Trial by Fire

When Quill mentioned the condition of Chimera, Artorias' smile drooped with a heavy sigh, his eyes darkening at the grave news. "That's what I was afraid of..." he murmured with a shake of his head. "Chimera is a strong wolf. He's overcome this illness many times now. I guess I'd hoped he would do it once more." Chimera was Artorias' friend. They may have differed in opinion and morals, but they had been great allies once upon a time. To imagine his friend was dying, it broke the Carpathian's heart. He would have to make a trip to Elysium at some point before he was too late...

Artorias quietly observed the way Talyssa and Quill interacted with one another, reading the body languages of the two. The way Talyssa smiled at Quill, the subtle brush of her tail against his flank and her paw on his, the light and airy laugh she spoke with when talking about him... Artorias recognized it immediately. His daughter was smitten with the Klein lad. He saw that resolute certainty in her blue eyes as she asserted that she cared for him, heard the affection in her voice as she recounted the tale of how they'd met. First the bear attack seasons ago, then reconnecting when she'd gone to Ashen to teach there. Artorias' fiery gaze shifted from Talyssa momentarily to Quill then, still smiling and listening while Taly recounted her time in Ashen and what followed in the aftermath. But Art was scrutinizing Quill's expression for the moment, watching how he stared at his daughter while Taly was giving her boyfriend lovey eyes. He was looking for something there...

When Talyssa's attention returned to him, so too did his eyes snap back to hers, his smile never fading. Gods, he was just so happy to see her again! Hearing how many lives she had touched and wolves she had taught brought a swell of pride to the sire wolf's heart, and he even puffed up a bit as he admired his amazing daughter. "That's incredible, Talyssa! You've touched so many lives in such a short time! I'm so proud of you, fiica mea! I'm very glad to have you home for the bonfire though. I was sad to think that maybe we'd be one fewer family member this year." Art's tail wagged a mile a minute behind him, wanting to pull Taly back into another hug and smother her in kisses, but he didn't want to embarrass her in front of her new boyfriend either.

Talyssa asked how he was, how the family was, and how things had been around the Hallows in her absence. Artorias drew in a deep breath and sighed with an overwhelmed expression. So much had happened since Talyssa's departure. Hoo boy, where did he even begin? "Well, your younger siblings are all continuing to grow like weeds. Bramble was promoted to Envoy and Ember took Head Scholar. Both of them are on diplomatic missions to other packs right now, but they're here for the bonfire too. The rest I’m trying to make sure they don’t take their eyes out with their swords." A great paternal laugh rocked the dire wolf before a more somber expression came over Artorias' face as he moved on to more sobering news. "Audra and Laeta both passed away. We had lovely memorial services for them both." Art didn't know if Talyssa was close enough to either wolf to remember them well, but they had both been a part of the pack, especially Laeta who had been with them for years. She'd come to see the pups when Talyssa was just a little nugget of a wolf still. "As for me? I've been doing as fine as I can. Still working the forge, still making sure we have strong walls and potent medicines for any who need our aid." Was Artorias deflecting from showing the stresses of leadership? How he felt on the cusp of war with few allies and friends at his side? Absolutely he was, but his daughter didn't need to worry about that.

Then there was the more grave of news. "The Hallows has undergone some structural changes since you've been gone. We're still continuing to be a sanctuary and shelter for those in need, but we'll be taking a more hard stance against evil and injustice in the world. My title has changed from Aegis to Lord of Cinder now to better reflect that," he explained, gesturing to the Raiders and Polaris wolves that had been quarreling moments before. "I've realized that the Hallows needs to be a part of the world and its evolution if we're to do good for others. So we're evolving with the rest of the world to respond to situations like that, or like the Syndicate." Realization flashed across Artorias' gaze. Talyssa didn't know about the Syndicate. "Do you remember that violet wolf you had some run ins with when you were a pup?" Art didn't need to go any further. He knew Taly would remember Sephiran Saxe. "He stole a pack from a family near to us. Usurped control and claimed it as the Syndicate, then moved north. They've been declared an enemy of the Hallows after the threats they levied against us and innocent wolves. It's imperative that you stay away from their lands and from any Saxe wolves during your travels, Talyssa." Artorias did not say this as a parent commanding their child, but as a father warning his daughter of danger. He wasn't telling her to stop her travels, but cautioning her of where to avoid. He trusted her to be smart and make good decisions. If they knew she was a Carpathius... he didn't dare to imagine what a deranged mind like Sephiran would do to her now that he was older.

On the note of things to be cautious of... Artorias' eyes flickered over to Quill momentarily, but his expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts. Smiling warmly to Talyssa, Art gestured out to the rest of the crowd of wolves. "Taly, why don't you go surprise your mother? She's going to be ecstatic to see you!" he said with a hearty chuckle. "And of course, I hope you'll both stay for a few days! Get a few good nights' sleep in proper beds, rest and recharge before you head out again. You know you're always welcome home, Taly, and we're happy to have you too, Quill." It was the truth. Artorias was such a family-oriented wolf, having all his children home with their romantic partners just filled his heart with joy! But there were some things Artorias had to make sure of first. He just needed a moment of Quill's time alone.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"