five AM on the bathroom floor from the night before

Artorias went along with his words partly, agreeing that Briar had definitely earned the congratulations but struggling to see where he deserved it as well. To Grimshaw, it was as plain as day. While the Hallows hadn't been won in some great war, it was certainly a feat for such a young adult to manage a large and successful pack, even with those he had at his side. Grimshaw was sure that Tamsyn had played a good part in it all, though beyond that he was otherwise clueless. Although he tried not to let it bother him, Artorias had been more successful and deserved the congratulations. Art was the Aegis after all, and Grimshaw had been in the Armada for some time with little to show for it besides the muscle and minor scars he'd gained. "Please, you've done plenty!" He scoffed in return, pushing back even more thoughts he didn't want to trouble himself with. Instead, he grabbed the bottle of wine between them and downed another mouthful, sinking even deeper into the unfamiliar state.

His brother went on to compliment him on his health and Grimshaw shrugged it off, though acknowledged it bluntly. The alcohol was starting to loosen him up more, allowing him to speak before he really got to think about his words. "It's been alright." He shrugged, uninterested in talking about his time in the Armada. Just thinking about it made him frustrated, so he allowed himself to reach for the bottle again and downed another swallow to relax. When Artorias spoke again, Grimshaw slowly pulled the bottle from his lips as he remembered what exactly had brought him down here to begin with. His ears twisted around as he placed the bottle back down between them, silver gaze finding their focus on his paws out before him.

Although he wanted time to think about the question he had been asked, his mouth started moving before he wanted it to. "How did you know Briar was the one?" His voice changed, softer now and quiet though the deepest it's ever been. He couldn't force himself to look at Artorias and wait for a response, instead his silver eyes remained locked on his paws out before him as he fidgeted.

"Speech."