The Great Pumpkins

Watching Bowen wander through the pumpkin patch brought Artorias a simple sort of joy, the kind where he could see himself spending hours at a time just enjoying being with her. He was smitten, of that there was no doubt. It would be evident to any wolf that saw the way he looked at her, saw the way he smiled and the way his eyes lit up when his gaze found her. It was all far more intimate than siblings were meant to be, but Artorias could find no shame nor sin in his love for Bowen. Her return home had completed him in a way he hadn't known he'd been missing, stirred latent emotions that had been dormant and were now roused stronger than wildfire. It was amazing how much you didn't realize something was a paramount part of your life until it was gone.

Artorias followed Bowen's verdant gaze as she swept across the pumpkin patch, wondering what was going on inside her mind. Something told him she'd want one of each kind, and he was already planning return trips in the future to see what new crops would yield. There were so many different colors and variations! Traditional large orange ones, oblong ones, whites and greens, some speckled with mixed hues, some even rarer colors like blues and purples! His face turned to meet Bowen's frowning face, his own expression falling some as he tried to figure out what had stolen her smile so unwelcomely. When Bowen explained that she hadn't brought a knife, Artorias' eyes lit up and his smirk returned.

"Don't worry, big brother's got that covered." Grinning like he'd pulled a winning hand in a card game, Artorias turned and strode gracefully past the pumpkins back to the cart, reaching inside to pull out the short serrated dagger he'd found in the armory. While it was no Embershard, it would serve the purpose of cutting the pumpkins free of their vines and allow their dreams of becoming gourd farmers to be a reality. He walked back up to Bowen, smiling proudly while he sat and set the knife down on the ground by Bowen's paws, then nudged it toward her. "You cut, I'll gather," he said, tri-colored tail wagging gently behind him while he awaited Bowen to cut free the pumpkins her heart desired.

"Bowen & Artorias"