Right where I belong
Artorias
05-16-2021, 06:24 PM
She felt a little bit like she was living on a cloud as she walked around with Artorias after the night they had together, living in a happy haze of joy and love. Of course she tried her best to be more subtle whenever they were around other wolves in the pack and especially whenever they happened to be around his mother - though they had only seen her once briefly so that wasn't too hard to do. They were already pretty much attached at the hip whenever she was around anyway so was it really that much of a change? She just felt herself smiling a little wider, leaning into him a bit more, grinning like an idiot any time he looked at her. Because she liked him and he liked her back. He was hers now and she was his.
After spending the day joining him on his patrols and training, she insisted on going up to the tower as was tradition whenever she came to visit. It was still one of her favorite places in the whole castle and she just couldn't get enough of the amazing view of Auster they got from up there. When they got to the staircase that would lead up to the top platform, she was surprised when he told her to go up without him, that he'd meet her there in a moment, but he didn't really give her time to protest and ran off so she shrugged and started climbing the spiraling staircase, peeking out the windows in the brick wall as she passed them.
She pushed open the trap door that opened up to the top of the tower and left it open since she knew Artorias would be coming up soon enough and went over to sit in front of the ledge that looked out over the sweeping views, a grin pulling across her lips. It was the first time she had been up here since the snow had begun to melt and now she could really see all the dips and valleys of the land, make out more of the trees in the distance, and see places were green had started to return to the world. She was so, so happy that winter was finally over.
05-16-2021, 06:54 PM
Following the night he had shared with Briar, Artorias felt like he was walking through a dream. Everything felt just a little bit more floaty, a little brighter, a little more colorful when he had her around. Their relationship had changed, evolved into something much greater than either of them could have predicted, and he was loving every second of it! Despite how they tried to be careful around the rest of the Hallows—his mother, in particular—Artorias couldn't help the goofy grins he got whenever he looked at Briar by his side and saw her staring at him with those gorgeous turquoise eyes. His heart would do somersaults whenever she leaned into him and he felt her fur brush and mingle with his while walking together. And at night, it had become commonplace for one of them to slip away to spend the night together, always just innocently snuggling and whispering life plans, daydreams, things on their mind, or simply staying quiet while sharing kisses. It felt like life had finally started to turn around when Briar Fatalis became his, and he became entirely her own.
Today, she had joined him on his morning patrols as she had taken to, the two of them spending more time walking and chatting around the plains than actually patrolling. After breakfast, Briar had asked to go up to the tower, her most favorite place in the castle, and of course he had agreed, following her up the stairs in the grand foyer until they reached the tower—and then he paused. A reminder flipped through his brain. "Um, you go on up first. I forgot I needed to grab something!" he had said to her, giving her an encouraging smile before turning and bolting down the west wing corridor. He hurried past every other door until he arrived at his bedroom, slipping inside to grab the small velvet pouch sitting on the mantelpiece, peering inside at the contents with an appraising smile before rushing back to join Briar.
Running up the tower stairs two at a time, Artorias slipped almost silently up through the open trapdoor and into the warm summer air. He took a deep breath of the fresh air, loving the way the gentle breeze tousled his fur at the top of the tower. Briar was already standing beside a ledge, peering out at Auster around them. With the snow having melted and summer in near full swing, Auster had begun to return to life tenfold. Trees were sprouting green leaves, flowers and bushes were in bloom, wildlife had resumed normal activities, and water flowed freely unabated by ice. For a moment, the young man stood by the trapdoor, just watching Briar and taking her all in. He loved the way her tawny fur blew in the breeze, those accents of turquoise mixed in with brown captivating him. His eyes roamed from the tips of her antlers to the end of her tail, feeling his heart race from the mere sight of her alone. A dopey smile returned to his face; he was smitten with her, and it showed.
"I'm back," Artorias called out to her while kicking the trapdoor closed to grant them some privacy. He stepped over to join her at the parapet, smiling and dropping the little velvet bag by his paws. Amber eyes turned out over the blooming landscape, taking a deep breath to sample the scents coming from all the different terrains, surveying woods and forests, mountains and plains, rivers and streams, from one ocean to another. He did love his home, even if it was so far away from the things he loved. Speaking of... "What did I tell you? Looks even better in the summer," he remarked, casting a sideways grin to Briar. "Gwyn's been telling me that a lot of herbs are growing back in abundance too, so if you wanna go find some, it might not be a bad idea while you're here." He leaned over towards Briar to give her cheek a gentle kiss, smiling like a happy idiot all the while.
05-16-2021, 08:52 PM
Briar's ears perked when she heard Artorias behind her, looking back over her shoulder at him with a happy grin, unaware of how long he had been standing there watching her. "Welcome back," she told him as he walked over to her, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. She gave the little bag he carried a curious glance, but she didn't ask about it right away since he didn't draw attention to it - though it was hard to focus on anything else with her insatiable curiosity. He brought her attention back to the view in front of them and she chuckled when he pointed out how he had told her how it would look better come summer. "You were certainly right about that." She looked over at him when he spoke about his sister's report about how all the herbs were beginning to grow back as well, a fact she was sure was true, and nodded to the idea that she might collect some while she's here. She might as well since she knew what to look for and the pack would certainly need them, but for herself...
"I'm... not sure if I want to really study healing any more," she mentioned hesitantly, looking back out over the landscape in front of them. It was something she had a hard time admitting because it felt so much like failure. "I feel bad because Marigold has spent so much time working with me on it and Indigo promised to help teach me, but... So many of my siblings are also becoming healers so surely I don't need to also, right? I just remember Io being so good at it and your sister is amazing and I just..." She chuckled a little at a memory, glancing back toward him. "I struggled with mashing up an herb one time during one of Marigold's lessons. Not because I couldn't do it, but... I just hated having to sit there and tediously squish it up. I don't know if my patience is cut out for being a healer."
05-16-2021, 09:03 PM
A slightly smug "I told you so" look crossed Artorias' face when she admitted he was right. He was teasing her, of course, but Briar had wanted their relationship to stay mostly the same that it always had been, and so the teasing and ribbing would continue! Her hesitant admission that she didn't want to study healing and botany anymore caught him by surprise, but Artorias listened quietly and patiently while Briar explained her thoughts. So she felt like she could be better suited for another skill, and she had never really taken to healing as a passion? That was understandable then, and made perfect sense to him. He laughed lightly when Briar explained how she had taken forever just to grind up herbs because she was so bored by it and he nodded his head, giving her an encouraging smile. "Okay, then don't," he replied plainly. "You'd be great at anything you do, Briar. You should just be happy with whatever you're focusing your time on, and if it's not healing, then that's fine."
His eyes sought out hers while he gave her a curious look. "Do you have an idea on what you'd rather be doing?" he asked. He could honestly picture Briar doing just about anything, from hunting to navigating new lands, to organizing and leading pack events, anything! As they were talking. his paws began to inadvertently fidget with the bag by them, shuffling the small black bag back and forth between his blue paws. He was a little nervous, and it might have shown if she saw him messing with the bag or read deeply enough into his eyes. He hadn't ever done anything like this for someone else before, and this was Briar too! All of this was uncharted territory for the young Carpathius man.
05-16-2021, 09:43 PM
Briar loved how easily and plainly he agreed to her choice to shift away from healing, giving him a thankful smile. She had put so much pressure on herself to keep up with the training she had begun that it felt impossible to move away from it, but his encouragement helped a lot. He was always so encouraging and understanding. It was one of the many things she loved about him. When he asked her what she might be interested instead her brows pulled together with a thoughtful look. "I honestly don't know... I thought about maybe getting my dad to take me out on some hunts to see if I like that any better when I get back home - well, after... After I get over the whole being afraid of him thing." She gave him a little smile, always and forever completely honest with her Blue Boy. He had witnessed first hand how deep her fear ran so she knew he would understand, but she also knew it was something she was going to have to move past at some point.
Though now that it felt like their lives were going to be more permanently intertwined it made her look at things from a different perspective. He was the heir! At some point he was going to take over The Hallows and as long as their relationship stayed as strong as it was now then she was going to be at his side helping him with the pack the same way that her parents had lead the Armada together. Knowing how to fight fit in well with that, but what else could she learn that would make her an even better partner for him? She knew he probably wouldn't care and he would want her there regardless, but that was still something she thought about.
She noticed him fiddling with the bag at his paws and she smirked, chuckling a bit as she finally asked, "Alright, I give, what's in the bag?"
05-17-2021, 11:45 PM
Artorias gave Briar an understanding smile when she shot him a grateful look for supporting her choice to switch a passion. He knew Briar was no slacker when it came to her trainings, so if she was saying she really wasn't feeling something, then that was a good enough reason for him. Nothing would frustrate the headstrong Fatalis girl more than trying to push herself in a field that she didn't feel a spark, only to repeatedly disappoint herself with her lack of results or dedication. No, he knew Briar would find a path that was right for her, whatever it happened to be. When she mentioned going on hunts with Sirius when she got back, Artorias' eyes lit up. What a splendid idea! "That's a pretty good plan," he agreed. "That way you can try out hunting before committing to it and see if it suits you any better than healing. Y'know, once you're comfortable being around your dad." He purposefully didn't look down at the scars on her neck, the same scars he had spent a night kissing and comforting her about. He knew the trauma they came with; no need to dredge it up every time he thought about it.
Briar turned the conversation towards the small black velvet bag at his paws, asking what was in it. He blinked and looked down at the bag currently being passed like a hacky sack between his paws. "Oh, this thing?" he asked, teasing her further by lifting the small bag and looking at it with a curious tilt of his head. "I dunno... Why don't you open it and find out?" He passed the soft-cloth bag over to Briar, a knowing smile on his face while he waited for her to open the bag to reveal the pristine silver bangle inside, the band set with an array of brilliant topaz stones. "I, uh, hope you like it. It's an early birthday gift for you. I didn't know if we'd be able to see each other on your actual birthday, so I wanted to make sure I got this to you."
He waited again, allowing her to inspect the jewelry within and maybe try it on as well before he continued to explain anything about it or answer any of her questions. Briar had never worn jewelry or accessories before as far as he could remember, but when he happened upon it in an old dresser in the castle, he immediately thought of Briar and knew he wanted to give it to her. That had been before they discovered their feelings for one another, but that didn't change the sentiment too much. If anything, that gave it more sentimental reason!
05-18-2021, 08:42 PM
Briar gave Artorias a playful glare as he acknowledged the bag he had been fiddling with and tossing around with the most nonchalant answer, rolling her eyes at him with a grin. "Fine, maybe a will," she teased back as he handed it over, telling her to open it and find out. She probably should have guessed that it was a gift for her by the way he was acting, but somehow the thought didn't cross her mind until she opened it and found the bracelet that was tucked inside. The attitude and grin fell away as she pulled it out, holding it carefully with it hooked over her long, sharp claws as she looked at the beautiful silver bangle that was glittering with pretty topaz stones that just so happened to be the same color of his eyes that she loved so much.
With all that had been going on she hadn't really spared a thought to her birthday or gifts or anything like that. Really, she hadn't even really thought about the possibility that they should get or give gifts until she had seen the sword that he had gotten from his mothers. She had briefly wondered if she'd get anything from her father, but had immediately dismissed it since it wasn't exactly a time for celebration in the Armada. There was so much on her father's plate that she couldn't possibly expect him to think of something like birthdays. But, as he tended to do, Artorias amazed her and filled in any little gaps she felt in her life. This time it was in the form of a bracelet that she could carry with her and treasure.
"Art, this is beautiful," she insisted, glancing up at him with a huge grin. Her tail wagged against the stone under them as she slipped the bangle over her paw and turned her ankle side to side to watch the light catch on the stones. "I love it!" She giggled as she leaned her shoulder into his, watching it happily from where it hung around her ankle. "Thank you, Art, this is so sweet of you. I feel bad that I don't have anything to give you." She lowered her paw, turning her head to look at him with with overwhelming happiness and love. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, so incredibly happy and thankful to have her Blue Boy.
05-21-2021, 05:17 PM
It was far too amusing to Artorias to watch the way Briar's cocky teasing just melted away the second she peeked into the small velvet bag. It was as if the bracelet inside had completely blanked her mind, leaving her staring in awe and wonder while she held the bracelet like it was the most delicate treasure in the world. She was quiet while she studied it, a slightly smug smirk of satisfaction to know she was floored by the gift meant he had done well. The first sign that she loved her gift was the wagging tail that betrayed her joy. The second was the huge grin that appeared on her face. He smiled wide in return, leaning back against her while she slid the bracelet on and examined it in the light around her ankle. It really was striking, the beautiful silver metal and bright orange gemstones a lovely contrast against her tawny fur. It really did suit her.
"Oh, it was nothing, especially not for the princess who is even more beautiful" he replied with a soft chuckle. "I've been restoring the weapons in the castle armory, and I came across some old jewelry in one of the bedrooms. I figured if I could fix up a sword or spear, how hard could a bracelet or necklace be?" The answer was very. Jewelry was far more intricate and fragile than weapons were, but Artorias was nothing if not tenacious. Briar would never know the work he had put into making that bracelet shine for her, just to match the quality the Fatalis princess deserved, but she didn't need to. She loved it all the same and that was what mattered.
He turned his head to tell her that it was fine, he didn't need a birthday gift, when he felt his muzzle meet hers in another kiss. Artorias melted all at once like an ice cube on a hot summer's day, a goofy, content expression on his face while he kissed her back. It didn't matter how many kisses they shared, each one still sent his heart into flutters and flurries, those jittery butterflies filling his stomach and heat rushing to his face. He had never known bliss the way that Briar's love had given him, and that was gift enough for him. When their lips eventually parted, that goofy smile remained on Artorias' face for a moment longer until his brain caught back up with his body, blinking amber eyes to reorient himself and find her turquoise ones that set his blood aflame.
"Having you here with me and in my life is gift enough, Briar," he replied earnestly, a roguish grin creeping its way across his face. "But I certainly won't turn down more of those kisses if you're offering." He snickered under his breath, more than just infatuated with her. He was head over heels for this girl, and no amount of time together would ever be enough for him when it came to his Briar.
05-23-2021, 01:52 PM
Briar smirked and giggled when he told her that she was even more beautiful than the jewelry, her face flushing at the complement. He always impressed her with the skills and knowledge he seemed to have from being an excellent fighter and navigator and now he was restoring weapons and jewelry... All of this on top of being so thoughtful and sweet and handsome! She felt incredibly lucky to have someone like him in her life. She wanted to be jealous of how good he was at so many things, but for once she wasn't. She was just proud and motivated to do better herself so that she could match her skills to his.
She absolutely loved how he reacted when she kissed him and it always made the biggest grin cross her face. It just made her want to kiss him again and again just to make him as happy as those kissed did. She wanted to keep him that happy all the time because seeing him like that made her equally as happy. She got the same flutters and flips in her chest at every affection they shared and it was weird but in the very best way. She chuckled softly at how he seemed to have to come back down to earth after their kiss, her tail wagging happily behind her. It was so much fun breaking him like that.
Her presence in his life and more kisses certainly didn't feel like a big enough birthday gift or thank you for everything he had done for her, but if that's what he really wanted then she was more than happy to oblige. "You can always have as many kisses as you want," she promised him with a giggle, her cheeks hurting from smiling so wide. She leaned in to press her lips to his again, feeling that now familiar flutter and jump from her heart at the feeling. Her eyes slid closed with a happy hum, letting one affectionate kiss lead to another, feeling a pleasant warmth fill her and made it almost feel like tingles were moving around on her skin. She grinned a little as she broke their kiss, though her lips didn't really move away from his. "I love kissing you," she admitted softly, her turquoise eyes gleaming with happiness and love.
05-24-2021, 06:39 PM
Artorias' tail began to wag faster against the stone floor and his grin grew on his lips when Briar told him he could have as many kisses as he wanted. He almost said he wanted all of her kisses and would have been content to stay up on the roof of the tower all day kissing his lovely princess, but Briar beat him to the punch by pressing her lips to his again. Soft murrs of delight came from the adolescent wolf while he kissed her softly back, amber eyes hiding behind black eyelids while he gave himself up entirely to her affections. His heart jumped around in his chest again, beating so fast it almost hurt.
One kiss led into another, then another, and the next thing he knew Artorias felt heat rising within him, like a fire was starting somewhere within his core. Low grumbles that sounded like soft growls of euphoria rumbled deep in the boy's chest as the fire grew, singing every part of him, but some parts more than others. It was driving, making him feel the urge to reach out and touch Briar, to hold her close to him, so close they would never separate, and not let her go.
Briar broke their kiss before the fire consumed him entirely, Artorias swallowed a short gasp of breath into his lungs. Amber eyes blinked open, finding Briar's turquoise ones and giving her a little grin back. Their muzzles were so close he could feel her breath against his lips, so tantalizingly close. He chuckled low in his throat, amber burning with a happy, loving, possessive desire. "I love kissing you," he remarked, then added, "Nobody said you had to stop, y'know."
Artorias was the one to close the distance between their mouths this time, kissing her again, letting some of the fire in him slip out into their kiss, bringing a paw up to wrap around Briar's side and slide her body closer until he felt her chest meet his. It still didn't feel close enough, but it would have to be. What else could he do? His paw gripped at the fur on her lower back, holding her tight to him, protective and possessive. Those low growls returned, and as he enjoyed the moment with his Briar, he let himself get lost in the sensations she brought to him.
05-25-2021, 10:46 AM
The soft grumbles and growls their kisses pulled from him and the way he looked at her when their muzzles separated made her heart skip a beat and made that confusing but pleasant warmth and tingling even more noticeable. She couldn't really explain why she liked all of the things he did and the sounds he made or why this heart pounding fire was so addicting, but she couldn't deny that she loved all of it. She chuckled when he mentioned how she didn't have to stop, the sound getting cut off with a pleased murr when he kissed her again with even more passion. She felt his paw slip around her side and there was not a single bit of resistance when he pulled her tight to him. She brought her own paws up around his neck to hold herself closer to him as well as they kissed, feeling as if her heart might just beat right out of her chest.
Her whole body felt hot and anywhere they touched seemed to be the source of it, her skin tingling where ever their fur mingled together and where his paw gripped at the fur on her back. It felt like the kisses should be putting out that fire, fulfilling this desire that she didn't really understand, but they didn't. If anything they just made the fire hotter. She wanted to get closer to him, but there wasn't a way for her to get any closer than she already was. Their chests were already pressed together, their lips pressing to each others, their paws holding them tight together. She loved how tight he held her, that protective, possessiveness he had showed for her time and time again showing clearly in that embrace. Her own possessive nature was just as present in the tight grip she held on his scruff.
That warmth and fire kept getting hotter and hotter till she thought it might burn her up, making her cling to him tighter and press into their kiss more until out of reflex her feline claws flexed against his skin. She didn't realize it until she felt the sharp claws cut into his scruff and she pulled away with a gasp, quickly releasing his scruff and leaning back a bit with her ears folded back guiltily. She was panting from their kisses, but she still gave him an apologetic look, pulling one of her paws away from his neck to look at it. There was little spots of blood all along the edge of her tawny paw and she whined with guilt. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she managed breathlessly between breaths, worrying that she hurt him.
05-26-2021, 02:09 PM
Briar's paws winding around his neck to pull her body closer to his drew more pleased grumbles from Artorias, crushing his lips with a heated need to hers while the paw around her back tightened just enough to keep her held to him like that. Her soft fur brushed against his skin while their coats mingled in the closeness of the embrace, not a single inch of space between their bodies from chest to torso. His heart was hammering against his chest and he swore he could feel Briar's racing as well. He loved the way she flexed her digits against his scruff, literally clinging to him like a life preserver in a roiling sea. Burning electricity jumped through every nerve in his body, and his tail beat fervently against the floor. He never wanted to let go of Briar, never stop kissing her—in fact, he wanted to kiss her everywhere. Her lips, her face, her head, her neck, her chest, every single part of her. The burning urgency made the boy want to touch and love every part of Briar, from ears to tail, and everything in between. He wanted to coax more of those needy, breathy whines and cries from her and feel her paws gripping direly to him. He just wanted Briar, more and more and more.
But as he lost himself in the fire again, Artorias was roughly pulled back to reality when he felt sharpness dig into the back of his neck, the sting of pain sending shivers down his spine that was quickly swallowed up the by all-consuming fire. Their lips broke with a low growl in response to the bite of her claws in his scruff, not even hearing Briar's gasp of shock. A tremor ran through him, his fur bristling from the strange sense of delight that had come with her claws. It short-circuited his brain momentarily, and once he blinked through heavy, hazy eyes, he fixed Briar with a crooked smile. "It's okay, I'm fine," he replied, his voice husky with his heavier breathing. "I barely felt anything." And what he did feel hadn't felt bad, per se, but he wasn't going to say that out loud, not when he didn't understand anything he was feeling.
Artorias brought a paw up to the back of his neck, feeling where she had cut him, and examining the thin trails of blood on his pads. It was nothing, the injury barely there, and even the bleeding was already beginning to stop. "See? I'm fine," he said with an amused chuckle. "Lost control of yourself for a moment there, huh? My kissing too good for you, princess?" He gave her a teasing grin, leaning forward to boop his nose against hers and try to lighten her mood again. He loved knowing he could put Briar out of control like that to the point where she couldn't even control how hard she was holding onto him. It was an unusual sense of dominance that made those burning tingles return in force. Maybe someday he'd figure out why she was making him feel like that. Was she feeling them too?
05-28-2021, 10:25 PM
She blinked with surprise when he didn't really seem to register that she had hurt him. Actually, it looked like maybe he liked it - or at least that's what she assumed the tremor that went through him and the bristling of his fur meant. That at least relieved some of her guilt, but it confused her too. She did manage to return his grin, but her ears were still folded back with guilt. Even if he kind of enjoyed it for whatever reason and he barely felt it she had still hurt him and that made her feel bad. One of the first lessons she was taught by her parents was to not use her claws or antlers on any friends or family and she certainly hadn't meant to, but whatever that emotion and feeling that he was giving her was really overwhelming and short circuited her.
Briar watched him feel around on the back of his neck and then insist that he was fine and she sighed softly with relief as she gave him a bashful grin. He summed it up best when he teased her about losing control to his kisses. She chuckled as well as he booped his nose against hers, giving his nose a lick in response. "They are really good kisses," she agreed with a grin. Considering she was normally so put together and careful with her actions and behavior it really put her off guard to know that he could affect her like that, but it was really nothing new. He was the exception to the rule in so many parts of her life. At every turn he was bringing out new and different sides of herself and shaking off more and more of that "perfectness" that she had tried to have. She didn't think that was a bad thing though. He was making her better and she just felt herself getting more comfortable with him the longer they were together.
Despite all that, she didn't really want to risk getting overwhelmed again right away - especially since she didn't know what this hot, fiery feeling was that he kept bringing to life in her gut with every kiss. She gave him one more parting kiss before she gently slipped away from his embrace enough to get to her paws. She didn't go far though, still sticking close to him and finding her way to his side. "Come on, lets go get something to eat," she insisted with a nod toward the trap door that would lead them back down into the castle. She smirked a little and kissed his cheek, adding, "We can have some more kisses later when we're snuggling." She didn't want him to think she didn't want more kisses because she very much did, but perhaps after they cooled off a bit first.
05-28-2021, 11:43 PM
Artorias' grin widened with a smug sense of satisfaction when Briar agreed that his kisses were really good. "Why thank you, Princess," he said with a proud puff of his chest for theatrics. Of course, the same could be said for all of her kisses too. She had been the one to ignite the fire in both of them in the first place that fateful stormy night. Ever since then, that fire had never gone away. It might have simmered down to smoldering embers, but it never ever died. One look at Briar, one moment gazing into those turquoise eyes, one touch of her fur on his or taste of her lips against his and the fire came back in a fierce blaze. He couldn't explain it; he didn't understand it. All he knew was that it was the way things were. Maybe he'd be able to find the answers somewhere, but for now, the mystery would remain.
Before he could give himself up to more of the kisses and the fire, Briar was getting to her paws with one last kiss and moving to his side, mentioning getting some food and tempting him with the promise of more kisses when they were snuggling that night. Artorias gave a dramatic groan and rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same and god to his paws as well. "All right, all right, I can't rightly let my guest go hungry," he said, walking with her over to the trapdoor while returning the kiss to her cheek. "I will definitely be holding you to those kisses later though." He shot her a playful grin and nudged her shoulder with his as he started for the door, glancing down at the silver bangle around her ankle. His heart swelled to know she loved it, and the brilliant white metal shone beautifully against her fur. Artorias led the way down the stairs, feeling a giddy energy in his every step and the smile never faltering from his face.