I've Got Fire In My Soul

Fern was such a decisive and headstrong girl, he really should have known that she had an idea of what she wanted as her place in the Hallows. Artorias gave a curt nod of his head when she requested to be a warrior like him and his brother. "Very well, then a Knight you shall be," he declared. Following the gray-furred paw towards the sword he'd driven into the ground, she explained that she wanted to learn how to fight with a sword, and then in the same breath asked if he would teach her how to use one. Artorias blinked in surprise, so stunned by her ask that he completely glossed over the fact that she'd called him by his nickname. Not that it would have mattered, of course, but it did go a long way to show she was feeling more comfortable around the Hallowed wolves.

"You want to learn to sword fight?" he asked, repeating her request for clarity. No wolf had ever asked him to teach them to use a weapon before, and as far as he knew, he was the only wolf around that made use of such tools. He'd been mocked and ridiculed for it, and each time he'd thoroughly thrashed those that had teased him—well, all except for Oxx. But that would be rectified sooner or later. "If that is what you want, we can begin your training as soon as you're ready. We'll start with training swords, work you up to using real steel. The castle armory is teeming with weapons I've been restoring, or we could ask our friends in the Armada to forge you one of your own." This was not a commitment to be taken lightly, and Artorias would be a tough but fair mentor. He expected the best from his wolves and would do all he could to help sharpen their mettle to get them there. But Fern... she would be the first he'd actually take as an apprentice of his combat style. It was thrilling... and a little intimidating.

Fern smirked and unabashedly mentioned that although she hadn't asked Rudyard officially, she didn't think he'd mind if she spent her nights in his room. Artorias gave a bark of laughter and grinned from ear to ear. Oh boy, was his brother about to be in for quite a wake up to what a relationship entailed! "I had a feeling you'd say that. Very well. I'm sure he's already shown you where your room will be then. Make yourself comfortable, that space is now yours as well." Artorias stepped away from Fern to grab the hilt of the sword in his jaws again, pulling the sword from the earth in a flashing arc of steel. "We'll start your training as soon as you're ready," he spoke from around the sword in his mouth, a practice he'd had to learn over time. "In the meantime, you have a flower and some good news to go tell Rudy!" He shot Fern a wink before walking off to stow the sword back in the armory. Oh, how he missed his sword...

- exit Artorias -

"Artorias Carpathius"