"I will not play with sharp objects"

Artorias waited as all of the Hallows began to gather to his call. One by one, friends and family began to filter into the Great Hall, taking places around tables as they got settled in for the meeting. Some would know what this was about; others would have no clue. It didn't matter to the Aegis. This was meant to be a teaching moment for Dusk and a chance for her to turn a mistake into something beneficial. It was less of a punishment and more of an opportunity to make something good from this accident. Artorias regarded all those who acknowledged him, but otherwise remained stoic and quiet. This was Dusk's time, after all, and he was just the organizer. Once it seemed that everyone had gathered, Artorias took stock of who was present. He was pleased to see almost everyone in attendance—only Zephyrus was still missing. But when his giant bird boy didn't show up after a few more minutes of waiting, Artorias just assumed he was off on one of his flights. It did disappoint him a bit that his eldest son wouldn't be here to participate with the pack, especially since Zeph had been so withdrawn lately. He could only hope it was a phase and that the raptor would return to them soon.

With everyone present, Artorias cleared his throat to get the attention of the pack, followed by a projected greeting that echoed around the hall. "Good evening, everyone," he began the assembly with, giving a moment for the lingering chatter to die down before he continued. "It's been a while since we've had an official pack meeting like this, and I felt we were overdue for one. I'm glad to see everyone here tonight, and I promise we won't take much of your evening from you." Turning his amber gaze out over the crowd to the cluster of young pups scattered across the Great Hall, the Aegis continued. "It is no secret that part of the Hallows' strength comes from our unique methods of combat. To my knowledge, we are the only pack to utilize weapons as vastly as we do. While this is what allows our warriors to be so formidable and our defenses so sure, it is also a power we must exercise extreme caution with. As our youngest members are approaching adolescence, I know many of them will wish to pursue a path with these weapons. In addition, we've had a few encounters with unsavory characters near our lands recently. That is why I've called this meeting tonight: to emphasize the importance of safety with weapons and the importance of always being aware of your surroundings at all times."

Turning his attention down to his little soot ball child at his side, Art offered Dusk an encouraging smile. "As the pup with the most experience with these kinds of weapons, Dusk is going to give us all a lesson and friendly reminder about how to properly and safely exercise weapon use and how to remain alert in your environment. So without further ado, I present your speaker for tonight, Dusk Carpathius!" Sure, Artorias didn't mention how Dusk's "experience" with weapons came from her accidentally lopping part of her brother's ear off, but he was being very tactful to ensure this wasn't meant to be a public shaming experience. He wasn't here to put Dusk's misadventures on trial before the pack. He was going to let her learn her lesson by sharing what she'd learned with the others. And maybe, just maybe, this would stick with her the next time she wanted to play around with random razor wire in the gardens.

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