easy come easy go

Artorias watched Laeta step into her room wearing the same expressionless mask she wore since the moment he'd met her. The woman had adapted to a certain way of life and this was her survival mechanism. The black and blue wolf couldn't wait to see the day when she finally felt she could let it down. The smaller wolf explored her surroundings, taking them in piece by piece. Laeta was quiet all the while she inspected her bedroom. Art wondered what she made of the room, of the castle, of the Hallows in general. His unasked questions were answered when Laeta turned around and he saw the hopefulness and relief reflected in her glinting eyes.

"This is perfect." A wide grin crept from ear-to-ear across Artorias' face. "Then it's yours." And with that Laeta was officially a Hallowed wolf. The first wolf he had welcomed into his pack since he'd taken over as alpha. What an exciting moment for both of them! Here, Laeta would have a home, a place to heal and grow and become what she wanted to be. It was exactly what the Hallows had been made for. "Go ahead and get settled in. Get some rest, come down and have a proper meal when you're ready. When you're feeling up to it, get familiar with our lands and the castle. Meet some of your pack mates. The only thing the Hallows requires of all its members is that they provide to the pack. Whether it's hunting, fishing, herb gathering, tending to the alpacas, caring for the castle and the grounds, whatever you can do to help out. If you ever need me, I'm only a call away."

Artorias dipped his head once more to Laeta before dismissing himself to give her some space and privacy to get comfortable. Artorias headed back down the corridor, returning to his daily tasks of overseeing the feast preparations. Laeta hadn't come with any belongings, so he imagined she'd just want to get some rest. Perhaps over time here in the Hallows she would accumulate some personal belongings now that she had somewhere to decorate and keep them. Laeta's journey would be hers to define as she saw fit. The one thing that was certain was that she wouldn't need to walk her path alone anymore. She was one of his wolves, a Hallowed wolf for as long as she desired.

- exit Artorias -

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