All will turn to silver glass

The sound of dainty paws crunching through golden sands made the male’s ear flick back to catch the sound, his head turning to greet Zee with a small smile. He did his best to hide the emotions seeing her brought with it, seeing her for the wolf she was and not for the condition that was killing her. It was what she deserved. Neither spoke a word—there were none that would befit the moment—and watched the world turn into twilight around them in beautiful rich shades of lavenders and indigos. It was Zee who broke the tranquil silence around them first, offering him gratitude she needn’t. Artorias smiled softly to his mother-in-law and shook his head gently, replying, "Nothing is too much for my family. I’m happy to help. But you’re welcome all the same, Zee." Her faith in him was inspiring, and he silently hoped he would continue to be worthy of that confidence.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, it was Artorias’ turn to speak his mind. "I don’t know what it’s like… being where you are now. I don’t know how it feels and I’m sorry beyond words that you do. I wish we weren’t here as we are right now. But I wanted to make sure I told you how grateful I was for you. You brought Briar into my life, you raised her into an incredible woman I’m fortunate to call my mate, you treated me like kin without hesitation, and for that I will always be thankful, to you and Sirius both." A little rueful smile touched his lips as he turned to glance over at Zee. "I wish I’d been a better son-in-law. After your win at our wedding tournament, I should’ve gotten to know you better." A low chuckle punctuated his statement. Zee’s impressive performance had surprised everyone, and it was one of his favorite memories from his wedding day.

Artorias moved on to the matter at hand, the reason he had asked to speak to Zee one on one. "When my mother passed, the biggest regret that we all shared was that we weren't able to spend one last moment with her before she was gone. Our first birthdays were spent with her in a cell. I wish I'd have had one more good memory before the end..." Artorias hesitated, gazing out at the sea while a paw lifted to subconsciously touch the scars on his right shoulder. He took a moment to compose his emotions before continuing. "I'd like to host a family dinner for us all to enjoy together. Fatalis and Carpathius, together under one roof for the first time." Artorias noticed the pointed glance from Zee out of his periphery. "Not for anything dour, not for farewells or last chances. Just to be a family together, where the pups can all play together and we can enjoy each other's company. So we can live for the now together." He looked back to Zee, trying to gauge her reaction to his offer.

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