The Ties That Bind

The sounds of footfalls approaching him made the pup glance up from his self-inflection to meet his mother's citrine eye with a happy wag of his tail. Her praise was worth more than gold and gems to the boy, not because he felt like he had to work to earn it, but because it meant that he was on the right track for his goals. He had taken his tasks from Resin as seriously as a law rather than a guideline. "Hi, Mom," he greeted her, a proud smile gracing his face from her compliments of his work ethic. "Thanks! I've been working real hard, just like you said!" Artorias' swell of pride in his chest chased away the doubts shadowing his mind for a moment, like a burst of sunlight on a cloudy day. But as he followed his mother's movements with his eyes to the water, he saw his reflection again and his smile drooped. As if she could read his thoughts, Resin asked what was on his mind. Artorias couldn't peel his eyes away from his reflection, feelings of doubt swirling in his heart.

A soft sigh escaped the boy as he tried to put his thoughts into words. He was still young, and the feelings he harbored were strange and unpleasant, but he couldn't give them a name. It was frustrating. "It's nothing, Mom..." he replied, pausing for a beat before finally asking the question weighing on his mind. "We're a real family, right, Mom...?" The question hung heavy in the air for a moment before he elaborated further. "All the other families are similar... They look the same, they all have the same family name... We're not like that. We're... different... You're the only one of us with a family name. Not even Mama has your family name, but you're married, aren't you?" Big amber eyes finally turned back to his mother, seeking answers in her stoic stare. It seemed like such an unassuming thing, but to the little boy, realizing his family was so unorthodox was a dizzying concept. But Mom would know. Mom had all the answers to everything, right? She'd explain it and make everything right again.