The Great Pumpkins

The look Bowen turned his way sent a scorching heat through his veins, catching him by surprise, but it was a welcome one! Her purred words contained her thinly veiled promise of what she had in mind for them, drawing a sly grin across the young brute's muzzle. Their relationship was still fresh, and with any new relationship, there was that intense passion that never seemed to go away. He knew Bowen's condition would amplify their lusting for one another, but in his heart, Artorias hoped this passion between them never faded. It could be bolstered with moments of love, tender affections, and times of simple happy existence together, but never losing that fire.

Bowen's response to the pumpkin-filled valley was downright adorable and her beaming smile was infectious. Artorias found himself grinning ear to ear while he watched his little sister literally vibrating beside him, her body wiggling with excitement at their discovery. He had known of their mother's love for pumpkins, since they'd tried to plant some around the castle before her passing, but he had no idea it carried on to Bowen as well. The extended winter had prevented their first crop from yielding any fruits, but this time Artorias was determined to bring some of the gourds back and start anew. He and Bowen could grow a garden in honor of their mother, and she could have ownership of her own little pumpkin patch.

While Bowen raced down the slope into the valley, Artorias followed more leisurely to keep the cart from toppling over. It also gave him the added benefit of getting to watch his sister's shapely rump bouncing off ahead with every sprinting step she took. He couldn't help it; Bowen was beautiful and Artorias loved her. He guided the cart down to a level patch of earth, he unstrapped himself from the harness and began meandering through the sea of brightly colored pumpkins, looking between the various shapes and sizes, the oranges and greens and whites as far as the eye could see! "Look at all of these! There must be hundreds," he remarked in awe, wandering around thick vines to try and follow Bowen, who was much more nimble thanks to her smaller, slender frame. "Oh, surprise! This was the reason I wanted to bring you out here. I thought we could take some of these back with us, maybe start our own little garden where you can have pumpkins all year round."

Artorias smiled at Bowen, absolutely adoring this youthful side of her showing through. For a brief moment, he was transported back in time. Her girly giggle rang in his ears, and suddenly he was looking at the tiny puppy he'd followed through the willow trees in search of treasure. Digging up the glass orb, crafting a makeshift travois to drag it back to their familial den at the falls... He wondered if he should take Bowen back to the falls one day. Make a trip of it. Have a picnic at the top of the falls, watch the sunset, take a dip in the hot springs, count the stars, make love by moonlight... Artorias blinked his eyes and he was back in the present with Bowen, no longer looking back on memories nor forward to future plans. What mattered most was his time with Bowen, here and now.

"Artorias" | "Corbin" | "Argent"