Started from the bottom

Artorias returned Ardyn's friendly grin with a flash of his own teeth and bright, lively eyes that lit up like tiny fires. "I'll be looking forward to it, Ardyn. I'm sure we'll have plenty of chances in the near future." Ardyn was the heir to Valhalla, as Artorias was to the Hallows. If they maintained friendly relations, he was certain he would see more of the yearling throughout their lives. Ulric and Aurielle spoke of how their packs had fared the long winter, the challenges they had faced. He was silently thankful that Ulric hadn't mentioned his mother's deaths, and that the Valhallan wolves hadn't pressed for more information. The pain was still too raw in his heart to bear that conversation right now.

The pleasantries were shared between the two alphas with some short chitchat, and then Ulric rose to excuse themselves to continue on their diplomacy trip. He thanked them both for their time, and as Artorias rose to his paws, he dipped his head in reverence to the two wolves again. "Thank you for your time, Aurielle, Ardyn." He turned his eyes back to Ardyn with a roguish smirk. "I look forward to seeing you again as an alpha, Ardyn." Following Ulric's lead, Artorias followed his alpha away from Valhallan lands and moved south towards Aerie, their last stop before home. Aurielle and Ardyn had been friendly and courteous, and he was thankful they had actually answered their call. Valhalla held a much higher regard in his mind than the other packs solely for their courteousness and manners. He couldn't wait to see how their future interactions went.

"Artorias Carpathius"