Passing through the groves of aspen trees, Artorias led the way from Hallowed lands into the eastern woods with Bowen by his side. Now that they had both shared their secret feelings for one another, she had become a steady staple in his life once more, something Artorias was exceedingly happy for. Her avoiding him had broken his heart, but now it felt stronger than ever, thanks in no small part to the night they'd spent together. That had been a couple of days ago, and with each day that passed, Artorias felt himself getting stronger and more like his old self again. Part of his recovery plan from Gwyn had been incorporating gradually increasing amounts of physical exercise to make sure his body could handle it. Thanks to Bowen and Briar, he had no shortage of physical activity, but he supposed a walk around the neighboring territories would do him good too.

He'd chosen to walk through the eastern woods for a specific purpose, though he kept it a surprise from his sister. Corbin had told him about the large pumpkin patch he'd found while scouting and what better way to prepare for the upcoming winter feast than with some of the ripe gourds? Artorias pulled a cart along with them as they walked through the woods together. Artorias would occasionally steal small kisses and affections from his sister, giving her the constant touch she craved. Little gestures, like a nuzzle behind the ear, a brush of his tail against hers or her hip, small things to help her.

"Thanks for coming with me, Bo. It's not much further now," he said with a flash of his teeth in a wide smile to her. Crossing a shallow part of the streams that cut through the aspen woods, Artorias led the way out of the trees to a wide valley separating the forest from the shore. He came to a halt and gazed in shock at the sight before him. When Corbin had said "a large pumpkin patch", he hadn't expected this! The valley was almost entirely engulfed in pumpkins of various sizes, shapes, and colors! Thick verdant vines grew across the fertile ground and along the valley slopes, each with hefty pumpkins attached. There had to be hundreds of the gourds growing wild out here! "Oh, wow! I was not expecting this!"

"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.
____________________

With both of them having been honest with their feelings for one another, it was exponentially easier to be around Artorias. They didn't have to hide their affections. They didn't have to stop themselves from touching one another or giving those long stares of longing. Things were more than comfortable between the siblings now and it was incredibly relieving. Bowen didn't know how much longer she could have stayed in the castle with the rift growing between herself and her big, black and blue sibling. They had talked it out. They had fucked it out. Now things were better than fine.

When Bo wasn't spending time with Haiku, she was spending time with Art. Her brother was healing from his wounds and was getting stronger by the day. Gwyn encouraged him to get out and about to rebuild his stamina and when he invited her out on an excursion, Bowen was more than happy to accompany him. Both of them knew what alone time meant and if Art didn't, he very well should have. Especially with as much as he was touching her while they walked. It was a slow burn. A slow build. Eventually though, her resolve would break. Having taken that leap in their relationship, the anxiety behind her libido was no longer present. She knew that if she needed him, Artorias would oblige.

Artorias thanked her for coming with him and the lecherous fae shot him a searing emerald glance. "Oh, I haven't come with you yet," she purred, her voice filled with warm promise of things to come. Then she stepped away from him and moved across the small stream, coming to the edge where she too looked out over the pumpkin filled valley. Bowen's viridian eyes widened and her maw parted in surprise. Art came to stand beside her and the young lady gave a little wiggle of excitement. She couldn't believe her eyes!

One of Bowen's fondest memories of her mother was the time that they harvested pumpkins together. Resin had loved pumpkins and it was one of the few times that Bo remembered seeing her stoic mother smile. Because of the fond memory, Bowen also inherited a love of pumpkins. They returned her to a time lost and brought a childlike giddiness to the girl. With a happy little squeal, Bowen raced down the hillside and into the sea of orange, green and white.

"Bowen"

The look Bowen turned his way sent a scorching heat through his veins, catching him by surprise, but it was a welcome one! Her purred words contained her thinly veiled promise of what she had in mind for them, drawing a sly grin across the young brute's muzzle. Their relationship was still fresh, and with any new relationship, there was that intense passion that never seemed to go away. He knew Bowen's condition would amplify their lusting for one another, but in his heart, Artorias hoped this passion between them never faded. It could be bolstered with moments of love, tender affections, and times of simple happy existence together, but never losing that fire.

Bowen's response to the pumpkin-filled valley was downright adorable and her beaming smile was infectious. Artorias found himself grinning ear to ear while he watched his little sister literally vibrating beside him, her body wiggling with excitement at their discovery. He had known of their mother's love for pumpkins, since they'd tried to plant some around the castle before her passing, but he had no idea it carried on to Bowen as well. The extended winter had prevented their first crop from yielding any fruits, but this time Artorias was determined to bring some of the gourds back and start anew. He and Bowen could grow a garden in honor of their mother, and she could have ownership of her own little pumpkin patch.

While Bowen raced down the slope into the valley, Artorias followed more leisurely to keep the cart from toppling over. It also gave him the added benefit of getting to watch his sister's shapely rump bouncing off ahead with every sprinting step she took. He couldn't help it; Bowen was beautiful and Artorias loved her. He guided the cart down to a level patch of earth, he unstrapped himself from the harness and began meandering through the sea of brightly colored pumpkins, looking between the various shapes and sizes, the oranges and greens and whites as far as the eye could see! "Look at all of these! There must be hundreds," he remarked in awe, wandering around thick vines to try and follow Bowen, who was much more nimble thanks to her smaller, slender frame. "Oh, surprise! This was the reason I wanted to bring you out here. I thought we could take some of these back with us, maybe start our own little garden where you can have pumpkins all year round."

Artorias smiled at Bowen, absolutely adoring this youthful side of her showing through. For a brief moment, he was transported back in time. Her girly giggle rang in his ears, and suddenly he was looking at the tiny puppy he'd followed through the willow trees in search of treasure. Digging up the glass orb, crafting a makeshift travois to drag it back to their familial den at the falls... He wondered if he should take Bowen back to the falls one day. Make a trip of it. Have a picnic at the top of the falls, watch the sunset, take a dip in the hot springs, count the stars, make love by moonlight... Artorias blinked his eyes and he was back in the present with Bowen, no longer looking back on memories nor forward to future plans. What mattered most was his time with Bowen, here and now.

"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.
____________________

Bowen raced through the sea of multicolored globes. There was such joy in her heart that she couldn't help but smile as she moved.  Pumpkins! Everywhere! As Artorias came up behind her, Bowen turned to catch his words. He wanted to take some back to the castle so that they could start their own pumpkin patch. Again Bo gave a little wiggle as her copper tinted tail lashed from side to side. Their very own pumpkins. It would be a fitting memorial to their mother, she thought. Bo was intent on making the pumpkin patch in the are where they had buried Resin. Twice.

Turning, the young fae moved forward towards her brother and nuzzled into his chest, emerald eyes closing with the action. He'd brought her all this way just to make her happy. Just another way that he showed how much he loved her. Again, Bo wondered if they would have been like this if she'd been here the whole time. Had they gone through the ups and downs of growing up together, would they have cared about one another as much? She liked to think that they would still have been this close. Too close by some standards, but never close enough for the affectionate fae.

Reaching up, Bowen extended her slender neck kissing her brother's blue chin before placing a soft kiss upon his lips. "Thanks for thinking of me, Art. I needed this." It was nice to get out and away. This little adventure of theirs was a nice distraction from the tumultuous thoughts and emotions that ran rampant through her mind on a daily basis. Here, with him, in this place full of round treasures, Bowen was happy.

Peeling herself away, Bo moved back through the pumpkins, moving at a slower pace this time. "Which ones do you think we should take back? A few of each?" She didn't know how much weight he could comfortably haul at the moment. They could choose several smaller pumpkins and he might be okay. If he wasn't, then the pumpkins would stay. The health and safety of Artorias was more important than some silly gourds.

"Bowen"

If the way her body was wiggling like the might explode from excitement and her tail whipping back and forth were any indicators that he'd done well bringing her here, Artorias must have done a very good job! Her smile made his heart take flight, her viridescent eyes shimmering with joy and making them shine brighter than the gemstones they took after. The smile on his face grew wider while he simply enjoyed her happiness, taking in his sweet sister's presence in his life once more. It was far more than he ever could have asked or hoped for. This was his way of showing her that he still knew her, that no matter what life had done to her or how fate and circumstance had changed her, she was still his Bowen. It was also a little way to help her make home feel like home again. She'd confided in him her longing for the sea and life of adventure, and though he couldn't give her a ship, he could give her the adventure and the travel, and still build her a home where she was welcomed, accepted, loved. So long as he lived and breathed, Bowen would always have a home with him.

His idle musings were cut short when Bo turned back towards him, coming up to him until she could nuzzle his chest. He smiled with such love down at the young fae and dipped his head to nuzzle across her cream and caramel-furred crown gently, going to place a gentle kiss between her ears. His heart began to beat steadily faster and stronger; they'd shared nuzzles and cuddles before in the past, but never with this degree of closeness in their relationship. Artorias' mind constantly wondered what they would be like if she hadn't been taken, if they'd grown up together and spent their days with one another. He also liked to believe that they would have discovered this love together naturally, perhaps more gradually over time than in the flurry of emotions their reunion had created, but they would have loved all the same. It was a what if he'd never have answered, but the imaginings it brought with it were fun all the same and never failed to make him smile. Either way, now he would get to enjoy his relationship with Bowen, their true feelings for one another shared and reciprocated, and their relationship would continue to bloom and grow throughout their lives.

Bowen shifted and Art felt her soft lips meet his chin, drawing his attention down to receive her tender kiss to his lips. He hummed with quiet affection, a little smile forming across his face. "Always am, Bo," he replied. There could be no denying that truth. Artorias would have done anything for Bowen just to see her smile. He didn't know a cure for her condition, nor did he know the depths of her turbulent emotions, but dammit he could do his best to make her life the best he could. Artorias felt a longing as Bowen slipped away to continue wandering through the field of pumpkins, already just wanting to hold her in his arms again. They had a task to attend to first though, as Bowen was already on top of, and Artorias followed at a leisurely gait behind her.

Amber eyes swept over the plethora of brightly colored gourds, trying to size each of them up. His body was mostly healed by now—at least active enough to keep up with Bowen's affections—but he could already hear Gwynevere's shouts if she caught him hauling a wagon full of pumpkins. That brought a wry smirk to the young brute's face. "I think a few of each is a good call. That way we'll have an assortment to pick from." He looked at some of the bigger ones, then the smaller ones. "I bet the bigger ones have more seeds, so they'd be good to start our patch with. Maybe a couple smaller ones if you'd like some in your room for decoration? Or maybe decorate the great hall with them?"

"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.
____________________

Affections were freely given and Bowen lost herself in Artorias easily. She could effortlessly give herself up to him right here and now, laying herself down amidst the various squash. The rust and fawn fae had to stop herself from giving in, however. They had business to attend to. Who knew what other plans Art had for them? She couldn't throw their whole trip away just for sex. There would be time for that afterwards. She would make sure of it.

Peeling herself from Artorias, Bowen began moving through the massive field of pumpkins. What had happened here to create so many pumpkins? It was miraculous and magical and she was so, so glad to be sharing this experience with her brother. Bo cast a look over one burnished shoulder as Art told her how many pumpkins they could take with them. She nodded and began trying to narrow down which ones they should haul back to The Hallows. There were so many choices!

Bowen's tail lashed back and forth as she considered the various pumpkins. She knew that she wanted to bring back one of the orange and white speckled ones for sure. A classic orange was a necessity. She really wanted a white and one of the dark greens. There were others that were deep blueish purple and yes, she needed one of those too. The yellow and green striped ones were pretty and what pumpkin patch would be complete without a few of the warty ones as well? Then a thought struck Bowen and she frowned, looking over her shoulder once again towards Artorias. "I didn't know that we were coming so I didn't bring a knife."

"Bowen & Artorias"

Watching Bowen wander through the pumpkin patch brought Artorias a simple sort of joy, the kind where he could see himself spending hours at a time just enjoying being with her. He was smitten, of that there was no doubt. It would be evident to any wolf that saw the way he looked at her, saw the way he smiled and the way his eyes lit up when his gaze found her. It was all far more intimate than siblings were meant to be, but Artorias could find no shame nor sin in his love for Bowen. Her return home had completed him in a way he hadn't known he'd been missing, stirred latent emotions that had been dormant and were now roused stronger than wildfire. It was amazing how much you didn't realize something was a paramount part of your life until it was gone.

Artorias followed Bowen's verdant gaze as she swept across the pumpkin patch, wondering what was going on inside her mind. Something told him she'd want one of each kind, and he was already planning return trips in the future to see what new crops would yield. There were so many different colors and variations! Traditional large orange ones, oblong ones, whites and greens, some speckled with mixed hues, some even rarer colors like blues and purples! His face turned to meet Bowen's frowning face, his own expression falling some as he tried to figure out what had stolen her smile so unwelcomely. When Bowen explained that she hadn't brought a knife, Artorias' eyes lit up and his smirk returned.

"Don't worry, big brother's got that covered." Grinning like he'd pulled a winning hand in a card game, Artorias turned and strode gracefully past the pumpkins back to the cart, reaching inside to pull out the short serrated dagger he'd found in the armory. While it was no Embershard, it would serve the purpose of cutting the pumpkins free of their vines and allow their dreams of becoming gourd farmers to be a reality. He walked back up to Bowen, smiling proudly while he sat and set the knife down on the ground by Bowen's paws, then nudged it toward her. "You cut, I'll gather," he said, tri-colored tail wagging gently behind him while he awaited Bowen to cut free the pumpkins her heart desired.

"Bowen & Artorias"

Sadness soon gave way to delight as Artorias skirted away from her, returning moments later with a dagger that he placed at her paws. Big brother did have it covered. Molten heat swirled through Bowen's core and soon, the knife wouldn't be the only thing that was covered. With one paw on the hilt of the knife, Bowen stepped forward, raising her muzzle so her lips could meet those of the black, blue and silver wolf. She wasn't shy about her kisses and soon her lips nudged his apart so that their mouths could feed upon one another. Bowen stepped into Artorias, one delicate paw raising to rest upon his chest just over his heart which she felt beating strongly through the pale, pink pads. Nothing felt more right than this. The two of them together. Lovers. This was how they were supposed to be.

If Bowen didn't stop herself, she was going to consume him right now. The volcanic heat of her lust would devour him whole and they would become slaves to one another for who knew how long? There were things that needed to be done first. The girl's ivory paw pressed against Art's chest and she pushed herself back, breaking their kiss. She swiped her tongue across his lower lip and took a step back. "You did have it covered and maybe later... you'll cover me." The girls heat filled gaze met that of her brother before she turned and moved back towards the giant field of gourds.

As she strolled along, Bowen sliced through the thick pumpkin vines, making her selections. There were so many different colors and textures that she wouldn't be able to bring back everything that she wanted, but she would be able to bring back a lot. She supposed that just meant that they would have to make a return trip at some point. More sibling bonding time, right?

The bumpy looking gourds had particularly strong, thick vines. Bowen needed one for her collection, so she worked hard to cut through the living chain that held the pumpkin in place. As she sawed through, the knife slipped and sliced into one soft, blush colored paw pad. Bowen released an involuntary hiss of alarm and turned her paw over to watch the blood well up from one digit and quickly trickle down the side. Gods, she really was useless sometimes...

"Bowen & Artorias"

Artorias smiled when he saw the glee light up Bowen's features when he presented her with the knife. Even if it was just a small gesture like letting her take home some pumpkins, anything he could do to bring that smile that warmed his heart back to her beautiful face was worth whatever it took. What he hadn't been expecting though was Bowen to thank him with a gesture all her own, humming with surprise when she brought her lips up to capture his. The big brute melted easily into their kiss, equally as bold with his kisses and eagerly parted his lips until he tasted her tongue against his own, sampling her flavor that had become a welcome and familiar one on his palate. He would never stop loving the sweet feminine taste of her, so very distinctly Bowen. When she came closer and placed her paw over his beating heart, he lifted a thick foreleg to drape across her back, keeping her small, svelte body close to his so he could feel her soft fur glide between his pads. There could be no doubt that this was how the two were meant to be; more than siblings, lovers of the deepest and truest kind.

Bowen's physical affections had near immediate effects on Artorias, feeling the tightening in his core and the endless heat in his belly flaring to life. If either of them didn't stop soon, he didn't know if he'd be able to keep from bending Bowen over one of the pumpkins and giving them both the satisfaction they craved from one another. Fortunately Bowen had more presence of mind than he did at the moment and pushed back to break their kiss, the dark-furred brute taking a soft gasp of air just as Bowen's pink tongue slid over his lower lip, making him tremble for her. Did she know he had something of an oral fixation, or was she just that damned good at turning him on? Bowen's suggestion of what he might be able to do to her later drew a wolfish grin from her big brother, meeting her heated gaze with a fire in his own before he released her to go about the task at hand. Oh yes, he'd be covering her later, of that he was certain.

While Bowen made her selection of pumpkins and cut them from their vines, Artorias grabbed the wagon and followed behind her, scooping up each one and setting them carefully inside. He could see the amount of care and deliberation Bowen was putting into her inspections, and he almost wanted to tell her that they could come back to get more pumpkins whenever she wanted, but the way her muzzle scrunched up while she was scrutinizing each gourd was just too damn adorable to ruin. So Art simple smiled and watched her while trying to keep from giggling at how cute Bowen was. One by one they began to fill the cart until they came to one of the bigger bumpy pumpkins with a thick vine. Artorias watched Bowen saw away at the vine, then saw her recoil with a start and a hiss of pain and his heart leapt up into his throat.

Rushing up to her side, Artorias saw the rivulet of blood spilling down her soft pink paw pad where the knife had cut her. "Here, let me see." He reached out a gentle paw to take hers in his, bringing her wounded pad closer to inspect the damage. The blade had been sharp, but thankfully the cut didn't seem very deep. Bowing his head to bring his muzzle to her paw, Artorias ran his tongue slowly across her paw pad, cleaning away the coppery tasting blood so he could see the wound better. His licks were slow, careful to not hurt her while he tried to soothe the flow of blood, his tongue gliding over and around her paw pad until he's cleaned the ivory and russet fur around her toe.

The bleeding had slowed some, but continued to flow, so Artorias reached toward the vine at their feet and pulled one of the leaves from it, beginning wrap it like a makeshift bandage around her digit, using gentle pressure to keep the wound closed. It was a basic triage trick he'd learned from Gwynevere when they were pups. "I think you'll live," he said with a sarcastic smirk, hoping his bad humor would lighten Bowen up. Bowen was a tough seafaring pirate, so he knew a cut like this wouldn't faze her, and likewise he didn't want to demean her by treating her like a baby.

"Bowen & Artorias"