Shaping the future.

The thing Artorias liked the most about Kotori was that the man never beat around the bush. He didn't mince words or play social games for the hell of it. He spoke his mind and he spoke plainly, something the Aegis appreciated. Kotori got right to the matter at hand: he would be starting his own pack soon, founding it in its own right instead of claiming it from the ashes of another. Artorias nodded in admiration. To start a pack all your own was no small feat. After seeing Kotori's unfortunate loss at the Abaven challenge, he had wondered if the Fatalis man would continue to pursue his ambitions for leadership. It seemed that he would indeed. "That's no small feat, Kotori. An accomplishment to be proud of," he remarked. Art listened in quiet contemplation while Kotori continued to explain his plans, giving his guest the respect of active attention. Kotori's choice of lands he was claiming did not escape Artorias' attention, and a bit of a wistful expression crossed his face. The Sunset Falls hadn't been his home for many years, but it would still always be the place he was born. He silently wondered if his family's old den was still standing...

Kotori moved on from explaining his plan to laying out his intentions for wanting to speak with him. He praised the Hallows for its reputation, and Artorias couldn't help but lift the corner of his lips in a bit of a proud smirk. He could not attribute all of the Hallows' success to his leadership, but to the efforts of all who had put their all into building and shaping the pack. "I do hear that the Hallows queen is quite the looker..." Artorias chuckled at his own humorous remark. Then came the bottom line—Kotori sought an alliance between the Hallows and the upcoming Valta. Artorias turned a glance to Kotori, raising a curious brow. The spotted man also wished to get to know him better. That part was easy enough; it was a sentiment that Artorias echoed as well. When he married Briar, his extended family had suddenly exploded with all new members he'd never spent much time with. The azure wolf wanted to rectify that, and so it seemed did the Fatalis wolf as well.

After a moment of consideration, Artorias gave a considering nod. "You've clearly put a lot of thought into your next moves, Kotori. That's good. Wisdom is a trait of a good leader." Artorias lifted his paws to warm his pads in the glow of the fire, soaking in some of the heat before setting them back down on the fur rug. He turned to face Kotori a little better, then said, "I'd also like to get to know you more as well. You're my brother-in-law, and one of the few Fatalises Briar talks about, and feeling like we're still veritable strangers shouldn't be how family is." The little smile on his lips faded for a moment as a more serious Artorias came to light. "Which is why I hope my next words you understand come from a place of professionalism and not personal feelings. I would like to get to know you and Valta more personally before I can consider forming an official alliance between our packs. From what I've seen of you, you conduct yourself with the same decorum and honor that I'd expect from any true Fatalis. But that's about all we know of one another. An alliance is a strong bonding of two packs. It means I'm saying that myself and the Hallows pledge to align with you and Valta. You'll understand why that's hard for me to do when I know very little of your pack, especially since the Hallows has to be very careful about maintaining neutrality. Are you a warring, raiding pack? Are you a sanctuary pack? Are you a training ground, or a school? Are you a prison? Are you an extension of the Armada or wholly independent?"

As Artorias spoke, he made sure that his tone and his words were carefully chosen to show Kotori that he was not denying him the option of an alliance, but he was asking for more before he could agree to one. "I share your desire to work on our relationship, Kotori. And with that, I'd also like to get to know Valta and what it stands for. For all my alliances, I make it a point of knowing those wolves on a deeply personal level. Once I feel I know who and what Valta is, then we can revisit the discussion of an alliance." But Artorias was not rejecting Kotori's offer outright. The Aegis had a compromise which he hoped would be equitable to his brother in law. "For now, I will say that the Hallows and Valta exist on highly positive terms, thanks to our familial connections. You and all your wolves will always be welcomed to the Hallows for any reason. We have plenty of supplies and resources we can trade and share, and I know Briar will probably send you home with a few casks of her wine. In time, I'd very much like to visit Valta so you can give me a tour, show me what your pack is like, and spend some quality time getting drunk and doing whatever the hell we want to do so I can build that personal relationship with you." A small smile crept back onto Artorias' lips while he fully turned and offered Kotori his paw to shake. "Do we have a deal, Alpha Kotori?"

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