Housewarming

Artorias cast a warm smile to his mate when Briar leaned gently back into his side, then glanced back when the scrabble of talons on wood announced Zephyr's eager disembarking from the cart to rush up to join his family. "Yes, Zeph, we're here!" he repeated with a chuckle, followed by a gentle oof when the giant raptor shoved his way between himself and Briar, huddling between them to keep warm. Even with it being late-spring, the northern territories of Boreas were still quite cool, and the breeze carried a nippy chill with it. Fortunately, the Carpathius family was not left waiting long, and soon the familiar forms of Sirius and Zee Fatalis emerged from the caves to greet them with elated smiles and warm embraces. The first thing he noticed right away was how much healthier and happier Zee appeared to be, no longer just skin and bones, but a true representation of who she had been. Artorias watched with a content smile as Seer and Briar exchanged greetings, the Warlord complimenting her on her radiance as queen while her mother attributed it to the relationship factor.

Sirius approached him first, and Art greeted his father-in-law with a familiar smile. A large paw clapped down on his shoulder, but before Art could do anything in return, the Aegis found himself scooped up into a massive bear hug by the affectionate Warlord. He gave a surprised laugh and embraced Seer back, finding that usual comfort he had found in the father figure in his life. "Always a pleasure, Seer! We wouldn't miss the chance to come see you all!" The two alphas parted, and Artorias greeted Zee with a grateful smile and tip of his head. "It's my pleasure and honor, Zee," he replied to her thanks, returning the warm nuzzle back to the matriarch of the Fatalis family. "Briar deserves all the best in the world." Art's amber eyes exchanged the appreciative glance with Zee's cooler blues, then he turned a brief knowing glance over to his wife, overjoyed to see her and her mother getting along in the wake of how turbulent their relationship had once been. They were all older now, wiser, and youthful animosity had mellowed into empathy and understanding. He knew Briar and Zee's relationship hadn't always been an easy one, but seeing the two women get along and bond like mother and daughter had brought him a degree of peace.

The sound of struggling caught his attention, and Artorias turned with a snicker to see Sirius trying to scoop Zeph up into a bear hug of his own, with a modicum of success. "Everything. He's been eating everything," Artorias teased his adopted son with a crooked grin, though the Aegis had a hunch Sirius would understand, given they had their own bottomless pit in the form of Basilisk to keep fed. He was ecstatic to see Sirius and Zee taking to treating Zephyrus as one of their own grandchildren so easily. Not that he'd expected anything less from the kindhearted wolves, but he knew they were asking a lot from their families. It hadn't been something Artorias had even considered when he'd rescued the young argentavis, just a consequence of doing the right thing. Zee invited them all inside, and Artorias nodded and gestured for them to take the lead.

The group followed their hosts, Artorias eager to see what the Armada had done with the Col and surrounding lands. "We brought you some housewarming gifts, I hope you don't mind," he said to his parents-in-law as they made their way into the cave system, glancing back at the cart to ensure the stubborn alpaca was still keeping pace. "Some wines produced using fruits from the Wildberry Grove, all created by Briar's imagination—" He cast a sideways smile to his beloved wife. He was still so proud of her for the passion she'd discovered in the culinary arts and winemaking. "—as well as alpaca-fleece blankets, enough for all of the Armada." Artorias hadn't spent a significant amount of time in the north, but the time he had, he recalled how bitter cold the winters could be, and the nights even more so throughout the years. Having a nice, thick blanket to cuddle up under would be a boon for all.

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