r/AmItheAsshole

There was a silent desperation in those flaming amber jewels that looked to Modesty with hope and silent urging. Artorias wanted her to see his side, to understand what he was so urgently trying to lead the other alphas to. He did not see a monster beside him. He did not see anything detestable, dangerous, or disgusting in her. Artorias saw a mother trying to protect her children and make a good life for them. He saw an alpha wearing herself thin dealing with the weight of managing a pack and her own personal relationship on top of that. He saw a fighter so strong to bear these burdens and to keep on going, everyday keep on going one step at a time. But he could only build this bridge halfway to Modesty. The other half had to be done by her.

Mod smiled, apologetic as she declared that the Raiders would stand alone as they destroyed Ethne. Artorias' gaze lowered for a moment, his shoulders slumping some as he listened. He knew that finding a middle ground between the two warring packs would be an impossibility. There was too much bad blood between them; too many scars and souvenirs of warfare. This feud would only end with one of the packs decimated. Still, Artorias gave Modesty the courtesy of his silent attention, taking every severe word she uttered. His lips pulled into a tight line, his brow furrowed over troubled eyes. "Ethne is not part of the Coalition," he gently corrected Modesty, his words simple and resolute as he swallowed another mouthful of that excellent rum. "I told Haydée that she would need to settle this blood feud between you two before I would accept their application, precisely for the reason you just mentioned. I won't allow anyone to use my pack, my family as fodder for war."

Artorias' gaze lifted back to Modesty's once more. He wasn't giving up just yet. "I understand what you and Ethne must do and why it must be done. I will not 'save them' from you if you choose to siege them. Actions have consequences, and Ethne's have more than justified a response from you. I hope you wouldn't test my pack's creeds and try to hunt down Ethne wolves on Hallowed lands, but I understand how far rage will go better than you know." Now it was Artorias' turn to pause before adding, "But this is not the situation I formed the Coalition for. Your family was harmed and your pack threatened by Ethne. Your actions and your anger are justified. But I watched a pack fall and wolves rendered homeless by a group unafraid to threaten to kill a child in front of his father's eyes. I watched that group's leader menace my young pup when he thought he was alone. The Syndicate does not play by the rules. They do not fight fair. They've already made threats against a number of packs and have shown they're willing to carry them out by any means."

Artorias took a deep breath, trying to center himself as that memory of Sephiran refusing to let Talyssa leave as he stood over her stoked the fire in his heart. "You sieging Ethne is to protect yourselves from the threats they are to you. But the Syndicate... they might very well siege you just for existing or because they want to kill. What if they decide they like your lands next? Or maybe they take a liking to one of your wolves and steal them. I am not trying to start a war. I have no desire to see lives lost and blood spilled wantonly. But I'll be damned if I am made to stand by and watch uselessly as my friends fight and I can do nothing about it." Another pause while Art looked up at the sky, watching the colors dance and the stars shimmer for a moment. "I'm not asking you to not seek justice against Ethne or to forgive them, Modesty. I'm asking you to let me help you so that something like this can never happen to your family again. I don't want to see your family in jeopardy." Artorias' gaze darkened as a thought crossed his mind. "Have you met Sephiran Saxe yet?" If Modesty hadn't met the maniacal alpha of the Syndicate yet, perhaps she'd come to understand why he was so concerned about making sure those monsters stayed penned in where they were...

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