a new change on the wind

Preparations were well on the way for the bonfire festival taking place in a few days. It was difficult for him to believe that it would soon be his and his siblings' second birthdays, officially marking them as adults. It was also a grim reminder that it had been a year since the death of their mother in the dire wolf raid. The summer would likely always be bittersweet to him in that regard, but he tried to skew the memories more in favor of the sweet than the bitter. A massive pile of dry kindling and deadwood had been built up on the plains, just waiting for the time to be ignited and the Hallows and its friends to celebrate the Carpathians' birthdays and the memories of loved ones lost. Things were just about set.

Artorias heard Audra's call from where he was in the castle armory, preparing jars of flammable oil for the bonfire. Black ears perked atop his head and he wiped his paws off on a rag and made his way toward the foyer where he spotted Audra waiting anxiously for him. The woman's body language spoke of nervousness, and the way she kept glancing back outside was cause for concern. The Aegis' brow furrowed as he approached her, claws clicking on the stone floor the closer he got. "Audra, is everything okay?" he asked, moving to stand between her and the door in case something was pursuing her and he needed to defend her. A peek outside showed no immediate threats, no invaders to the castle. Just another rare sunny day in Auster's winter. Confused, he turned fire-kissed eyes back to her with a raised brow, hoping she'd fill in the blanks of his curiosity.

"Artorias Carpathius"