five AM on the bathroom floor from the night before

Night was a time of solace and sanctuary for the young alpha of the Hallows. It allowed him time to be with his thoughts, to ruminate on his life and reflect on his day. Summer had been a time of change and transition for everyone, from the summer of their first year when they'd lost their mother and were forced to grow up, to the summer of his second year, finding himself as Aegis, welcoming his girlfriend into the pack and his life as his queen, saying goodbye to his mother and Ulric, and settling in to what he expected every day would be like from now on. It was a lot weighing on Artorias' mind, and it kept the wolf from sleep more than he cared to admit. While Briar slept peacefully in their bed after another thorough and fervent lovemaking session, Artorias stood on the balcony of the alpha's bedchambers, gazing up at the stars in the mild evening air.

Life had changed so much in such a short period of time, and yet the more it changed, the more things stayed the same. For the first time in gods knew how long, all of the Carpathius children were back in the family home. Daphne still hadn't regained her memories, and it concerned him as her brother. Grimshaw had come home for a visit, and though Art knew he would be returning to the Armada, he enjoyed having his brother back for the time. They'd all grown and matured so much since their tumultuous childhood and he found himself enjoying his brother's company. He hadn't been exaggerating when he left an open invitation to the other brute to come back home whenever his heart desired. The Hallows would always be open to a Carpathius.

While he gazed around at the stars in the heavens above, the shrill sound of glass hitting stone echoed around the outside of the castle, causing the azure brute's ears to prick up. Brow furrowing with curiosity, Artorias slipped out of his bedroom and made his way down the stairs to the first floor. He noticed the front doors open and immediately grew concerned, padding silently out onto the terrace and the gardens—only to see a very inebriated Grimshaw sitting at the top of the stone steps, gazing down at an empty bottle of wine in the grass. Artorias breathed a sigh of relief; he was just happy this wasn't another attempted invasion of his pack. Then he walked over to join Grim on the terrace.

"Nice night," he commented as he came up to his brother's side, offering him a gentle smile. He could already smell the distinct aroma of Hallowed wine coming from his adoptive sibling. "Y'know, it's pretty depressing to be drinking alone. If you're going to get drunk, at least let your brother get drunk with you too." With a roguish smirk on his face, Artorias sauntered over to a table on the terrace where a bottle of wine had been left partially drunk from when he'd had Sirius down not too long ago. Art popped the cork out of the top and took a long swig, then brought the bottle back over to pass to Grim while he sat next to the other dire. "What are we drinking to tonight, hmm?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Argent"