In the Weeds

The azure-furred wolf gave a low hum of agreement when the gloved empress stated that the curse had spared no one. It certainly seemed that way, from what he had seen. He'd passed by a number of corpses on his way around Boreas to check on the lands, infested with mushrooms that ate away at the decay. Each one had been a living, breathing being with thoughts, emotions, ambitions, personality. Now they were cadavers, little more than food for the organisms that had killed them. He was thankful his wolves had all mostly recovered from the ordeal, but his heart ached for those that had not. He hadn't spoken about the Long Night to anyone—Venom was the first—and somehow the empress' presence and listening ear was comforting. It reminded him that despite how isolated they'd felt during the ordeal, they weren't truly ever alone. He didn't know the exact reasons why his mother had been against aligning the Hallows with Ashen, but perhaps now that the pack had established itself some more, those bridges could be built.

Venom spoke to him again with velvety, soothing lyrics, reminding him that sometimes the best thing a leader could do for their people was persevere through the trials and strife. A rueful, sagacious smirk twitched across Artorias' lips. It was sage wisdom the more seasoned alpha offered him, spoken from a lifetime of firsthand experiences. "Thank you, Venom. That... actually makes me feel better knowing it's not just the world having it out for me," he replied with a soft chuckle. Fire turned to find sunset once more as he dared to hope that they might have more candid meetings of this sort in the future. "I wanted to ask you something... A proposition. I know there is much I can learn from a leader like you, and I hope you find value in the services my pack offers. I'm brokering an alliance between the Hallows and Fenmyre, and if it pleases you, I'd like to discuss the same with Ashen. I think our two packs could benefit from the connections. We need more friends in this fucked up world now more than ever."

Artorias chewed on another berry, then offered the remaining few to Venom. He had taken his lessons in manners very seriously, and always offered the last morsels to the lady. "I don't expect an answer right now, I'm not putting you on the spot. Think it over, talk to your husband about it, whatever you need. I know more than anything, security and friendships are in short supply, and I would consider myself lucky to be counted amongst your friends."

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