The Broken Knight

Black-furred ears swiveled back to catch the faint sound of claws clicking on stone floors. He turned his gaze from the window to Briar crossing the room towards him with some food and water, setting them down on the small table beside his bed. He gave her a rueful smile, thankful for all she did for him, but still he was unable to shake those sensations of failure, shame, and factitiousness. Though his wounds hadn't been life-threatening, Oxx had done far more damage to the young brute's confidence than he had his body. Briar asked if he felt well enough to stand with this roguish grin on her face. It took Artorias a moment to realize what she was hinting at until gave him a little kiss and said she was breaking him out.

Artorias' expression lit up and he glanced out the window again with an eager grin. Gwynevere would probably have a conniption if she saw him deliberately disobeying her strict bedrest order, but fuck it. If he stayed in here any longer, he was going to lose his gods damned mind. Gwyn had been going through some basic physical therapy with him to help restore strength back to his hypothermia and exsanguination-weakened muscles, and it had gotten to the point where he could stand and walk short periods on his own without support. While he trusted Gwyn's medical professionalism, part of him did wonder if she was being overly cautious with his treatments because he was her brother and because he was the Aegis. There was only one real way to test how his body was recovering and that was putting it to the test with daily activities.

"Please," he begged Briar with a snicker. "If I don't get some sun on my fur, I'm going to go crazy!" Shifting over to the edge of his bed, he carefully slid down to the floor. His legs wobbled a little when he caught himself, but he managed to stay standing, rising to his full height without much trouble. The stitches on the back of his neck tugged at the scarring skin, irritating but not painful anymore. They would be able to be removed soon. Grinning at his own progress, he smiled at Briar, then began to make his way slowly to the door. Walking felt strange, but he was managing it with steady and measured steps. His legs felt numb, as if all of his muscles had lost sensation, but he could feel them pushing and moving to keep him up on his paws and moving forward.

With Briar's help, he was able to make his way slowly down the corridor to the foyer and out into the warm summer-like sun of the courtyard. The sweet fragrance of flowers and honeysuckle hung in the air like a floral perfume, accenting every little breeze that rippled through the enclosed gardens. Breathing in deep the fresh air, Artorias released his breath in a contented sigh and lifted careful paws one after the other until he felt soft grass beneath rough paw pads. The sun warmed his fur, and Artorias basked in the natural elements as much as he could without leaving the castle grounds. His body didn't feel weak or aching or exhausted anymore. Instead, he was beginning to feel more like himself again. Almost like he could go running through fields and climbing mountains and swimming in seas again.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"