Training wheels

Ulric gave Artorias an appreciative nod when he agreed to talk with him before settling down onto his haunches. He considered taking Art out and walking as they talked, but at least here in his dojo he was more certain they would have some privacy. "I wanted to talk to you about The Hallows and the plans for you to take over as the alpha," he said to start setting the stage and giving Art a sense of the kind of conversation he wanted to have. "I've been doing some thinking since you returned from the Armada and I'm really not sure there is much more I can teach you. You have proven yourself to be a more than capable fighter, you communicate and negotiate fluidly and easily, you do very well when it comes to knowing what's going on in the pack and what the pack needs... You've already far surpassed anything I could do when I was your age."

He smiled softly, letting that sink in for a moment before he continued. "What I would like to do is trade roles with you. You can take over as Aegis and I'll be your second in command. I can help you lead and we'll do it as a partnership until you turn two in the summer or until you feel comfortable standing on your own - whatever comes first. I won't just dump this on you, but I don't think there's any more that you can learn as the heir. At this point I think the only way for you to learn anything else is by actually doing." He waited for Artorias to process what he had proposed, giving him a curious look. "What do you think? Are you up for it?"

Ulric Adravendi