The years start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’

Artorias saw the pain lingering in Sirius' eyes as he regarded his own children from afar. The last pieces of Zee he had. The Aegis' lips pulled into a fine line as he realized the risky territory he was treading with the heartbroken Warlord right now. But this was not Art's first rodeo with grief, either his own or the Fatalis patriarch's. "Not the last," Artorias corrected Seer gently, gesturing with a paw over to Briar and Gossamer. "You have so many pieces of her here, just in different forms. They're pieces of you too, you know. And they're all strong and resilient, just like their father. She'd be proud of who they have all become." Artorias offered Seer a reassuring smile from his side. Zee would never be truly gone so long as her family lived on, and Seer would never truly lose her. The next statement Sirius made surprised Art with his self-awareness of how he was. Sirius was making surprising strides in his own development from the overly possessive Warlord he had known when he was a pup. "It's okay to hold on to the things you love. Just be careful not to smother them. Keep them close, but let them grow. A flower can't thrive in the shade."

Sirius made mention of Kite and Andy's visit coming up, and Artorias nodded in reply. "She mentioned it to me, yes. They're always welcome to come visit, as are any of you. We're all family," he replied with the usual warmth in his voice you'd expect from speaking with the Aegis. "Don't worry, old man, I'll look after them for you." Artorias shot Seer a cheeky grin and nudged his father-in-law and friend's shoulder, but he was far more interested in the next part of the dire brute's words. He was being kept well fed? Was someone forcing him to take care of himself? Art raised a curious brow, even more intrigued by the Warlord's enigmatic comment. His children wouldn’t take to another if he found someone.

"Maybe… Maybe not… It’s not really something you can do anything about though," Artorias pointed out. "When Resin died, Mom was so torn up that she couldn’t even look at another wolf. The thought of her with someone else upset me so much. I couldn’t accept the idea of anyone else besides Resin being romantically with her. But as we all grieved and time passed, I realized that I didn’t want to see her sad and alone for the rest of her life. She deserved happiness and love, and when she found it, yeah it hurt, but I had to remember that she didn’t die with Resin. She could still live, and living for herself didn’t mean she was disrespecting Resin or forgetting her. She was just living her life, and that was okay. If it comes naturally for all the right reasons and you take your time and don’t rush into a major decision out of pain and loss, you’re still allowed to feel alive." Artorias didn’t know if any of this was helpful to Seer, but he hoped maybe the stubborn Warlord could take a nugget of advice from the lessons the younger wolf had learned.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"