In the aftermath

Artorias followed beside Haydée, matching her pace as they walked towards the nearby falls. She seems hesitant in her response, like she's trying to choose the right words to describe how things were. There was no need to mince words though; Artorias could smell the blood and see the mayhem he had walked in on. It made him worry for Clove and the things he might be inadvertently exposing her to. Haydée eventually relayed the results of the raid: the Raiders had succeeded in taking some of their chickens, but it sounded like the costs to both sides had outweighed the rewards to the victors. Artorias said nothing, choosing to remain taciturn and pensive while he listened to Hay continue to explain. The explanation of the smell of blood came from the numerous maims that had happened. It made the Lord of Cinder scowl as he considered the information. Two Ethne wolves maimed and a Raider, pups on both sides irreparably damaged, and once more Gavroche had gone missing. That boy couldn't seem to stay at home for anything.

When Haydée fell into silence and the air was open to speak once more, Artorias just breathed a sigh and looked back down at the diminutive alpha of Ethne. "Perhaps what you need more than anything is a moment to breathe and recover," the Lord of Cinder suggested, letting his paternal side show for a moment. "You've just come out of a violent ordeal and I know the frenetic urge to rectify everything is strong, but maybe it's best to let the dust settle first before you go trying to make any amends with your enemies or run yourself ragged." Pacing yourself was one of the most valuable lessons Artorias had learned early on in his reign. If you didn't care for yourself, you ran the risk of stretching yourself to the breaking point physically and mentally, and then you were unable to be the leader your followers needed.

After a moment to let Haydée stew on his suggestion, Artorias spoke again. "Was it worth it?" he asked, keeping judgment out of his voice, but making the point that he wanted to know her thoughts crystal clear. "All this bloodshed that happened to defend chickens... was it worth it?" The question was not rhetorical, nor was it posed to make the girl feel bad, but to provoke some critical thinking from her. She was an alpha now, a leader, accountable to the safety of those that followed her and responsible for the actions and inactions of them as well. "Taking accountability for your wolves is a part of being an alpha. Apologies are fine and good, but they don't make whole the damage that was done to either side. Your mother scarred a child. Nice words aren't going to make that child's parents feel satisfied." Amber eyes once more found the young woman's tired face, pondering if she had any plans for what came next in the aftermath. "What are your plans for what your mother has done? And are you going to seek recompense from the Raiders for the maims they delivered to your brother?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"