But if it had to perish twice,

Artorias felt like he was walking through a dream. Time seemed to lag like thick honey running down a dipper, creeping by in a haze. He had heard Sirius' roar of pain, but then there were no other sounds from the Warlord. He stared at the bleeding wolf, praying, begging for him to give some sort of reaction. Seer was staring—and then he smiled. Blood ran cold in his veins while he watched as the man croaked out a breathless thanks, and then he wobbled and toppled forward into the snow. Horror contorted Art's expression and fear gripped his soul, keeping him paralyzed in place no matter how much his head and his heart were screaming at him to go help. The fight was over and now they had to tend to Sirius. Tamsyn's screams for him fell on deaf ears; Art didn't even register her presence until her dark form had pounced on top of Seer's collapsed body, keeping him from moving for the knife while yelling words he couldn't make out at him. His ears were ringing and his head spun like he were on a merry-go-round. What had he done? Had he killed the Warlord?

Then Sirius moved, only barely, and looked up at his mother. Alive, he was still alive! All at once, Artorias snapped back to action, hurrying over to the two adults while howling in a frenzy over and over for all healers he could get to come urgently. He refused to be the reason Seer died. He had given in to his anger, let it overtake him, and look what it had done. Artorias choked on the shame and the smell of blood suffocating his nose. He had to help Tam keep him alive. "The healers are coming! Hang on!" he said, his voice shaking with fright along with his paws while he pressed them to two of the wounds on his chest to stem the blood loss. He looked over the damage he had done shocked and alarmed at what he had been able to do with just a small knife. "What can I do? How can I help? Gods, please... Sirius, I- I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have... I'm sorry!"


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"