When Corbin came to tell her about what had happened with her father and to tell her that her father wanted her to go see Artorias she didn't go right away. There was a hesitance about being around her father again that she didn't enjoy, but she also couldn't avoid. She also felt like being around her siblings was the right thing to do while they continued to mourn their mother even though her mind was very far away from the topic. Talking with Asla had helped, but it had still been enough of a scare to shake everything in her world upside down. So much so that she hardly noticed that their birthday had come and gone.

She waited until her father came back from The Hallows, catching glimpses of him around the pack, heavily bandaged still and limping. It made her ears flick uncertainly Artorias had done all of this? Why? That question lingered heavily on her mind as she made her way down to the southern continent. She didn't have a reason to run this time so for once she didn't have to make a mad dash to get to The Hallows. It was the only time she hadn't made the trip in a panic since the first time she had adventured down to Auster. It almost felt like she should be more hurried, more worried. Those kind of feelings made more sense these days than calmly doing anything.

Briar stopped at the border of the pack, hesitating there for a moment. It was also the first time she hadn't just gone into the pack lands, the first time escorted by Art, the second in a rush to get to him before her father noticed she was there. But she couldn't help but think of Resin telling them both that she should have called from the border for permission. Even though Resin was locked up right now... She still lifted her head and let out a soft howl for Artorias, hoping he'd come to her before anyone else could.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Baron of the Hallows. It was still something Artorias was coming to grips with. Ulric had officially taken over as Aegis of the Hallows, a smooth and somber transition of power between his mother and the Adravendi patriarch. Although it had tasted bitter in his mouth in the moment, Artorias had been surprised by Ulric's decision to promote him to the rank of Baron. He had been sure his mother Tamsyn or one of the other more seasoned warriors would assume the role—but Ulric had bestowed it upon him, along with all the rights and responsibilities that came with it. He was the right hand to the Aegis, in a position of importance and actually had a lick of power behind it. It was a strange thing to contemplate. Artorias, who had complained of not being able to do anything of substance around the pack, was now the second highest rank in its roster.

The dark-furred wolf stared at himself in the cracked mirror in his bedroom, staring back at the wide-eyed face of the wolf looking back at him. There was so much uncertainly and anxiousness in those amber eyes that peered out at him from the smooth, shiny surface of the glass, so much to learn and a million things he hadn't done. But it was clear that Ulric trusted him. Tamsyn trusted him. Sirius trusted him. All the Hallowed wolves trusted him. He sucked in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs for several seconds, then slowly released it. Art nodded to his reflection, steeling his gaze. He could do this; he could be what his pack needed him to be. Just you wait...

Artorias tightened the buckles on the side of his new armor, still getting it fit just right to his growing body, then headed out of the warm bedroom into the cooler castle corridors. He wasn't sure where he was headed just yet, but with Sirius having gone back home to rest, Art was left to go back to his normal routine of patrols and training. He would have to come up with some plans to get the other warriors on regular training regiments too, start getting used to shadowing Ulric on his daily tasks and learn what leading was all about. A short, soft howl for him made the yearling boy's ears prick up atop his head, his eyes brightening and heart leaping in his chest. Briar. As if all the world had stopped turning, Artorias bound down the grand staircase, almost losing his footing while he sprinted out to the courtyard and across it, out the main gates and to the border where he'd heard the call of his friend. He had wondered when she would show up after Corbin returned days ago from delivering his message. Why hadn't she come right away? Was she too busy up in the Armada with everything left in the wake of Zee and Azure's deaths? Did she just not want to see him after hearing what he'd done to her father?

The worried concerns that clouded his mind all disappeared when he saw her tawny-and-turquoise silhouette at the border. His gait slowed to a brisk trot, his breathing labored but not quite panting, approaching her with a different kind of concern now. Was she okay? Sirius' frenzied words echoed in his ears. He had to see for himself; what had the Warlord nearly done to her? Artorias approached her, a crooked smile on his face when he met her turquoise eyes, looking as if all the world's problems had melted away the moment he saw her. But once he came close, he glanced down at the small puncture wounds around the side of her throat, still fresh with pinkish hues where the skin was mending and wound turn into scars. His smile dropped immediately, a flash of panic zipping between his eyes. Sirius really had almost killed Briar—almost ripped her throat from her body. He looked back to Briar, stopping where he stood. In her eyes he saw the anxiety, the sorrow, the uncertainty. Her gaze ripped his heart out of his chest and made his stomach twist into knots. What had she endured at the hands of her own father?

Without a word, Artorias finished crossing the distance and, repeating the actions she had done for him when he'd fallen apart in the castle, threw his paws around her, pulling Briar into a tight embrace against him. He immediately cradled the back of her head with a paw, leaning his head against hers, his breath catching in his throat while he fought to suppress down those embers of anger and protectiveness he could feel flaring up deep in his core. Now was not the time to get upset. Briar had suffered through a tremendous ordeal, and like Sirius had said, she needed her friend right now. Artorias still didn't say anything as he held Briar, shielding her away from the unworthy world that had tried to harm her, not entirely sure what to say with his words, but knowing what he had to do with his actions. Briar needed him to just be there for her, that was why she had come, and that was what he would be for her. He would always be there for her.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

She stood at the border, looking up toward the castle, shifting from one foot to another, her claws slipping free repeatedly and stabbing at the soil as her feet flexed anxiously. Standing here waiting for him to appear made he think of her thought process immediately after her father had ran out of the den they had shared for a brief moment. One of her first thoughts was that she needed to go to Artorias. It was like her instincts tried to drive her somewhere and to someone that would make her feel safe. Artorias was at the top of the list, followed closely by Asla. It had been eating at her how much she wanted to come see him, but knowing that her father was here kept her at bay. Her fear outweighed her need for comfort. Now that her father was back in Armada lands she wanted to be anywhere but there so now she was here. It was like a constantly rotating cycle of running and hiding.

As soon as his blue and black form came around the castle wall and into view she felt the tension in her shoulders she didn't realize she had been carrying begin to decompress. Seeing his easy grin made her expression soften, a sigh passing her lips while she resisted the urge to just run up to him then and there. She could pretend for a moment that nothing had happened and she was just here on any old visit, but that feeling went away when his amber eyes drifted down to her neck where the bite wounds that her father had left near her throat were still healing. His smile fell away and that tension returned, her ears folding back against her head. She didn't want anything to be wrong. She wanted to put everything back in its place, pretend that everything was fine, and ignore that anything had gone wrong. As far as she was concerned Resin wasn't dying, her mother and brother weren't dead, her father hadn't bitten her, her father hadn't come back from The Hallows cut to hell, she didn't feel guilty about not checking on him, and she was just be here to casually visit her best friend. Why wasn't it that easy?

When he looked back up at her, her eyes begged him. Make everything right, make it better. And he did. He moved toward her, wrapping her up in a tight embrace the same way that she had done for him when she came rushing to check on him after hearing about Resin's condition. She crumpled into him, sinking down onto her haunches and pressing her face into the side of his neck, careful not to jab him with her antlers. Her antlers that made her look even more like her mother. Her mother that was dead. She hadn't cried, really cried though any of it. She perhaps had teared up a bit at her mother's funeral, but she wasn't sure. She had blocked it immediately from her memory. Artorias holding her like this, protecting her, finally chipped away at the shell she had built enough to let those emotions past her frozen anxiety. Her paws wrapped around his back and she held herself tight to him, hiding her face in his fur as the tears fell hard and fast, quiet sobs making her tremble as all the loss and mourning and fear and pain got washed away from her system.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Maybe it was that desperate look for relief in her eyes. Maybe it was the way she didn't put up any of the spirited fight he knew her for. Maybe it was how her whole body just seemed to collapse on itself like a sandcastle the moment he touched her. Whatever it was, it crushed Artorias' heart to see his strong, confident Briar reduced to shaking and crying. He didn't say a single word while Briar came apart in his embrace, feeling her face disappear into the fur around his neck and her paws around his back clinging to him like he were a life preserver in an endless ocean. No words were fitting for the somber occasion, and he didn't dare cheapen the moment with superfluous dialogue. He knew the pain she was feeling—well, for the most part. He had started to become numb to the ache in his heart and soul when he thought of his mother wasting away into nothingness, a hollow shell of the once great warrior queen that had raised him with a keen eye and firm yet loving paw. Briar was suffering the same loss, more so with her brother included, and with her father's mental breaks...

Words wouldn't serve him any use here, so Artorias resorted to his actions to speak for him. Downcast eyes slowly disappeared behind black eyelids, blocking out the world of everything except her. His paws gripped tighter to her, grabbing pawfuls of her fur like if he let up even a little she would fade away into nothing. His nose turned down to find her fur, nuzzling the side of her neck with tender care. He didn't care if she poked him with her antlers; the smallest of inconveniences wouldn't deter him from consoling his best friend. Blue paws began to rub slow circles along her back through tawny fur, feeling dampness in his fur while she released all of the negativity bottled up inside through her tears. She needed this; this release that she had allowed him to have only a week or two ago. Gods, had their lives really turned this upside down in such a short time?

"Shhhh, I'm here, I'm here..." he whispered to her, keeping her safeguarded in his hold. It was a sense of protective possessiveness that drove him to keep her with him and away from all the hurt. He wanted to make her world right again, to pick up the pieces and put them back the way they were before. He might not be able to do that, but he could at least assure her of the adamant fact that he would be here for her to make things better. "I've got you, Briar..." And he wasn't going to let go. Not while her heart was broken.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

She absolutely hated feeling helpless like this. She wanted to fight, she wanted to scream, she wanted to go back home and find out that it had all been some horrendous prank. She wanted to look at her neck and not see those freshly healing scars. Briar held on to him even tighter, all these thoughts going through her head as she cried harder, her emotions tumbling like an avalanche that just kept picking up speed. Having him hold her just as tight helped and almost made it feel like he could keep her from floating off into this sea of hurt she was floating in. She didn't know how long it was before she finally started to come back to reality, her eyes hurting from how many tears she had cried and her arms aching from holding onto him as if that would save her. The feeling of his paws rubbing her back and the sound of his comforting words in her ear gave her something to mentally hold onto, like he was tossing her a rope for her to climb.

Briar didn't let go right away as the tears began to fade, instead just lifting her face away from his neck and resting her head over his shoulder instead, blinking bleary eyes up at the castle that loomed above them. How had it only been less than a season since she had been down here for the first time, looking up at that castle with such awe? It felt like there had been a whole lifetime worth of days between then and now and it didn't make sense in her mind. How could everything go so wrong so quickly? She didn't know what she would do without Artorias... "I got your coat all yet," she commented softly between sniffles, a little, slightly delirious laugh leaving her as she thought back to when she had done the same thing for him and his tears had stained her fur. She was just happy she had him to lean on without worrying what he was going to think about her.

Her paws flexed and scritched over the middle of his back absentmindedly while her thoughts wandered, finally getting a chance to look past what had happened with her father for at least a little while. Speaking of her father... "Why did you beat up my dad so badly? How?" she asked, still leaning into him, still holding him. Her tone still sounded a little distant and distracted, but also curious. There was no blame or accusations in her voice, she was only genuinely curious behind what drove Artorias to do such a thing and how he had even done it in the first place. If anything she was kind of impressed that he got so many hits in on the Warlord.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

It wasn't fair. The two embracing wolves had done nothing to deserve the type of pain and torment they were both enduring with a steadfast resilience. They were innocents swept up in the chaos and the shit and there was nothing they could do except endure—endure and hope they made it out on the other side. Briar was completely coming undone, all but bawling as she wept and shook harder against him. Artorias tried to replicate all of the soothing motions she had done to him only days before, craning his neck around hers to give her as much physical contact as possible, his paws rubbing slow circuits along her upper and lower back, occasionally extending claws to gently scritch at her skin. He wasn't going to let go of her ever. Briar was his friend. His. Nobody and nothing hurt the wolves he cares about, not while he was alive to do something about it.

True to his vow, Artorias did not let go of Briar, keeping his forelegs wound tight and secure around her while she let all of the bottled up emotions come tumbling out like a tidal wave. He didn't know how long they had been sitting there for, but eventually Briar began to settle down again, her sobbing turning into gentle quivers and shallow breathing. Still he refused to let go of her. There had been a time only a couple of days ago where he had been afraid he had lost her forever to infanticide. Sirius' words haunted him, especially now that he had seen the marks where the Warlord's fangs had pierced her throat. The worst part of all that was how impossible it would have been for him to do anything about it. Had Sirius bitten a little harder or shifted a couple of inches, Briar would have died almost immediately, and he would have been a whole continent away. She would have been killed, buried, and mourned all without him ever knowing she was gone. The thought that she could vanish so easily and permanently terrified the boy. He couldn't lose his Briar.

Once he felt Briar's sobs taper off, Artorias slowly opened his eyes, staring blankly into space somewhere between the snow and the plains, still just taking in the moment as it happened. Briar's quiet comment about her getting his coat wet made the corners of Art's mouth twitch with the ghost of a smile. She still had her humor; that was good. "I don't mind," he replied in a just as subdued tone. There it was—her laugh. Even distorted with anguish and choked sobs, it was that bright sound that lifted his spirits, so uniquely Briar in every way. That brought a true smile to Art's face again. Gods, was he happy she was back... He squeezed her a little tighter in his hold, burying his nose into the fur on the side of her neck, whispering, "I'm so glad you're safe..."

The sensations of those honed feline claws scratching gently over his back where her paws lay drew those familiar deep-seated murrs from within the boy's chest. It was a lovely sensation that sent electricity through him. She was well on the way to putting him in a trance with those scritching paws that Artorias only barely caught the question she asked him. He blinked happy, half-lidded eyes back open to focus, then released a heavy sigh. "When your dad brought my mom back home, I confronted him about why she was in such bad shape... We ended up in a fight, and I managed to get his knife off of him," he began to explain. He left out the details that Sirius had been the one to arm him with the knife and hadn't put up much of a fight, reasoning that Briar didn't need to think her father was suicidal and had tried to get Art to kill him. "He started saying things... I think he was trying to make me mad... He told me how he was the one who hurt my mom..." Artorias paused, swallowing back the lump in his throat that was stopping his breathing. "...He told me he almost killed you..."

It was almost worse that Briar didn't sound accusatory or faulting of him for what had happened. It would have been easier to explain the story if she had been. Then he could just confess to his actions and accept the blame. "I just... I lost control. I've never felt so angry as when I thought he had taken you away from me forever. The thought of anyone hurting you..." He drifted off, biting back the anger. Calm, stay calm, Briar was fine and she was here with him now. "So I stabbed him... I stabbed him a lot, and I nearly killed him." His jaw clenched and he squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to think about her reaction. "I didn't mean to hurt him as bad as I did, and I'm so sorry... But the thought of losing you like that..." He couldn't say it, couldn't bear to think it. He had been dreading this moment of facing Briar after having butchered her father the way he did, terrified she would hate him, that she wouldn't want to see him again, all because he didn't have better control of himself.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Emotion squeezed at her chest when he held her tighter and whispered how glad he was that she was safe, but it was different from the other emotions that had been hanging on her lately. It squeezed her in a good way, as if his hug could reach all the way down through her. She didn't really understand it, but she liked that feeling and it was something that she was feeling more and more whenever she was around him. He just made her happy in a way that was different from anything else. It was confusing, but somehow also welcoming. She smiled a little wider and leaned her head into his neck again, just enjoying knowing that he was that genuinely worried about her.

Briar listened quietly as Artorias described the events that led to her father getting stabbed repeatedly by him. She was extremely doubtful when he said that he managed to get her father's blade, but she also had been doubtful that he could have hurt her father the way he had. She probably wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it for herself. It felt like there was parts that Artorias wasn't telling her and she didn't know why, but she didn't interrupt him to ask. She just kept herself wrapped up in his embrace while she listened, her claws still working lightly across his back. Her ears folded back when he brought up her father saying that he had almost killed her. She didn't want to believe that could have been the case, but when she looked at where his bite had landed she knew that it was true. She had gotten extremely lucky and that thought scared her most. What if she had been laying slightly differently or if his his jaws had gone a little bit wider?

As he went on, she kept hearing the same theme over and over. He had been angry because he thought her father could have taken her away from him. He had been angry at the thought of anyone hurting her. He had nearly killed him because of her. More of that emotion she didn't really understand squeezed at her and made her heart flutter in her chest, her brows pulling together as she tried to sort through it all. She knew how her father could get if anything happened to any of his family and it was something that was similar theme for most of them. They were fiercely, viciously protective of their own. She knew that if it had been someone else that had hurt her instead of her own father, her father would have been the first one to rip apart whoever had done it. The fact that Artorias had been the one to do it and had been so overwhelmed with anger at her father that he had beaten him that badly...

After a few moments she lifted her head away from his neck and leaned back enough to be able to bring her turquoise gaze to his. Her cheeks were still damp from her tears and her eyes were surely red from how hard she had cried, but that was the last thing on her mind. She searched his face for a long moment, trying desperately to put a name to this feeling that made her heart hurt in the best way. She looked at him with a deep appreciation and confusion while she tried to figure out why he would ever go to the lengths he did just for her. Though hadn't she thrown herself onto the back of a huge dire wolf for him when she saw the beast knock him down? They were both way more protective of each other than she ever expected a friend to be and it just made her wonder...

A little smile pulled at her lips and she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek, her tail brushing against the ground behind her. "Thank you, Artorias..."


"Briar" | "Marigold"

As he told the story of her father's maiming to her, Artorias had been deathly afraid of Briar's reaction. Would she hate him, want to kill him, never speak to him again? All the outcomes seemed too horrible for him to imagine, but he couldn't bear to lie to her. She had asked and he had answered honestly. He had been truthful and noble. Whatever fallout came from that he would take as his punishment. Briar shifted then, and Artorias slowly withdrew from their embrace just enough to meet those turquoise eyes that had a habit of making him forget everything else in the world. She looked so surprised and sad, it twisted up his insides in the worst way. He wanted to make her feel better, make everything right, to reach into her chest and pick up each piece of her broken heart and put it back together. He held her gaze with soft, warm amber eyes that looked like a gently burning fire, seeing in her eyes the confusion and—was that gratitude?

He didn't have long to dwell on his pondering though, for as soon as Briar smiled at him, he was returning the faint smile back to her, as if it had manifested only for her in that moment. Then she leaned forward and Artorias felt her soft lips press to his cheek for an all-too-brief moment. Art's eyes went wide with surprise and a quiet gasp escaped him from the unexpected affection, literally feeling the gears in his head stop turning while she short-circuited his brain in one fell swoop. He didn't know how to react at first, his mind scrambling to reset itself even while his body reacted on reflex, his traitorous tail swishing happily against the slushy ground behind him just like hers was. "Uh, d-don't mention it..." he managed to stammer out, a crooked grin appearing on his face while he tried to sort out these foreign emotions. Briar had kissed his cheek! Was that the same thing as a regular kiss? Were there various degrees of kisses? Did that mean Briar had a crush on him? Oh gods, did Briar Fatalis have a crush on him?! What did he do about that?!

Pushing his whirlwind of thoughts to the side, he blinked a couple of times to stop his grin from growing any wider while he just stared at her, bringing himself back under control. "Um, you must be tired," he said, gesturing with his head back towards the castle. "C'mon, I've made sure we had your room prepared for you. We've got plenty of fresh meat too, if you're hungry." He thought to their larders, now overflowing with mammoth meat. The beasts may not have smelled great, but they sure were tasty and made for a feast! Rising to his paws, he paused long enough to boop his nose against Briar's, fixing her with another gentle look and caring smile. "You're safe here, Briar. I won't let anything hurt you here." Turning back towards the castle, Artorias began the short trek inside, keeping pace with Briar every step of the way so they could continue to talk.

"I'm sorry... about your mother and brother..." he said after a moment, not really feeling the words were adequate to explain his empathy for her, but feeling the need to say it to her anyway instead of ignoring it or pretending it wasn't why she was so heartbroken. "Is there anything you or your family need right now...? Food, supplies, anything to help...?" Whatever she needed, he would move heaven and earth to make it happen for her.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

A little smirk pulled across her lips when she saw how absolutely stunned he was just from a kiss on the cheek. She didn't really understand why it broke him so much, but it was really adorable either way. It was a good distraction from her own thoughts and it was much easier to just let herself focus on him instead of everything that had happened. For just a few moments at least she could just think about how fiercely he had fought for her and how cute he was when he got all flustered instead of thinking about the healing bite wound on her neck or the graves that were still fresh back in the Armada. She reluctantly let him go when he mentioned how she must be tired, offering her a room and food. He always thought of everything. He was such a good friend. As that thought crossed through her mind he looked back toward her and gently pressed his nose to hers for a moment, drawing all of her attention to his warm amber eyes, her heart doing a weird flutter in her chest. A smile pulled across her features at his reassurances that she would be safe here, and she had no doubt that he was right. Being around Artorias always made her feel safe.

She got up and started following him into the castle, walking shoulder to shoulder with him as they went. She gave him another smile at his sympathies and the offer to help with anything they might need. "Thank you. I... I think we're all good on that stuff for now." The stuff her family needed couldn't be given. Just time and acceptance, she guessed. She looked up toward the big doors that led into the castle and was quiet for a moment as they walked, but eventually she added, "It doesn't really seem real... Them being gone, I mean." Her ears flicked, a little frown pulling at her features. "I guess what almost bothers me more is that I wasn't really even that close to my mom or brother... At least not as close to them as I am with my dad or some of my other siblings." In truth she really hadn't spent a ton of time with any of her siblings since they got the freedom to roam the pack and the surrounding areas on her own with the exception of Kotori and now more recently with Asla. "And now... now I don't get the chance to, you know? Now they're gone." She didn't feel that emotional as she spoke, at least not as much as she felt she had been when she first arrived. She tried to tell herself that it was just because she had cried it all out on Artorias' shoulder, but really she knew it was because it just hadn't hurt her as bad as her father biting her had.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Artorias listened in silence while Briar explained how everything didn't feel real, a sentiment he could echo wholeheartedly. Nothing these past few weeks had felt real to him; more like a bad nightmare he just kept living. He remained quiet further while Briar told him how she hadn't been as close with her deceased mother or brother as the rest of her family, and lamented the loss of any chance to have a deeper relationship with them. Art's ears folded back while sorrow twisted his heart. He almost wanted to tell Briar she was lucky that she didn't have that close of a bond to sever in her heart. Losing Resin had felt like someone had torn open his chest and ripped his still beating heart out of his body. He wouldn't wish this kind of loss on anyone, and almost envied the Fatalis girl. Almost.

"I guess we never know what life is gonna do to us, huh...?" he remarked while they passed through the gates and into the castle courtyard. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Briar..." He led Briar through the courtyard and into the grand foyer, the down the east wing corridor where the guest rooms were. He knew she would be familiar with them by now, and had taken to making sure the room she usually occupied when she was here had been prepared to the fullest for her arrival. When they arrived at her room, Artorias pushed the wooden door open and stepped aside to allow her in first. The room had been cleaned and dressed with fresh furs on the old bed, a fire already crackling in the hearth to keep the bedroom nice and toasty.

Artorias stepped in behind Briar once she entered, lingering in the doorway while he just watched her with soft eyes and a touch of a smile on his face. Having Briar back in the Hallows felt right, like a piece of his life had been returned to him. All of his worries seemed to disappear when he was with her. He watched her for a few quiet, pensive moments, just following her movements with his eyes while he took all of her in, from the way her body moved when she walked to the way her fur shifted and rippled with her muscles, smooth and graceful. Briar really was a princess in every sense of the word, regal and magnificent, almost seraphic. This dark world didn't deserve to have such beauty in it. He would protect her with every fiber of his being if he had to.

"I don't think you need me to tell you to make yourself at home, but please do so," he said with a chuckle, leaning casually against the stone wall. "Help yourself to anything in the larders, feel free to roam to your heart's content. The Hallows is always open to you."


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Briar scoffed softly at his comment about not knowing what life is going to throw at them. That might be the biggest understatement ever considering how everything had been going for them lately. It felt like almost overnight everything had gone from fine and normal to everything just crashing down around them both. She was just glad she had her friend to turn to in all of this, just as he could turn to her. She smiled softly at his condolences, giving a small nod. "Same to you..." Even among all the heartbreak and turmoil, she hadn't forgotten what his family continued to struggle though. Nothing had seemed to go their way lately and she could only hope that with the seasons finally beginning to change that might mean that there was some more joy to be had on the horizon.

She walked with him down to the wing of guest rooms, the path familiar to her after visiting a couple of times now. She naturally gravitated toward the room that she had stayed in each time and when Artorias pushed the door open she looked inside and saw that the room had obviously been cleaned and straightened up and that the fireplace was already crackling with a fire. She blinked with surprise as she walked into the room, looking around with a small smile. It almost made her feel guilty about taking so long to come see him since she was sure he had prepared all this the day Corbin came to tell her to visit, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. Her own fear had kept her away - something that she wasn't really ready to admit. When she turned back toward Artorias she saw him watching her with this look on his face that she couldn't quite place, but it made her smile all the same, her stomach doing an odd little flip.

She chuckled softly when he instructed her to make herself at home, the same as he always did whenever she came to visit. The Hallows was beginning to feel as much her home as the Armada did and she knew that as long as Artorias wanted to remain her friend she'd only be splitting her time more and more. She liked being in the castle and she liked the landscape of Auster far more than Boreas, but mostly she just liked being around Blue Boy. "You know I will," she replied as she padded back toward where he remained leaning against the doorframe. "Thank you," she told him again, a warm smile on her features. "I hope you don't get sick of me any time soon. I might just move in," she joked, though she wondered how long that would remain a joke and when it might start becoming a promise.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

So lost in his thoughts had Artorias been that he hadn't even realized he'd been staring at Briar until she turned around to face him again and he realized he'd been caught. Fortunately, the smile on her face let him know that he hadn't made it seem creepy or anything, so he could just let it slide. He followed her every movement with attentive eyes while she strode back over to him with that Briar Fatalis grace, unable to keep the somewhat dreamy smile off of his own lips. He didn't know why; Briar just made him happy to have her around. It was like nothing could ever be wrong when she was with him. Her comment about him getting tired of having her around made him give a short laugh and vehemently shake his head. There was no way he could ever get tired of her!

"Sorry to break this to you, Deer Girl, but you're stuck with me. I don't think there's a thing you could do to make me get tired of seeing you," he quipped back, then peered around the smaller guest bedroom. "Although if you did move in, we'd have to get you a better room. This one's nice, but it's certainly not befitting the bedroom of a "princess"." He shot her a roguish grin while he teased her. "You could totally move in if you wanted to. Keep a permanent space here with us and come down any time you wanted. You'd have my permission, and I think that's all you'd need. I don't exactly know the extent of my influence yet, but I'm getting there." He was still learning what degree of power the Baron held with the pack. He knew he could intercept wolves at the border and act as an ambassador to the pack, but he also had to hold some level of sway with the Aegis.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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It was impossible to keep the grin off her face as she laughed lightly at his comment about never getting tired of her. She genuinely hoped that was true. She was always happiest when she was spending time with Artorias and she'd be really disappointed with that feeling ever went away. She didn't really understand it, but right now she was just happy to have anything that made things seem better and Artorias made everything not feel so suffocating. He brought a lot of brightness to her day and she was so incredibly grateful for that.

His quip about this room not being fit for a princess made her shoot him a playful glare in return. At one point she had really embodied that title and all the ego that had gone with it, but lately she had come to see how silly that was. She was still proud of her heritage and her family and the prestige that brought, but she wasn't as boastful about it any more - partially because of Artorias' teasing putting things into perspective. Maybe he was a good influence after all.

The idea of her having a room here in the castle surprised her, especially since they had these guest rooms already set up, but she had to admit that she kind of liked the idea. If she was going to be visiting more and more then it made sense that she'd have her own room if they could spare it - which she was pretty sure they could considering how big the castle was. Then she wouldn't constantly be taking one of their guest rooms with her visits and she could have somewhere to store things if there was anything she didn't want to haul back to the Armada right away.

However, before she could question the idea more, he said something about the influence he had and her ears perked, her head tilting slightly to the side with curiosity. "The extent of your influence? What does that mean?"

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Artorias' happiness seemed to grow exponentially along with the grin on Briar's face when he told her he would never get tired of seeing her and offered her a permanent room in the castle. It was more than just a nice gesture; Artorias was completely serious. Both of their families were in emotional turmoil right now, but whereas he had his family to lean on, the Fatalis family was even more fragmented than the Hallows was. He could be her safe space, her sanctuary, her port in the eye of the hurricane to find refuge in when she needed to escape from the hell her world had become. At the very least he could offer her a place to sleep where she wouldn't have to be afraid of waking up with someone trying to devour her throat. He would protect her, he would shield her away from anything that dared try to lay harm onto her. This way, she could be happy and safe, and he could keep her close to him and make sure any dangers were stopped before they ever came close to his Briar.

Her curious expression caught him by surprise, but her question elucidated his confusion. Sudden awareness sparked in his expression and a knowing smile replaced the stunned look. "Oh, right! I didn't tell you!" He had been so caught up in making sure she was okay and bringing her into the safety of Hallowed lands that he had neglected to even mention what had changed in his life. "I, uh, I got my official rank in the pack." Artorias wore a proud smile as he patted his chest with a paw. "I'm the Baron of the Hallows now. It means I'm second-in-command, and the next heir to the pack once Ulric decides to step down as alpha." He spoke so matter-of-factly, no hubris or pomp in his voice. The Carpathius boy was supremely humbled by how much faith Ulric had in him, and he intended to return dividends to the Adravendi's investment in him. He would make them all proud: his family, his pack, everyone.

"I'm still new to the rank, so I'm feeling out what I can and can't do, but Ulric has been teaching me a lot, showing me the ropes, so one day I can be a good leader too," he explained, ears flicking back while a sheepish grin split his muzzle. "So, if you wanted a permanent place to stay here, I can probably make it happen. Get you a bigger room, a nicer bed, whatever you want."


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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