Ravensblood Forest whiskey is good proofing water

you get my 300th post with arturo! :D

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He really didn't want to talk anymore about her climbing the looming, stony sentinel in the horizon but Chusi did not seem to be deterred even as he expressed his fears to her. In fact, her words seemed chosen to give him a heart attack. The pace of his heart rate did not speed up but the muscles of his chest contracted painfully as if someone had reached into his rib cage and grabbed his lungs with sharp, tearing jaws. He was horrified and had felt like in trying to avoid it he'd wedged himself in between a rock and a hard place. He had the very distinct feeling if he outright told her no she would definitely go scaling it behind his back now. Then again, she had just agreed to take on responsibilities and she realistically would have no time to go mountain climbing. Her training had begun the moment she'd agreed and it was not like hunting or warrior. It was never ending. Being a leader would take up all of her time with a few stolen moments to herself. He frowned down at her. “Do not say those things, Chusi,” He reprimanded her sharply. “You are my daughter and you mean the world to me, do you understand? I do not-” Arturo's throat closed, swallowing thickly against the lump of emotion that caused him to choke on his words. “I do not know what I would do if I lost you.” He didn't want to think about it, but she seemed to find it fun to cause him the pain of facing it. “Death isn't an adventure. The wolves you leave behind that love you will be hurt by your absence until the end of their days,” Death was not something that time could fill. It might heal but it was still there. “Would you want to hurt me like that?” He demanded of her. “Or Lotte? Or Szymon? Or Darky?” Although, point of case he still wasn't sure who “Darky” was. “Or Teaghlaigh?”

He shook his head. “If you insist on climbing the mountain I will make you a deal,” He drew, licking his lips. “I will send a scout to map a safe route and if you do good on your studies I will let you go, with an escort and climb it.” She would go with an experienced scout, of that he would not back down on. “You must remember your duties as Heir must always come first. You are being groomed for leadership and unfortunately, as I must stress, is not about doing whatever you want. You must be a leader first. There is little time to do things for yourself.” That was the sacrifice that all leaders made and she, too, would be expected to make it.

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