Ravensblood Forest I'd rather drown

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Arturo took a moment to compose himself, to give himself the chance to wake up properly under the studious stare of Chusi. He gave his throat a soft clear, listening to the serene sounds of sleepy forest life above their den, content that neither of them were in any impending threat of or immediate danger. She inched closer to him and admitted that she was making sure he wasn't dead — he couldn't help but think that it was an extremely morbid thought — and then his gaze softened as it slid back to her when she confessed that she didn't want to lose another friend. He had little doubt that it was Zephyr leaving her that she was referencing. He'd given her some time to process it and deal with it on her own and now they were going to talk about it.

After they established that she couldn't just body slam people, and assure her that he wasn't going to leave her. “Chusi, come here,” Arturo beckoned the girl to lay beside him with a gesture of his muzzle in the darkness. “You can't just smack wolves about to make sure they're not dead, alright?” He asked her softly. “I'm not going to die,” Eventually he would, but not until he was the as old as the crypt-keeper and he had so many years full of life left in him. “And I'm not going to leave you. I promise you Chusi. I'm not going to abandon you.” He understood her fear, having had it happen for a second time. But Arturo wasn't her caretakers prior to Lotte.

Before Arturo could further broach the subject of Zephyr's insult and cowardice Chusi asked him a question. The gangster, in a moment of shame at his own loss of composure, looked away. “It's a bad word that you shouldn't repeat,” He chided her sternly. “It is a vulgar word and though it has more meanings than what I used it for,” which he had no intention of telling her for obvious reasons. “it is a obscene word used to denote disdain.” Arturo informed her, unwilling to further explain it's other meaning to her. Someday, he would, but not while she was still so young and impressionable.

“Chusi, we need to talk about what happened with Zephyr,” Whether she wanted to or not they were going to talk about it. “I'm not going to bad mouth him to you, but running away from you was wrong. It was cowardly and I'm sorry you had that happen again. You did nothing wrong, and I want you to know that. I want you to remember that. You were good to offer him a second chance. Better than me. I would have never offered the second chance,” Because Arturo did not tolerate betrayal, but or abandonment well at all. Already, Chusi was proving to be a much better wolf than him (Arturo). “When you love someone, Chusi, you don't turn your back on them, alright? You don't run away from them, or insult them. If something is broken you fix it.” But running away and hoping that a few months or years later would magically have fixed it was wrong because it never did. It only allowed it to fester and worsen.

“I meant what I said to him. If he is caught near our borders or in any of our surrounding territories he will be killed. I don't mean to upset you and I'm sorry if it does. But he insulted and hurt you and you don't deserve it. He made his bed knowing what was waiting for him when he chose. He must lie in it, as we all must.” Arturo explained softly, his deep, accented voice like the roll of thunder upon a gathering storm. He was alert to how his words affected her, understanding that they might be hard for her to hear, and she might resent him for them. Yet, he would not apologize. It was no different than he'd give any cast out, or trespasser whose life he spared. He protected The Family, as he always would.

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