I'm not leading you astray

Briar had left for a few days after her training session with Mortis and after they fought off those saber cats, eager to put her skills to the test more and more. She tried to tell herself she was trying to make herself better just for her own benefit or for her family's benefit or for the pack's benefit, but that wasn't the truth. She purely wanted to prove herself wrong and prove that she could in fact make herself feel worthy of being with Artorias. She spent a handful of days just moving through the Battlefield, camping out near by, finding fights and predators and anything else to distract herself from her emotions and build up her skills so that she might be able to build up her confidence to face Artorias again and face the damage her own self deprecation had caused.

Of course, unknown to her, while she was gone Artorias had arrived in the Armada. She had just gotten back her new home with Mortis the night before and was resting up near their den when she heard her older brother's howl calling for her. Her ears perked curiously at the call, but she quickly got to her paws, pulling on her armor since it sounded like he was calling from the direction of the Sea's Plain. She certainly wasn't going to turn down another training lesson with him, but she was going to have her armor ready to go this time! With Marigold at her heels and Willow soaring through the air above her she made her way to meet him - only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw who was with him.

Artorias was facing away from her so she was left staring wide eyed at his back, but she knew exactly who it was even without him turning toward her. Her ears flicked back nervously. She wasn't ready. She hadn't finished training yet. But would she ever really feel ready? Seeing him now, feeling how her chest squeezed painfully with heartache and guilt, she realized that maybe no amount of training and preparation would really restore her confidence. Drawing in a breath, she forced herself to walk forward to stand beside Artorias in front of Mortis, giving the Carpathius boy a small, uncertain glance before focusing her attention on her brother.

"Briar Fatalis"