Second to none

As he tried to reassure her, Artorias began to gradually see Dusk's sullen mood melt away. Not completely, but like water eroding away a hardened rock she began to soften bit by bit. Eventually she sighed and reluctantly agreed to his points. Then she explained her true worries to him. She was afraid that he wouldn't have time for her anymore, that he and Briar might like the new pups better or that she wouldn't be his favorite soot sprite anymore. Artorias put on an incredulous half-smirk and shook his head. Of course Dusk would dread such a hyper specific possibility—because he knew he would also be the kind of wolf to do the exact same thing in her shoes. Oh, the worries of a child...

Craning his neck down so he could gently rest his forehead against Dusk's and boop the end of her snoot with his own, Art nuzzled his headstrong daughter's crown and chuckled. "Well, in the rare case that your mother and I do somehow manage to make another sootball that looked exactly the same as you, antlers and tail and all, then I guess we'll just have to have a trial by combat to decide who's the real best soot sprite. I know a newborn puppy is an intimidating foe, but I think you can hold your own," he joked with her, eyes flashing with a bit of mischief in those fire opal eyes that matched his daughter's. He was hoping that perhaps his teasing would help Dusk realize just how silly that worry was and maybe make her crack a smile with how ridiculous he was being.

Then, without any warning, Artorias scooped up Dusk in his forelegs, pulling her into an embrace as he nuzzled her forehead again, looking her in the eye as he spoke so she would understand his words came straight from his heart. "No other soot sprite could ever be like you, Dusk Oolacile Carpathius. No other wolf could ever be like you. You're my one of a kind treasure. I'm grateful you're my daughter more than anything, and nothing can ever change that."

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"