She'd crossed paths with Artorias in the middle of the night and something had flared within her. A little bit of sadness, but surprisingly no jealousy. She truly liked Briar. The antlered fae was a good wolf and Bowen wouldn't dream of coming between them, but she felt as though she needed some one-on-one time with her brother. So, as they crossed in the hall, Bowen had leaned up to whisper in her brother's dark ear, asking him to join her at a place that she'd discovered. With that, she had placed a soft kiss upon his cheek and disappeared into her room.

Excusing herself from Haiku not long after, the cream and rust fae began collecting all that she needed for her little trip. She filled a bag with a thick skin, food, drink and set out in the dark towards the falls. Bowen had told Art when to meet her there and had given him more than enough time to do what he needed to to get there.

Once Bowen arrived at the falls, she found the little crevice that would lead her into the caverns. Sliding inside, she moved a ways ahead, looking at the different crystals clinging to the walls. These were drastically different than the crystals that had plagued them, and so she felt no apprehension towards them. The fae found a little alcove in the rock wall and moved into it, finding it to be the perfect place to set up. She carefully spread out the thick bison fur to cover the stone floor. After that, she arranged the meats and drinks and then curled up on the fur, tired from her walk. She would nap until Artorias arrived.

"Bowen" | "Carpathian"

Artorias was wandering the quiet half of the castle in the stillness of the night when Bowen had crossed paths with him. He'd been making sure everything was safe and sound when he saw her, regarding her with bright fire-opal eyes and a smile, and was stopped when the caramel-cream fae leaned up to him. Art leaned his head down so she could whisper her request into his ear: meet her at. secret place she'd discovered down behind the Lazuli Falls. A curious brow raised, but before he could ask any follow up questions, Bowen had planted a tender kiss on his cheek and walked off. Artorias watched her go, unable to keep his eyes from roving over her shapely hips as they swayed with her every graceful step. Since Briar had moved in, Artorias had noticed Bowen seemed a bit down and had been wanting to find a chance to carve out some time to spend with her, just the two of them. Seemed like the opportunity had taken itself.

The dire brute finished his rounds of the castle, then stopped in to let Briar know he would be taking a walk with Bowen—only to find the Fatalis princess sound asleep in bed. He didn't want to disturb her, especially after all the excitement she'd had getting settled in at the Hallows and meeting all the new wolves of the pack, so he quietly crept over to place a soft kiss on her temple, then slipped back out of the bedroom and made his way southbound out of Hallowed lands to the southern falls. He followed Bowen's scent trail along the plains and past the ridge lands until the sounds of the falls reached his ears. It was a beautiful Austerian winter night, dry from the rains for once with just enough of a chill in the air without being uncomfortably cold.

Arriving at the cascading waterfalls, the Aegis followed Bowen's scent behind the falling water and through a crevice into a hidden cavern just out of sight. As he slid through the narrow crevice in the rock, Art noticed the clear crystals jutting from the rock walls and ceiling like geodes. There was a moment of reflexive panic, the terrors of the Long Night still fresh in his memory, but these ones didn't glow, and there was a faint scent of sweetness in the air. The panic left him and he pressed on, emerging into a small cavern with a cozy alcove just above the cave floor. Bowen's scent filled the chamber, and when he peered up, fiery eyes spotted the beautiful russet fae waiting for him up above.

"You have a knack for finding secret treasures," he said with a chuckle, coming closer to hoist himself up onto the alcove with her. Once up, he realized Bowen had prepared a little picnic for the two of them. His heart did a somersault at her sweet gesture, glancing back to rich emerald eyes with a crooked smile while he approached to settle his larger body down around his slender sister, reaching his snout in to nuzzle behind a caramel-colored ear. "Are we celebrating something, or did you just want to sweep me off my paws?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Bowen's nap had been lovely. The caramel cream fae lay sprawled out on her side on the thick fur, green eyes closed, just sleeping away. The subtle scratch of claws on stone brought her eyes open, however. She didn't move, but the woman's viridian pools were open to paper thin slits. She stayed still, not knowing who or what may have entered the cave. Here she was backed into an alcove. It was only when she saw the blue of Arts face as he peered into the space that she calmed.

Once Artorias pulled himself up onto the shelf, Bowen graced him with a grin. Her tail, which seemed to be growing longer by the day, thumped once or twice on the ground in happiness. His words brought a soft chuckle from her. "That's what I'm good at," she confirmed with a nod and a wink. She was rather good at finding treasure, oddities and hidden places. All of her time on a ship with pirates and slavers had seen to that skill set.

Art settled himself behind her, nuzzling into one ear, but Bowen wanted something else. She turned deftly so that they were chest to chest. With one paw, she lifted a heavy blue foreleg and slid beneath it, forcing him to embrace her and forcing them closer together. He asked if there was some special reason for their trip and the minuscule fae gave a little noncommittal shrug. "Just feeling a little down," she admitted. Slender forelegs moved upwards to snake around the man's neck. "Plus I missed you. I missed us. Now that Briar is home, I'll see you less. Like this, anyway." The whole time she spoke to him Bowen kept eye contact, vibrant emerald eyes meeting the fire kissed orbs of her darling brother whom she loved oh so much.

Bowen had no problem with Briar. She quite liked her, actually. Having Artorias divided though... it was weighing on her. Eventually they would all find a balance, but it hadn't been reached quite yet. Nuzzling up under Arts chin, Bowen gave his throat a quick nip. Not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to shake him up a bit. The fae chuckled softly, licking the spot that she'd bitten. "Should we explore this cave or are we going to lay here all day?"

"Bowen & Artorias"

It was then Artorias' turn to give a soft laugh when Bowen winked at him and confirmed that she was indeed good at finding treasures. No sooner had he settled down on the furs, he felt Bowen twisting and turning to press her chest into his, wrapping her diminutive form up in his arms in an embrace. The dire brute instantly squeezed his tiny sister tighter in his embrace, holding her to his body as if letting her go would make her disappear. Bowen confirmed his suspicions that yes, she was feeling a little down. That broke Artorias' heart to hear his dearly loved sister was feeling sullen and Art had an idea of what was causing it. As if reading his mind, Bowen slipped her limber forelegs up around his thickly corded neck and admitted she missed him—missed them together. All the while she spoke, Artorias never turned his sunset eyes away from Bowen's captivating emerald eyes. He so easily lost himself in those verdant pools, as if everything he sought in life could be found in her gaze.

Artorias slid a large azure paw up Bowen's back to caress the side of her neck and below her jaw, gazing into her eyes with a love that knew no bounds. "You never have to miss me, Bo." While Bowen nuzzled beneath his chin, Art took the opportunity to plant a soft kiss to Bo's crown—only for the gentle affection to turn into a sharp gasp right into one of her ears when he felt a quick nip of gentle fangs against the tender skin of his throat. There was a pulse between his thighs that radiated out from his core, every muscle in his body tensing like he'd just been electrocuted, the sensations accentuated when her warm tongue lapped over the spot she'd nipped at. Then as swiftly as she'd taken his breath, Bowen switched gears and asked if he wanted to explore the caverns with her. Although the temptation to remain where they were and enjoy the solitude together was oh so great, Artorias did want to give Bowen the time and attention she deserved beyond simply fucking each other's brains out.

"Mmm you make it very tempting to lie here all night, but you did find something extraordinary here. We should take a look around for a bit at least," he replied, reluctantly peeling himself apart from his lover, but not before he gave her forehead another kiss and her ear a teasing nip of his own in return. "Besides, something tells me we're gonna end up back here soon enough." Rising to his paws and shaking out his coat, Artorias gave a dramatic bow lowering his front half to the rocky ground while grinning at Bowen. "Ready to explore, Lady Carpathius?" He gestured further into the crystal-studded caverns with a wave of his paw and a playful smile on his face. The two siblings hadn't gone exploring like this since they were little pups, and it felt nice to fall back into their shared passion together.

"Bowen & Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Artorias assured her that she never had to miss him, but it wasn't true. She missed him often. Even before Briar was here. They couldn't be together every second of the day, but when they weren't together, she missed him. She wondered if these emotions would lessen as she became used to his absence or if they would grow deeper as she was denied him. Time would tell.

Bowen's bite to her brother's throat had brought a reaction from him. She felt it pulse through his massive frame and couldn't hide the grin the curled along her maw. He had liked it. She would file that away for later use. His gasp in her ear had caused a thrum of pleasure to reverberate through her as well, being as audibly fixated as she was. The grin shifted and she bit her lower lip to keep a sound of her own from breaking free. The only thing that she could do to keep from ravaging him right then was to suggest that they do something else.

Given the option, Artorias chose to explore the cavern that she'd discovered. Night would have time for darker delights. His nip to her ear brought a low, throaty chuckle and the pair unwound themselves from one another. Artorias gave a bow and spoke. Bowen grinned, her own tones playful, but laced with the promises of what was to come. "Very much so, my Lord," she purred in response.

Dropping down from the alcove, Bowen made her way towards some of the strange crystals that clung to the walls. The whole place smelled of the rich, somewhat acrid tang of sweetness. Looking towards Art, the small fae motioned towards the wall. "They smell sweet. Do you think they are?" Being the adventurous sort, Bowen leaned forward, her maw parting. She slowly pulled her tongue from base to tip of one crystal. Russet ears perked and she turned to the big brute with a smile on her face. "It is sweet! It's like these crystals are made of pure sugar."

"Bowen" | "Carpathian"

It was impossible for the young alpha to resist the mirthful grin splitting his lips when Bowen returned his playful enthusiasm. The tone of her purring voice left little shivers of delight racing down his back knowing what they implied what what intentions she had for him later, an underlying salaciousness to Artorias' grin emerging when she agreed and called him "her Lord". Chuckling to himself, Artorias slid down from the alcove just behind Bowen, albeit less gracefully than his smaller, more lithe sister. Being a large wolf had its advantages and disadvantages, and trying to navigate smaller spaces while spelunking wasn't one of them. Once he'd gotten down to the cavern's floor again, he surveyed the chamber with curious amber eyes. The cave walls and ceiling were almost completely studded by the clear crystals, and the air smelled thickly of of slightly damp sweetness. It was a peculiar place to be sure, but it didn't feel malignant like the other crystals had.

Following behind Bowen, Artorias turned his attention back to his little sister when she mentioned the sweet smell in the air, which appeared to be coming from... the crystals themselves? Quirking a brow, Art leaned in towards a cluster of crystals on the wall and gave them a tentative sniff. Sure enough, the crystals smelled like wet sucrose. "I'll be damned, they do smell sweet!" The dire brute turned his glance back to the petite russet and cream fae at his side just in time to watch her maw part and her tongue roll slowly up a sizable crystal from base to tip. Artorias' heart missed a beat out of instinctual fear, remembering what crystals had done to the world before, but when Bowen didn't immediately fall over dead and instead seemed to brighten with a smile on her face that still made his heart soar no matter how many times he saw it.

Bowen declared the crystals to be sweet as if made of sugar and now Artorias looked back at them with fascination. Okay, he had to try one now! Mimicking his partner's actions, Artorias slowly let his tongue slip from between azure lips to lap over a smaller crystal, covering the entire little geode of sugar with a swirling lick. The taste of pure sweet sugar hit his tastebuds in an instant, and fire-kissed amber eyes blinked wide with surprise. "You're right, I think they are made of sugar." Putting his theory to the test, Artorias grabbed one of the crystals with a massive paw and pulled. The crystal snapped off with no resistance, and the brute took a tentative bite to the end of it. The crystal fractured and broke with ease, its shattered parts slowly melting across his tongue. "Yep, that's sugar. It's a whole cave full of sugar you've found, Bo."

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Bowen watched as Artorias took his turn sampling the crystals that grew in the cavern. The young fae watched with brows raised for her brother's reaction. A wide grin formed on her maw accompanied by a pleased giggle as he too realized that the crystals were indeed made of sugar. He took a bite of one just to be sure. "We should take a bunch of these back with us. I'm sure others would enjoy them too." Her tail swished back and forth behind her with pleasure at the thought of giving gifts to her other siblings. Maybe their mom would like one too.

"Let's keep going," she insisted before pulling away and moving further into the cavern. The ground beneath her paws was soft and spongy, the moss creating the perfect, lush carpet for the wolves to walk upon. There were plants scattered about, but not being a healer, Bowen had no idea what they were. Casting a glance over one caramel shoulder, Bo asked her brother, "Do you think Gwyn would want any of these?" Just her luck, she'd take something back to her sister and it would be nothing but weeds.

The light within the cavern came completely from the entrance, reflected from crystal to crystal. It was terribly interesting and reminded Bowen of some great treasure chest. Entering into another room with a large domed ceiling, Bowen almost felt as though she was sitting among the stars. The copper and cream woman seated herself, curling her tail around one shapely hip before looking upwards. Viridian eyes scanned the sparkling points above her and a little smile tugged at her maw. This was a place of wonders and it did a lot to lift her low spirits.

As Artorias joined her, she was reminded of the reason for her visit here. With a sigh, she leaned into his side. "I'm glad you came," she admitted softly. "I've been struggling lately." Again, she didn't mind sharing with Briar. Art shared with Haiku, so it was only fair. Bowen's gaze now drifted to look at the moss covered ground at their paws. "Since coming back, I've only slept with you and Haiku. It's been enough." She hadn't even wanted to sleep with anyone else, which was a huge step for the woman. "Now that you have less time, I've been feeling that anxiousness again. That blind desire that I can't trust. It scares me a bit," she whispered quietly. When that state of pure lust was upon her, she couldn't trust herself or control herself. She didn't want to be like that again.

"I don't want you to worry and I don't want you to feel bad," she pulled away from her resting place against his side and shook her head. "I just needed you to myself for a bit and I needed to speak my thoughts aloud." The woman's tail twitched a bit with anxiousness and irritation. She hated the way that she was sometimes. Lacking control... it was a scary thing.

"Bowen" | "Carpathian"

Artorias nodded assent when his sister suggested they bring some of the sugar crystals back for their siblings to try. That was a wonderful idea! No doubt Rudy would enjoy the rock candy. Perhaps they could find a way to incorporate the sugar into some of the treats they cooked and prepared too. This really was a revolutionary discovery on Bowen's part! "Good idea. We can gather up a bunch when we decide to head home." Although given Bowen's not-so-subtle suggestions, he didn't think they'd be going home for a little while at least. Bowen suggested they keep going, and her dire wolf lover nodded with a rakish grin. "Lead the way, my captain!" Giant paws followed in the footsteps of her daintier ones, quashing the spongy moss underfoot. It was almost as if the cave was covered in a living carpet of the stuff. She asked him about the plants and Artorias, also not one for the healing arts, gave an incredulous glance around at the assortment of lichens and ivies. "Honestly, your guess is as good as mine." A wry smirk touched his lips while he chuckled. "Although knowing my luck, we'd bring these back and they'd be poisonous or something."

Following his sister deeper into the caves, Artorias also began to notice that every chamber in the cavern was illuminated enough for him to see, the light dimmer than an overcast day, but enough that he could make out the details of the cave structure, the shapes of the rocks, and of the beautiful fae he was accompanying on a grand adventure. He didn't know the science behind what made the crystals work the way they did, but they were terribly fascinating! Moving into a larger domed chamber, Artorias gave a silent gasp of wonder while he gazed around at the hundreds of sugar crystals shimmering in the ceiling like a manufactured nighttime sky. Thin streams of rainbow colors refracted around them where the light was split in the prisms of sugar, creating a faux aurora across the ceiling.

Artorias continued to wander about the cave, taking in the splendid sights—when his amber eyes fell upon the form of Bowen, sitting in the center of the chamber, gazing around and smiling. His heart skipped a beat. Her smile dazzled him more than any of the crystals in this cave could. Leisurely, the giant brute wandered up behind her, lifting a thickly corded foreleg to wrap gently around her slender side while she leaned into him. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world," he responded earnestly. It had been far, far too long since he and his sister had gone exploring together. Artorias made a commitment then and there to bring back that youthful side of their relationship as often as he could. Bowen's confession to her struggles perked Artorias' obsidian ears, his heart stopping as concern painted his features. He didn't interrupt, allowing Bowen to explain all of her feelings and conflicts and fears to him. He took them in, listened and considered. All the while she spoke, Artorias craned his neck down to plant tender kisses and licks across Bowen's forehead, combing his teeth through her soft fur to groom her and soothe her.

She finished by pulling away from him a bit, her tail twitching anxiously against his paws with the way they were sitting. "I will always worry about you, Bo. That's just part and parcel of loving someone," he replied, shifting a little closer to embrace her against his larger form once more. "You never need to justify yourself to me. I will always be here for you, whenever you need me, whenever you want me. Life will be busy for us both, but it's like you said that first night we shared together... If we want this, we can make this work. We can love." Artorias once again brought his muzzle down to gently nuzzle behind one caramel ear, whispering almost directly into it so she could hear his every breath on his words. "You are important to me, Bowen. So, so important. I want to keep you happy, and content, and satisfied, in whatever ways I can. If you feel lonely, or anxious, or just want to spend time with me, I'll make it so." An idea popped into his head then, and an excited smile pried at azure lips. "How about you and I start seeing the world, like we said we would? We could take day trips, go exploring, hit a land or two at a time, just us. We can be adventurers and treasure hunters and bring back all sorts of trinkets and mementos to add to your collection."

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"