OOC: OK, it's more then a minute past midnight because it's 2 weeks into the season but RK was BUSY and we're gonna pretend this was done ASAP as summer came around :tear:

Zephyr had been waiting, sitting upon his balcony and watching the moon. His navigational training had well prepared him for this moment and to his estimation, he had mere minutes before the moon would be properly positioned in the sky to signal the beginning of a new day cycle. The beginning of a new season. The beginning of his second year in Boreas. The young raptor let himself bathe in the moonlight for a few more moments, drinking in it's encouraging light and tracing the patterns of stars in the sky. Remembering everything that led up to this, his first birthday.

From his fireplace mantle his serpent companion hissed, breaking the boy from his daze and bringing him to whirl back to face the bedroom. It was time! He was going to be late! Did he take the extra time to go down the stairwell, or take the shortcut? It didn't take him long to decide.

Turning back to the balcony, he deftly stepped up onto the railing and off - extending his wings, catching the air, and completing a spiral angled steeply downward and to the left. Circling the castle at speed, and crashing with a thunk onto the balcony a floor below. Gods, he hoped he landed on the right one. Hopping up to the doorway, he put his beak to the castle and gave some polite yet urgent knocks to signal his presence to the wolves he presumed were slumbering within - if the landing hadn't already alerted them, that is. "Mom! Dad!" Zephyrus called into the room.

"Zephyr"

Artorias had just about drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep with Briar in his arms, physically exhausted from the physical activity required to keep his wife's starting heat season satiated. The bedroom was quiet and dark, the fire in the hearth dying down to embers and casting the room in dark shadows and a faint orange glow. The room was warm and cozy, keeping out the cold chill of the Austral winter night, and the two wolves tucked up beneath the furs and blankets of their bed were sound asleep. All was calm... until a calamitous thud outside their balcony startled the Aegis awake with a jump. Bleary amber eyes gazed around the dark room, his groggy mind hurrying to sift through the fog and piece together what he had just heard. Had something fallen off the wall?

The tak-tak-tak of a beak rapping against the glass balcony doors alerted him that yes, something had indeed fallen, but it wasn't a painting or ornament. His son's voice calling urgently from outside confused and concerned the Aegis. "Zephyrus...?" he mumbled, throwing the blankets off and detangling himself from Briar so he could roll out of bed. Heavy paws hit the stone floor and trotted briskly over to the balcony door, unlatching it and throwing it open. The bitter chill of winter whipped past him, making him flinch while he gazed at his massive avian son standing out on their balcony. "Zeph, are you okay?" Artorias ushered the raptor into the room, grateful that Zeph had such a poor sense of smell that he wouldn't be able to know of his parents' earlier activities.

He shut the balcony doors to keep the cold out, moving over to the hearth with sleepy steps to toss a fresh log on the fire, stoking the embers to bring the flames back to life. Light once more began to fill the room with comfortable warmth. Artorias didn't ask any further questions, instead turning a tired, curious gaze to his adopted son, a curious brow raised while he let the Argentavis explain what had him up in the middle of the night.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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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Where Artorias was just drifting off to sleep, Briar was completely out, deeply asleep in her husband's embrace after all of the strenuous activity that they had filled the evening with. These moments were the only times that she really felt any relief from her heat so she fully took advantage and enjoyed the feeling of just being wrapped up in Artorias' arms and getting some very needed rest. However, that sleep was short lived as she was startled awake. Art's reaction to the thump woke her up more than the sound itself did, his jostling rousing her from sleep and making her sit up with a soft gasp as she blinked open her eyes, squinting against the low light of the fire. Art was up much quicker than her, Briar barely catching his mumbled questioning of their adopted son's name. She sat up more properly and rubbed her eyes with her paws as she woke up just as Art threw open the balcony door to let in Zephyrus, letting in a flash of cool air in the process.

Now that she was more awake and aware she was able to slide off of the bed as well, giving herself a quick shake while Art went over to drop another log into the hearth. With sleepy, slightly swaying steps, she walked over to where Zephyrus was standing, giving him a curious look and a small smile while she lifted a paw to smooth a few feathers that had gotten ruffled in his flight here. It made her think of the day she first met him when she settled the few feathers that had gotten stuck up on the top of his head. He had been so, so much smaller back then and she never would have imagined how much he would grow. "What's got you up so late, Zeph?" she asked, settling back on her haunches while she fought back a yawn.

"Briar Carpathius"

Through the glass balcony doors Zephyr could see the wolves stir, watching as Artorias first slid from the bedding toward him, opening the door and inviting him inside. Confidently their avian son strode forward (ducking to clear the doorway) and into the center of their room. A bird with a purpose. Artorias moved to stoke the warmth of the fire - a gesture he greatly approved of as it seemed to only get colder and colder as days went on - and Zeph held his tongue until he was sure both of his parents were awake and ready to listen.

His mother was slower to slide from the bed, wearing an equally sleepy expression to her mate and Aegis. The weirdest thing was that neither of them seemed to know the reason for his midnight visit. Had he mis-mathed the seasons and days? No, not possible! His companions had done the majority of the counting for him, as he had only six toes to count upon. Briar's paws smoothed his feathers and Zephyr's body gave a happy shudder at the gentle grooming. No, they couldn't have forgotten.

Straightening where he stood in the middle of their bedroom, the oversized raptor met each parent's eyes in turn. Excitement burned deep in his gaze, an uncontainable joy that threatened to explode. "It's my birthday!" Zephyr exclaimed suddenly, his talons tip-tapping excitedly on the stone flooring and his beak splitting in a wide grin. "What're we gonna do today!?" He'd hoped they'd gotten enough sleep.

"Zephyr"

The proud declaration that came from their Argentavis son perked the groggy Artorias' attention back to life, black ears perking and amber eyes opening fully. Today was Zephyrus' birthday. A quick trudge over to the window to peer up at the sky, and yep, the moon was right at its midnight position. The yearling raptor had clearly not waited a minute past the turn of the day to come remind his parents of the special occasion. But really, who could blame him? Artorias' first birthday had been one plagued with tragedy and loss, so it had been no big exciting affair for him. For Zephyrus, however, today would be a day of celebration, of that there was no doubt! Artorias just didn't expect the festivities to begin at the stroke of midnight!

"It is indeed your birthday, Zephyr, and what a special day it is," Artorias concurred, rubbing his tired eyes with a paw while he forced himself to rouse enough to address his nocturnal son. He gave Zeph a proud smile and moved up to nuzzle his now gigantic son's plumage. "One year old already... Gods, time is going by too fast!" The azure and obsidian wolf chuckled and stepped away from Zeph over to a sizable ornately decorated wooden box sitting on one of the tables across the room. "We're definitely going to be celebrating your birthday, my boy, but we do have to be respectful of all our friends and family who need their sleep and also want to celebrate with you. You wouldn't want them to miss out on the fun, right?" Ah, there was that parent logic, using the rest of the sleeping family to hopefully convince Zephyrus to go back to bed until morning so he and Briar could also get some much needed sleep.

But just because he was postponing Zephyrus' midnight excitement didn't mean he didn't want to join in on his enthusiasm. A cheeky smile touched the young alpha's face as he lifted a paw and patted the box. "Buuuuut I suppose it's not too early to let you open your birthday gift," he said with a wink. Lifting the box, Artorias set it down on the floor and gestured for Zeph to come over and open it. Inside was the secret gift he'd had commissioned by Ruga the last time they had all visited the Armada, a specialized kind of weapon for his aspiring swordsman son. Zephyrus would open it to find the battle claws, sharp steel blades shaped like the raptor's claws attached to leather gloves that fit over Zeph's own talons. They were designed to be flexible, allowing the Argentavis the freedom to land and move without them getting in the way. Around the top of each leather cuff, a series of small fire opals adorned the hem, shining bright with the orange color of the Hallows. "Happy birthday, Zeph!" Artorias said, sliding the box closer to his son.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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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As soon as Zephyrus declared that it was his birthday and asked what they were going to be doing for it, Briar couldn't help but grin. Sometimes he was just too adorable to handle and this was no exception. Just like Artorias she glanced toward the window and saw the moon high in the sky. He was most certainly punctual for the very start of his birthday in the very moment that the day ticked over, that was for sure. As tired as she was and as much as she wanted to sleep, she wouldn't dare dampen his excitement for this special day. Her own birthday had become a point of contention and regret and she never wanted her children—pup or bird—to feel like they weren't celebrated or special. She nodded in agreement as Artorias assured their son that it was indeed a very special day. It was hard to believe it had already been a whole year since Zephyrus found his way into their lives. It had flown by so fast and she was just happy to have been a part of it.

Artorias did a good job of reasoning with their very excited son, citing their sleeping family as a reason to hold of on the festivities until it was light out. She didn't want him to think that they weren't going to celebrate him becoming a yearling, because they most certainly would and she was excited to do so, but maybe just not at midnight on the dot. Just as she was trying to think of something they could do for him now, Artorias came up with an answer faster than her sleepy brain could and she watched as he went over to the decorative wooden box on one of their tables. She tried to contain her grin and couldn't since she knew what was inside. She got to her paws to move closer to Zephyrus, settling again beside him as Artorias presented him with the box. As soon as Zeph opened his gift and revealed the special weapon they had gotten made by Ruga, she echoed Artorias as she said, "Happy birthday, Zeph!" She lifted a paw to affectionately stroke over his wing since he was far too tall now for her to reach his cheek to give him a kiss now without her reaching up on her tip toes, but it felt fitting considering how they met. "I hope you enjoy them, darling."

"Briar Carpathius"

The affection of his found family only brought his excitement higher, his neck craning down to return Artorias' nuzzle as best a bird could do while his mother came and took her place at her side. Both wolves were clearly weighed down by the sudden awakening, but Zephyr was able to bathe in his joy beneath their proud smiles all the same. Maybe he should have waited till morning. "Too fast?" He chirped in reply. "No, it's too slow!" The raptor had been taught enough of wolf customs to know the rough life cycle of a wolf and was well aware that the coming of a canine's first year meant freedom and adventure. It was the age a young wolf could set out apart from their parents and start lives of their own - in different packs even, should they choose - though Zephyr felt he hadn't lived nearly enough to even consider the possibility. He wanted time to go faster, so he could be on the way to well and truly grown like a wolf at his age would be.

His frustration at the years not flying by fast enough was swiftly halted by the logic of a well-learned parent. The raptor's curved beak parted in silent argument, but no words tumbled out. Artorias' reasoning was sound, Zephyr didn't want to celebrate without the rest of his family and friends around... nor would the castle be quite pleased if he made his way from balcony to balcony, waking each wolf at the stroke of midnight. His plumage wilted as he considered his early arrival and what he was to do now, would he just... make his way back into his room and go back to sleep? It felt so anticlimactic.

Another interruption broke him from his thoughts and the excitement returned to his eyes as his Aegis and father procured from the shelving an ornately decorated box of wood. A present! His talons tapped heavily against the floor as he peeled off toward the gift in question, crouching over it low to the floor. He craned his neck down to lift the lid with his beak as each parent wished him their happy birthdays, displacing the lid from the box carefully and sliding it aside with reverence.

It took a moment for the gift to truly make sense in his head (had they given him new talons? He had talons.) though as he lifted the finely crafted weapons from their box and began to inspect them, their purpose became more clear. Artorias had been giving him sword lessons since the day they had visited the northern wolves from his mother's side of the family, but the weapons were unwieldy and unsuited for everyday use. Flying with a sheathed sword snug around his waist might impede his movements or landings, and keeping the weapon in his talons sounded even less practical. While he would still practice swordplay with his father for enjoyment sake, this weapon would allow him to defend himself or wolves of the Hallows much more reasonably.

Placing the weapons back gently within the box, he looked up from them to flick his gaze back between the parents who'd adopted and raised him, touched. The soft, emotional appreciation lingered a moment, and then the joy returned. Zephyr extended his wings wide within the room, swooping them around both wolves swiftly and pulling them both against him tight in an embrace. "They're perfect; thank you! I love you guys."

"Zephyr"

Artorias chuckled when Zephyrus lamented how slow time was actually passing for him. The wolf remembered being a wee pup and longing to be an adult as quickly as possible. Oh, how foolish he had been... He watched with all the pride a father could have for a son while Zephryus ever so carefully removed the lid from the box, revealing his birthday gift contained within. He watched his avian son's face for that moment of recognition, the alighting of glee when he realized what he had been given. In all their training, Artorias had been able to identify Zeph's strengths and weaknesses when it came to armed combat. The raptor's greatest drawback was his inability to wield a weapon without sacrificing something in turn, be it his movement or his stability. He had meticulously crafted this design with Ruga's collaboration, and the end result was something he was very happy with. He hoped Zeph would be equally as happy with them too.

Briar showered their yearling son in affections while they both wished him a happy birthday. The emotion that crossed Zephyr's crystal blue eyes wasn't missed, and Artorias knew they had done well this year. He also knew they'd unintentionally set the bar quite high for all his remaining birthdays too! Zeph extended his tremendous wingspan in the room, catching the Aegis by surprise as his son pulled him into a tight embrace. Loving and lighthearted laughs escaped the azure wolf while he hugged Zeph back, nuzzling into his soft downy plumage. "Your mother and I know what you like. I hope they're suitable in use. I'd have tested them out first, but, y'know... paws." He wiggled his digits in the air as if to emphasize why he was unsuited to beta test his own creation. "Te iubim, fiule."

Slightly extracting his head from the feathered warmth of the gargantuan raptor's embrace, Artorias peered up until amber met cerulean blue eyes, a proud smile on his muzzle. They weren't quite done with Zephyrus' birthday gifts just yet. Zephyr had made tremendous strides in improving his skills to contribute to the pack and it was time to reward him for his diligence and tenacity. "You have another surprise today too, Zeph," Artorias said with a knowing grin. "As a yearling, you are now allowed to choose your path within the Hallows. Briar and I have watched your progress with your training and we're both incredibly proud of you. So, what rank would you like to pursue, Zephyrus?" Artorias had a hunch Zeph would want to follow the path of the warrior or the scout, but he would let his son make that choice for himself.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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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