I've Got Fire In My Soul

More and more lately, Artorias found himself in some form or another of training, working to recuperate from his illness and to improve himself after his calamitous battle with Oxx. The young alpha was perched precariously high on the castle walls, an old sword clutched between his jaws. From the raised parapets he moved with slow and fluid grace, each paw stepping between the gaps of the stones while swinging his sword to and fro, up and down. The blade sliced cleanly through the air, and with each stroke, Artorias pictured his malicious brother at the other end of it. That grin, those dead and soulless eyes, his laughter, the sting of his teeth in the back of his neck... Vivid flashbacks burst like still photos before his eyes with every swing. Artorias kept his breathing steady, teeth gritted over the hilt of the sword, fighting back his anger. Losing his temper had cost him the fight, as had fighting with honor. He would not make those mistakes again.

The call for him came as a surprise and caught the alpha mid-stride. He froze with two paws in the air, balanced on the precipice of the wall. He held still, ears flicking to catch the sound. It had come from just below somewhere in the gardens. Keeping a tight hold of his sword, Artorias coiled his muscles and sprung from the parapets onto the castle wall, moving at a brisk pace down the stairs to the courtyard below. He found Fern alone in the gardens, basking in the autumnal sun amongst the flowers and wisteria trees. He approached with sword in his jaws, lamenting the fact he no longer had Embershard or its scabbard that he could more easily stow and carry it. This old hunk of metal was a poor substitute by comparison.

Artorias brought himself to stand before Fern, then drove the sword into the ground, propping it upright by wedging the blade into the soft earth. "Fern," he greeted her with a simple nod of his head to their familial guest. She seemed untroubled and unharmed, so he reasoned she must have had some business for him to address. "What can I do for you?"

"Artorias Carpathius"