Art and Fern have been plotting and today their plan will come to fruition.

It has quickly become apparent, since the birth of both of their litters, that some, if not all, the pups have had their eyes on weapons. Fern herself has noticed at least two of the pups already carrying sticks around as if they are swords. Plus, when the pups are allowed in the armory under heavy supervision, there is no mistaking the awe on their little faces. While all of the parents have been busy with their families, Artorias and Fern have been sure to find time to continue their training together.

Training is one of the only truly constant routines in the gray woman’s day and she always looks forward to the time she gets to spend with her brother-in-law. He has seen her personal growth in life while also helping to cultivate her interest in the way of the sword. And now, they have pups of their own who are showing interest in weapons and it seems only right that teacher and student help to further the children along their paths. The season has seen more rain than normal and, while the pair wait for a string of sunny days, they lay the plans out.

Today, the sun shines brightly in an almost cloudless sky and the plan is put into action. Fern arrives at the outdoor training area first, moving the covered dummies out and away from the ring that they pair will use. Puff helps her test the ground, making sure that it is not loose while also filling in spots that have washed away during the rains. Once the ground is even and the ring cleared, she then sets up an area for the spectators, using a large log to mark the point that the puppies cannot cross. All in all, she has the area prepped and ready by the late morning hours.

Puff helps her to don her leather armor, deftly buckling it into place with her own, well-practiced, paws. With her armor in place, Fern then sets about doing her normal warmup stretches, working the muscles loss while she awaits Art’s arrive. He had promised to bring two of the blunted steel training swords with him and, as she spies his large form approaching, is happy to see that he has the weapons. Once he has joined her, the gray woman continues through her stretches while saying, “Morning Art! Ready to give them a show they won’t soon forget?” Eyes sparkle with mischief as she grins at her teacher, waiting for him to give the call to gather.



"Fern Carpathius"

It would come as no surprise to Artorias if the entirety of the world came to know the Hallows as the pack with sword-wielding wolves. With the amount of fascination and passion the wolves of the Hallows had cultivated around the ancient weapons they had discovered and perfected the art of using, everyone from the adults to the pups seemed to be involved in at least some manner to the weapons. It brought great pride to the Aegis' heart when he saw that same interest mirrored in his own children's faces. He was always catching some little ones trying to poke their heads into the armory or spying on him when he was training solo in his dojo or sparring with Fern and Mercury. Artorias had been waiting until the little ones were a mite older before allowing them to truly get involved in the weapons training, but that didn't mean they couldn't watch and learn. Now that his kids were a half year old and Rudy and Fern's not too far behind, what better time than the present for a demonstration on what they could be someday?

The late summer weather of Auster had shifted from hot sunny days to temperate rainy ones, so finding a good time for a demonstrative lesson was tricky. Eventually, the cloudy weather held off long enough for the sun to dry out the plains and their training grounds. While not every battle could wait for clear weather to commence, the Aegis didn't exactly feel like slipping about in the mud and rain while fighting Fern just for the entertainment of their offspring. Today was the day though! Fern set out early in the morning to prepare their arena, and Artorias had headed down to the dojo to pick out two blunted sparring swords for them to use in their demonstration. He spent a little bit of time polishing and cleaning them, reinforcing the leather wrappings around the hilt, and then they were ready. He grabbed his armor from his chambers and set out to the training grounds just outside the castle walls where his protege would be waiting for him and where their pups would be gathering for the lesson.

Artorias arrived just as Fern and Puff were getting her set for their spar. At his side, Argent carried a small sack of sand from the Shimmering Shore that he went around sprinkling across the patch of dirt that made up the arena. The sand would help to make sure the earth was dry and prevent any slipping of paws. In his jaws, Artorias carried the two sparring swords. Fern greeted him and he tipped his head up in reply to her, unable to verbally reply with two weapons in his mouth. He stepped up to the center of the arena and drove both blades down into the ground til the swords stood on their own, then nodded to Fern with a lopsided smile. "Good morning, Fern. I hope you've been practicing, because I won't be holding anything back," he remarked with a flash of a playful grin. Tipping his head back, Artorias issued a short call to their pups, summoning any who were interested in the swordplay lesson to gather.

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

The sun moves across the sky, signaling the beginning of the transition from morning into the afternoon. Callie waits in the great hall, urging the sun to move faster so she can eat lunch. While it is the first sunny day in a long time, the girl is more focused on filling her belly than enjoying the day. Paws tap the ground impatiently as she looks toward the kitchen, waiting and… waiting. A short call catches her attention and the patchwork-hued pup looks over her shoulder toward the door, wrestling with her choices. Food or sword lesson?

Of course, the sword lesson wins out (much to her stomach’s dismay) and Caladia rushes from the castle out to the training area. The warmth of the sun on her pelt feels wonderful and, as she finds her mother and uncle in a ring, the little girl squeals with delight. Tiny form blurs forward as she slams into and latches onto her uncle Art’s right front ankle. Tiny tail thumps the ground as she giggly says, “Hi! What are we learning today?!”

Fern appears to pry the girl from Artorias’s ankle and she sulks all the way to the area her mother directs her to. Plopping her butt down, Callie grins in excitement as she waits for others to appear.


"Caladia Carpathius"

Bramble had taken to discovering different parts of the garden. After a stretch of rain, she was itching to leave the castle walls. As much as there was to do inside, she wanted to see if she could find someone who would teach her more about the different fauna. Winding through the pathways surrounded by tall walls of vines the young pup found a small clearing full of lavender. Bumble bees buzzed around and small birds flitted in and out. The smell was heavenly! While she was nose-deep in a lavender bush, a loud call caught her attention. Both ears turned toward the sound as her head lifted quickly. There could only be one wolf that sounded like that! Taking off like a bullet in the direction of her father's voice, Bramble wasted no time. With the sun warming her back and her sharp claws digging into the dirt, she made it to the arena in no time. Nearly out of breath and her tongue lolling off to the side of her mouth, she smiled in the direction of Artorias and Fern. Spying the two dull blades in the middle of the arena, she paused. A tilt of her head showed her curiosity as she spied Caladia off to the side. Approaching her father, Bramble looks up at him as her tail wags happily. "Hi, dad! Hi Fern!" She says in turn to each of them with a nod of her head in Fern's direction. Quickly pointed in the direction of where Caladia sat, Bramble made her way over to the other pup. "Do we get to use those?!" She asks Caladia in a rather loud whisper. Plopping herself down next to Caladia, she sat upright and tense, her body nearly vibrating in excitement. bramble carpathius

Artorias arrives with Argent and the fox companion is quick to go about and sprinkle sand from the nearby shore around the arena. With an approving nod, Fern turns her attention to her mentor and happily says, “You think of everything.” There is joy in her tone with excitement lingering in the back. Sure, they are going to be teaching the pups and wolves that show up a little lesson but, after that, the pair will be sparing each other.

It always makes the woman a little nervous to spar with him and her heart to flutters at the prospect of fighting Artorias in front of others. Still, she is excited. At the Aegis words, Fern offers a laugh and quips back, “You better! I would expect nothing less!” With that, Art calls out an invite and the woman waits to see who will arrive to learn. Of course, the very first to arrive is her own Caladia and the girl is quick to attach herself to her Uncle’s leg.

With a soft chuckle, she allows the girl a moment before stepping forward to remove her from Artorias’s leg. With that done, she shoos the girl to where they have set up a viewing area and Callie sulks away. Fern chuckles softly, directing a quiet observation to Art, “I never thought I would have such a great life after my mother died. Yet, here I am. I have children and friends and a pack I call home. Life is grand.” Blue eyes sparkle with love and joy as she looks to Artorais.

Bramble appears next, moving up to them and offering greetings. The gray woman looks to Bramble and says, “Hello Bramble! Ready to learn a few things about swords?” A wink is offered to the pup as she moves off to sit next to Caladia. After a little bit, Fern clears her throat and brings the pups attention to her. With a bright smile, she says, “Good afternoon Caladia and Bramble. Artorias and I have decided that it is time you have the opportunity to learn more about swords. Now, I want you both to pay close attention. Okay? Feel free to ask questions as we go!”

With that, she looks to Art, opening the floor for the master of the sword to begin the lesson. She stays ready to model whatever he needs.


"Fern Carpathius"

While Avantika was pretty sure that this lesson was intended to be attended mostly by the pups of the Hallows, she doubted her brother and her other brother's mate would turn her away. She was curious. It was common in the pack for wolves to utilize swords in their fighting styles, and so many wouldn't if they didn't find them useful; Avantika herself had never used any weapons while fighting and she did wonder if the practice would help her fight better. It seemed sensible that a long, sharp blade would be helpful in situations where teeth couldn't reach or wouldn't do the damage necessary. It would give her more distance from her foes, especially because they may not use a weapon of their own. She'd have to put the effort in to learn, of course, but no time like the present for that.

Fern and Art stand as teachers nearby Callie and Bramble, two children Avantika has worked with before. Clearly they were interested in the skill, and the pack's Commander is proud of them for that. They'd grow to be formidable defenders indeed. As she was a touch late, she hangs back as the lesson begins, nodding to both Art and Fern in polite greeting but resolving herself to watch from the sidelines.

"Speech"

Crap crap crap she was lateeee! Elowen’s paws hit the earth hard and her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she raced to the training area. The girl had heard Artorias’ call and was racing across the territories of the Hallows. She wanted to be there she wanted to be there she wanted – ahh at last! El’s eyes lit up as she closed the last of the distance. They hadn’t started yet! Yes! “Sor-orry!” The girl was out of breath as she came barreling in, stopping in a lurch as she made it to where the other pups were. Her tail wagged a mile a minute behind her though as she smiled at her sister and cousin before looking at her mom and uncle with a nod. She couldn’t expect to become a knight if she didn’t show up to more training things, right?

"Elowen Carpathius"

It didn't take long from the issuance of his call for their excited pups to begin showing up to the sword fighting demonstration, Caladia and Bramble arriving first, with Avantika coming to watch and Elowen arriving just as Fern began to introduce what they were doing today. Callie went tumbling straight into his leg, the massive dire wolf completely unmoved by the sudden weight of puppy on his leg as he turned a grinning smile down to his niece. "Hello Callie, hello Trouble," he teased his daughter playfully, then nudged her off to the side of the arena to sit with Callie while they prepared their demonstration. Black auds perked when he heard Bramble's eager whisper, and the Aegis turned a little wink to his pup. Perhaps one day when she was older and bigger, she would be wielding a blade and teaching these lessons to her own children. Hopefully that day was still far away in the future, and Art could enjoy his time with his pups for a little while longer.

Fern's heartfelt words of how much she valued her life in the Hallows warmed Artorias' heart and spirit from within, an overjoyed smile spreading across his lips as he met his sister-in-law's shining love-filled gaze. "I'm glad for you, Fern. That means everything my mother did, everything she worked for and died for, was worth it." All his life, Artorias' driving motivation had been to live up to the expectations of his late mother and to uphold her values with the Hallows. Hearing from Fern's lips just how much he was accomplishing that... it was impossible to keep from getting a little emotional and proud. Fern began their lesson then, directing the pups' attention to him, but the Aegis staunchly shook his head and gestured with a paw back to the monochrome woman. "Oh no, this is all your lesson today, Fern. I think the pups might be a bit young to be learning the intricacies of basic swordplay just yet, but I'm happy to show off for them with you." If Fern wanted to show off things to their children, he was happy to help her lessons, but today was all for her to show off what she'd learned and prove her skills to her mentor.

Stepping back over to the swords, Artorias drew one of the blunted blades from the ground and flipped it into the air with a flourish, the steel shining in the light as it spun. Artorias positioned himself beneath the sword, timing its movements so when he lunged up, he caught the sword by the hilt in his jaws. A little spin of the sword in his jaws created a flurry of silver, only stopping once Art grasped the hilt again, his showboating finished and now armed and ready to fight.

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

As Callie sits in the ‘viewing area’ waiting for her mother and uncle to show off the swords, the girl’s paws tippy tap the ground in anticipation. Mom speaks and she nods vigorously, mouth cracking open in a grin as her tongue pokes out the side of her mouth. Just as Fern finishes speaking, handling the session over to her uncle, a flash of fur catches her eyes and the pup looks to find her sister Elowen barreling down on the pair. As her mismatched eyes widen in surprise, she also happens to notice that her aunt hanging on the outskirts of the area.

Eyes try to catch Tika’s as she offers a smile and wave, the pup happily inviting the woman to join the pups in the viewing area. Elowen lurches to a stop with them and the girl shuffles to the side so that her sibling has more room to. As they all settle in, Callie leaning into her sibling’s side, Artorias speaks up and gives the lesson back to her mother which has her eyes widening in surprise. They snap back to Fern as excitement suddenly causes her body to tense. Wonder shines in her mismatched gaze as the girl feels proud to be at a lesson that her mother is giving. Ears stand straight up as she strains to listen, willing her brain to catch every word and detail while her uncle shows off the moves.


"Caladia Carpathius"

A giggle escaped Bramble as her father called her Trouble. Oh, trouble she would be indeed! Quickly being shooed off to the side to sit with her cousins, Bramble sat close to Callie. When Elowen arrived, Bramble made sure to lean over and wave a paw in her direction. “Hi El!” She whispers loudly before leaning back and turning her attention to Fern and Artorias. Like that of Callie’s paws, Bramble’s tail is wagging happily against the ground and raising a cloud of dust into the air. As Fern speaks and Artorias draws a sword to brandish it with flair, Bramble’s jaw drops open. Both adults are amazing with both their words and their skills. Her eyes grow wide as she continues to watch her father twirl and spin the sword with finesse. Even a quiet gasp leaves her as she leans over to nudge her cousins. “You think we can do that some day?” Her whisper is more like a hushed yell as she can hardly contain her excitement. Bramble Carpathius

Her entry into the lesson had been a mess, but at least no one else seemed to mind. Callie even made some room for her which El grateful took before grinning at her sister. She was even greeted by her cousin, and waving back to her, Elowen barked out a soft greeting. “Hey Bram!” It was always good to be with those you could trust.

Her attention was very swiftly stolen away by her uncle’s swordplay however, her dual colored eyes shining with delight as she watched his skill with his sword. While she wanted to learn swordsmanship one day to help protect her loved ones, she was impressed by how beautiful it could look. She knew they weren’t toys, but seeing how Artorias could make it move impressed her. To trust your blade, as you trusted yourself.

As he finishes, Elowen glances back at Bramble and gives a nod. “Probably! But we need to understand the sword first I think… Learn its weight and movements before we can start doing more complex stuff… right?” Her gaze shifts to the adults, seeking confirmation.

"Elowen Carpathius"

As the pups file in, Fern greets them with a happy smile and dancing eyes. As Elowen arrives, breathless and apologizing, the monochrome woman sings a laugh and reaches out for her daughter, giving her an affectionate nuzzle on the top of her head before scooting her over to where the others are gathered. Calling for attention, she then directs everyone to Artorias who… passes the lesson back to her. Wide eyes blink at the Aegis, uncertainty flickering across her features for a moment before she dips her head in agreement.

The black and blue male steps to one of the blunted blades, pulling it free from the ground and flipping it into the air with a grand flourish which causes the sunlight to make the sword appear as if it is glowing. With the easy that comes from years of practice, Artorias positions himself underneath the sword and lunges upward to effortless capture the hilt in his jaws. A gentle laugh fills the air as she gives him a small shake of her skull, winking to the showboating Aegis before turning back to address the gathered pups.

“Artorais is able to wield the sword that way because he has spent countless hours training. Since he was about your age, he has learned everything he could about his weapon. From how heavy it is, the correct way to hold the hilt in his mouth, to how to move his body for maximum effectiveness.” Nodding toward Art, Fern’s countenance turns stern as she warns the pups, “I don’t want any of you trying that for a while. We will give you the basics you need today, so that, in the future, you too can be as confident with a weapon as Artorias is.”

A smile blooms across her face, chasing away the hardness that been there mere moments before. Lifting a paw to point toward Art, Fern says, “The first thing to learn is the correct way to hold a sword, or weapon, in your mouth. To know that, you must be aware of how heavy it is and how to adjust your stance to compensate for it.” Looking to the Aegis, she lifts a brow and waits to for him to show them all the way grips the hilt as she explains, “This is the best to hold your weapon. Behind your long teeth, there is a sweet spot where holding the hilt will feel natural. You just need to find it.”

Nervousness flutters in her chest, causing her stomach to flip-flop painfully as she looks at Artorias, silently wondering if she is doing his lessons justice. However, as she turns back to the pups, there is no hint of the worry she feels is on her features as she gentle asks, “Any questions so far?” A warm, inviting smile is on her lips as she looks them over, hoping that they are enjoying themselves.


"Fern Carpathius"