I won't give in, til I reach the end, and then I'll start again

It lifted the boy's spirits to see a genuine smile spread across Avantika's face. The little girl seemed so timid and frightened of everything, it was good to see her be happy. Plus she was one of his sisters now, and he had a responsibility to protect them and make sure they were safe and happy. Well, except for Daphne, she could pretty much handle herself. He didn't know what Tika had gone through to end up as a part of their family, but whatever it was, it must have been something truly terrible to leave her so anxious all the time. It did make Artorias a little sad to think about. No one should have to live that way... Maybe someday she'd feel comfortable enough with them and in her new home that she'd come out of her shell and get her nerves about her—or maybe she never would, and that was fine too. They'd all look out for one another. That's what family did.

Avantika seemed surprised but delighted at his suggestion of helping her train to be a better fighter, and Art beamed at her. Maybe that would held her feel more confident in herself and give them common ground to grow closer with! "Of course I'd like that! We can both learn and get better together, and then when we grow up, we can protect our pack if we need to," he replied. "I'm not doing anything right now if you'd like to get started right away. We can do some exercises Mom taught me or go over some lessons together, or we can have a spar if you're feeling confident enough."

Not to be boastful, but Artorias was the most capable fighter out of the seven pups so far, and he knew it. It wasn't so much bragging as it was he wanted to make sure Tika was comfortable sparring with him knowing he was a tad more advanced in practice. Spars were good practice for all skills levels, but he wouldn't want to make anyone feel like they were at a tremendous disadvantage right out the gate. Of course, whatever she wanted to do, he'd be happy to oblige, whether she wanted to practice some tactics and stances or go straight to a practical lesson.