Walk the lands we seek to call home

To say that Artorias was a proud adoptive parent would have been an understatement. The Aegis hadn't expected to take on such a fatherly role in the young bird's life when he found Zephyrus was a pudgy little chick in the castle tower, but now he couldn't imagine life without the clumsy and golden-hearted lad in it. As Zeph expanded his full wingspan to show off how big he was getting, Artorias gave a hearty chuckle and also noticed the dark berry-hued staining on the fledging feathers his son wore. "Well well, looks like someone will be getting a bath when we get home," he teased Zephyr and gave his son a playful nudge with his shoulder. Watching Zephyrus grow and explore his world reminded the young alpha so much of his childhood, of days spent exploring and learning the massive world through the tiny eyes and wide imagination of a puppy. The nostalgia drew a wistful sigh from the Carpathian wolf; where had all that time gone...

While Zephyr and Syanna began their own little adventure of examining the berry bushes and sampling their fruits, Artorias meandered over to Fern, regarding his apprentice with a crooked smile. "He's young and enthusiastic, but he's also right—the grove has a plethora of berries and fruits we can use for food and cooking," he said, picking up an undamaged raspberry in the wake of the giant raptor's carnage and popping it into his mouth. The rich, sweet flavor burst over his tongue, followed by a brisk tartness characteristic of the dark red raspberries. "Mmm and they're ripe too. I bet with Auster's temperate climate, they probably grow year-round. We'll be able to make continuous harvests so long as we keep tending to the trees and shrubs."

Artorias tipped his muzzle to the sky, giving a soft call for his ravens. Corbin and Eira swooped down like a black and white streak to land gracefully before their master. "Could you both scout the area from the sky while we work on the ground? Anything that looks interesting or out of the ordinary, report to me. We'll handle the berry census."

Corbin gave a graceful bow and replied, "Certainly, Master Artorias."

Eira gave a much more casual salute with a wing. "Aye, we'll keep an eye out for ya!"

After a playful jostle to one another, the two ravens flapped their wings and soared into the sky once more to begin their aerial reconnaissance. Artorias watched until they were out of view above the tree canopy, then moved to join Fern while they surveyed the grove. The territory was large, and given that it was the first many a wolf approached when coming to Auster, he was glad they were the ones claiming it. The Hallows would be a good first impression to visitors of the southern continent. Fortunately, there wasn't too terribly much to explore. The grove was fairly flat, being close to the coasts, and it seemed like the fruit trees and berry shrubs made up a bulk of the content of the land. After sampling a few more of the berries and fruits, Artorias did a short lap around the perimeter, then called for his wolves (and bird) back. "Start making your final checks, everyone! If you find something worth exploring further, make a note of it and report it back to me. Once you're ready to go back home, come rally around me."

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