this is home

While Silas considered the painting and voiced his perspective and interpretation of the events, Artorias simply listened to his son. He was always impressed with how intelligent and thoughtful his children were, but some of them showcased that depth of wisdom greater beyond their young ages. Silas was considering a great number of things while he analyzed the painted scene, from the color of the white beast to the action of the characters portrayed within. Artorias tipped his head to the side while he considered Silas' interpretation, humming in pensive thought. "You may be right, Silas. Pure white creatures rarely occur naturally, many having other shades of gray or cream in them. A true white animal is a rarity."

With his boy's assertion that the hunters were wrong to try and kill such an exceptional being, Artorias nodded his head assent. "And so it is then. You've used your smarts and your insight to build a belief and shown what values and morals are important to you. This is something that you will do for the rest of your life, Silas." Artorias lifted a large paw and rested it on his son's back, rubbing and ruffling his downy puppy fur a bit. "Our family and our pack are built on these principles and morals. Do no harm unless it is needed to protect or preserve life. Take only what we need to survive. Maintain the balance of nature and defend it from those who would do it and us harm. That is why we keep our doors open to any who may need our help. We all live in a delicate balance together, a cycle of life that we can choose to work with or against. We Carpathians have committed ourselves to being the harbingers of peace and order. My mother—your grandmother—was our archetype, and now I do the same. One day, when you're older and grown, you will also have to make decisions and build your own beliefs. It's up to you to find what feels right for you. As long as you stay true to what you feel is right and good, then you will never lose yourself."

This was all a very deep and complex conversation to be having with a pup, so Artorias tried to veer the conversation back towards some more lighter topics. He glanced down at his borealis boy and smiled. "Are you interested in hunting, Silas? Would you like to be the example to these hunters to show them the right and wrong ways to hunt?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"