The board is set, the pieces are moving

As if right on cue, into the room flew his corvid companion to alight on the back of his chair, with his daughter following closely in tow. Bramble scurried into the council chamber with a soft noise to announce her presence. Artorias' amber eyes lifted to meet his daughter's with a welcoming smile, watching while she hurried over to take her place at her assigned seat. It almost made the older brute laugh to see how attached she was to her role and how seriously she took her job that even in an unofficial capacity she still retained her formality and sat at her seat. Art would never chastise her for being too enthusiastic about her work, of course, though it did amuse him. Bramble looked up at him, cheerful and sunny, but Art could sense the edge of nerves to her. He could see a lot of himself in his not-so-little girl anymore.

"First, the Lord of Cinder commands you to do some deep breathing with me," he instructed her. Art then moved around the table to sit beside Bramble and closed his eyes. "Breathe in..." Artorias drew in a deep breath, holding it within his lungs for a couple moments. "And breathe out." He exhaled, letting some of the stresses weighing on his mind escape his body. "Again." One breath after another, Artorias guided Bramble through the deep breathing. He didn't want to see her so stressed or on edge, and meditation had been a tremendous help in his life to keep himself balanced.

Once they had finished their calming exercise, Artorias opened his eyes to look at Bramble again, offering her his warm smile while reaching a paw over to rest on her shoulder. "Relaxează-te, dragă fiică. I know what troubles you, but you cannot let it run your life. Stay calm, stay in control of your nerves. Nothing will ever harm our family." Art patted Bramble's shoulder, hoping to have offered her some comfort from her worries. But now to the matter of why he had asked her here. Turning his attention to the map, Artorias considered the Insomnia pack effigy again. "Let me pose a thought exercise to you, Bramble. If your enemy does nothing to harm you or cause you to distrust them, and if they've shown themselves to not be a threat, are they still an enemy?" A brow raised over a fire-kissed eye, looking to Bramble while letting her consider his philosophical question.

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