The Ties That Bind

Resin's words distracted the boy from his dark thoughts and uncertainties, her little shows of affection, while rare for the gruff woman, brought small smiles to Artorias' face. He listened, enraptured, to every word she said, every lesson she conferred on to him. It was such a strange thing, how simple reassurances from his mother could take away the bitter chill of envy and doubt from his heart. It was like Resin could reach right into his mind and scare off all the monsters lurking in the darkness there. Her explanation of her title as the alpha of the Hallows and how it compared to the titles of Empress and Queen brought a light back to his amber eyes, shining like wildfire in a dark cave. Aegis... the shield that guards the wolves in the pack... Artorias felt a swell of pride and ambition in his chest. He could do that too, right? Be the bulwark that kept the enemies at bay, the light that chased away the shadows and darkness? Then maybe one day he could give his mother a break, to take on those sacred duties while she enjoyed some much needed relaxation. She was always so busy... surely she would want some help when he was bigger.

Artorias had learned many lessons today, and he took all of them to heart. Titles, names, words were empty without action to back them up. Their history and legacy would be written in the footprints they left, not in the labels or ranks they carried. He tried to picture that future: when he walked into a room, would he want the wolves to know him by his family or by his own deeds and tales? The answer was clear to the boy and his mother had just helped solidify it in his mind. Still, it would be nice to carry something of his family with him, like a badge of honor, a token memento of where he came from...

The bump from the larger fae's nose against his nearly made him topple backwards in surprise when she disturbed him from his thoughts, Artorias giggling and nuzzling into Resin's chest fluff again. Though the sweet side of Resin was often missed by the world, Artorias knew it well, and saw her for the true colors she often kept tucked away. It felt like a special little secret that only their family got to know. Her last lesson felt like the most important one of all. Never let another wolf look down on you, and never let them control how you feel. Artorias vowed to never relinquish that to any other wolf so long as he lived. No one would dictate who he was or how he felt. He was Artorias, son of Resin and Tamsyn, and he would be a proud knight of the Hallows one day.

His mind put at rest for now, Artorias gave his mother a smile and reached to small paws up to her face, waiting for her to bring her muzzle back down to him before placing a lick on the end of her snoot. "I love you, Mom. Thanks for making me feel better," the boy spoke, his voice much more firm and resolute than when their conversation had begun. That's why she was the leader though, right? Because she had the abilities to protect everyone in her family, even from their own thoughts and self-doubts. There was no one else in the world he would want to be his mom along with mama Tamsyn.