Make good decisions

The upside to having so many companions between the two of them was that Artorias and Briar would always have someone to help keep an eye on their children whenever they wanted to explore and play away from Hearthstone. It also meant having an immediate alarm system whenever any of the kids did anything they weren't supposed to or overstepped the boundaries the parents had placed on them. So far, Artorias had numerous conversations with Dusk, and even some with Thorn and Talyssa, but never in his life would he have expected to need to have a chat with sweet little Bramble. However, when Corbin came fluttering back to find him amidst the castle gardens to report that Bramble had returned home, his avian companion was keen to inform him that Bramble had stepped beyond the neighboring territories the Aegis and Queen permitted their children to roam, and had gotten caught up in a fight with a bear with a stranger. Artorias shot a look to his raven, wondering why he hadn't come to alert him as soon as Bramble went beyond where she was permitted to go, but that was an interrogation for another day. For now, the dire wolf had to attend to his misbehaving child.

Artorias was waiting beside Hearthstone's gates for Bramble when she did finally make her way back up to their home from her day trip, Corbin perched on his shoulder. The giant wolf was sitting right beside the open gates on the outside of the walls, peering out over the vast fields until he spotted his daughter, waiting for her to come closer before addressing her with a stern stare at the tawny pup. There would be no way for her to avoid having this conversation. "Welcome home, Bramble," Artorias greeted his child, his voice still holding the fatherly warmth it always did, but it was slightly strained with suspicion. "Corbin tells me you had fun fighting a bear today. Is that right?" Fighting a monstrous apex predator was one thing, but doing so far from home as a pup and with a stranger was another thing entirely. He knew; of course he knew. But he wasn't going to let on until she had admitted to such weather intentionally or not.

"Artorias Carpathius"