Stretch those legs

When Laeta approached him while he studied the tree, the taller alpha would cast his gaze down to his wolf for a moment, regarding her with a gentle smile before returning to his mental musings. His remorseful mood wouldn't be allowed to last, however, as Laeta spoke in reassurance that he had done all he could as someone outside the pack. Her remark about pleading ignorance to pack relations brought a chuckle and a crooked smile to the young wolf's face.

As if reading his mind—or perhaps it was just a logical conclusion to come to—Lae reassured him that she did not believe the Hallows would go the way of Aerie. Hearing that confidence in the pack's longevity come from his own wolf, one who saw the intricacies of the ins and outs of daily life among the pack, it brought some needed confidence back to his heart. The notion of losing everything his family had worked so hard to build, his mother's legacy that she'd died to protect, all of it just crumbling into sand to be blown away by time, it just felt so... nihilistic. That wasn't how he wanted to live. That wasn't what he wanted to happen.

While they walked through the thicket of trees, foliage, and upturned roots, Artorias ducked beneath a fallen logs pushing through a curtain of vines and moss to emerge in another clearing just beyond. Birds sang in the canopies overhead, and somewhere off in the distance, an unknown prey animal scurried off away from the wolves. Good thing Art wasn't feeling peckish right about then. "Thank you, Lae," said the Aegis after a moment with a kind and heartfelt smile turned her way. "What you said about the Hallows, I think I needed to hear that. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Knowing you believe in the pack as well... It means more than you know."

As Artorias padded carefully into the next clearing, tussling some leaf litter on the ground while they walked, another idea came to his head. "You're our pack's only Scholar, Laeta. You've done a lot of good work towards that path too. Have you considered what you'd like to do on that path?" Artorias cast a curious look to his companion, a brow raised above one gold-flecked eye. "If you're interested in learning more about inter-pack relations and diplomacy, I'm sure Briar would love to work with you on that. I think you'd be the best wolf among us to be a diplomat for the Hallows once your recovery nears its end. Or maybe you'd like to help Briar with our winemaking? Or something else you've had your mind on?" Laeta had been with the Hallows for some time now. She'd more than shown her loyalty and dedication not just to the pack, but to bettering herself as well. Artorias wanted to reward her by helping her complete her Scholar path and take on whatever roles appealed to her the most.

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