The Warlord had given Briar the job of finding an appropriate gift from their stores for this Alpha. He might have been teasing her a little about his plan to turn the trip into a diplomatic mission, but he knew Briar itched for any experience she could get. Their plans had mostly been derailed by the coming of endless night. Now, with a sickness leaving him, he would start them again. Beginning with Art.

He waited at the border for his daughter, kissed her brow, and then led them towards Auster. He itched to rush ahead and find Io, but she had been in the Hollows for a while now. A few more hours to strengthen their relationship with Art and the Hallows would be worth it. Especially if Io had been relying on some of the good will of the Hallows.

They arrived in good time, and the Warlord nodded towards Briar, indicating for her to raise her head and howl for the Alpha.


"Speech"

It took a good bit of self control to not go rushing toward The Hallows as soon as she and her father set out for the southern pack on their trip to see the pack's new leader who also just so happened to be her boyfriend. In all reality it hadn't been all that long since she had been here while Artorias was suffering with his blindness, but it felt like it had been ages. The endless night had made the time feel like it was going by so slowly, the days creeping by as she worried about her love and if he was fairing okay while everyone around her in the Armada fell ill. She had been far too busy helping to keep the pack afloat to make another trip down here to check on him so as soon as her father offered to make the trip for their "diplomacy lessons" she jumped at the chance.

With Lia's help she had put together a small gift for the new Hallows alpha, something that she hoped felt both personal from her and her handmaiden and also would double as a show of goodwill between the two packs. She knew there was no worry of the alliance between their packs wavering as things currently stood, but her father had made a point of showing how even small gifts could go a long way. She had them wrapped in a cloth and was carrying the bundle by the knot at the top when they reached the border at the edge of the familiar Starlit Plains. Setting the bundle down in front of her, she glanced at her father and saw his nod for her to make the call and she smiled, lifting her head to sing out a howl for Artorias to come meet them.

"Briar Fatalis"

Warm sunlight glistened off the waves of the ocean, bathing the world in golden light that had been absent from their lives for far too long. The Long Night had ended and the world was once more returning to life, an apocalyptic event averted for another day. From his perch atop his castle walls, Artorias watched the light shimmer over the sea, feeling relief the likes of which he'd never known soothe his heart. The nightmare had ended. Never again would he take a sunrise for granted. Amber eyes slid closed while he basked in the sunlight, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air like new life into his lungs. Talk about a trial by fire for the young alpha... No sooner had he taken over the Hallows, then all this happened! He just prayed that the aftermath of the cataclysm wouldn't be as devastating as the night had been. The dead would have to be counted amongst all the packs, bodies buried or burned, and the remaining sickness cleansed away. His own wolves were still suffering some side effects of their conditions. There was still work to be done...

A call for him in a voice that regaled his every single dream snapped Artorias' attention up in a heartbeat. He turned in a state of shock, gazing out across the plains in the direction of the call. From overhead, Corbin fluttered down in a flurry of ebony wings. "Warlord Sirius and Princess Briar are here to see you, Master Artorias." Artorias needed no other prompting. He scrambled past his companion and raced down the stairs from the wall, hurrying across the plains to greet his guests. A wide smile split his lips when he saw Briar on the horizon beside the border with Sirius at her side. They were both okay; they had survived! His heart had been sick with worry for Briar and for all of the Armada. Seeing them here lifted his spirits and brought him peace of mind.

Approaching the Fatalis wolves, Artorias realized that his growth spurt hadn't been a figment of his imagination. The young brute now stood as tall as the Warlord and stood a few inches above Briar where he hadn't before. "Briar! Sirius! Welcome, I'm so glad to see you're both okay!" Artorias greeted them with a warm smile and immediately pulled Briar into a tight hug, nuzzling her cheek and just generally overjoyed to see her here alive and healthy. "This is a welcome surprise! What brings you to Auster?" Reluctantly, he released Briar to greet his fellow alpha with a respectful bow of his head, tail wagging happily behind him to see his godfather and girlfriend.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

Sirius blinked in surprise as Artorias approached them. His height equal to that of the Warlord, which put him just over Briar now, as well. A quick scan showed Sirius that Artorias was well and healthy. His eyes bright with health, and his steps sure. His growth spurt also seemed to indicate he had been eating enough to sustain his growth. All in all, a good outcome that boarded well for the Hallows as a whole.

The Warlord hid a grin as Art grabbed the Warlords daughter in an embrace, and gave the two a moment. When the Aegis turned to him, Sirius returned the greeting, nodding his head in respect for the other Alpha. There was, however, a hint of mischief in the Warlords eye. “Aegis of the Hallows, I presume?” he teased “this is my daughter, Briar, Princess of the Armada, and I’m Sirius, it's Warlord. We’ve come with the returning of the sun to bid you well and offer a gift and our hand in friendship…” he paused, coughing to hold back a laugh. “My daughter has brought with her a gift given in friendship and goodwill.” He indicated towards his daughter


"Speech"

Briar shifted from paw to paw as her howl ended and she waited eagerly to see Artorias, anxiously waiting to have her worries wiped away once she could finally lay eyes on him and confirm he was okay. A few moments later the familiar form of her Blue Boy appeared at the edge of the plains closest to the castle and a grin pulled across her lips, barely able to contain herself and keep herself from running to meet him. If it wasn't for her father standing there and the "diplomacy" they were here for she absolutely would, but for now she waited for Artorias to reach them with her tail wagging excitedly. As he got closer and came to greet and embrace her, she suddenly noticed how she had to look up at him slightly the same way she had to do when she was talking to her father. She hugged him tightly in return, reaching up a bit to nuzzle his cheek, but once he stepped back and she could glance between the two larger men she blinked with surprise. She had thought that he was a little taller than her last time they were together, but now he really truly was and she wondered where the extra height had suddenly come from when they were the same height for so long.

As Artorias questioned them on what they were doing in Auster her father spoke up and an amused smirk tugged at her lips as he went into a formal introduction of himself and her, putting on the full act of them coming to greet the new alpha of the pack and extending friendship between their pack and his. She could see how hard her father was struggling to keep it together and she wasn't doing much better. She barely bit back giggles at how silly it was, but she did her best to play along. She gave Artorias a polite bow of her antlered head when Sirius directed the attention toward her and the gift she had prepared, giving Artorias a smirk with amusement gleaming in her turquoise eyes. She pulled apart the knot that held the cloth tied around the gifts she brought, revealing four glass jars topped with lids to keep the contents of them contained. Her tawny paw tapped the top of each jar as she explained what was in them.

"These two are full of a delicious soup made with venison and vegetables. My handmaiden, Lia, is quite the chef." She grinned a little at that, happy to let Artorias know that their friend and servant was doing well in her own subtle way and just letting him know that Lia had a hand in her gift. "And these two are herbs and poultices for your healers. In times like these I'm sure your pack will find good use for them." She had done most of the gathering and hunting and Lia had done most of the assembling and cooking, the two of them working well together as always. She would forever be grateful for the fact that Artorias found Lia and brought her home. She tied up the bundle again so it would be easier to carry back to the castle, passing it over to Artorias with a smile, her tail wagging gently behind her.

"Briar Fatalis"

Artorias took note of the playful gleam in his godfather's eyes, and for a brief moment was perplexed by Sirius' addressing him by his title, acting as if this was their first meeting. He cocked his head to the side and raised a curious brow, but understanding quickly replaced confusion on his countenance the longer Sirius went on with his formalities. This was an "official" meeting of the Armada's Warlord and the Hallows' new Aegis to rekindle the alliance and friendship between their packs. Artorias couldn't resist the crooked grin on his face when he realized what was happening, stifling a laugh by clearing his throat and allowing Sirius and Briar to do their parts. Amber eyes shifted to Briar when Sirius directed his attention to her, again having to resist laughter when Briar followed her father's lead in their theatrics. She unveiled the gifts they brought: homemade stews and medicinal herbs, all useful things in light of the recent darker times. They were thoughtful presents, and hearing that Lia had a paw in making them lifted Artorias' heart higher knowing that their friend and her handmaiden was still well and alive.

Once they'd finished, Artorias bit his lip to withhold a snicker and tipped his head graciously to the two Fatalis wolves. Mischief flared in the young brute's fiery eyes; he was game to play along too. "Warlord Sirius and Princess Briar, I've heard tales of your family's legacy and your pack's strength. I am Artorias Carpathius, Aegis of the Hallows. You are both most welcome in Hallowed lands. It would be my pack's honor to recognize yours as friends and allies, especially after the challenges we've all faced." He gestured with an open wave of a paw for them to cross the borders into his lands. "As is the Hallows' custom, friends are received with food, drink, and shelter. Please, make yourselves at home!"

Artorias turned his gaze back to Briar, looking at her with nothing short of pure love and admiration, thanking every divine entity that existed that she had survived the apocalypse. "Princess Briar, you are as beautiful and radiant as the morning sun. You'd best keep your guard up around any boys, Warlord. Any brute would be the luckiest wolf alive to win her affections." Unable to keep from laughing anymore, Artorias snickered and welcomed his family into the Hallows, starting the leisurely walk across the plains back to the castle. They had traveled a long way and would no doubt appreciate a good meal and comfy cushion. "Come with me. We'll get you both some food and a room set up. Only the finest accommodations for the Armadan Warlord and Princess!"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

Hearing the half-held giggles in Briar's voice, and the grin on Art’s face, the Warlord was glad he had taken the road he did. After the long night, the illness, and fear. It did them all good to have a small laugh at innocent theatrics. He watched as Briar opened up the gifts, presenting The Hallows Aegis with carefully prepared food and herbs. He had left her to pick the gift, and knew it to be thoughtful. He gave his daughter a nod of approval.

When it was Artorias turn to play his hand, he didn’t disappoint. Drawing a grin from the Warlord as he spoke of hearing tales of his family's legacy. He dipped his head when the lad ‘introduced’ himself to them. “The honour is ours, Artorias Carpathius” he said as he raised his head again. He stepped over the borders as he was bid to, checking that Briar was managing okay with the gift.

At Art’s warning, he nodded his head to the other wolf. “Indeed, I was thinking I should marry her off quickly, just to be safe.” His lips pulled as he fought a grin, and he brushed past the Aegis and into the familiar territory of the Hallows. “I would like to see Iolarie before I settle, do you know where I can find her?” he asked Artorias, getting to the real reason for his trek down here.


"Speech"

In true Artorias fashion, he didn't disappoint when it came to playing up the theatrics and meeting their show of "formal diplomacy" with a show if his own. It was incredibly difficult to keep anything close to a straight face while he spoke, talking about hearing of their strength and the legacy of their family. He certainly had a flair for the dramatics when he put his mind to it. She gave a bow when he motioned for them to come into the pack, unable to keep the grin off of her lips. Picking up their gift, she walked across the border to where Artorias was standing and snuck a quick tap of her nose to his cheek, giving him a glance with amusement glittering in her eyes. Very little made her as happy as being with Artorias did and it brightened her day just seeing her and her father getting along so well. When they first got together she immediately began to worry about whether the transition of her moving to The Hallows and being with Artorias would be a smooth one, but seeing them like this helped ease her fears.

When Artorias showered her with complements and told her father how he better keep his guard up when she was around any boys that might want to win her affections, a fit of giggles nearly made her drop the gift she was carrying, only laughing harder when the Warlord responded with saying how he had thought of marrying her off early just in case. She shot them both a playful glare and leaned closer to Artorias' side, watching as her father started to move ahead of them while asking about Iolaire. She hid a little smirk behind the fabric bundle she was carrying and gave her father a wave of her paw to go on without them. She would be more than happy to keep the Aegis company while the Warlord saw to his long lost family.

"Briar Fatalis"

The humor the trio of wolves shared was a welcome reprieve to all the darkness and dread that had plagued the lives of every wolf for the last season, like a breath of fresh air after being beneath the water for too long. At his behest, Sirius entered the land, followed by Briar who collected the gifts she'd presented him with. Not one to ever give up his chivalry, Artorias went to pick up the bundle of jars—only for Briar to beat him to the punch. Despite a huff and an insistent glower, she didn't allow him to take them from her and he was forced to relent, regarding Briar with fiery eyes that shone with nothing short of pure love. Briar was headstrong, just like her father and mother, displaying those Fatalis genes in full force. Gods, how he loved her!

When Seer remarked that he had been thinking of marrying Briar off quickly, Artorias nearly choked on his own breath, ears slicking back while a flush of heat spread across his cheeks. There was no secret that the two young wolves were very much in love, but to hear the pseudo blessing given by the Warlord to have his daughter married off made Artorias' heart miss a beat. He'd long been thinking of how he would manage to convince Sirius to allow a possible union some day in the future. It sounded like maybe he wouldn't need as much convincing as the Aegis thought. As if to drive the point home, while Artorias was distracted by Sirius' remark, Briar stone up to him and snuck a tap of her nose to his cheek in a little kiss. The warmth on his cheeks intensified and Artorias leaned his neck down a smidge to brush his muzzle against the side of Briar's, walking beside her while they followed Seer into Hallowed lands.

Artorias' attention was pulled back to the other alpha when he requested to see Iolaire. The Carpathian raised a curious brow. How did Sirius know Iolaire was in the Hallows? Not keen to start prying right now when he could be spending all of his energy enjoying his time with Briar, the dark-furred brute simply nodded. "Of course! She's usually milling about the castle gardens or tinkering in the great hall. I'll get your room prepared while you catch up with her." Though Sirius wouldn't see it, Artorias noticed the smirk Briar was hiding while she leaned into his side, and he happily received her weight against his frame. Tricolored tail wagged gently behind him while he bid the Warlord do as he pleased with a dip of his head, still strolling leisurely with Briar in the direction of the castle. This was their home as much as it was his, and Seer was free to roam as he pleased. It would just give him all the more time to spend with his beloved Briar catching up after the Long Night.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"