Why So Blue, Boy?

Just as he was beginning to think maybe his mind was playing tricks on him too, Briar rounded the corner seemingly out of nowhere and came trotting briskly up to him. Artorias stared wide-eyed at the antlered girl as if he was seeing a ghost. What on earth was she doing here?! Had she come down with Sirius? She must have, it was the only logical explanation. Someone must have reached out to Sirius regarding his mothers and they were here to check on them. Did that mean she knew what was going on? He swallowed back the lump caught in his throat when she came closer and he saw the worried expression on her face; she had to know. He was still too stunned to see her and wrestling with his own emotions to respond right away, giving Briar all the time to notice the state of disarray his training space was in and explain why she was here. Yep, she knew. Tamsyn had reached out to Sirius and she had accompanied him down.

His stomach twisted into knots while he tried to think of the right things to say. Did he thank her? Did he send her away? Art didn't even know what to do with himself, how the hell was he supposed to know how to handle surprise visitors? The pain and conflict was transparent in his usually lively fire-hued eyes, though now they were foggy with worry and stress, staring at her but appearing as if he didn't truly see her and he was a million miles away in his own head. He didn't know how long they were both standing there without talking, but eventually she nudged him back into the dojo. He stepped backward without resistance, allowing her entry and just flopping back onto his haunches while she shut the door.

With the world closed away to them, Artorias watched when Briar came back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him into her. Eyes widened and blinked in surprise, but the warmth and safety she surrounded him with was the final push the young wolf needed to break the frail walls he'd put up around himself. He shifted his muzzle to bury his face into the side of her neck, hiding himself away from everything while his body shook with silent sobs. He had been so angry and upset, but he'd held it all in for the sake of his family. No one had asked him how he was holding up. The truth was, he wasn't. His one mother was gravely hurt, the other was sentencing herself to death, his family was directionless and panicked, his pack was leaderless, and everyone was looking to him to keep them together while he was pressuring himself to save Resin. Having Briar here allowed him a harbor in the turbulent storm, a place to release and come undone.

Artorias couldn't respond to any of Briar's words right away, he was too choked with chaotic emotion to do anything but tremble and cry—actually cry—for the first time since everything had exploded. He had always tried to follow Resin's example of keeping his emotions in check and locked up, but it was fast becoming apparent that he couldn't be as detached or unfeeling as she was, and it was only breaking him down from the inside. "No... No, I'm not okay..." he finally managed to mutter into her fur. "My mom... There's something wrong with her..." It was all he had the strength to say right now. He couldn't begin to explain the depths of the issue to her, nor did he know if he should. This wasn't Briar's burden to bear; she didn't need to know all the gristly details. Art was just thankful to have her here to allow him to fall apart without seeming weak. "I-I'm sorry... I'm getting your fur wet..." he apologized between a few short breaths after a moment of trying tog et himself back under control.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"