To catch each other

The simple fact that the older wolf was able to offer him even a faint smile felt like a godsend. Compared to how he had been the first time they believed Zee had perished, this version of Sirius seemed unusually at peace with the grief. Perhaps because this time there wasn't a shadow of doubt over her death, or maybe because he'd been with her at the time. Either way, it brought Artorias' heart some peace, even though it still pained him to see his family in such a state. He nodded his head once when Seer spoke; it would have been more surprising if the fatigue hadn't caught up with him yet. Seer took the moment to fill Art in on his trip to the Armada. It also surprised the obsidian and sapphire wolf to hear Azure so willingly agreed to a split of power between the two Fatalis leaders, evident by Artorias' raised brow. It was quite a mature showing on Azure's part though, to recognize what was best for the pack, their family, and themselves. Sirius needed the job to keep him focused and distracted, and it sounded like his brother-in-law recognized that. "That's good to know," he mused with a trace of a smile. "It sounds like Azure's done a lot of maturing in his time as Warlord. He's got a deeper understanding of what leadership means." Being a leader wasn't about sitting a throne or holding power. It was about motivating and protecting the ones that looked to you.

Sirius confirmed that he was indeed planning on ascending to the rank of Warlord once more, and little surprise crossed the Aegis' face. He couldn't imagine the stubborn Fatalis ever truly retiring from his title. He nodded; he understood the need for the distraction and supported Seer taking the healthier route of venting his grief and learning to live in the aftermath. It was at least safer than tossing daggers to pups and letting them stab him twenty eight times. What did come as a surprise to him was to hear that Aris had given birth. He hadn't known the girl was pregnant, let alone seeing anyone regularly enough to start having kids! The happy surprise was tarnished however by the death of the grandmother they would never know, the harshness in Sirius' voice saying more than words could. Artorias' lips pressed together in a fine line, trying to find something to say to his hurting father-in-law, something he could offer to help ease the pain or bring just a little light to the darkness.

"No, they won't..." agreed the Aegis with a somber sigh, empathetic eyes holding to Seer's where he could catch the old wolf's scowl. "But they do have their grandfather, and all the rest of their uncles, aunts, and cousins. It might seem like a poor consolation, but I can assure you that having one parent is better than having none—grandparents too, in this case." Sirius was well aware of Artorias and his littermates' circumstances for how they came to be. No father, a mother lost too soon into their youths... Artorias had never felt the kind of pain of losing a mate and a partner like Sirius did, but that didn't make him unable to empathize. He had lost Resin far too early in his life, but it had made him treasure the time he had with Tamsyn all the more highly. "I understand your reasons, Seer, and I understand why this is important for you. While we will all miss you and the kids being around, you are all always welcome here to come be with family, no matter the time or reason."

Artorias gave Sirius another small smile and a nod of his head, granting the Warlord all the freedoms he needed to come and go from the Hallows as he pleased. He sincerely hoped Seer would take him up on that offer; he didn't want his surrogate father to tough it out and suffer alone because he didn't feel like he had anywhere else to turn to. But before their conversation ended, Artorias did have one thing he felt he needed to talk to Sirius about. Looking at the older wolf with a serious expression, Art said, "I hope you remember that you're not alone, Sirius. You have so many wolves who care for you. You have family all across this world ready to do anything for you. If you feel yourself slipping, come find me and Briar. We'll be here for you."

Artorias reached a paw across the space between them, placing it overtop of one of Sirius' oversized dire paws. "You should also tell Azure how much help he's been leading in your stead and let him know you're proud of him. He doesn't let it on, but I think knowing that he's doing a good job as a leader will mean a lot to him—especially coming from you." In the short bits of time Art had spent with Azure, one thing he could glean from keen observation was just how much the younger Warlord took on and kept repressed. It was a near thankless job, yet Azure took on the duties in his father's stead with grace and readiness. He may not have seen eye to eye with his brother-in-law on all matters, but he could respect the man. Art lifted his paw from Seer's then and turned to the next matter of business. "Have you told the pups yet? When were you thinking of making the trek back?"

"Speech"