Just Around the Riverbend

Artorias' greatest fear as a father was something happening to any of his children. A grievous injury, an irreparable wound, or anything worse... Watching Talyssa inspect each of her legs in playful fashion before declaring herself to be healthy and whole, her sire breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the worst that likely could have happened was a few small cuts, but he couldn't help but worry that it could have been so much worse. What if she'd gotten her legs caught up in the landslide? What if she had stumbled and twisted an ankle or broken a leg? It was all silly and highly improbable to think about, but that's just what an overprotective father did. Was this how his parents had been with him when he was a young pup—always worried about his wellbeing when he went out adventuring on his own?

Artorias was brought out of his own mental dwellings by his small daughter's voice asking if he was okay. Art blinked to refocus his attention, soft amber eyes meeting Taly's excited pale blues with a gentle smile. "Yes, little love, I'm okay. Your dad's faced a lot worse than a few falling rocks." And he always would for his children. For them, he would defend them against the world if he had to. He chuckled and lifted a giant paw to wiggle his digits to show his lack of injuries to Lys, flashing her a smile as he did before gesturing with a tip of his muzzle toward the edge of the basin at the bottom of the falls. "C'mon, let's go take a closer look." Artorias had seen his daughter looking curiously at the plunge pool, and if she wanted to go dip her paws in the cool river water then he would encourage her to explore.

The sire led his pup over across the soft spring grasses to the silty riverbank where the water was the gentlest and dipped his toes in, letting the clear water flow between them. While he let Talyssa play, he glanced up to the short falls again with a pondering look on his face. "If you'd like to see some more waterfalls one day, I could make that happen for you," he said, responding to her earlier question about going to see the Lazuli Falls in the south of Auster. He knew a new pack had taken up residence there, so they wouldn't be able to just traipse on in. But if he could start some diplomatic relations with the pack, perhaps Taly's desire to see the claimed falls wouldn't be so off limits as it may have seemed. "Would you like that, sweetheart?" Art looked down to his ivory and gold pup with the loving smile that had become a permanent fixture on his face since the birth of his children.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"