Chess, Not Checkers

Hearing that deep laugh from Sirius that had once sounded as loud as booming thunder to him when he was a pup brought a more relaxed smile to Artorias' face. This was the Sirius he knew and remembered. The way his mother had described her encounter with the Warlord... She had made him out to be some sort of manic monster, but Artorias saw no monsters here. His eyes lit up with delight when Seer mentioned Asla giving birth to a litter, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Oh wow, that's fantastic! Congratulations, Sirius! I bet the whole family is ecstatic. How's it feel to be a grandfather now?" He smirked a little as he ribbed the Warlord in good humor. He would have to ask Briar about the new puppies. She was an aunt now, and Seer would be a grandfather. Wow, how fast life moved...

Artorias' good mood was only slightly dampened when Sirius mentioned how things had been quiet and his children scarce around the Armada. He was reminded of the struggle the Fatalis family had faced in the wake of the loss of their matriarch. This was why he was playing chess, not checkers with the Warlord. His emotions could be like nitroglycerin: volatile and unstable unless handled with care. "I'm happy to hear Mortis is finding his place back home again. He was a delight to have around the Hallows," he said, hoping to move their topic on to greener pastures.

As Seer pulled some supplies from a hidden cellar, Artorias began to haul some of the bedding up over his back. He had come here to learn, to work, and to help where he could; that started right away. "They're doing well. Ulric's been courting a new lady, the Adravendi family is happy and healthy, and my brother and sister are good. My other siblings... they ran off somewhere. The Hallows has shrunk a little bit since Indigo and his party left, and some of our wolves have gone their own way this past season, but we manage. We're alive, and we'll stay on our feet as long as we're breathing." He gave Sirius a small smile. He didn't feel the need to mention his mother to the bigger man unless he was questioned directly. Whether it was out of some sense to protect her or something he didn't know. But he didn't feel like willingly pulling the pin on that grenade just yet.

"Artorias Carpathius"