legs, the water splashing around him. He looked up at his father and grinned, feeling a sense of pride at having overcome his fear.
Nathanielle, meanwhile, had managed to get the hang of the kicking and was now paddling around with glee. "Look at me, Dad!" he exclaimed, splashing Aiden with water.
Aiden chuckled, splashing back. "You're doing great, Nathanielle" he said. "Just keep it up."
As the boys kicked and splashed around, Aiden encouraged them, showing them how to breathe and move their arms. Nathanielle was getting the hang of it, but Aurelian was struggling. He kept sinking under the water, swallowing some by accident.
After a few more tries, Aurelian finally started to get the hang of it, and soon he was kicking and paddling around with his brother.
"Great job, guys!" Aiden cheered, clapping his hands. "You're both doing great!"
Nathanielle and Aurelian beamed with pride, happy that they had overcome their fear of the water. They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing their swimming, kicking, and paddling, having fun in the water.
As the sun started to set, Aiden called out to them, "Okay, guys. Time to head back.”
Nathanielle and Aurelian groaned, not wanting to leave the water. "Do we have to, Dad?" Nathanielle asked, looking up at him with puppy eyes.
Aiden laughed. "Yes, we do. But do not worry, we will be back tomorrow.”
The boys' eyes widened with excitement at the thought of diving, and they eagerly followed their father back to the shore.
As they got dressed, Nathanielle turned to Aiden and said, "Dad, can we bring Mama and Valentina next time? I think they'd love the lake too."
Aiden smiled. "Of course. I will ask your mom if she will be able to join us."
As they walked Aurelian was completely exhausted from swimming and could barely keep his eyes open. He looked up at his father with droopy eyes and said, "Dad, can you carry me? I'm so tired."
Aiden smiled and said, "Of course, Come here." He lifted his son into his arms, feeling the warmth of Aurelian's body against his chest. As they started walking, Aiden noticed something moving in the distance. It was a large grey wolf, standing on the path in front of them.
Aiden immediately set Aurelian down and stepped forward, positioning himself between the wolf and his children. The wolf started growling and slowly walked towards them. Aiden raised his arms and let out a loud roar, hoping to scare the animal away. But the wolf was not intimidated and lunged at Aiden.
Aiden quickly sidestepped and landed a hard punch on the wolf's snout. The wolf stumbled back, surprised by the sudden attack. Aiden used this opportunity to kick the wolf in its stomach, making it howl in pain.
Nathanielle watched in awe as his father fought the wolf. He had never seen anyone fight like this before. He felt a rush of excitement and pride as he watched his father take down the animal with ease.
After a few more blows, the wolf finally ran away, tail between its legs. Aiden turned around and picked up Aurelian again, who had fallen asleep in the commotion. Nathanielle ran up to him, looking up at him in admiration.
"Dad, that was so cool! You fought that wolf like a real adventurer!" Nathanielle exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Aiden smiled and ruffled Nathanielle’ s hair. "Yes, I used to be an adventurer once. And I have faced bigger and tougher foes than that wolf," he said, feeling a twinge of nostalgia.
Nathanielle looked up at his father with wide eyes. "Really? That is so cool! Can you tell me more about it?"
Aiden nodded and started walking back towards their home. "Maybe one day, Nathanielle. But for now, let us get home and rest. Your mother must be worried sick."
As they stepped inside the village, the trio encountered some villagers who were looking at them with disgust. Aiden noticed it, but did not confront them as Nathanielle was with him. Instead, he quickened his pace and headed back home. Nathanielle, who had noticed the villagers' expressions, felt a little upset.
When they reached home, Lillian greeted them with a smile. "How was your day, boys?" she asked.
Nathanielle excitedly recounted their swimming lesson and how his dad had beaten up a wolf. "It was so cool, mom!" he exclaimed.
Aurelian, who had woken up to the smell of food, rubbed his eyes and looked around. "I miss anything?" he asked groggily.
"Nope, you're just in time for dinner," Aiden said with a smile, taking his seat at the table.
As they ate, Nathanielle brought up the villagers' behaviour. "Mom, why were those people looking at us like that?" he asked.
Aiden could see the fear in Nathanielle’ s eyes and decided to divert his attention. "No, it's because I beat a wolf," Aiden replied with a smile. "It's not every day that you see a man take down a wolf."
Nathanielle’ s eyes widened in amazement. "Dad! Can you teach me also how to do that?"
Aiden chuckled, "Of course, but first, we have to master swimming. Once we do that, I'll teach you how to fight even better than me."
Nathanielle’ s excitement was palpable as he asked, "Can we start tomorrow?"
Aiden smiled, "Don’t Worry we are already doing it tomorrow."
Aurelian, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. "Can I learn to fight too?"
Aiden ruffled Aurelian's hair, "Of course you can, but first, you have to learn how to swim like a fish."
After putting the kids to bed, Lillian could not help but ask about Nathanielle’ s earlier comment. "What was Nathanielle talking about earlier?" she inquired, as she sat down beside Aiden.
Aiden sighed heavily, "It's probably because they discovered that fact of Aurelian having four arms," he replied, his face darkening slightly.
Lillian frowned, "So it happened after all huh. I think that Cranky woman must be telling everyone about Aurelian having four arms , spreading lies and what not" she said, looking furious.
Aiden nodded, "Most likely," he said, "But don't worry, we’ll handle it."
Changing the subject, Aiden told Lillian about his encounter with the wolf on the way back from the lake. "Were you hurt?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.
Aiden chuckled, "Why are you worried about me?" he teased, "I've fought ogres before, but I still find it cute that you're concerned."
Lillian shrugged. "I just care about you. That's all."
Aiden smiled, touched by her words. "Well, how about we plan a family trip to the lake tomorrow? Aurelian was also missing you a lot" he suggested, wanting to change the subject.
Lillian's face lit up at the idea. "That sounds like a great idea! The kids will love it."
Aiden nodded in agreement. "Yes , but what will you do about Valentina ?"
Lillian's face turned serious as she responded, "You are right, I don't think that's a good idea. She is only a few days old, and I would not want even mosquitoes near her at the moment, let alone wolves. We will tell the kids that I cannot come because of Valentina still being young. I think I will have to stay home with her". She said with a hint of disappointment. “I think I will have to stay here until she turns older” she said.
“Unless you get pregnant again.” Aiden said playfully.
“Unless you get me pregnant again”