a new change on the wind

When Artorias had asked if she was all right, he really knew she wasn't. Something was bothering Audra, that was plain to see. But he hadn't been expecting to see the tears forming in her still seeing golden eye. The sudden sorrow that broke down the girl's reserved and stoic expression caught him off guard, but he didn't shy away from her emotions, instead shifting slightly closer to offer his support. Audra then began to explain, answering his question before he got another word in. It was Avantika. "Is something going on with my sister?" he asked, his concern growing. While he hadn't seen his sister very often since the pirates had raided the Hallows, he had just assumed she'd been keeping herself busy with her duties. Had he been blind to a bigger issue this whole time?

While Audra detailed Tika's concerning behavior, Artorias could only listen on with mounting concern and worry for his adoptive sister. While Audra's unease about Hattori forming an unknown pack in Auster was justified in its own right, he understood now why it was a bigger issue for her altogether. This was a matter of their relationship. He listened attentively and quietly while Audra explained how she and Tika had been talking about finding a way to have pups—another surprise to the Aegis—right before the raid happened, and right after, how Tika's behavior had changed virtually overnight. A rueful smirk touched his lips when she said she must be a shitty healer if she couldn't help her girlfriend out, which Art immediately dismissed. Audra was one of their most talented healers, and everyone was aware of that. "There are some things that medicine can't fix," he said, remembering back to his own mother's mental decline and eventual death. No amount of herbs could have saved her. He just hoped Avantika wasn't losing her sanity in a similar manner and that this was just a response to the stress of the raid.

"You didn't waste my time at all. You brought a very important issue to my attention," Artorias said to Audra once she finished speaking. The look he gave the smaller woman was resolute, yet benevolent. He would speak to Tika and see what was going on. If one of his wolves was hurting, especially one of his own family, he had a duty to aid them. "I think it's wonderful that you and Tika want to raise a family together. You'll both make excellent mothers, I have no doubt of that." He smiled at the thought of being an uncle, but first they would need to get Tika back to herself. "Let me try talking to Tika. Maybe I can get her talking about what's going on and see if I can help bring her back to the way she was. I won't mention you telling me anything, it'll just look like I'm checking up on her." That seemed like the simplest solution to him. If he could understand what was going on inside Avantika's head, maybe he would know how to help her.

But there was a bigger discussion Artorias was interested in having. "So you and Tika are ready to raise a family together, huh?" he asked with a barely contained smile. "That's wonderful to hear. Tika adores puppies. Have you had any thoughts on... er, how you two would go about it?" He winced a little, hoping he wasn't prying too much into personal information. He only asked because of how eclectic the Carpathius family was. Five pups born to an unknown father, raised by two mothers, who also adopted two more pups. Can't get more of a mixed bag than that! He hoped whoever they chose to be the sire of their pups, if they were having their own and not looking to adopt, would be a good role model and be a constant figure in their lives. Too often Artorias had laid awake at night wondering about the identity of his own father—a wolf he likely would never meet.

"Artorias Carpathius"