Oh, Father of Mine

Artorias enjoyed Bramble's marveling at what he considered one of the grandest points of interest in the Hallows. The council table was one of his greatest delights and to see it fascinate and captivate the mind of his child made him feel like Ruga's legacy would live on for generations to come. When he asked Bramble directly what he could do for her, his daughter immediately straightened up and began to speak her mind. She brought a chuckle from her sire with how formal she addressed their little chat, and while Artorias never made to make his own family feel like he had to be spoken to as an alpha or a leader or a king, he still found it flattering that they chose to do so anyway.

So Bramble wanted to discuss her future and her path in the Hallows, eh? It was a conversation the father and daughter had had before in the past, but as she was growing up, it made sense to revisit the topic with regular check-ins to see how she was doing and feeling. Art listened with rapt attention as Bramble explained how she felt she had made great strides in her fighting training and how she now wished to learn more of the political aspect of leading the Hallows. That raised a brow on Artorias' forehead, a thoughtful hum rumbling in his throat while he considered her words. "You have indeed made tremendous progress with your combat training—although there still remains some things to refine around your bear tactics," he said with a hint of playful jest in his words as he took a teasing jab at his not-so little girl. "And I suppose you did express your desire for both Commander and High Councilor positions when I asked you, so learning about politics and diplomacy is the natural next steps to take."

Artorias pursed his lips as he mulled over his daughter's request, turning his amber gaze down to the illuminated surface of the table, his eyes following the lines etched into its surface from territory to territory. After a moment, the Aegis nodded his head and stepped away from the table again. He moved over to a small mahogany chest in the corner of the room and opened it, producing small metal effigies from within and bringing them over to the table. Each one represented a different pack in Boreas and Auster. "Part of being a leader is being able to see the big picture as well as the finite details in it as well," Artorias explained as he set each effigy out on the terrain where each pack resided, starting with the Armada up north and working his way down to Tojo-Kai in the south. "Beyond our borders, there is a wide world full of friends, enemies, and possibilities. As leaders, we are expected to make the best decisions we can with all the information available to us. That is where our interactions with other packs comes in." He waited for a moment to let Bramble look over the map and consider his words before continuing on. "If diplomacy is your next program to learn, then your mother and I will be happy to teach you. But how about we start with something simple for a first lesson. Do you have any ideas on what sort of diplomacy you'd like to focus on? Perhaps planning something special with our friends?" The Aegis left the ball in his daughter's court. He could help Bramble brainstorm some ideas, but he wanted to provoke the free thought in her mind first and foremost.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"