"Speech"

Malachai was doing absolutely fucking peachy, which was to say he was having a terrible time, and it showed. The Klein brute was prickly at the best of times, but now he was outright glaring at anyone who crossed his path. He wasn't sure yet who he was angrier at, himself or Grim, he was still in the middle of trying to make it all make sense, it was something he'd done right? Like the last time...

And the last time Grim had gone to Auster and hooked up with- Well, Malachai didn't like the man on principle but at this point we was just clinging onto whatever hope was left.

So Malachai had told someone that he'd be gone for the next, however long it took, he was going to look for his boyfriend. Ultimately since he was also an important rank in Armada it was probably accepted on the grounds of finding Grim for those reasons but Malachai did not care.

The trip had been long, the scar on his leg had started to itch, feeling tight in a way that was sadly becoming familiar, since the accident on the mountain, once Grim had woken up was when it had started. Once upon a time Malachai had worn the scar with pride, the sign of his true feelings and devotion for his boyfriend... Now it just annoyed him, flairing up uncomfortably whenever he had to move.

Still a mixture of determination, hope and some amount of anger pushed Malachai onwards and he arrived at The Hallows sooner than he'd expected... Which was a problem because to be honest he hadn't yet really thought of what he was going to say to the blue man he loathed...

He'd never been the cerebral type anyways, might as well wing it. He tipped his head back and unleashed an almost primal call for the blue alpha.

Art by Shirohoru

Artorias had been having a hell of a time dealing with the recent misadventures of his children, particularly two of his daughters. It seemed as if the five rambunctious pups were going out of their way to make him fret over their continued survival and safety. The still young alpha was sure he would have a few extra gray hairs in his coat by the time his younglings had hit their first birthdays. Had he and his siblings been this unruly for his parents? Gods, he'd have to give his mother a profound apology the next time he saw her! These issues he was dealing with on the homefront had kept the Aegis' attention firmly locked on the Hallows, so it came as quite a surprise to hear a call for him from a distantly familiar voice. The howl was filled with anger and upset, so it concerned and confused the Carpathian. Who came with such raw emotion to the borders of his home?

Leaving whatever work he was tending to at the time, Artorias headed out from Hearthstone and across the field to the nearby border where the call had originated from. When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of a wolf he remembered meeting only once before, at his wedding. Despite their sole interaction, Artorias was good with names and faces, and he remembered the bitter glare of his adoptive brother's boyfriend. "Malachai?" Artorias cocked his head in confusion, brow knitting together in baffled concern. The Armadan wolf was a long way from home and alone. The last time he'd seen Malachai he had been practically wrapped around Grimshaw like they were inseparable. That didn't bode well. Art was distinctly aware of the other male's dislike for him. If the Klein man was here alone, things must have been bad. "Has something happened to Grimshaw?" Artorias' heart sank in his chest. Was he about to receive news of his brother's untimely death or some other horrific fate?

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

"Speech"

It took nearly all his self-control to keep himself from growling when Artorias finally appeared, he had no reason to assume that the man had taken his boyfriend yet again and his jealousy would not help him here. He took a moment to visibly force his aggression down, eyes closing and a few breaths pushing forcefully through his nose. It was made significantly easier when Artorias' question reached him, and he felt his dread build. His expression falling somewhat and he had to take a few more deep breathes before he felt he could even begin to talk.

He looked at the blue man, tried to search him, see if he was hiding his brother from Malachai... But reading others had never been one of his skills and it was easier to just trust the man wasn't lying. "Guess that means you haven't seen him either." His voice was a deep rumble of pain, softer even than usual. "He disappeared we're not exactly sure how long ago, I thought maybe he'd come down here like the last time." He owed Artorias that much at least, he didn't need to know that the reason Malachai wasn't sure when it had happened was because there had been much distance between them even before this. But Artorias was Grim's brother and he would probably want to know his brother was missing.

Art by Shirohoru

Malachai's indirect answer did not inspire confidence in Artorias. He hadn't seen Grimshaw? What did that mean? Had something bad happened to Grim?! A million questions arose from the single non-answer in the Aegis' mind, but thankfully the Armadan wolf gave him a little bit more clarity and insight in his next statements. Each word that fell from Malachai's lips made Artorias' heart sink lower in his gut. Grimshaw had gone missing. Nobody seemed to know where or when or how. Art's mouth hung open in shock as his brows narrowed in confusion. "Wait, hold up. He's just gone? He vanished and no one knows anything?" Now Artorias was concerned. True, he and Grim didn't have an orthodox sort of relationship as far as adoptive brothers went, and they weren't exactly close per se, but Grim was still his brother at the end of the day. When his wayward sibling had found a home in the Armada, Artorias had been truly hopeful that Grimshaw had finally found his place in the world. That, it seemed, had been a pipe dream.

Artorias released a growl and shook his head. It still didn't make sense to him. Grimshaw had a good life, a relationship that (as far as he knew) was going well, a notable rank in a renowned pack. He wouldn't simply walk away from all of that... would he? No, something must have happened to him. "I'm sorry, Malachai, but he hasn't been down here since the wedding. I assumed he was with you and the rest of the Armada," Art explained with a heavy sigh in his voice and lips pulling together as he mulled over this dismal news he had received. "But I'll keep my eyes and ears open for any signs of him. I'll have my Knights stay alert for traces of him on their patrols. If he's in Auster, we'll find him, and if we do you'll be the first wolf I call." Malachai's dislike of him was not unknown to Artorias. He knew why the Klein brute harbored a distaste for him following the drunken night he and Grim had spent together. It was understandable, but he still respected Malachai as Grimshaw's boyfriend. If the Hallows found any traces of Grim, Malachai would be the first to hear it from the Aegis. It was the least he could do to offer some kind of olive branch.

"It's a long trip back to the Armada. You're welcome to stay with us for the night. You can rest up and have a meal before you start your trek." Artorias had a feeling Malachai was likely to decline his offer of hospitality, even when he could see the noticeable scar on the other male's left foreleg and notice how he was favoring his weight to his other side. Art looked up to meet Malachai's mismatched eyes with his own fire-kissed ones. "I know you don't like me, and quite frankly I get it. You don't have to like me to eat our food and sleep in our beds for a night though. Regardless of how much you hate me, you're still my ally and someone important to my brother, so I want to help you. You can set out to search for Grim in the morning. I'll even go with you to search Auster if you'd like." Artorias didn't know if Malachai would take him up on his offer, if for no other reason than to use him as an extra pair of eyes, but gods dammit he was trying here!

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

"Speech"

It was almost more painful to hear someone else laying it out but he nodded stiffly as Artorias asked Malachai about his brother's sudden disappearance. But it hurt even more to admit what he was about to: "He's been... Distant for a while but we never expected this." He hated admitting it, was certain that Artorias would see the thing Malachai feared... That he was the cause. He wasn't surprised when Artorias confirmed what Malachai had already figured out on his own he sighed deeply, nodding slowly. He didn't have any reason to doubt the blue man, he just didn't really have any hope. Where else would Grimshaw have gone? Was there anywhere else he'd even disappear too? His mind flashed to all the times he'd spent worrying about the man, fretting over him incident after incident and some anger bubbled in him then, he'd given up his entire life to follow Grimshaw... And not even a goodbye.

Artorias' offer hung in the air for a moment as Malachai considered it, it was true that he didn't like the blue man but even he could not deny the sense in his words. But he needed to get this anger, this resentment out. "I will take you up on your offer but I'd like some time alone first. I have a lot to think about, a lot to work through." In the only way he really knew how, he knew enough to know there was one place to do exactly that on Auster.

Art by Shirohoru

The admission that Grimshaw had been behaving strangely for some time only increased Artorias' concern. He knew his brother to be a brooding, moody individual who had always marched a bit off beat, but if he was acting even more out of the norm from that, then something must truly be wrong. In the dual-hued eyes of his brother's lover, he could see the lingering concern and guilt. It was easy enough for the Carpathian man to translate: Malachai blamed himself. Art's lips drew into a fine line. He wanted to reassure Malachai that what he was thinking likely wasn't the truth, but he didn't think the Klein wolf would put much stock into his words. Besides, he didn't know the intricacies of the two brutes' relationship, and to assume the best might have been perceived as arrogantly ignorant.

Artorias almost breathed a sigh of relief when Malachai eventually agreed to his offer of respite after a few moments of consideration. Despite the animosity in his brother's partner, Art would have felt abhorrent if he hadn't offered and something had happened to Malachai. Maybe he was just too soft or empathetic, but it was part of who the Aegis was, and his drive to help and protect others never knew a day off. "Of course. Take all the time you need. My wolves will give you no trouble crossing the borders," he replied when Chai mentioned needing a bit of time to himself. "I'll have a room and meal readied for you when you get back. If you need anything, you can call for me." Artorias began to turn to leave the dark-furred wolf to his own devices, but paused mid-step and looked back to Malachai once more. "And Malachai—I don't know you well, but I know that anyone who makes my brother happy is a good wolf. I don't believe any of this is your fault." He tipped his head to Chai, then turned to make his way back towards Hearthstone, leaving the other male to his own devices.

- exit Artorias unless stopped -

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"