Swift as the ocean breeze

Artorias stood watch over his precious little girl for as long as she wanted to keep swimming, the smile never leaving his face for even a moment. Watching his tawny pup kicking and splashing about in the shallow pool, a moment of pensive and emotional awe passed over him. All his life, Artorias had lived in the shadow and mystery of having never had a father. He had Resin for a short time, and he had Sirius to help mentor him, but a whole half of who he was would forever be an enigma to him. He had never grown up knowing a male role model, never had a father to show him how to swim and take him hunting or chase him around the castle gardens. Now here he was, giving all that he had never had to his own children. When he had first found out Briar was pregnant, he vowed to always be there for his pups, no matter what. He would not let them live that curse he had endured. Now, watching his daughter learn to swim, Artorias almost felt angry—angry at the brute that had knocked his mother up and never looked back. Seeing all the things his father had never gotten to experience with him, Art knew that this mystery man would forever have missed out.

As Talyssa came back around to him after a few more laps in the pool, the sweet girl begged him to bring her back tomorrow to continue her lessons. Big baby blue eyes pleaded with him, and the sweetness they radiated could have given him diabetes simply by looking at her for too long. His smile widening, Artorias chuckled and nodded his head. "Desigur, fiica mea. We can come back as often as you'd like!" So long as Taly had an adult with her until she grew closer to her adult size, he didn't care if she spent her entire days down on the beach or by the rivers and lakes. "Come on, let's head back to the castle. You're probably overdue for a nap after all that swimming, little one." Ushering Talyssa out of the pool, Art gave a shake of his damp fur, playfully tossing water droplets all over to splash Taly with a grin as he led the way back up to Hearthstone.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"