Dire Warnings

It didn't take long for Bowen to join him out in the corridor, closing the door behind her. Artorias was glad she did, because he was going to if she hadn't. Their brother needed to rest and he didn't need to overhear the conversation they were going to have. The young alpha fixed his sister with worried amber eyes while she averted eye contact with him. He gave a soft hum when she stated this was her fault. "Yes, because you're responsible for the actions of a psychopath," he remarked, tones heavy with dry sarcasm. Of course he didn't blame Bowen, but he knew trying to argue with her to the contrary would have been pointless. She was just as headstrong as he was, and he knew how hard he was to talk down when he got in his own head.

"I'm not looking to blame anyone. My only concern is keeping you safe now. We know Oxx is skulking around here and we know he's looking for you." Artorias pursed his lips while he considered his options and the facts he had to play with. Oxx was a relentless hunter and a highly skilled tracker. He'd already proven he could get into the castle behind their backs before, which meant the Hallows was not safe for Bowen. But sending her away somewhere would be equally dangerous if he intercepted them on the road. They could close the gates, seal themselves in, and wait out the storm or send their own hunting party out, keep Bowen sheltered until they killed the maniac out in the woods. Something in his gut told him that Bowen wouldn't obey any orders to stay inside the castle though, regardless of whether they were for her safety.

Artorias sucked in a deep breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. "I don't know what to do," he admitted after a moment. He looked down at his sister, eyes filled with love and wild determination to keep her safe and with him. "If I tell you to stay in the castle until we find and kill him, I know you won't listen to me. I know you'll try to go out after him yourself again. But if I send you away until we find him, then I can't keep you safe." It was a catch-22 he was stuck in and there didn't seem to be any good answers. So he would leave it in the hands of the one who it affected the most. Moving closer until he was sitting directly beside Bowen, Art lifted a large blue paw to caress his sister's cheek, gently lifting her muzzle upward so he could gaze into those emerald eyes of hers with love and worry. "I'm not letting that monster lay a paw on you. What would you have me do, Bo?"

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