I Was in the Neighborhood

Artorias' expression lit up with excitement like a bonfire when Briar agreed to sneak out with him, unable to stop the giddy laugh when she took off running for the falls. He kept grinning like a happy idiot as he shot to his paws and bounded off after his Deer Girl, catching up to her a moment later and passing her with a playful nip at her tail. And so Artorias kicked off a game of chase, racing Briar back and forth through the trees that surrounded the hot springs and past the pools of hot water. It did feel a little strange being back in his old home, especially now that he was older. Everything seemed so much smaller and less intimidating than he remembered it, but he had also grown considerably since his last time here.

Trotting briskly, Artorias led Briar through his former home until the sounds of the rushing falls could be heard. He guided her around the base of the falls past the guest dens that had been dug out on the lower tier of the cliffs. He wasn't sure which den Ulric was staying in, so he walked as surreptitiously as he could past them to the natural incline along the side of the cliff, starting the short trek up to the top of the falls. He was takin Briar all the way to the top, to the den his family used to share. "All right, here we are!" he declared once they arrived at the top of the falls, the old den still the only one up top as far as he could see. "Come on in! This used to be my family's den, but for tonight it's all yours and mine."

Artorias led the way into the den, looking around the familiar old space. The large bed of furs still lay strewn across the floor, and while a bit dusty, still seemed in good condition. Artorias grabbed several and dragged them outside, beating the dust from them and repeating the process until all the bedding had been cleaned. True to the land's name, the falls had a spectacular view over the western sky as the orange sun began to slowly sink out of view, casting the sky in a sea of fire. "Wow, look at that!" he remarked as he gazed out at the sunset, taking a seat along the edge of the cliff. "It's not quite the view from the tower, but it's not half bad." He cast a teasing grin at Briar, eyes twinkling playfully as they caught the sunset in their fiery irises, knowing just how much she loved the view from the castle tower.

"Artorias" | "Corbin"