Shattered

Artorias' deep, peaceful slumber was obliterated by a scream that tore through the castle like a banshee's wail. The Aegis' head shot up from his pillows with a start, groggy and confused, but immediately on high alert. He looked about the room as Briar stirred as well, his first instinct to immediately locate the source of the noise and find out what had caused it. If something was threatening harm to one of his wolves, Artorias was prepared to rend it limb from limb until nothing but memories of it remained. His first thought was that Oxx had somehow slipped past the guards. But as he hurled himself out of bed and hurried for the door, a soft noise on the opposite side caused him to hesitate. Dark brows furrowed while he listened closer in the silence of the night. It sounded like... sobbing? Artorias exchanged a concerned and bewildered look with Briar while the crying got louder and more frenetic just outside their door. Trying to prepare himself for whatever he was about to witness, Artorias reached cautious paws up to the handles of the chamber doors, then slowly pulled them open.

What he saw on the other side broke his heart. Bowen was lying curled up on herself in a ball, sobbing and wailing like she had been attacked. "Bowen!" Artorias gasped and rushed out to gather his tiny sister up in his arms where she lay, all but throwing himself to the stone floor to hold her. "Ce s-a întâmplat? Esti bine?" Artorias' eyes narrowed with concern as he focused on his sister, not liking how ragged her breathing was or how she was shaking from head to tail with her quivering sobs. It almost looked like she couldn't breathe. "Shhh, it's okay, Bo. It's okay. I'm here. Te-am prins."

Artorias needed to comfort and console his hysterical sister, but first he had to get her calmed down before she hyperventilated herself into a cardiac episode. He gave a gentle nudge to her shoulder with his forehead, just enough to urge her to uncurl herself so he could slip his body beneath hers and carry her into his chambers, making sure to kick the heavy mahogany doors shut behind them to give Bowen some privacy. The rest of the pack didn't need to see her like this. Hell, he'd never seen her this bad! Whatever was upsetting her, it was getting worse. Artorias brought Bowen into the room and gently set her down on the pile of furs in front of the fireplace, coming about to lie down before her. Worried amber eyes sought her green ones, hoping to gain some clarity into what was going on. "Hey, Bo, it's okay, you're safe. You're with me." He cast a quick glance up to where Briar was, the upset clear on his face. "What's going on, Bowen? Please, talk to me." He wanted to help her—he wanted to help her so, so badly—but he couldn't if he didn't know what was happening with his little sister.

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