It had been several months since she found herself in the care of Mercury and the wolves of The Hallows. It was hard to imagine how much time had passed already, but slowly the thought of whatever had happened before faded away had she found herself all the more focused on making a life for herself here. Occasionally she would think longingly of home, but she knew that home was no longer how she remembered it. She didn't know just how much damage that wild fire actually caused, but if she did ever actually manage to figure out how to get home or which way home even was she knew she wouldn't find it the way she remembered it in her scattered memories. She went back and forth over whether she wanted to call this home or if she wanted to go out and explore this new world now that she was healed, but in the end she found herself growing attached to this place and it made the choice easier the longer she stayed.

After a bit of training with Mercery, she went back through the castle grounds in search of Artorias. She knew he was a busy wolf with all of the things that had been happening around the pack besides the usual business of being an alpha and a dad, but hopefully she could manage to catch him at a good time. As she walked back into the castle, she happened to spot Artorias walking down the flight of stairs that led from one of the upper floors and she paused in the large entryway to wait for him, trying to catch his eye with a friendly smile. "Aegis," she greeted politely, giving him a small dip of her head. "Do you have a moment? I can catch you later if now is a bad time."

"Anthea Dásos"

Between juggling his half dozen children, managing an active pack, and making sure preparations for their upcoming Bonfire Festival were coming together, Artorias was indeed a busy wolf. The Aegis was no stranger to having a full plate, however, so as many tasks as he had that demanded his attention, he was never once outwardly stressed or didn't have time for his wolves. That was why when he descended the stairs after sorting out a payment to be made to Ruga for his work and he caught sight of Anthea waiting in the foyer, he greeted the femme with a polite smile. He hadn't interacted with the castaway much since her arrival in the Hallows, giving her space to breathe and recover, but also figuring out she seemed to be more on the introverted side anyway. Her request to speak for a moment gave him pause in his pace, and Art nodded with his easy smile on his face.

"I always have a moment for my wolves, Anthea. Come, let's talk out on the terrace." It was a gorgeous Austral summer day, and the gardens were in full bloom. Artorias took every opportunity to spend time out amongst the flowers and wisteria trees wherever he could during these days. Claws clicking on the stone terrace, Art led the way over to the balustrade and lifted his paws to rest over the railing. Once Anthea had joined him, he took a look over at his guest. She seemed to be doing much better than the day she'd been found off the coast half drowned and barely alive. "I'm glad to see your recovery has been going well," he stated with a pleased smile, ever proud of his sister's excellent work as their lead doctor. "What's on your mind?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Anthea gave Artorias a grateful smile as he insisted that he always had time for his wolves. She wasn't sure if she could be considered one of his, at least not yet, but hopefully she'd be remedying that shortly. She agreed with a nod as he suggested that they talk out on the terrace and followed his lead as they moved to sit out in the pleasant summer warmth. She had yet to experience a full year yet in this place that was quickly becoming her home, but she still noticed how much warmer the weather tended to be here in Auster and the switch the seasons made between the two continents. Pretty much everything was interesting to her with how different some parts of this place seemed to be from her and Mercury's homeland and from how much more exposeure she suddenly had to the outside world, but that was one part about living in Auster that had very much intrigued her as she got to be more familiar with this place.

Once they were settled and Artorias mentioned her recovery, she gave him another gentle smile as she replied, "All thanks to the care I've gotten here. Gwynevere and Mercury have been wonderful." The healers she had grown up with had been quite skilled, but Gwynevere more than matched and exceeded that and while his sister handled her physical healing masterfully Mercury had been a huge help when it came to accepting and understanding what had landed her here. Art moved on to what she had wanted to talk about and while she didn't really fear that she had any reason to be nervous, she still had a bit of nerves fluttering in her gut. She didn't know what the over all status of the pack was or if there was really room for someone else to live here, but she certainly hoped so. "I wanted to ask you about becoming a permanent member of The Hallows," she replied, deciding to get right to the point. "I've really enjoyed living here and after realizing some things and talking it over with Mercury I've realized there's not really a home for me to go back to–even if I could figure out how to get there–so... If you'll have me I would like to stay here for good."

"Anthea Dásos"

As Anthea went on to credit her successful recovery to the talents of Gwynevere and Mercury, Artorias could not keep the proud smile for his sister's skills and his Vanguard's dutiful overseeing off of his face. Yes, the Aegis was incredibly proud of the work his wolves did here in the Hallows; that was no secret. Their efforts to improve the world and leave it better than they had found it had once seemed like a lofty goal, now had become a regular occurrence for the Austral pack. It made Artorias feel like their efforts were really beginning to pay off and bear fruit as the reputation of the Hallows grew across the continents. "They are the best at what they do," agreed the taller wolf with a nod of his head. Then they got down to the meat of what Anthea wanted to talk to him about. She wanted to join the Hallows as a permanent member. Her desire to join them surprised Artorias. The Aegis raised a curious brow while he listened to Anthea's reasonings behind her desire to remain here, letting her speak her mind before giving his response.

"Well, I must admit, most of our patients don't ask to stay after they've been treated here," replied the Aegis with a low chuckle. On a more serious note though, he looked Anthea in the eye, amber meeting verdant while he tried to decide what to do about her request. Artorias didn't know Anthea very well. She'd mostly kept to herself and Mercury when she wasn't being tended to by Gwyn. But then again, he hadn't known Greed or Claire when he'd permitted them entry to the Hallows either. "If this is what you want, then I think we can make that happen. We do still have room for more wolves and plenty of vacant bedrooms in the castle." Artorias glanced up at Hearthstone for a moment, then looked back down to the young woman. "How much do you know of the Hallows? Of what we do and stand for?" he asked, wondering if Anthea knew what she was asking to join up for or how much Mercury had told her of their purpose.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Anthea chuckled softly as Artorias expressed how most of their patients didn't ask to stay after their treatment. Somehow that surprised her slightly considering how lovely the Hallows was to live in, but perhaps the other wolves that found refuge here more often had somewhere to go back to. Honestly, if she had the option she might have done the same, but that was no longer something she could look forward to. She had to find a new home one way or another and here she could at least have a piece of home with her in the form of Mercury. Artorias seemed to consider her for a moment before mentioning how the did have space for her here and open rooms within the castle. She smiled with a bit of relief at that. She did worry that perhaps the Hallows would be too populated to welcome new members since it did seem quite lively and bustling with activity, but maybe that shouldn't have been such a concern after all.

As the Aegis questioned her on what she knew of the Hallows and what they stood for, she thought for a second before she replied, "Mercury and Gwyn filled me in on most of the laws at least. Don't spill blood on Hallows land, anyone coming here without ill will is welcome, everyone needs to contribute to the pack... and, of course, you're the one to come to if you want to be a member of the pack." She gave him a grin and chuckled before she went on with a bit more seriousness, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this pack seems like a place of peace, healing, and protection. At the very least that's what it's seemed like so far. You've certainly made at least one lost and lonely outsider feel very welcomed here."

"Anthea Dásos"

Artorias was pleased to hear that both Mercury and Gwyn had made her feel welcomed and at home, as well as keeping her abreast of their laws and customs. He had seen Anthea spending much of her time with Mercury, though he didn’t know if there was something more there beyond a feeling of gratitude to the man for saving her life. The Aegis nodded to confirm the information she had received was accurate. "That is the long and short of it. We exist primarily to provide a place of shelter, healing, and second chances to those who need a little help along the way. The only thing forbidden explicitly in the Hallows is violence against anyone under our protection, whether that’s our members or our guests." Anthea’s kind words brought a brighter smile to Artorias’ muzzle. "Thank you for saying so. We do our best to make sure everyone who sets paw here feels welcomed and safe. This was my mother’s dream, and I like to think I’m keeping us on that path."

With the confirmation that Anthea was well aware of their laws and practices and could align herself with their ideals, there was really nothing more in their way. "In that case, then I’m honored and pleased to welcome you into the Hallows, Anthea. I hope you feel at home and find what you need here with us. The last order of business will be picking out a room for you to move into. Most of the rooms on the third floor and the entirety of the fourth floor are available. You are free to choose whichever appeals to you and decorate it to your heart’s content. I’ll have some fresh linens brought to your room once you’re settled in." Turning warm, welcoming amber eyes to his newest wolf, Artorias concluded their discussion with a simple question. "Was there anything else you wished from me before I let you go find your room?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"