She knew Sparrow would never let her live this down, but she also know it was the right thing to do. After taking a spin around Auster, she was headed home with one last stop: to not-apologize on behalf of her cousin for the raid and come to a better understanding of what had come to pass. Also, Theory was fairly certain no one was slaughtering infants, but it would be good to meet Artorias or other pack members again. She could reassess the pack's standing and morals with a more discerning eye. They had captured her cousin's friend, after all - but Sparrow had raided first. All of these questions of morality writhed in her stomach like she'd swallowed a dozen eels. Theo longed for a world where things were actually black and white - where you could just take someone at their word - but she knew better. The opening of the school had dazzled her silly and made her forget herself.

The grey mid-morning painted a stoic backdrop with the castle cutting an impressive outline against the horizon. What little light there was to be had today was thin and watery, breaking through the clouds where it could. It smelled wet and heavy, the loamy scent of dying leaves overtaking all. Rain was on the wind. Theo paused at the borders and called out for anyone from the Hallows who might be available to greet her.

To say Artorias was surprised to hear the familiar voice of Theory calling from his border would have been a drastic understatement. It hadn't been very long ago that the headmistress of Abaven had been visiting the Hallows to pitch her new academy idea to him with the two sharing their own thoughts and beliefs on the betterment of the world. He hadn't been expecting her to come back this far south again for some time, but he was pleased all the same! Excusing himself from Briar's side, the Aegis was grateful for a break from all the wedding planning he'd found himself drowning in, and getting to exercise some of his alpha responsibilities would be a welcome reprieve. He headed out of the castle and across the plains to the borders where Theory had called from, spotting the dark-furred lady amidst the verdant spring green of the world with ease.

Artorias approached his fellow alpha and greeted his peer with a welcoming dip of his head. "Theory! I wasn't expecting a visit from you for some time, especially not with your school officially opening, but it's a welcome surprise all the same!" Artorias chuckled and welcomed Theory into the Hallows with an open wave of his paw. "To what do we owe the pleasure? Is running the academy so stressful you need a little getaway already?" He cracked a crooked smile to the pragmatic woman, teasing her gently as he waited for her to enlighten him on what brought the sagacious alpha of Abaven back to his door.

"Artorias"

To no surprise, the youthful alpha of the Hallows answered her call. Theory mirrored his greeting and shifted from paw to paw before settling down again. It would have been easier, perhaps, to discuss this with a pack member in passing, but this would serve her just as well. "Hello, Artorias - and no, I'm not shirking responsibility just yet," she laughed. Sparrow had made her a ludicrous offer to leave all of her duties behind and join the pirate band as a Virtue, but she had to have known Theory's answer before she even opened her mouth. A polite but unequivocal no. Maybe one day, when she was grey in the face and ready to let someone else run the school in her stead, she'd scamper off (or hobble off, depending on the age she was) to become a pirate.

But that day was not today or any time soon. "I had a get together with my cousin and she clued me in on the entire, ah, raid situation. I'm just checking in to see that you and yours are well, and all captives have been relinquished?" She said, a speck of nervous laughter creeping in to her voice. "I must say, I didn't expect that to be the result of her poking around down here... but she is her own creature." Wild, crazy, willful. In some ways, Theo was green with envy at Sparrow's simple ability to "not give a fuck," as it were. She couldn't imagine stepping in to that world for one moment.

A small smirk and amused chuckle left the Aegis' lips when his fellow alpha assured him that she was, in fact, not shirking off her duties quite yet. Theory had a dry with and wicked sharp humor to her that Artorias appreciated and could relate to. Perhaps that's why he enjoyed conversation with the Abaven leader so much. That smile was short-lived, however, as the topic shifted to her infamous scoundrel of a cousin. "Did she now?" The young man gave a pensive hum and a small nod of his head. Tactful... He had to remain tactful here, though the displeasure of discussing Sparrow was apparent in his expression. Theory was not to blame for her relative's actions, after all. She was doing her best to be diplomatic, and so would he.

He smiled again when she asked about the wellbeing of his pack following the pirates' sorry attempt of a raid. "My wolves are well, thankfully. A few scrapes, but nothing serious—save this." He lifted his foreleg to show Theory the healing scar on his wrist where one of Sparrow's pirates had stabbed him. Thankfully no lasting damage had been done, but he'd forever have that mark reminding him of why trusting your gut was always a valid course of action. Theory mentioned the Hallows' taking of prisoners, to which Artorias gave another nod and a despondent sigh. "They have been, though it took far longer than I would have liked. I seized one of the pirates in an attempt to force Sparrow into negotiations. I thought she'd turn back up the following day to reclaim her wolf, but it took her several weeks before she came back for him. I must admit, I felt bad for her wolf. If one of mine were captured, I would be at that pack's doorstep ASAP to bring them back home. But she... didn't seem to care. It saddened me, really."

Artorias gestured with a wave of his paw back towards the castle. "You're welcome to come see for yourself if you'd like. We treated Artisan well. He had bedding, food, water. Honestly, it was probably far kinder than the treatment he was receiving from Sparrow, the way it seemed." The smile slowly faded from Artorias' lips once more as he regarded Theory with concerned eyes. "I know you aren't Sparrow's keeper, Theory, nor do I hold you accountable for the things she does. But if I were you, I'd be worried about being close to her. When she came back for her wolf, she showed no signs of remorse, no regret for her actions, nor for leaving Artisan for so long. She didn't seem to care at all. I doubt she has many friends, if any at all. That sort of attitude is dangerous—and I'm afraid of what might happen to those around her when she pisses off the wrong person and has to reap what she sows." When, not if. A wolf like Sparrow, continuing on the way she was, it would only be a matter of time before she fucked with someone far more powerful and much less forgiving than he was. The only question then would be who she brought down with her when she crashed and burned.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

I doubt she has many friends, if any at all. His words echoed in her head while she smiled weakly as he caught her up to the recent goings on. "That wound looks nasty, but well on its way to being a scar. Your healers are talented," she said, peering down her nose at the wound. It looked like a puncture - too large to be a tooth. She knew the pirates carried knives but she'd never faced a wolf directly who wielded weapons like that. Armor, sure - and most armor had its own spikey and threatening bits - but nothing like a blade. When he mentioned Sparrow had taken her time to come fetch Artisan, she tilted her head to the side curiously. She hadn't mentioned that, but she must not have considered it something worth telling. There must have been some other circumstance she was unaware of - right?

There was more to Sparrow than met the eye, though. Of that she was sure. "I appreciate your concern," she said earnestly. He was a kind male and he seemed to rule the Hallows justly; from what she could tell, he wore his heart openly. She liked wolves like that. "Thank you for debriefing me. While I'm on the continent, any other news to share? The school is up and running and still looking for students or teachers, if you have anyone in mind."

Artorias gave a rueful chuckle and flexed his injured foreleg some. "Well, it certainly wasn't pleasant being on the receiving end, but fortunately it got stitched up fast. Now it'll just be a good story to share around a fire." The Aegis appreciated Theory's concerns for his wellbeing and the safety of his pack, but he couldn't help but get the feeling that she was doing damage control for her cousin and the pirates. At the end of the day, Artorias wasn't vindictive like that, and he held no animosity for Theo for the unfortunate consequence of sharing blood with Sparrow. If anything, he admired the hell out of Theory for persevering in her own course, one so radically different from the pirates. It was almost amusing to consider that those two alphas were related, given how starkly different they were!

Theory thanked him for his concern and his time, and Artorias bowed his head back. It was always a pleasure to see and speak with Abaven's Headmistress. She was earnest and direct, and she wore her heart on her sleeve, concealing seldom little from what he could tell. He respected that about her. She then asked if he had more news to share, and informed him that her school had officially opened and was recruiting teachers and students alike. Artorias' eyes lit up with delight when he heard the news. "That's fantastic! Congratulations on getting another big step further in your dream, Theory!" He pondered for a moment on who he might have amongst his ranks that would be interested in a teaching or learning opportunity. "Hmm... I do have one wolf who immediately comes to mind. Her name is Audra. She's an immensely gifted healer, a talented scout and navigator, and a ray of sunshine all the time. If your school needs healing or navigation professors, I could mention it to her and see how she'd feel about lending her talents and knowledge to your school." Audra had confided in him a desire to do more, and perhaps the change of scenery would be exactly what she needed to get over the emotional detachment of Avantika.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"