Until The Madness Ends
Artorias
07-17-2022, 12:51 AM
All the while he spoke, Balthier remained quiet yet attentive, soaking in the wealth of information Artorias was passing to him. He appreciated the attention of his guest as well as his good humor, even if he was a little quiet and reserved. That was fine; the Hallows had plenty of introverts, two of which were his own sisters. Balthier thanked him for his hospitality, then reassured Art that he wasn't overwhelming him with an info dump. Good, that made the Aegis feel a little better. But that good mood was swiftly deflated like a balloon meeting a cactus when the gold and onyx wolf explained how he had visited the Hallows before—and that his mother was buried by the trees just outside the castle walls.
Balthier's words struck Artorias like a slap to the face. His attention snapped back to the other brute, eyes wide with shock and mouth moving but saying nothing. Balthier's mother was buried here?! But how...? When? As long as he'd lived here, no Hallows wolf had died besides his mother as far as he knew, and they'd never lost a patient here for treatment. Artorias' brain scrambled to try to remember what had happened in the pack's history, seeking the answer to the grim question. "I'm... so sorry, Balthier." There was a brief pause while Artorias tried to decide how to handle the sensitive subject. "Was your mother a patient with us...?" Surely that must have been the case, right? If she had been a member of the pack, then she would have had her children with her, right? He would have known Balth, but this was their first meeting.