No Shame in This Walk

Lia began without hesitation, and within moments Artorias was relaxing completely against the fur with a smile on his face. Low rumbles of delight vibrated in his chest as her paws worked up his spine from the middle of his back until she reached his shoulders. Amber eyes slowly closed, blocking out the harsh light from the den's entryway and sparing himself a further headache. He could have easily fallen asleep like this, with Lia's paws working magic on his aching muscles, his tail tip very slowly flicking up and thumping back down to show his enjoyment.

That was when Lia asked what had happened, and at first, Artorias didn't know what she was referring to. A single soft paw brushing over the raised skin on the back of his neck with a feathery touch answered that question for him. Artorias' smile slowly sank away as darker memories returned to him. Memories of teeth and claws and ice and blood and pain and shame. Ever so slowly Artorias cracked his eyes open again, staring into space as he answered, "My brother..." It still felt like a disgusting long shot to call that bastard his brother, but he couldn't deny fact and truth. Oxx was a Carpathius wolf, one might say even more so than he was.

"We had a difference of opinion of one another. It didn't go so well." That was the nicest way he could think to put it to spare Lia the gristly details of how Oxx had pulverized him, violated him, stolen from him and then nearly killed him. Artorias released a heavy sigh while he forced thoughts of slate fur and dagger-like teeth out of his mind. Lia's paw moved over his scars again, the gentle touch sending a little shiver down his spine.

"Artorias Carpathius"