As his eldest litter turned two years and his youngest turned yearlings, Artorias had been dwelling on thoughts of the future more than ever. His children were growing, sometimes much too fast for his liking, and they were all becoming their own independent wolves, people he was so very proud to be their father. Seeing them transform into who they were meant to be was an experience that brought him a joy unlike anything else. But there was one of his children that had shown amazing growth, owned her own destiny and had truly stepped beyond any expectations he had as her father. It was high time that Artorias not only acknowledged his daughter's development, but rewarded her for her commitment and perseverance too.

It was a typical rainy afternoon for Auster in winter, the rain falling gently from gray skies to beat rhythmically against the walls and windows of Hearthstone. Artorias walked down the corridors of the castle, heading for the Council Chambers with his companions in tow. He lifted his head and gave forth a short call for Bramble, summoning her for a meeting in what he had come to realize was one of her favorite rooms in all of Hearthstone. He wanted to give her his feedback on the ball she had organized—as well as surprise her with the just rewards for all her hard work and dedication on her second birthday.

Artorias entered the chambers and began to light the fire in the hearth to chase away the chill in the room, getting a crackling fire started before he stoked the brazier back to life as well. He lit the candles under the great stone table to illuminate the map carved within and set out the pack effigies across its surface, placing the Raiders' within Ethne's territory to mark the recent raid that had occurred. Then he waited for Bramble, studying the effigies on the map like pieces on a chessboard, analyzing the next moves to be made.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Bramble had been more than content to sit on her balcony all day. Listening to the rain plop against the stone railing, droplets watering the plants that she had inherited from the healers to help spruce up her rooms, she lets out a content sigh. Maybe it was time for her to talk to her father about Tate coming to live at Hearthstone. Maybe she should talk to Tate about it first? He wouldn't say no, right? Well, he did enjoy wandering. Insisting it was to gather intel for Tojo-Kai, but she wasn't so sure she believed that was wholly the reason. With so much on her mind, mostly the night of the ball, Bramble is surprised when her father calls for her.

While Dusk may have had the balls to keep their father waiting, Bramble did not. Quickly standing to her paws, giving her coat a good shake, she is out of her room and heading down the stairs. Hurried steps with an elongated gait carry her quickly to the Council Chambers. Indeed, one of her favorite rooms within Hearthstone. Taking a deep breath, she smooths out her fur between pushing the doors open as gently as she can. Slipping inside, she notices how her father sits at the table, his eyes trained on the effigies seated upon the map. One of her brows raise before lowering to knit both together as she steps up to the candle lit table. There she sees the Raider's effigy standing beside Ethne territory - so close to their own.

Taking her seat, she tries not to worry. Worrying it what got her heart racing and made her feel all too uncomfortable. Instead, she takes a deep breath, keeping her serious expression (which is hardly anything serious when it comes to Bramble) and looks to Artorias. "I heard about the raid. Their clashing was so loud that I could hear it from my window," her lips purse as she turns to study the effigies again. Were the Raiders a threat to the Hallows? Even with Siduri and who was the boy? Tarnish? They seemed to visit frequently enough... Surely the Raiders wouldn't try anything stupid. "Is this the reason you called?" She finally asks after a few moments of silence.

"Speech"

Artorias was not kept waiting long for his daughter to appear, or perhaps he simply hadn't realized how long he had been absorbed into his pensiveness while waiting for Bramble, but either way as soon as he heard paws entering the Council Chamber the Lord's eyes lifted from the table. He greeted her with a half smile, though it faded when he saw the concerned look on her face as she looked over the map as well. He gave a soft hum of acknowledgement when Bramble mentioned being able to hear the raid from her room, his fiery amber eyes returning to the metal effigies on the map. "We all heard it. The Raiders certainly made no efforts to be stealthy about it," he mused in low tones. "I went down there to assess the damage. It was... not a friendly skirmish. The loss Ethne suffered will leave lasting scars." Lifting a large azure paw, Artorias picked up the Raider effigy and moved it back over to their territories amongst the Boreal islands.

"One of the Raider boys decided he hadn't had enough violence and tried to attack us afterwards. Nelu showed him the error of his ways." A little bit of a proud smirk turned the corner of Artorias' lips upward as he recounted how his son had repelled the would-be trespasser. A shame the boy had been injured in the process, but it was a harsh lesson those renegade children would have to learn sooner or later. Artorias just hoped there would be no repercussions directed at the Hallows in turn. Artorias rapped his claws against the stone table while he stared at the pack pieces in silence for a moment, his mind running wild with a million thoughts a minute. Bramble's eventual question pulled him out of his mental dwellings and the Lord of Cinder lifted his gaze to meet his daughter's concerned features once more, offering her a softer smile to assuage her worries. "No, it isn't. Actually, I wanted to congratulate you on the Harvest Ball. You and Ember did a magnificent job organizing the event, and all of our guests had a wonderful time. You really showed your capabilities, and you were fully in your element that night. I'm very proud of the hard work you put into it and you made the whole night a rousing success—one that we will set as a standard for all future Harvest Balls." Artorias' smile widened, flashing pearly white teeth proudly to his daughter. That was right, her idea had been such a success that it was going to be a permanent part of Hallows culture from now on.

With his praise given, Artorias turned to face Bramble properly, gesturing for her to take a seat at the Council table next to him. "But my opinion is only half as important as yours is. How do you feel the night went, Brammie?" Art tipped his head as he asked Bramble for her own self-assessment on her project. He wanted to get her insight into her efforts and standards. His mind was already made up for how this meeting was going to go, but it was important for him to see Bramble's perspective on matters of the pack as well—especially if she was to move up to be the Hallows' next Envoy.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Bramble nods softly, listening seriously to her father's words. Unlike the Raiders, raiding was taken seriously and any attempt on their lands would be handled as such. She wondered when she would get her first taste of one... Her thoughts were pulled back though at her father's mention of Nelu interacting with a Raider boy. Eyes going wide for a moment before she lets out a sigh and a small laugh. "Ah, well, Nelu is quite the feisty one," Bramble offers, her lips pulling up in a tense smile as she watches her father move the Raider's effigy back to the boreal islands. An interesting place of living if she had any opinion about it.

Thankful that the conversation moved ever onward, Bramble met her father's gaze with a matching tender smile. Her face beams with joy and pride as he congratulates her on the success of the Harvest Ball. Her smile begins to widen, her tail beating gently between her legs. If only her father knew just exactly how in her element she had felt. Even if planning the ball had been stressful, she had had support the whole way. Up till the night of, she had worried it would be a disaster, but by the end, everything had gone off without error. Ember had been more than helpful and with everyone else pitching in, it was surely a night Bramble would remember forever.

Then her father motions to sit at the table, she quickly takes a seat beside him. In her chest, her heart beats heavily, almost frantic. What was this about? Her head tilts slightly as she listens to him speak. He wanted to know her feedback? Hm. Taking a moment to think, she can't help but smile. "Oh, it was fantastic!" Bramble exclaims, her tail wagging happily once more, brushing against the ornate seat she sits in. "I was so worried leading up to the moment, but once it was all setup, it was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night! Everyone was so helpful and listened and gave such good advice," her smile widens again as she meets her teal gaze to her father's fiery eyes. "I would love nothing more than to be able to host one every year," Bramble says, placing a paw upon the table as she then wonders why her father was asking. "Is there something about the ball that you needed to talk about?" She questions, her head tilting once more, making sure to push any nervousness she might feel deep down in her chest.

"Speech"

As Bramble spoke and recounted her opinion of the success of the Harvest Ball, Artorias listened in quiet rapt attention. He watched his daughter, studying her, practically bursting with pride as he marveled at the wonderful young woman she had grown into. Her elation was palpable as she described the event from her perspective and each word gushed from her heart brightened the look of love and joy on Artorias’ face. When Bramble asked, somewhat trepidatiously, about what he wanted to talk about regarding the ball, the proud father could contain his surprise no more. "I just wanted to hear your opinion on how the event went. This was your pride project and I know it meant a lot to you." A pause, a beat as his smile grew before Art added on, "Besides, I need my Envoy’s opinion on all diplomatic matters of our pack."

There it was. Artorias waited with eager bated breath to see his daughter’s reaction as she realized what he was saying. Unbeknownst to her, the Harvest Ball had been his test to see if Bramble was ready to handle the responsibilities of being the Hallows’ primary diplomat for foreign affairs. The way she successfully rallied her pack mates and got their friends and allies to join in the festivities was proof enough for him that she had what it took to succeed. "You’ve made tremendous strides in all your growth, Bramble. You are not only an accomplished warrior, but you have the smarts to navigate social and political situations and the moxie to never give up or back down. No father has ever been more proud of their child than I am of who you’ve become."

All the sweet words aside, there was still the matter of the official offer. Artorias gestured to the chair she sat in with one large paw. "If you’d like, that chair is now yours. As Envoy, you won’t be a full fledged member of the High Council just yet, but you’ll be needed at every political meeting to keep abreast of what’s going on in the world. You’ll be responsible for all interpack affairs and relations between the Hallows and the rest of the world. You’ll be my go-to for political opinions and reports, an expert in all things public relations and diplomacy." Smiling wide from ear to ear, Artorias leaned closer across the table toward Bramble, his own tail wagging in excited anticipation. "Whatdya say, Brammie? Do you want to be the Envoy to my Lord of Cinder?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Bramble watches her father in anticipation. If he had simply wanted to speak of the ball and how she felt, he hadn't needed to bring her to the meeting room. No, this was a special place for secret meetings and private conversations. It brought about an excited feeling in her chest that made her heart feel as if it were beating way too fast. Even as Artorias begins to smile, Bramble can't hide the wag of her tail, her own lips curling up. Was she getting excited too soon? Possibly, but by the way her father looked, it could only be good news.

Envoy! Bramble's eyes widen and her mouth literally drops open. Speechless, utterly speechless. How... Her? Really? It was a dream come true! She blinks a few times, giving her head a soft shake to put herself back into order. Ding, dong, hello Bramble? Yes, your father is peaking to you! Clearing her throat, she turns her ears forward and listens to her father's words intently. The pride and happiness that swells inside her is obvious in the way her eyes sparkle and chins flush with warmth. Though her other siblings surely did their best to succeed and what not, Bramble also tried hard to. Anything her parents needed or wanted of her, she was sure to answer. She was no stranger to hard work.

Honestly, she can't help the tears that brim at the edges of her eyes. Her father's motion toward the chair she sits in makes her happier than ever. One step closer to the High Council! To be included in all pack affairs? The whispered late night meetings? Journeys to other packs? Diplomacy? It was everything she had ever dreamed of! "Oh, papa," Bramble whispers, unable to hold herself still anymore. She slides from her chair and hurriedly embraces her father with a swift hug, burying her face into his neck for a moment before pulling away.

Recollecting herself as she puts herself back in her chair, she sits up straight and gives him a firm nod. "I would be proud to be the Envoy to your Lord of Cinder," Bramble puffs out her chest and tilts her chin up high, her smile wide and bright. "Do I sound important?" She says after she deflates and lets out a laugh. "But yes, of course, I-I can't, I really don't have words to express how excited I am for the future," Bramble looks at Artorias, her smile still there, that wet shine of her eyes revealing truly how happy she is to be promoted once more.

"Speech"

These were the moments Artorias lived for. Those proud moments where he got to bask in his children's joy, celebrate their achievements and accomplishments with them, and watch as they became the magnificent wolves he knew they were all destined to be. Perhaps Bramble picked up on the intentions behind his questions, as her excitement began to grow even before he unveiled why he had asked her here. The moment the other foot dropped and he announced his intent to promote her, all that joy and excitement exploded out of Bramble like a firework exploding in the night sky. A huge smile split Artorias' lips as he allowed himself to drop the official facade and just be a proud parent with his daughter, giving a hearty laugh as Bramble launched herself at him in a grateful hug. Art wrapped his paws around his girl, squeezing her back in his tight embrace as she buried herself in his fur, taking the time to commit this wonderful moment to memory for all time. He was so, so proud of her!

As they parted, Bramble resumed her position in her new seat and declared that she would be proud to be his new Envoy. Artorias had no doubts she would accept, but just hearing that triumph in her voice as she said her new title aloud made his heart swell with love. Bramble had worked so hard to get to where she was and it had been noticed. The Carpathian patriarch loved all of his children and was proud of them all in their own ways, but Bramble had committed herself to a path and saw it through to fruition. Now she was reaping the well-earned fruits of her labors. Another chuckle peeled from Art and he shook his head at his wonderful ridiculous daughter. Gods, how he loved his children! "You sound very important and official, Envoy Carpathius." Artorias listened to Bramble gush, overjoyed and elated at her future. She reminded him so much of himself when he had been named heir of the Hallows oh so many years ago.

"You don't have to say anything, Bramble. Your mother and I have seen the hard work and dedication you've put into yourself to get to where you are, and we couldn't be prouder of you. You've earned your rank, your place at this table, and you've more than made your mark in our family." A gentle fatherly smile touched the dire brute's lips as he spoke. He hoped Bramble knew just how much she was loved. He hoped all his children knew how much they were loved... "I will have your first tasks for you soon, drăguţ. Until then, you are dismissed. Enjoy getting to introduce yourself by your new rank and maybe show it off a bit. You deserve the bragging rights." Another deep chuckle rumbled in Artorias' chest as he flashed Bramble a roguish smile and a wink.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"