The future waits for no one

Artorias watched with steeled eyes as Thorn flipped the third and final card over. The card depicted a wolf adorned in a crown, holding a cup and a scepter, seated upon a gilded throne. Head tilted curiously while the Aegis studied the card. Thorn declared that the card meant they had won the battle, and Artorias continued his reign over the Hallows in triumph. As skeptical as Artorias was over the validity of his very young son's abilities to predict the future with cards, he had seen enough strange, bizarre, and supernatural things in his lifetime to know that you don't fuck around with magic and the paranormal. Perhaps this tarot reading would mean nothing beyond just a bit of good fun. Perhaps not...

Either way, the Carpathian patriarch's expression softened some as he looked back up into the golden eyes of his innocent son. A gentle smile touched his face as he lifted a large azure paw to place it on his child's back, ruffling his downy blue puppy fur. "Well, I suppose everything's going to work out okay fur us then," he remarked with a soft chuckle. Thorn was right about one thing—Artorias would never stop fighting to defend his home and family until the last breath was drawn from his body. Hopefully it never came to that. Thorn asked a rather deep question for such a young pup then. Who would attack the Hallows, and why didn't they take the fight to their enemies first? Hoo boy, that was some heavy stuff to answer! Art held his tongue for a moment while he contemplated how to respond to his son's questions in a way the boy might understand without telling him too much to dwell on.

"The Hallows has virtually no enemies, and our family even fewer," explained the Aegis to the juvenile prince. "If someone were to attack us, they would have to be very stupid to do so." A cheeky grin played on Art's lips as he shot a wink to Thorn. The second part of his question was harder to answer in a way a puppy might understand, but he would try. "The Hallows is a sanctuary pack, Thorn. That means we protect our own and those who need us. We do not seek to start fights with others. If we did, how would anyone trust us to keep our vows to protect anyone who needed it?" Artorias thought of the pirates, and of the trouble they caused the wolves of Boreas and Auster. Would they have been justified in hunting the pack down and smashing them to pieces? Undoubtedly. They'd likely even have help from their friends and allies in the crusade. But what would that do to the Hallows' reputation? Would anyone trust them to offer safe harbor to all who came seeking after they led a war, no matter how justified it might have been?

"Sometimes we meet our future in the course we take to try and avoid it," Artorias explained with a stoicism that transcended his years. Amber eyes glanced up into a nearby bonfire, hazing over as he lost himself in memories of the past. How hard had he tried to prevent his mother's demise? How much effort had he put in to trying to change that outcome only to wind up running headfirst into it? It was something he hadn't understood until he'd gotten older, and something Thorn likely wouldn't get until he matured as well. "The only thing we can do is make the best decisions we can in the moment and do the most with the time we are given. There are some things we cannot change and some things we can control. It's important to remember to be true to yourself and make choices you will be content living with for all your days." Art's paw lifted from Thorn's back and gathered up the cards, putting them back into the deck and passing them to his son. He smiled at Thorn and motioned with his head to one of the feast tables. "That's enough adult talk for one night though. Come on, I think I saw someone putting out some desserts before. Let's get something sweet and sugary."

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