Reaffirming the reaffirming to reaffirm

It was a slight relief to hear that even someone like Artorias who led a pack as large and thriving as The Hallows still had concerns about the readiness of his warriors. They obviously had some advantages in numbers and impressive weapons, but experience–or lack thereof–could make or break a good warrior. The answer for their collective lack of experience in battle had an obvious answer and Artorias suggested it before he could. The Lord of Cinder brought up the possibility of a raid to give Elysium experience in battle and Hallows wolves a chance to fight on a battlefield besides their own. It was easy for Deimos to offer his fellow alpha a smile a bit and nod in agreement to the offer. "I think that's a mutual benefit for both of us. Just to make things interesting, why don't we put together a pot of prizes for the winner? Some gems and metals from our mountains and a collection of your wines maybe?" Every raid needed a purpose or a goal and he could imagine that his wolves would appreciate some additions to their small collection of wines.

With their raid plans made, Artorias moved on to a more serious topic, bringing up Elysium's newest neighbors. He was first asked what Avacyn had shared about The Syndicate, to which Deimos' brow creased as he replied, "She relayed everything she learned during the meeting here. How they captured the pack and the methods used to do it and their leader's horrendous behavior." Artorias mentioned Avacyn's hesitancy to declare The Syndicate a danger and he could only give a nod in return. He wasn't all that surprised by his niece's less forward nature. Many of the Mendacium wolves through time had been far more bold and ruthless, but Avacyn was not one of them. It was what made her a compassionate and reasonable Matriarch, but was ultimately why she gave up leadership.

When asked for his take on the matter, Deimos scowled a bit, replying, "You are right about their... 'decorations' being less than encouraging. My niece has a big heart and wants to see the best possibility in others. While I can admire that in her I can also see that a man that decorates his borders with corpses and snatches a pack away from someone by using their children as bartering tools isn't someone to try and make peace with. I'm not saying that I'm ready to go to war by any means, but I have had eyes trained on the border we share with The Syndicate since the day I found out about them. I do not trust this Sepherian character any farther than I can throw him." He sighed and shook his head at the whole situation. Their corner of Boreas had once been so free and peaceful and now it was anything but. They nearly had someone on every side of them and this most recent addition was the first to be a thorn in his side.

"Deimos Mendacium"