Thorn enjoyed having new special-looking things.  After the event with the familiars, he’d ended up with a tarot deck.  The boy had never even heard of the cards but it had been explained that you learn the future using the cards.  He was supposed to pull three cards and this would help him learn the fate of others to share with them.  Yeah, he could do that!  The boy had practiced with the cards on himself, a few times, until he got three cards that seemed to fit him.  After all, he was just learning so the other times had probably been mistakes.  Now he had it!

Once Thorn was positive he’d gotten it all figured it out he ran about the feast area hunting for his dad, filled with the excitement of the event. “Dad, dad!  I learned how to tell the future!  I got magic cards.  You just pull a card and it has the future on it, well for the one you're drawing the cards for that is.  Want me to tell you your future?”

The blue pup’s tail wagged with that vibrant enjoyment of life he had.  He hadn’t had to deal with any harsh realities in life so everything was still fun and great.  Loving parents, a caring pack and a wide world that he’d get to explore in the future.  Thorn carefully tried to perfectly straighten the cards, so the stack was perfect, with no cards sticking out.  His map-making practice helped, he’d learned how to be gentle and make small motions instead of rushing all his movements.

Placing a paw on the top card, showing he was ready to start the moment dad gave the ok.  He wanted it done before Dusk got back.  She’d probably damage his cards!  Maybe after practicing with dad he’d offer to read Taly her future.

"Thorn Carpathius"

The feast for Samhain set up by the familiars was a glorious and bountiful occasion! For all the fear, darkness, and death that the Long Night had brought with it, this event had been nothing but a beautiful and mystical autumn, one he was grateful to whatever gods and deities had brought it about so his children could spend their first season alive knowing its magic. The Carpathian family had made the journey from Auster up to near-northern Boreas to celebrate in the festivities with everyone and the familiars. Feasting was enjoyed, and while the pups played in the stony gardens, the adults drank, conversed, and networked.

Eventually, the afternoon stretched into the evening, and as Artorias was enjoying some sweet seasonal mead with his wife by starlight and the bonfires, Thorn approached him demanding his attention. The Aegis looked down at his son with a wide smile, placing a giant paw on the boy’s back and patting him affectionately. "Hey, little knight! Whatcha got there?" he cheerfully greeted the blue-coated pup, leaning down to plant a lick to the boy’s forehead. As Thorn explained how he knew how to tell the future with these cards, Artorias raised a curious and somewhat skeptical brow, glancing down at the deck of cards the pup presented him with. "The future, huh? All right, let’s see what the future says about your dear ol’ dad then." Not that he really need3d a fortune telling session. Artorias had a beautiful mate, a treasured family, and a pack filled with his loved ones and friends. What more could he ever need from the future?

Artorias drank down the last of the mead in his goblet and set it aside so he could give Thorn his undivided attention. He waited for his son to neatly stack the cards, smiling to the beaming expression of his eldest and nodded for him to begin.

"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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He found dad with mom drinking and seeming to be enjoying themselves.  Well, who wasn’t enjoying themselves?  This party was great!  All the exploring and playing games in the area.  Stones to leap off of, dig under or play hide and go seek.  Really, just sitting there drinking couldn’t be nearly as fun as all Thorn had been up to.  The familiars were really swell also, giving him these cards and explaining them.

“Alright, so the thing is,” Thorn took a deep breath, maybe a bit of an overly deep breath as he suck in as much as he could before breathing out, “you have to take a real good deep breath and imagine you’re sucking up all the magic at the same time.  Then you breathe out to get rid of any bad luck.”  Ok, so the familiars hadn’t said this part but Thorn had figured it out.  It made sense to him.

Thorn tapped the top card twice advising, “this brings the right card to the top magically.”  Thorn wasn’t sure how all of it worked but that had to be done magically if it changed depending on who it was for, right?

Thorn slid the top card of his stack, getting his toes under it to flip it over.  The card was the three of swords and was upside down.  Thorn really didn’t understand any of these important details.  He just saw three swords crossed with  heart in the middle as if pierced.  A storm cloud with rain was also in the background.  That was a cool card! It had swords in it and had Thorn's tail whipping back and forth.  See? It worked!  Right away his sword-wielding dad got swords.  Ok, it's meaning!

Thorn looked at the card, taking another deep breath as he apparently needed to breathe in more magic.  “Right, so this is obvious now.  So this future is where you give me, bramble and for some reason Dusk swords!” It was three swords so it had to be three of them.  Taly wasn’t interested in fighting but he had already seen Bramble interested in swords and Dusk charged into lots of stuff.  “The heart shows how we all love each other and protect those we love with our swords.” Thorn eyed that rain cloud, “uh, even if it's raining.”

Thorn flipped the next card over, eyes boggling, “woooah, there’s gonna be an epic battle coming up!  You need to get us those swords fast!” The image of a castle turret in flames seemed quite eager with it.  “Look at that! A powerful enemy came along and set the castle on fire.  We knew it was coming though obviously, that’s why you gave us swords.”

Thorn put his paw on the last card, looking up at dad grinning, “So, maybe the next one will show if we win the battle?  You get three cards only so sure hope so!”

"Thorn Carpathius"

Artorias listened while Thorn gave him instructions on how to begin reading his future, an amused smile on his lips all the while. It took a great deal of effort to not giggle after everything his son said because it was just so dang adorable! "Okay, I think I get it," he remarked with a little bit of a titter in his voice, but followed Thorn’s instructions and played along all the same. Artorias drew in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs for a moment for good effect, then slowly released it out in a measured exhale. "All right, I’m ready. Give me my future, oh all seeing Thorn!" Art couldn’t wait to see what this show his son was about to put on for him would be like.

Thorn began, pulling a card from the top of the deck and handling it with eager with clumsy paws, breaking Artorias’ face into a smile once again. The first card Art was presented with depicted three hearts impaled with swords. The Carpathian man tilted his head in curiosity, studying the artwork on the card while Thorn began to explain its meaning. The little blue pup sure seemed excited by it! Once Thorn started to speak, Artorias realized what the cause of his child’s excitement was. Art breathed a chuckle and shook his head in reaction to his eldest pup’s exasperating drive to get himself a sword. "Uh-huh… So the cards are telling me to give you a sword, huh?" Clearly the future mistook Artorias for a foolish father, though he wouldn’t disparage his son’s fortune telling. It was all in good fun, and it was amusing to see his child so enthused by something that wasn’t shiny and made to kill.

The next card, however, slowly sapped the amusement from Artorias’ face. A castle turret, burning in bright flame. Thorn described the meaning to be a major battle coming to the Hallows. A powerful enemy attacked the Hallows and set fire to the castle. Artorias was chalking up this prediction to Thorn just inferring what the artwork literally showed, but a part of him couldn’t help but grow cautious around the grim omen. He was reminded of the pirate raid on the castle over a year prior, wondering if this was a prediction of a round two from the unruly curs. For their sake, he sincerely hoped not. If the pirates had thought the Hallows was a touch nut to crack before, now they would have to contend with a furious Aegis fighting tooth and nail to protect his new family. No holds would be barred.

"I see…" muttered Artorias, pensive and less amused by the second card. There was still one card remaining though. Art lifted his amber eyes to meet Thorn’s golden yellows. "Well, let’s see if this big, bad enemy stands a chance against the Hallows." He gave his son a confident grin and gestured for Thorn to flip the last card.



"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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Thorn wasn’t overly worried about if any of it came true though his imagination certainly was enjoying the novelty of it.  How cool would it be if he really read the future?  Either way, he was getting to spend some time with his dad at the party and that already was something to enjoy.  Dad had taken the required deep breath to focus on the magic too.  Great!

Art’s reaction to the first card didn’t sound the most promising for Thorn to really get a sword from it.  Well, the card didn’t say when and they weren’t home yet to get a sword from dad.  So, maybe something would happen and dad would change his mind at some point soon?  Unless the future was like, eternally far away or something and it was a grown-up Thorn he’d give it too.  Nah, better to assume sooner over later. He just nodded to his dad’s quizzing on the sword, “Probably a real nice one too if it's worth mentioning here.” Might as well add that in.  

Dad’s enjoyment of the game seemed less at the card with the firey castle.  Thorn had a second of confusion as to why the game was less fun but, looking at the card for a moment he imagined the fire in the great hall and what if that was all over the castle without control.  Thorn had pulled out the card and imagined the excitement of an attack but a trickle of reality over imagination slipped in.  Well, this was all for fun anyway.  If the fire did happen the pack could all put out the fire quickly and kill off whoever set it.  

The taste of real-world concerns was put to rest as the next card was ready to be drawn and Thorn flipped it over.  The card was the King of cups.  It shows a wolf sitting on a throne.  One paw holds a cup, and the other holds a scepter.  Thorn had never seen the scepter before to know what it is.  Still, the cup and crown clearly said it all in the pup's mind.  He regarded the cards solemnly as a happy child can before looking up to finish his prediction.

“See?  We won.” The boy put his paw on the cup, “you wouldn’t be drinking from a cup sitting on a chair if we’d lost.  You’d be, well, fighting until you did win.” You don’t really lose until you quit the fight after all.  Really, as tough as his dad was who could take him down?  He wouldn’t let them get to the castle to even get a spark going.

What was the thing in his other paw though? Oh! “and look, in that paw, you have the hilt of the enemy's sword.  See? No blade so when you won you made a symbol of it by breaking their sword and showing it off at the celebration party.” Thorn grinned up at his dad, “Sooo, no one told me exactly how far out in the future these are.  

A thought came to the boy, a question to ponder then glancing up at his father curiously.  “So, do you know who might attack?  I mean if this was right and you knew who, we could take the fight to them.” We; as obviously Thorn got to go along in this attack.  “If we did that though, and won, then they wouldn’t get to attack.  Then this wouldn’t be accurate though sooo…”  Knowing the future could stop the future and thus make it not the future?  Or was there no way to stop the enemy from attacking even if they knew it?  The notion circled about his head.

"Thorn Carpathius"

Artorias watched with steeled eyes as Thorn flipped the third and final card over. The card depicted a wolf adorned in a crown, holding a cup and a scepter, seated upon a gilded throne. Head tilted curiously while the Aegis studied the card. Thorn declared that the card meant they had won the battle, and Artorias continued his reign over the Hallows in triumph. As skeptical as Artorias was over the validity of his very young son's abilities to predict the future with cards, he had seen enough strange, bizarre, and supernatural things in his lifetime to know that you don't fuck around with magic and the paranormal. Perhaps this tarot reading would mean nothing beyond just a bit of good fun. Perhaps not...

Either way, the Carpathian patriarch's expression softened some as he looked back up into the golden eyes of his innocent son. A gentle smile touched his face as he lifted a large azure paw to place it on his child's back, ruffling his downy blue puppy fur. "Well, I suppose everything's going to work out okay fur us then," he remarked with a soft chuckle. Thorn was right about one thing—Artorias would never stop fighting to defend his home and family until the last breath was drawn from his body. Hopefully it never came to that. Thorn asked a rather deep question for such a young pup then. Who would attack the Hallows, and why didn't they take the fight to their enemies first? Hoo boy, that was some heavy stuff to answer! Art held his tongue for a moment while he contemplated how to respond to his son's questions in a way the boy might understand without telling him too much to dwell on.

"The Hallows has virtually no enemies, and our family even fewer," explained the Aegis to the juvenile prince. "If someone were to attack us, they would have to be very stupid to do so." A cheeky grin played on Art's lips as he shot a wink to Thorn. The second part of his question was harder to answer in a way a puppy might understand, but he would try. "The Hallows is a sanctuary pack, Thorn. That means we protect our own and those who need us. We do not seek to start fights with others. If we did, how would anyone trust us to keep our vows to protect anyone who needed it?" Artorias thought of the pirates, and of the trouble they caused the wolves of Boreas and Auster. Would they have been justified in hunting the pack down and smashing them to pieces? Undoubtedly. They'd likely even have help from their friends and allies in the crusade. But what would that do to the Hallows' reputation? Would anyone trust them to offer safe harbor to all who came seeking after they led a war, no matter how justified it might have been?

"Sometimes we meet our future in the course we take to try and avoid it," Artorias explained with a stoicism that transcended his years. Amber eyes glanced up into a nearby bonfire, hazing over as he lost himself in memories of the past. How hard had he tried to prevent his mother's demise? How much effort had he put in to trying to change that outcome only to wind up running headfirst into it? It was something he hadn't understood until he'd gotten older, and something Thorn likely wouldn't get until he matured as well. "The only thing we can do is make the best decisions we can in the moment and do the most with the time we are given. There are some things we cannot change and some things we can control. It's important to remember to be true to yourself and make choices you will be content living with for all your days." Art's paw lifted from Thorn's back and gathered up the cards, putting them back into the deck and passing them to his son. He smiled at Thorn and motioned with his head to one of the feast tables. "That's enough adult talk for one night though. Come on, I think I saw someone putting out some desserts before. Let's get something sweet and sugary."

"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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