Ysmir leaned into Gwyn’s shoulder, a small smile playing on his features as she made herself comfortable at his side and Artorias began their meeting. As he said quite a bit of time had passed since the whole pack was gathered up together. Artorias mentioned the use of weapons and the man nodded along, he’d been wielding an ax for a long time now, practically since before he could remember. Probably much like their teacher for the day, he’d made a few mistakes as a young boy.

Artorias introduced their guest speaker as his small dark furred daughter, Ysmir’s future niece. He couldn’t help the wink of support from his dual toned eyes as she greeted the lot of them before her. Ysmir again nodded along, she was quite thorough in her assessment of her own skill as well as what should be done in the situation as described. Even if he could speak Ysmir didn’t have anything in the way of additions or questions, the young girl was well spoken and knowledgeable beyond her years.

"Gwynevere & Ysmir"

Artorias began to speak, and Sota's ears swiveled forward to listen carefully. As soon as he began to explain what they had gathered for, Sota decided this little gathering likely didn't have much in store for him,  but he was sure it was a lesson his packmates could benefit from. If he absolutely had to fight to protect those he loved he would, but otherwise the likelihood of him messing with weapons was... well, nonexistent, but he respected that many of the warriors in The Hallows utilized weapons and needed to know how to use them properly. Still he listened carefully as the metaphorical spotlight was cast on Dusk. He'd spent some time with the girl but didn't know her too well. Without anything to really add himself, his gaze drifted over the group as they began to shoot questions her way, quite a few of them coming from eager pups, which earned a fond little smile.

Kea looked up as Tally joined him, and he grinned at her despite her own concerned expression. “She’s sturdy” He said in response to her softly spoken remark. Really, Dusk didn’t strike him as a pup afraid, even standing in the front as she was. He liked to think that he would have been just as brave. But the idea of all those eyes on him… no thanks!

Bramble joined them, and settled in by Tally. He reached over just far enough to tweak her tail. His expression on Dusk the entire time, so he would look innocent if Bramble looked his way.

Then his dad was speaking, and Dusk was giving her own speech. He managed to look sober at the mention of Thorn’s ear - he didn’t want any wolves here thinking he would be irresponsible with something sharp… but he did still think it was funny.

Wolves around him started asking questions, and he perked up. “What’s the best way of storing a weapon on your body to reach it easily and safely? He called out. Wanting to ask his sister something.

"Speech"

Artorias started to explain what it was that they would be doing here and Emile's brain seemed to freeze and as more words were sent around the man found he wasn't actually catching or processing anything that was being said, he was desperately grasping at any idea that entered his mind he could use to contribute but his mind had gone nearly a hundred percent blank. He was vaguely aware of the rest of the pack taking turns voicing questions and try as he might he could not seem to make it out of the fog of his panicked mind enough to even just make sure if he did manage to land on a question he didn't repeat one... He finally managed to at least have an idea, not for a question no, but rather something to try and shake himself out of his panic. He tried to give himself a little shake, as small as he could so as not to draw attention, unfortunately for him twas not to be.

His elbow smacked painfully against the underside of the table, the sound of bone against the wooden surface seeming to echo louder than anything else and Emile's started to slowly sink further and further into his seat, attempting to pull himself from view and silently praying that Artorias would understand that he was probably not gonna be able to get even a single word out at this point as he tried to hide under the table.

Speech

Art by Nyssa

Art & Code © Skelle 2023

"Speech!"
Laeta soon noticed more pack members filing in, heeding the Aegis’s call and taking their seats. The woman beamed as her friend Audra approached, inquiring as to whether this event they were required to attend had anything to do with Thorn. Ah, one of the little ones. She furrowed her brow, vaguely recalling an incident where Dusk had injured her sibling with a sharp blade. By accident, it appeared. They were only kids, after all. They didn’t yet have the capacity to forsee consequences. Experiences in their lifetimes would teach them how to avoid such incidents in the future. At least, that’s how she viewed it. Having no children of her own, though, having a perspective like Artorias had was difficult. "I believe so," She replied back to her friend.

Mel had been leaning against Laeta’s chair, nearly dozing off as his monocle began slipping down his snout. All of a sudden, a young dappled-furred child rushed up to him. With a surprised snort, Mel practically jumped put of his skin, blinking as he attempted to process the pup staring right at him. Asking who he was, as well. "Who am I, child? I-I’m a badger. I am Mel, the loyal companion of Lady Laeta," He said to her, pushing up the monocle so it no longer sat crooked on his snout.

When the crowd had quieted down and little Dusk gave her presentation, Laeta smiled as she finished with what seemed like confidence. It was good that the attention from the large crowd seemed to support her, instead of terrify her. She understood the implications of social anxiety and how public speaking could make it worse, but she seemed resilient and strong. When she opened up the crowd for questions, Laeta waited for a lull between wolves to raise a paw. Weakly, bit enough to be seen. "Wonderful speech, Dusk. I learned so much about weapons safety. I would like to ask - as a wolf who does not fight or use weapons - what is the best way for me to learn the basics of fighting without having had prior experience?"

The sound of others talking and moving about was a background noise like he shushing sound of the waves along the beach.  Thorn’s main focus was on his sister as he waited for her to speak.  When she started speaking she chose to regale them with the story.  The tip of an ear was gone but in the grand scheme of things it was a small injury and Dusk and he had been lucky it wasn’t worse.  Questions?

Thorn didn’t particularly want to ask his sister any questions here in front of everyone.  He certainly knew well enough what had happened and both their failings.  Caladia’s question caused Thorn’s lip to twitch as the two had been off pack official land.  Thankfully not so far that mom hadn’t heard their call and come running.  

Bramble's question on training with Dusk or adults caught his ear.  Guess he’d chat with his sister later about training together.   More questions came by which Thorn considered as to how he’d answer them and to what level of confidence he had in the answers for those.  Would Dusk’s answers be similar to his silent ones?  

The blue boy kept his mouth shut for now.  If he came up with any questions for Dusk he’d ask her in private later.  For now, the boy just let his focus remain on Dusk and silently offer her his attentive attention.

"Thorn Carpathius"

Rudyard listened to Dusk’s tail inwardly grimacing as he imagined the experience.  Rudy imagined if that had been his children and what if the injury had been worse.  Careless child play that had ended horribly.  Rudy smirked as he recalled the number of times he had indeed been the child that terrified his family members with careless actions.  It seemed Carpathius's bloodline just needed to have at least one kid good at finding trouble in it.

“I have a question,” Rudy spoke up when the others were done, “Let's say, you were to train with a partner with less experience.  The other wolf doesn’t use weapons.  After a few blows you realize the opponent is far less skilled and you have to hold back to not injure them.   What are some good ways to train?  Is sparring still the way you want to train or are there other methods you want to use first until your partner is better skilled?  Should you get a different partner instead?”  

Rudy imagined he probably knew about as much on weapons as a wolf could who didn’t use them.  Between growing up sparring with a brother who never quit swinging a sword and then marrying a wife who was obsessed with them he was used to finding a sword pointing at him.  This was the first notion that came to him on a question to throw at Dusk.  It wasn’t an answer that had any set right or wrong response so much as seeing how she thought through it.  

"Rudyard"

All it took was seeing Meadow smile at him to make sure Kip would stay in place and be a shield for his shy sister.  His gaze went to Mercury as he noticed the lot of them.  Elowen introduced them and Kip grinned smugly, “Yeah, El and I are really strong.” With a resigned sigh he added, “Even Cal is strong…” then the grin returned, “buuuut I’m the best.  Don’t need a weapon either.  Bet I can beat anyone my age even if they do have a weapon.”  A weapon meant changing the way you balance in a fight and that wasn’t a thing Kip wanted to worry about.  Besides, he didn’t have to worry about accidentally hurting someone with something he swung about wildly.  

Glancing at Meadow struggling with being here a notion occurred and he glanced up to Mom, “Meadow and I don’t have any interest in weapons.  So, we aren’t really needed, right?  I’m tired anyway so how about I slip out with Meadow and we’ll go back to the room where it's quiet so I can sleep.” Kip wasn’t at all tired but a quiet dark room would probably be perfect for Medow right now.  This way the pressure was off of it being her idea or even fully for her.  Kip wanted a nap for himself and was just towing her along.  “Meadow can make sure I don’t get into trouble.”

"Kipling Carpathius"

The meeting was different than what she expected. Artorias pretty much gave the floor to his shadowy child and she listened first to Artorias before turning her attention to Dusk. It seemed an accident had happened and a sibling had gotten injured. But it also sounded like they learned something, too. And the knowledge would start to get passed around, questions barraging the young Carpathian. Claire didn't have much to ask or add. She didn't fight with weapons or gear. It had just been her and her mother's former companion so far, and she often fought alongside Greed. But now that he was up there in years, he didn't fight as much as he used to. That was fine by her, she was a warrior when she needed to be, but it wasn't exactly her way of life. She looked around at those asking questions, listening with curiosity, and was interested in what Dusk's answers would be. "Speak

He was old. He was tired. He was getting a little cranky. He hid it well, however, as the meeting began. It was a meeting different from those he'd attended in the past. This one seemed like more of a safety thing than anything, and he couldn't really fathom why they'd all been dragged here for it. He was too old for this. Didn't fight with weapons, didn't care to, and quite honestly, preferred tooth and claw over trying to swing shit around. His fighting days were about over. He wanted to retire in peace with his mate, and hopefully, children. The meeting was passed to Dusk and when Dusk finished their safety spiel, others began to ask questions and while he was somewhat curious about the questions and answers, he couldn't say he really cared. He'd seen it all already, there really was nothing new anyone could teach him at this point. ooc//shit posts and i'm really tired. sorry. "Talk"

As most wolves did, Bowen stayed silent through the whole lecture, listening as Dusk ate up the attention and did a very good job of explaining to the wolves of The Hallows about the dangers of weaponry. The girl seemed to be speaking mostly to the young ones in the pack, though she did her best to make them all feel included. Bowen felt... proud. Very proud. As though Dusk was her own child. A little pang struck the copper fae through the heart but she didn't let it show. Some day she would have children.

A loud thunk echoed throughout the stone chamber and a lot of eyes turned to look. Bowen could see Emile hunkering down in embarrassment and panic. It was something that the woman recognized. She'd been there many times. Rising from her place, the small fae moved towards the cream coated man and settled beside him with a reassuring smile.

When it was time for questions, others asked theirs first. Bo listened and, when it was her turn, she had more of a statement than a question. "As you stated, Dusk, there are many wolves in the pack who would help you to train and take you out adventuring. Emile and I would like to know... Will you remember them in the future and ask?" There was a mischievous glint in the woman's emerald eyes as she teased her niece. The girl's own blood orange eyes glinted in response and she flashed a grin, knowing exactly what her aunt was getting at.

"Bowen"

Briar sat back as Artorias began the meeting and announced why they were all gathered today and Dusk confidently began her lesson. A small, proud smile lingered on her lips while she watched Dusk from her place next to Artorias, her gaze following Dusk back and forth as she moved across the stage. She hadn't been sure how Dusk would handle this assignment after she and Artorias came up with her "punishment" but she was doing so well and she was always glad to see her children thrive and hopefully learn some lessons along the way. That was all she could really ask of them. Once Dusk's speech was done and the floor was opened to questions, she waited to see what the others would ask first before she chipped in. She was glad to hear a good number of wolves in the crowd participate, especially all of the young wolves that came up with good questions to ask. In fact, it seemed Rudyard asked several questions in one and she chuckled softly and decided not to pile on more questions. All of the ones she would have asked were covered so instead she just listened intently as Dusk began to answer the questions from the rest of the crowd.

"Briar Carpathius"

Gwyn leaned lightly into Ysmir while listening to her niece's lesson about weapon safety and how to be aware of your surroundings as you trained train. While not a lesson that applied to her specifically, she was still happy to be there as a show of support and be an attentive listener for her niece. At the very least she was glad that they were bringing attention to the possible dangers of being reckless with these sharp weapons so many of her family and pack mates had taken to using. Even her own fiancé wasn't exempt from that fact. She never tried to stand in the way of her more warrior focused family members since she understood that protection was necessary in this life, but that didn't stop the healer and pacifist in her from worrying. At the mention of questions, she waited for a beat of silence and then spoke up, asking, "Of course we want to avoid being injured during practice and training as much as possible, but what did you learn about how to handle triaging an injury until help can arrive?"

"Gwynevere Carpathius"

Ezra gave Syanna a grin as she joined him and then turned his attention up toward Artorias as he began to speak and introduced the reason for the meeting. Well, that certainly explained Dusk being up in front of everyone! He was surprised to have this kind of lesson lead by one of the pups of the pack, but as Dusk got started and explained what happened that led to this lesson he understood and he was impressed by her willingness to admit what had gone wrong and then teach others to not make the same mistake. He grinned proudly when she pointed him out as one of the strong fighters of the pack to use as a resource, his chest puffing out a bit. He had always been more comfortable with hunting than fighting, but he had put a lot of work into both skills so he was glad to help anyone else that was looking to learn. It seemed that a lot of the other wolves around him had the questions side of things covered so he let the attention be on them and waited for whatever answers Dusk was going to come up with.

"Ezra Adravendi"

Being someone who was so new to fighting herself, Anthea made sure to pay close attention to the lesson they were presented with. She had never worked with any weapons larger than a dagger herself and she had never tried using her dagger in real combat. It had mostly been used as a utility knife of sorts during hunts and scavenging trips back in her previous life. Of course her old dagger was long gone, but this lesson made her wonder if she should see about getting a new one for herself and perhaps getting Mercury to train her in using it for more than just utility. A lot of the wolves here used a wide variety of weapons though so was a dagger the best call? That at least gave her an idea for a question so when she got the chance, she asked, "Do you have any tips for how to pick a good weapon? Or what kinds of weapons fit certain fighting styles?"

"Anthea Dásos"

When her father cleared his throat to address everyone, her attention immediately shifted from her sister to the Aegis. He opened with with a greeting, but rolled right into his intentions. Offering an explanation as to what they would be talking about- or what Dusk would be talking about rather. Once the tone had been properly set, it was Dusk’s turn. Talyssa offered her sister a soft grin, and an encouraging nod as she took over the meeting. She was honestly pretty impressed on how well her sister handled herself! When it was all said and done, the crowd was asked if they had any follow-up questions, and her pack mates did not disappoint.

It was hard to keep track of them all as they filtered through the great hall, but Talyssa loved the exchange of knowledge- even if she wasn’t particularly interested in weapons herself. Every time someone spoke, she’d look for the individual in the crowd asking. Hoping that their expression and tone could offer insight into what they might be thinking. She was so easily lost in everyone else's inquiries, that she forgot to think of her own.

Syanna had arrived right before the meeting started, it seemed, and while she got settled in next to her boyfriend, her attention was on Artorias and Dusk. She had known of the injuries Thorn had sustained entirely by accident, so none of this was news to her. She'd helped make sure his injury healed smoothly so it didn't scar over ragged or anything. Hey, cosmetic surgery was still surgery! She listened with rapt attention while Dusk was introduced to give her presentation, showing the little Carpathian princess the respect she deserved for her courage and confidence. Dusk did a tremendous job and handled herself very maturely. When her talk came to an end, she asked the audience for questions.

Many of the younglings pitched forth their own questions, all very astute and showing keen intelligence in all the pups. Some of the adults began to offer suggestions, and when Gwyn mentioned the triaging lessons Dusk had learned from the incident, Syanna piped up, "Gwyn and I would be happy to teach basic first aid and triage to anyone interested in learning. It's always good to know emergency medicine for when you might need it."

"Syanna"

Artorias sat back and watched as his daughter delivered her presentation with pride and a touch of humility and grace. Dusk spoke eloquently, addressing the crowd as a whole while tailoring her lesson to the younger wolves of the pack. She was astute and well-spoken, and the sire couldn't have been prouder of his little girl. Though he maintained a stoic expression whenever Dusk would look back at him and Briar, when her back was turned he would give her little smiles, thoroughly impressed with the effort and seriousness she had approached her task with. She gave good lessons and examples, leveraging the lessons he had taught her personally in their one-on-ones as she was preparing for this moment. When she looked back at him and Briar to point them out as excellent examples of fighters and teachers, Artorias' stolid expression finally broke, and he regarded his little soot ball with gentle eyes and a slow wag of his own tail along with hers. Artorias was one damn proud father right now!

Dusk's presentation over, the floor was turned over to the rest of the pack to ask questions or add little tidbits of their own. The Aegis' fire-toned gaze swept the crowd, glad to see that everyone had been respectful in their attention paid to his daughter. Dusk had put forth a lot of herself here, and the alpha would have had words for any who didn't recognize that. Thankfully, he was pleased to see that this had not been the case. A number of the younglings had questions for their sister/cousin, and even a few of the adults chimed in and offered themselves as mentors, chaperones, or in the case of Gwyn and Syanna as medical attendants. Artorias hoped they would not need the medical attendants, but he was realistic in understanding why the Hallows had as many healers as they did. Art gave Dusk all the time in the spotlight to answer the questions posed to her, and once the last one had been answered, the Aegis rose to his paws and moved to stand beside his daughter. "Thank you, Dusk, for giving us all a thorough and well crafted lesson tonight. And thank you everyone for attending and giving your attention. As mundane as this may seem to some, it's always important to remember that safety starts and ends with us. You are all free to continue about your evening."

With the meeting ended, Artorias dropped the official Aegis persona to lean down and nuzzle the top of Dusk's head with his snout, grinning proudly at her. "Well done, Dusky! Your mother and I are very proud of you."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"