Kea had his sword buckled across his back, and the sun across his shoulder as he trotted through the courtyard towards the castle. He wasn’t entirely sure where his father was, and the truth was his old man could be anywhere. From patrols, to the armoury, and anywhere in between.

Instead of searching, he raised his head and called out for his dad, fighting the urge to pass as his call died out. Fighting the urge to fidget as he waited for his dad to arrive. He muttered softly under his breath as he did, trying to find the right words to portray what he was feeling. He was feeling lost… he needed a challenge, a reason. He needed something to do to feel like he mattered.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

No matter how busy life got or how much his attention was needed as an alpha, Artorias would always have time for his children. From the moment they were born, he had doted on them with his life and vowed to be better than the brute that had sired him. He would be there for them. That was why when Ciaran called for him, Artorias showed up swiftly. The Lord of Cinder strode into the courtyard from outside the castle walls. He had been cleaning up the outdoor training arenas from his lessons with Ember and Aylin and hadn't been far at all. Still carrying Embershard across his back, the sire wolf approached his son, a proud smile on his face. His eldest litter was fully grown, and seeing Kea standing there, a full adult wolf, sword on his back, he couldn't help the swell of pride he felt in his heart.

"Vanguard Kea," Art greeted his eldest son, coming to bump his head affectionately against his child's. "You wished to see me?" Ciaran must have had something on his mind. The only question that remained was what.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Kea gave his father a small smile as the other wolf trotted into view and greeted him. He dipped his head lightly in a return greeting. It did feel good to hear his dad address him by his rank. But Kea still couldn’t shake that lost feeling inside of him. He knew his confidence had taken a hit, and he felt like he just… wasn’t doing enough.

“Hey Dad.” He said, and paused. He still didn’t know how to phrase this. “Have you ever felt like you… struggled to find a purpose? A reason why? To find something… something that mattered?” He looked at his dad a little hopelessly, hoping the older wolf might make better sense of what he was saying than kea himself did.

"Ciaran Carpathius"

Artorias listened while Ciaran paused, hesitating on a thought before trying to get his thoughts out into words. The father was patient and attentive while his son expressed a feeling of being lost, of struggling to find a purpose. Artorias’ bright eyes clouded with concern for his child. It broke his heart to know that Kea was struggling with himself in such ways, but it also reinvigorated the sire wolf to help his son out however he could. No matter how big or how old he got, Ciaran would always be his pup. "More often than you think, Kea," he replied with a somber sigh, his eyes showing a tiredness he rarely revealed to anyone besides Briar. Leadership took its toll on even the strongest of wolves, and Artorias had been playing the game of thrones since he was even younger than Ciaran was now.

"I was named Aegis when I was even younger than you, and there hasn't been a day since where I question if I'm making the right judgments, if what I decide is best for the Hallows and for our family." This was a rare moment of vulnerability that Art was sharing with his son. But Kea had shared his doubts and worries about himself, so Art would share his to show how alike the father and son truly were. "What's got you feeling this way, Kea?" This sort of conversation didn't come up without some sort of inciting incident or thought. Artorias tipped his head, wondering what had gotten Ciaran in his head?

"Artorias Carpathius"