we’ve had a good run, haven’t we?

Try as he might, it was becoming increasingly harder and harder for Artorias to try and pretend like Laeta's health wasn't in a rapid decline. He had consulted with Gwynevere gods knew how many times over their beloved therapist's condition, and try as they might to reverse it, it seemed like whatever latent effects the Long Night had had on her body, it was finally taking its toll on her. Now more than ever, Artorias was beginning to realize the impossible to deny truth of the matter—Laeta was dying. The way her skin was pulled over her gaunt frame, her musculature withered away into barely anything. It was a sight that broke Artorias' heart, for the Aegis would have done and given anything to protect his family, and now he was forced to watch with idle paws as another wolf he so loved eroded away before him far too soon.

But for all the frailty of her body, Lae's spirit remained as bright and lively as ever. She greeted him and his daughter with cheer and smiles, as well as good humor at his misfortune to be ambushed by his own child. He chuckled and turned another look down at Ember, who was giving him a cheeky, innocent grin. Oh yeah, she was a child after his own heart, all right. "Truly a formidable warrior I've raised. I fear she may dethrone me with enough time," he bantered back with his friend, smirking down at his daughter and murmuring, "Mică amenințare," earning him a giggle from his little girl. Art watched with pride in his heart while Laeta and Ember interacted, nodding his head in greeting back to Mel in the meantime. "How are you doing today, Lae?" asked the Aegis after a few moments, treading carefully around the topic with his daughter present.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"