Just one bite

Just as he suspected, Ciaran didn't keep his charade up for long once Artorias started to play into it as well. He saw the moment of panic and conflict in his son's expression, and then he came clean. He was proud of his son for taking the honest path. Kea admitted to his desires—he wanted to see the armory and the treasures contained within. No doubt he had heard of the unsanctioned trip his sister had made into the workshop and wanted to see it for himself. Artorias simply gave Ciaran a knowing look while the pup apologized and explained his intentions. Well, he had to give Kea credit, he was honest and hadn't actually gotten into the armory on his own like Talyssa did.

"Mhmm, that's what I thought," said Artorias with a nod of his head. "Thank you for being honest with me, Kea. I'm very proud of you for that. Disappointed that you also tried to go places you shouldn't be, but proud of your honesty." The dire wolf reached a giant paw towards his child, aiming to ruffle his head fluff with a playful smirk. Lifting his gaze across the empty hall, Art motioned for Ciaran to follow him. He led the way back down the corridor to the armory door, pausing with his paw on the latch while he fixed his son with a stern gaze. "Before I let you in here, you must promise to not touch anything unless I tell you it's okay, and you cannot tell your mother. Understood?" Artorias waited for Kea to confirm his understanding, and then he opened the door.

Stepping through the threshold into the familiar workshop, Artorias stood off to the side of the room by a weapons rack while he let Ciaran look about the armory. He smiled, watching his child take in the new sights and smells of everything around him. After some time to allow the curious pup to explore, Art lifted a dagger he'd been fixing up from the workbench and set it down on the ground for Ciaran to see. "This is a dagger. It's like a very small, shorter sword." He pointed to each part in turn while he named them. "This is the grip, where we hold the weapon in our teeth. This is the crossguard. It protects us from cutting ourselves on our own weapons when we use them. And this is the blade. You can touch the smooth side, but keep your paws away from the edges, okay?"

"Artorias Carpathius"