It had been a couple times that he had missed his turn over for patrols which he was quick and in a hurry to take care of when he woke up from his night of drinking. Which was every night though he kept it almost completely behind the closed doors of his room or out here on the raft. It was starting to become a problem mostly because it had become worse since joining The Hallows. The longer away he was from Azzie, the more his thoughts and emotions brewed down into his core. He was trying to fill something that was bottomless. And to him he didn't need or want help.

He had passed out on the raft that was beached, he made it that far at least. Perhaps just decided to close his eyes under the stars to the sound of the waves. Though, he couldn't really remember that. Every day moved together like a blur. He wasn't making the effort to get to know his pack mates and while he was mostly a hard working character, he was starting to drop out of his place. He thought highly of himself of course there were the emotions in the back of his head telling him otherwise but that's what the drink was for anyway. Everything was blank as he snoozed under the morning sun, sleeping away the responsibilities he seemingly forgot about.

"Balthier"

Balthier had missed his patrol shift—again. Artorias was a very forgiving wolf, sometimes too much so, but when one of his wolves’ actions put greater burden on the rest of the pack or worse, put them in danger, then his patience had a hard limit. Balthier had hit that line. After a frustrating and fruitless search of the castle grounds for the AWOL Knight, the Aegis finally made his way down to the beach after a vague tip that the golden wolf might have been headed for his raft the night prior. Artorias knew of Balth’s fondness for alcohol; the castle stores of wine had been hit particularly hard the past season, and he had a suspicion of who the culprit was. But what he hadn’t expected to find was to find the brute passed out on the beached watercraft reeking of booze. Art crinkled his nose up. At least the fool hadn’t tried to actually go sailing and drowned himself…

Rolling his eyes with disdain, Artorias climbed aboard the raft and approached the unconscious Balthier. He fixed the wolf with a glower for a moment, then raised a paw and rested it upon the slumbering brute’s chest, giving him a vigorous shake. "Balthier. Wake up," he snapped, his tone hard and disappointed. He would give Balth a few moments of shaking to see if he woke up, and if he didn’t, the Aegis would bring his paw up to give the inebriated wolf’s face a good smack. One way or another, Baltheir would be waking up to face the consequences of his actions.

"Artorias Carpathius"

The sound of Artorias on the beach was a distant reality in his dreams, but he was quick, or as quick as his hungover mind could process, to hear his voice when he spoke. He stirred, lifting his head off the raft with a little groan and tired squint in his eye. A paw rubbing over his face he questioned, "Artorias?" He huffed through a sleepy breath, maybe not seeming so urgent on the outside because his thoughts were still trying to catch up to him. But the realization was quick to come over him. "Did I miss the patrol?" He'd never mean any harm or trouble on The Hallows, he grew up with better morals. But as time went on the alcohol was quite literally drowning him. There may not have even been a way to help him right now. Maybe he thought he was slick in a way. Hiding it behind his room or out here on the raft. Honestly better for him to be away from innocent minds.

"Balthier"

Artorias was none too pleased by Balthier's slow, groggy response to rouse when he shook the slumbering wolf. Had he been an enemy or someone looking to do harm, Balthier would have made for an all too easy target. The golden wolf would have been dead before he even knew anyone was there. Not that he suspected anyone would have cause to do his pack harm, but after the altercation with the coyote pack in the Wildberry Grove, it had proven just how important their constant patrols were, especially with young lives in the mix. Balth asked if he missed the patrol, probably realizing just why the alpha was scowling down at him like he was. While he wasn't normally an uptight or angry guy to deal with, the former Fenmyrian had taken far too many liberties with his forgiving nature. There was a time to be friends, and there was a time to be a leader. This was the latter.

"No, I just really enjoy disturbing others' rest," remarked the onyx and azure wolf with a sarcastic drip in his tone. Snorting and rolling his eyes, Artoriax fixed Balthier's guilty face with a scolding leer. "Balthier, I've lost count of how many times this makes it this season alone. I'm not a prudish wolf; I enjoy a drink as much as anyone else. But your habitual alcoholism is affecting your work and it's detrimental to the safety of the pack." Before Balth could try to come up with any other excuse, Artorias lifted the empty liquor bottle like the smoking gun he'd caught in Balth's paws, red-handed. "I've been exceedingly patient with you because it's apparent you're using this as a coping mechanism for something. Chimera spoke highly of you when he sent you to us, but this..." He gestured to the hungover wolf with a bit of a scowl. "This isn't you. So are you going to tell me what's going on, or are you going to force my hand and make me play the bad guy?" Above all else, Artorias still staunchly believed in helping others face their demons rather than putting them down for them. But it would have to be Balthier's decision how this conversation went.

"Artorias Carpathius"

As he was fully regaining his senses from the groggy awakening he was still taking in what Artorias was saying to him. And as his words went on, he couldn't help but feel offended. Typical from an alcoholic that didn't see, or maybe he did, the issue with his habits. Chimera speaking highly of him was not wrong on the late Alpha's part. Balthier had been a good and diligent worker and member of the pack. He did like the drink as much as he did back then, but everything spun out of control when he left Azzurra. And that's why it had become so prominent and such an issue in his everyday life now.

He wouldn't bend to the Alpha who was willing to help him given the circumstances.

His eyes had closed in the conversation on Artorias' part. Not necessarily an angry face but certainly not a happy one. It was so easy for Balthier to tell himself he was troubled. It was harder for someone else to tell him or for him to face it at all. In a deep breath combined with the still lingering fogginess of waking up he responded, "I don't know what you're talking about." In his tone was that hint of delusion, like he knew exactly what Artorias was pointing out. He did. The proof and the consistency was all there, he couldn't really hide from it. But still he refused to acknowledge that anyone but himself knew what he was doing to himself.

"Balthier"

Artorias was a merciful wolf—sometimes too much so—but his patience and his mercy had limits, limits that Balthier was rapidly approaching with his indifference towards his responsibilities and the conversation they were having. Was the gold-swirled wolf even paying attention to him? Artorias couldn't tell what was due to the man's hangover and what was due to his apathy. What he did know was that Balthier's disrespect and blasé attitude was pissing him off. Narrowed eyes gleamed with an anger as Balth dismissed his concerns and his comments, feigning ignorance or perhaps stupidity to justify his innocence. In a display of raw frustration and ire, the Aegis stormed up to Balthier when he stepped away and picked up the mostly empty bottle of liquor from the deck of the raft, slamming it down to shatter the glass bottle across the deck and sending shards spraying across the raft to glitter in the sunlight. That should get the man's attention.

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?! You don't know what I'm talking about?" seethed the Aegis, black and azure lips peeling away from sharp fangs as a growl entered his tones. "Is that what you'd tell me if your carelessness had gotten someone else hurt? What if it was one of my children who was harmed?! Would you still not know what the problem was then? There have been coyotes skulking about the borders and you can't be assed to get to a simple patrol shift on time!" Artorias had felt anger before, but it had been a long, long time since he'd felt this degree of rage towards another wolf. Balthier was knowingly and willingly putting his wolves at risk and jeopardizing the safety of his family. This would not stand. The smaller male had better have a damned good response for him this time.

"Artorias Carpathius"