Ever since her father caught them together in the barracks she had been all the more eager to get out and explore away from the pack where there was less chance of Sirius' prying eyes. Luckily, or unluckily, the issue they ran into with their storage cellar had kept him mostly occupied and distracted so it hadn't come up again, but it hadn't really dulled her irritation at her father's response to catching them. Sure, she hadn't expected him to be happy about it and she had expected to be in trouble, but the only pointedly disapprove because it was with her and not because they were both too young rubbed her the wrong way. And who was he to say that she was too young anyway? They were enjoying themselves and even Marigold had agreed that there was little to no risk since they were both not to that "mature" age when she'd be in heat so... what was the problem?

She had made an active effort to put all those thoughts to the back of her might though as she walked out of the pack lands and started out on their scouting mission of sorts. She wasn't entirely sure what they were looking for, but right now the Armada was in need of pretty much everything. More herbs, more food, more furs... Whatever they came back with it was probably going to get put to good use. Neither of them were exactly hunters, but surely between the two of them they could manage and if they happened across somewhere with some decent herbs then she still had a vague memory of basic herbs to be able to identify them. She brought Marigold along with her though just in case since the antlered fox would be able to spot the good ones much faster than she could. As they reached the dip in the earth that seemed to be packed with plants it seemed like their exploring had decided what their focus today would be. Marigold ran ahead and Briar gave Artorias a grin, leaning in to kiss him softly before she went following after her companion.

"Briar Fatalis"

Despite the chaos going on within the Armada that required everyone's attention to solve, Artorias had been happy to slip away for a little bit to spend some time alone with Briar. He had been kept occupied with helping Sirius resolve the loss of the pack's cache of supplies right before the turn of the season, not to mention the fact that he and Briar couldn't seem to get a minute alone now after her father had caught them together alone in the barracks. Despite the horrific embarrassment of that day, Briar didn't seem shaken in the least by it. In fact, she seemed incensed by her father, though Artorias did not have the courage to press her about it. If she wanted to talk about her feelings with her father, he reasoned that the independent Fatalis princess would on her own time.

Today, Briar had approached him and asked to spend the day outside the pack lands looking for supplies for the Armada, just the two of them. Naturally, Artorias could never say no to those gorgeous turquoise eyes—not that Briar really would have given him a choice anyway. If he'd said no, she would have just demanded or dragged him out of the Armada by the tail. The two of them made their way westward, skirting Ashen territories to arrive in a valley that was fully in bloom with flowers and herbs. Some small animals milled about, grazing on the fields. It was a beautiful cool autumn day, devoid of rain for once. Artorias didn't really recognize any of the plants or flowers, but he was sure Briar and Marigold would know what was a useful herb to bring back to fill the Armada stocks with. With winter fast approaching, medicines would be a valuable commodity.

As he walked down the gradually sloping earth into the valley, he watched the dark form of Marigold go running off ahead of them while the two wolves strode down through the grass. Artorias returned Briar's grin, playfully bumping his shoulder against hers while returning her kiss, the feel of her lips lightly pressing to his still leaving excited flurries in his stomach. He didn't think he'd ever lose that feeling of kissing Briar. Chuckling softly to himself, he followed closely beside her as they set to work. "So what plants are going to be useful to bring back?" he asked, his amber eyes scanning over the variety of flowers and bushes he couldn't tell apart except from color. Briar would have to be in charge and be his guide today.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

As they started making their way down into the lush valley, she started scanning the land and trying to pick out a few plants that she recognized as Artorias asked what would be helpful to have. "Anything useful for patching up wounds is always a good one with as much fighting as the Armada tends to do. With winter coming soon stuff to combat colds and fevers wouldn't be a bad idea either... Boneset, yarrow, dandelion, marigold, meadowsweet... Basically look for things with little white flowers, yellow flowers, or orange-ish flowers," she told him with a chuckle. None of those were particularly rare or special, but they were useful and that was what as really important right now. Maybe if Marigold found some more rare ones she wanted to bring home they could, but she wasn't even a hundred percent sure what some of those unusual herbs did. Sticking to the ones she did know felt like a safer bet.

"Well I never!" Briar's ears perked at the sound of Marigold's voice, turning her turquoise gaze away from a cluster of meadowsweet to look toward her companion who was storming back toward her with an utterly irritated expression on her face. Briar gave Artorias a glance and tried her best to keep the amused smirk off her lips as she turned to face Marigold. "What's going on, Marigold?" she asked curiously, glancing up with surprise when she saw another fox emerge from the thick plant life, following after the antlered vixen that was absolutely fuming.

"Briar Fatalis"

Briar's explanation of what they were looking for couldn't have been less helpful if she'd given him no instructions at all. Find flowers... where every other plant had flowers... in a place literally filled with flowering bushes. As if to emphasize that impossible task, Artorias gazed all around them, at all the various flowers of all different sizes, shades, hues, and styles, then turned back to Briar with a look on his face that read "Really?". "Nope, no flowers around here, it seems!" he said with a voice so heavy with sarcasm it practically dripped from his lips. He gave Briar a snarky smirk, then nudged her gently with his shoulder. "I'm literally going to bring you every flower if you aren't careful, Princess."

A sudden commotion caught his attention as Briar's cross fox came storming back towards them from wherever she'd run off to. Artorias raised a curious brow and tilted his head, exchanging a confused look with Briar. He hurried to follow behind his girlfriend while they went to see what was going on when another fox came bursting out from some brush, his black and silver-gray fur a stark contrast to all the greenery around them. The fox's bourbon-brown eyes were fixated on Marigold, his tiny paws carrying him swiftly towards the other vulpine. "Hey, wait! What's wrong with what... I... said..." he called after Marigold, his voice trailing off as he gazed up at the two massive wolves the other fox had retreated toward. His mouth hung open while he gazed in awe at their size. "Oh wow, wolves... Uh, please don't eat me or my lovely companion over here! We were just, uh, enjoying the day! Nice weather we're having!" He gave Artorias and Briar an awkward smile while he tried desperately to wave to Marigold to run, not having realized her affiliation with the two massive apex predators.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Marigold groaned and rolled her eyes once she realized the silvery fox was following her, calling after her and questioning what about what he said had been wrong. Briar was barely keeping the giggles that threatened to escape her as she started to piece together what was happening, realizing this fox had been chasing after Marigold for a very specific purpose. Her companion clearly didn't seem very amused by his advances though and Briar glanced toward Artorias with amusement as the male fox stopped and stared at them both with something like awe and nervousness. Marigold turned to face him, raising a brow at him as he tried to lead her away from the "threats" that were the wolves she lived with. He very clearly wasn't reading the situation clearly on any account and she sat between Briar's paws with a pointed look, the two antlered girls now looking that him, one with far more amusement than the other.

"What ever gave you the impression that I was your lovely companion?" Marigold questioned with a huff, her tail curling around over her feet. "I suggest you run along now before my friends here do decide to eat you." She gave a smug smirk that was quickly disrupted as Briar gave up the fight to hold back her giggles, laughing lightly at the whole situation. "Oh, come on, Marigold, surely whatever he said wasn't that bad, right?" She turned her turquoise gaze back up to the silvery fox with a curious tilt of her head. "What did you say that got her so flustered?"

"Briar Fatalis"

Artorias watched the scene unfold him with incredulous eyes. Marigold was being pursued by another fox, this one black and silver, who came scurrying out of the underbrush to chase after her. The little vulpine stopped as soon as he saw the two wolves, sheepishly trying to make small talk while encouraging Marigold to flee with him. Art glanced up to Briar with an equally baffled yet entertained expression, a slow grin pulling at his lips while the fox tried to talk his way out of being a meal. Marigold threatened the tod with being devoured by the larger lupines, and the silver cross fox looked positively terrified—at least, he did until Briar burst out laughing. Their "intimidating" demeanor now gone, the fox began to turn his gaze curiously between the two wolves and Marigold. They really did know each other!

Artorias reclined onto his haunches to sit and watch the show while Briar asked what the other fox had said that was so offensive. In an instant, the tod gave indignant shake of his head. "I didn't say anything to upset her!" he said, looking between Briar and Marigold. "I just made a comment about how nice she looked, that was all. I've been nothing but an upstanding gentleman from the start!" The fox sat back and crossed his paws over his chest with a harrumph, doing his best to look as insulted as possible. "You know, I think my feelings have been hurt. I think you owe me an apology, Miss Marigold." The fox gave a sneaky smirk to the antlered gold cross; that's right, he'd heard her name and now he knew that too.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Marigold's eyes narrowed at the silvery fox as he started trying to cover his own ass, insisting that all he had said was that she looked nice and that otherwise he was an upstanding gentleman. When he started talking about how his feelings had been hurt and how he deserved an apology the vixen rolled her eyes and fixed him with an unamused glare. Him grinning as if him catching her name meant he had won something just made her sigh and she gave him a sarcastic smirk in return. "He said that he wanted to spend the winter seeing what happened when silver and gold mixed and was getting quite bold with his paws - to put it lightly," Marigold said, exposing the tod for the things he had actually said and done with an offended toss of her head.

Briar smirked, but tried to keep her chuckles to herself as she eyed the two foxes. She had never seen Marigold with another fox before and it was just hilarious to her that the first fox they came across was trying to get with her. She didn't really know how old Marigold was, but she was definitely an adult and Briar wondered if she had ever had any kind of relationship or fun like that. She certainly hadn't in the year that they had been together at least. She glanced at Artorias and thought about how happy it made her to have her Blue Boy and a little part of her wanted her companion to have that too. "What's your name?" she asked the other fox curiously, ignoring Marigold's complaining for just a moment as she began to play match maker for the two vulpine.

"Briar Fatalis"

If anything, the silver cross fox looked even more amused by Marigold's clear annoyance of his playing the victim, the wry smirk on his pointed muzzle creeping into a full grin. His eyes never strayed from her while she sought shelter from between Briar's legs, but when Marigold began to tell the wolves what he had actually said, then the fox's expression dropped. His eyes went wide and ears flopped to his head as panic overtook his face. Nervous bourbon eyes looked up between Briar and Artorias as an innocuous grin replaced his cocky one and he raised his paws as if to settle them down. "Whoa, hey now! Can you blame me? I mean, yes, maybe I was a little... direct, but come on, look at her!" He gestured broadly to Marigold. "She's a fox! Er, literally! And I mean that figuratively too. She's gorgeous! Isn't that the highest form of compliment I could offer her?" He looked down to Marigold again, looking positively indignant.

Artorias couldn't help but burst out laughing now when Marigold explained what the tod had actually said to her, and how he shamelessly defended his words. The fox seemed to take notice of the wolves' positive reactions and waved a paw up to them while looking right at Marigold. "See? Even the wolves thought it was funny at least! I was just trying to make you feel pretty or make you laugh, whichever worked." The fox huffed again, then looked up to Briar when she asked his name. A roguish smile split his lips and he gave a dramatic bow to the young fae. "Argent's the name! A pleasure to make your acquaintance, fair lady wolf!" He glanced up to Artorias next. "And that of your strapping boyfriend here as well! What may a humble fox call you fine apex predators?"

Artorias lifted a blue-furred paw to his chest and replied, "I'm Artorias Carpathius." He gestured to Briar next. "This is Briar Fatalis, my girlfriend, as you accurately predicted." Argent laughed and clapped his tiny paws together. "Ah, I knew it! I could sense the young love from here! I'm something of a Casanova myself, you know." He gave Marigold a sideways grin and a wink. Again, Artorias laughed at Argent's brazen flirtatiousness and confidence. "I like this fox," he said to Briar with a wide grin and a playful gleam in his eyes. "I might not eat him after all." All in jest, of course, but Argent seemed to have a similar sense of dry humor to that of the young brute.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Marigold huffed at the laughter that came from Briar and Artorias at the two squabbling foxes, keeping the irritated, indignant look on her face even as the tod continued to justify himself by pointing out how pretty she was and using that as an excuse for why he couldn't possibly help himself. Even though her expression didn't change, her ear did flick as he insisted that he was just trying to make her feel pretty or laugh, scowling extra hard to try and cover how he was widdling away at her anger. While he was busy introducing himself to Briar and Artorias, Marigold was eyeing him up, trying to decide if he was even worth the hassle. Not that Briar would know since she was much more discreet in her dealings than her mistress was, she wasn't the prude that Briar thought she was. Sure, she probably hadn't spent the night with another fox since she came to live with Briar, but she knew her way around physical pleasure. She supposed he was attractive... but did that make up for his blabbering mouth?

Briar grinned as Argent shared his name and she dipped her head to the fox once Artorias introduced her, casting a loving glance toward her Blue Boy when he called her his girlfriend. Seeing Argent wink at Marigold as he called himself a Casanova made her giggle even harder, feeling as if Marigold might just rip his head off at any moment. She wasn't all that surprised when Artorias told her that he liked the overly confident fox. They both had much of the same flirtation and humor and she could see them fitting well together. A grin pulled across her lips as she realized that if Argent lived with Artorias then Marigold would just have to see him again as well and eventually they would all be living under one roof once they moved into the castle. "Well, you know," she began, feeling Marigold's eyes burning a hole into her, "With Corbin being your only companion I think you could definitely use another." From where Marigold sat between her front feet she felt her companion bristle and she just couldn't help the amused smirk that pulled at her lips. Turning her turquoise gaze back to Argent, she asked, "What do you say? Would you like to live with us as well?"

"Briar Fatalis"

Unbeknownst to him, Marigold was checking him out, even if Argent had made his attraction to the pretty and unique vixen very public knowledge. He was unashamed to say when he found someone attractive, and Marigold was gorgeous! His original attempt at flirting had admittedly been a bad pickup line that he would have been amazed if it worked, but when the corny line about blending their colors hadn't only failed to make her laugh but actually irritated her, then it became a game to the tod. He wanted to see just how much he could tweak her without her trying to take his head off—or other equally important parts of himself. It might have been more than a little cheeky, but the silver fox couldn't help himself. Life was too short to not enjoy yourself and have a good time!

Artorias saw the amused grin on Briar's face while Argent introduced himself, meeting her loving glance and seeing the twinkle in her turquoise eyes that meant she was up to something. He raised a curious brow, but didn't have to wait long to find out what she was scheming about. The young fae suggested that Artorias could use another companion, and both his eyes and Marigold's burning glare turned to look at Briar. The corner of his mouth pulled up in a wry grin when he realized what she was getting at, peering between the two foxed at their feet. "Hmm, that's not a bad idea," he said with an agreeing nod. Argent, who was also just now coming to understand what Briar was suggesting, was beaming with bright eyes peering up at the two wolves. "Oooh, adventures with wolves? Sign me up!" He clapped his paws together, grinning up at Artorias. "Argent, at your service, noble wolf!" he said with a flourishing bow. Then he glanced up to Marigold with an overly dramatized smile of innocence. "Well, looks like we'll be getting to spend more time together after all, Miss Marigold!"

Artorias chuckled and shook his head at the ridiculous fox, but was finding himself more and more keen to the vulpine with every passing minute. It felt like Argent was a lifelong friend he was rediscovering again, their personalities meshed so well together. "Just try not to upset Marigold too much, Argent. I'll promise you shelter and food, I can't promise no consequences from being stupid." Argent gave Artorias a nonchalant wave. "My dear Artorias, I would never dream of upsetting the lovely Marigold! Unless praises of divine beauty are considered upsetting." He turned his playful grin over to Marigold again, as if daring her to keep trying to snap back at him. He quite enjoyed their banter and the quick wits of the intelligent vixen.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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 giggled as Artorias and Argent went back and forth with one another, the two boys meshing together so easily that it seemed like they were meant to be. Fate was a funny thing, putting them in certain places at just the right time. Marigold was of course outraged at the suggestion and gave Briar a look that said she blamed her mistress entirely for the torment she was now going to have to endure. She'd never hear the end of it, she was sure, but she hoped that perhaps Marigold could come to find some redeeming qualities in the silvered fox eventually so she wouldn't be so alone all the time. Maybe Marigold didn't feel that way, but Briar would be happy if her friend had another friend or partner of sorts.

At Argent's claim that he wouldn't dream of upsetting her, Marigold rolled her eyes, fixing him with a glare. "Well, I don't know why you wouldn't dream about doing something you're so naturally good at," she quipped back with a sarcastic smirk before huffing and storming off back toward the pack lands, all her interest in searching and gathering within the gulley forgotten in her irritation at the tod. Briar giggled again and grinned, glancing at Argent to say, "Welcome to the family," before rising her her paws as well to follow after her companion and begin apologizing for irritating her so much even though she wasn't sorry she had done it in the slightest.

"Briar Fatalis"