Avantika didn't want to bother anyone with her worries. That would be exactly the opposite of what she wanted. It wouldn't make sense at all to burden her pack with her fears that she was a burden to the pack. But she still wanted a solution. She wanted more work to throw herself into. Good, important work preferably, but she'd do busy-work if that was what was needed. Just please, something different! She had too much time to think on her long patrols. And it was always the same nothing that made every second feeling like a ticking clock on her time in this world. Eventually, she worked up the nerve to ask for help and howled for Artorias, a little bit away from the castle. She didn't know where he was, but she thought he was home. When he arrived, she'd ask him if he had a moment to talk. Simple. Easy. She just hoped that neither of them would be wasting their time. "Speech"

Learning to take the reins from Ulric was a full time job in and of itself. The young heir now turned de facto alpha had a lot of adjusting to to, but thankfully Ulric would help him in the next couple of seasons adjust to what it meant to be the Aegis of the Hallows. Between his new leadership role, his injuries and defeat at the paws of Oxx, and the emotional rollercoaster of having Bowen home and Rudyard's recovery from a coma, Artorias had a lot to inherit in his new administration. None of it was more important than his family, however. If he wasn't spending time with one of his siblings, he was busying himself doing something around the castle in preparations for the feast, or taking excursions with Bowen to help build his strength back up. Recovery was steady, and already Artorias was beginning to look more like his former self—save for a set of new scars on the back of his neck.

Artorias was moving some supplies around the armory for Ezra and Avantika. He was planning on talking to the two Templars about things he wished to be done around the pack when a call from his sister in question rang out for him. Artorias perked his head up and set aside the armors he'd pulled from storage to clean up, making his way out of the castle and leisurely across the open fields to where Tika had called for him. He hadn't seen his sister much since he'd been in the Armada training, and when he returned to find the calamity within his family, so it would be nice to reconnect with his littler sister.

He spotted her just beyond the castle walls, not too far from the bastion. Approaching with a warm smile on his face, Artorias would go to greet his sister with an affectionate nuzzle before resting back on his haunches in the warm sun and cool coastal breeze. "Hello, Templar! You called for me?" He gave her a little teasing smirk, already so proud of his sister for achieving such a high rank in the pack all on her own merit.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "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.
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It didn't take long for Artorias to meet her, coming from the direction of the castle with a smile on his face. It had always seemed like the blue boy was older than he actually was, and Avantika was aware of that tendency now. He had none of the anxiousness that she always did. That was why he was in training to be Aegis, and she was here. She couldn't help but smile a little wider when he called her by her title. She was proud of her rank. Whether she thought that she really deserved it or not was a question that she had worried over regularly, but regardless. "Aegis," she said, with a mock bow and a playful grin. She was proud of him, too. Her envy sometimes clouded that. Not that she really wanted to lead--it actually terrified her--but his standing in the pack, the way it seemed like he could do no wrong. She was envious of the reasons behind his rank. Now to get to the point. "If you have a moment, I was wondering, uh--" why was she so nervous? "--if I could get some more duties in the pack? I've been feeling a little--" useless "--bored, lately." There was an undercurrent of the deeper insecurities running under her words. Maybe Art would pick up on it. "Speech"

Artorias chuckled and rolled his eyes when Tika teased him with a mock bow. He hated when wolves treated him like he was superior just because he had a title of prestige, and even though it was done in jest, it reminded him of yet another thing he'd have to deal with for however long his reign was. She asked if he had a moment and got straight to the point. He appreciated that about his sister: she was never one to beat around the bush. Her request didn't exactly surprise him, especially not coming from her. Avantika had always put in so much effort to get to where she was, as if she had something to prove to herself. Her work ethic was admirable, but sometimes it did make Artorias wonder just what kept such a fire lit under her tail. He never saw her stop, never take breaks or time to herself. Even the most dedicated professionals needed respite before they burned themselves out.

Pursing his lips, Artorias nodded while he mulled over Tika's request for more duties around the pack. After a moment, he gave her an easy smile and motioned with a flick of his head. "Come, walk with me." He got back to his paws, waiting for Tika to join him before he started a slow pace around the western perimeter of the castle, walking the plains between their home and the sea. The salty breeze rippled through his coat, bringing a smile to the young man. He loved their home.

"Your feelings align with my ambitions, Tika. You and I both think more can be done," he began, looking back and forth between the high stone walls of the Carpathian castle and the rolling waves of the western sea. "I have plans for things I'd like restructured around the Hallows once I fully take over in the summer, but until then I think you can definitely be of more help. I'd like to have our Knights more ready and prepared to defend our home, just in case. I'd like you and Ezra to lead this training, as our Templars. Get our Knights more skilled, and finish rounding out your training as well." It was no secret that Artorias had noticed the lax nature of some of their pack mates. Peace was nice, but to have peace you had to prepare for war. The Hallows would never go into combat with another pack, but he knew the world wasn't a kind place. They would need to defend themselves should the need arise.

He stopped walking after a few moments, turning to look at Tika with a softened expression and concern in his amber eyes. "You're probably the only wolf I know who's come asking for more duties and responsibilities," he said with a chuckle. "You're one of the most hard-working members of our pack. How do you keep yourself so motivated, Tika?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "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.
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Artorias nodded and looked to be considering her request for a moment before asking her to walk with him. She followed, walking at his side. Finally, he began. Avantika considered the prospect of training the Knights alongside Ezra. She figured that it wouldn't be awful, even though she preferred solitary work. She could teach, sure. Anyway, she wasn't going to say no, whatever Art told her to do. That would be picky and awkward. After, he described her as "one of the most hard-working members of the pack" and asked how she kept herself so motivated. The compliment felt hollow. She had to work hard. She'd long since decided that she owed it to her pack to be the best. She hesitated before answering. Should she lie? Make up some little joking lie to keep him from worrying? Or worse, thinking of her as weak? But this was Art. She could trust him. "I'm scared." she said in a low voice, glancing around to make sure no one else was around to hear. "The Hallows saved my life and gave me a chance to rise into the wolf I want to be. I owe everything I have to the pack, and..." She hesitated again. "I'm scared I don't deserve what I've gotten." "Speech"

The hesitation and nervousness was clear as day on the face of his sister, but where it was coming from, he couldn't be sure. Artorias' brow furrowed when Avantika began to explain herself. She was scared? What did she have to be scared of? He fortunately didn't have to ask the question, because she provided the answer to him right away. He listened with quiet contemplation as she explained her feelings of feeling undeserving or unworthy of her place in the Hallows. The hesitation in her voice showed Artorias that she was speaking true and serious. His lips turned down into a sad frown. He didn't like hearing that anyone in the pack felt like they were undeserving of their place in his home, least not of all his own sibling.

Giving her a little crooked smile of empathy, Artorias shifted a little closer to aim to offer her a reassuring nuzzle to the cheek. He was thankful that she trusted him enough to open up to him about her feelings. The least he could do is make sure she felt acknowledged. "I had no idea you were feeling this way, Tika. Thank you for telling me." Art leaned back again to gesture to the castle behind her, then to the calm and peaceful lands surrounding them. "Look around. All of this... this peace that we know, it's all because of the hard work we put into keeping the lands safe and sacred. That's your hard work too. You worked hard to help us get established here when we moved in a year ago. You fought valiantly against Ashen in our practice raid. You helped bring down a mammoth during the long winter so we wouldn't starve. You fought against the saber cat attack. You suffered through the loss of our mother with us." He tipped his nose down just a bit so he could meet her nervous gaze with a loving warmth in his own fiery eyes. "I think the only wolf here who doesn't think you deserve what you have is you, Tika. Because from where I'm sitting, you've shown everyone that you're not just a hardworking member of the Hallows, you're a critical piece of it."

He hoped that Avantika might begin to see herself just a little bit differently once he'd laid out all of her accomplishments over the past year alone. There was no doubt in his mind that Tika had more than earned her keep here in the Hallows. She deserved to wear the Carpathius family name with pride. If only she could see herself the way he saw her. But that didn't make her feelings any less valid, and if Tika wanted something to make her feel more useful or less bored, he would be happy to oblige. "I'll tell you what, even with all of your achievements, if you'd like to do some extra work around the pack, I'd be happy to have your assistance. Are there any special tasks a Templar like yourself would like? Any special projects or ideas you've had? You have your Aegis' undivided attention."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "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.
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Artorias thanked her for telling him about her worries. He then gestured to the castle and the lands around them, telling her that her hard work had been part of the reason that it was all so peaceful and safe. He listed off some of the things she'd done, and her eyes started to prickle. She had never seen any of it as valiant or noble or even particularly special--just her doing what she had to do, what every other wolf should do. But the way he said it, maybe she was wrong. '...from where I'm sitting, you've shown everyone that you're not just a hardworking member of the Hallows, you're a critical piece of it.' His words reached in and curled up around her heart, surrounding her with warmth and love. Maybe it was okay to be comfortable right now. Maybe it wasn't a betrayal. And now she was really tearing up. She sniffed as quietly as she could. He asked her if there was anything she wanted to do. She hadn't really been thinking about anything, but maybe she could suggest something. "There's another pack on Auster now, right? Maybe we could try to make an alliance? It would be polite to say hi at least, I think." Maybe she wasn't the right one to go, but she didn't want any enemies cropping up. "Speech"

The shock on her face and the tears welling up in her eyes told Artorias everything he needed to know. His sister had been struggling with these feelings for some time and she needed validation in herself that what she was doing was worthwhile. How long had it been since she'd heard a compliment from someone in charge, he wondered? Ulric was an exceptionally busy man, did that mean he had lost touch with the other wolves of the pack? Artorias made a mental note to do his best to remain on top of that as Aegis. His wolves would never feel ostracized or unworthy. Every wolf he deigned Hallowed would know why they were among his family.

He wanted to reach out to hug Tika, but he also didn't want to feel like he was babying her or demeaning her. They were both very close to adulthood, and she could reach out to him if she desired. That was the type of leader he wanted to be: inspirational and available. To his question, Avantika mentioned the new pack that had formed across the continent on the eastern coast of Auster. Artorias hummed thoughtfully and nodded his head. Yes, he knew of Fenmyre. He'd visited briefly for the exact same reasons Tika was mentioning them now. Though his trip there and his audience with their king had turned into something far more unexpected and enlightening than he'd bargained for.

"That would be Fenmyre," he said, his voice neutral and level. "I went there not too long ago to meet with their alpha. His name is Chimera. He's a... down to earth and direct wolf. Curt, but honest." He didn't exactly like the idea of sending his sister off to go entreat with a wolf he only barely knew—especially not when he had glimpsed the world Chimera's pack catered to. He had a dark streak he liked to indulge, but Avantika...? Dammit, but how could he refuse her when all she wanted to do was be helpful? Artorias pursed his lips, considering his options for a few moments. "I think it would be a good idea to show Fenmyre that we're open to the notion of an alliance." He gave Avantika a curious glance. "How would you like to go on a little trip, Templar Tika? Bring a few bottles of our wine from the cellar as a gift. Go speak to Chimera. Drop my name, let him know that if he desires, we're open to talks of an alliance. Get a look around and a feel for the pack, then report back with what they say and what you find." It wasn't a difficult task, but it was something she had suggested, and so he would let her do what she wanted to for the Hallows.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "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.
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Artorias hummed at her question and told her that he'd visited not long ago to meet with Fenmyre's alpha, Chimera. Down-to-earth and direct sounded a bit like Resin, or maybe that was just her nervous brain latching on to any sign of safety, however faint and meaningless. Still, Art would warn her outright if anything was bad, right? She trusted his judgment. He gave his instructions, and Avantika tried to memorize them all. She wrote them down in her mind like a to-do list. Bring wine. Ask for Chimera. Drop Art's name. Talk about the alliance. And look around the pack. It was a simple enough mission, and she was sure that she'd be able to execute it proficiently. "I will," she promised, giving her brother a quick, soft nuzzle of cheek against cheek. She was nervous, but she could do it. "Speech"

Seeing how having a mission seemed to brighten up Avantika's eyes made the task he'd given her all worthwhile. He knew Chimera, while dabbling in the darker walks of life, wouldn't do anything untoward with his sister, especially not if his name was given. Artorias had formed a respectful acquaintanceship with Fenmyre's king; hopefully that would afford Tika the same degree of decorum he'd enjoyed. He did worry if Chimera would try to sell his services to the girl or not, but Tika was old enough to make her own decisions in life, and she was more than capable of handling herself. This should be an easy diplomatic mission to give her something special all to herself.

"Good," he replied, happily accepting and returning her nuzzle with one of his own. "Just remain vigilant and cautious, like mother always taught us. Keep an open mind when you're there. Remember that other packs have different cultures and laws than we do. When you return, we can discuss more responsibilities that can be given to you. Oh, and give Chimera and his queen my regards." Dipping his head to dismiss Avantika so she could return to whatever duties she had, or to prepare for her trip. It wasn't far to the other side of Auster, but depending on how long she wished to stay in Fenmyre, it could become an all day affair. Whatever his Templar chose to do, he trusted her judgment and ability to represent the Hallows to the best of her ability.

- exit Artorias -

"Artorias Carpathius" | "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.
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