Into the night

Mercury appeared taken off guard by the Aegis' sudden appearance, earning a wry smirk from Artorias. His newest member accepted the cloak graciously, and Artorias passed the thick coat of warm alpaca wool to his friend. He knew the cold would be nothing new to Mercury, having come from the north, but it didn't mean he was going to let him deal with the cold and risk falling ill. This was terribly unseasonable for Auster, after all. "Not at all. I couldn't sleep and happened to see you heading out," he replied, not wanting to give Merc the impression that he was spying on him or anything. Artorias followed easily alongside Mercury through the quiet and still winter's night, the gentle wind tousling their cloaks as they walked. The only sound that came from the wolves was the crunch of snow beneath their heavy paws while they walked, putting the castle farther behind them as they moved north.

As they walked, Mercury made a passing comment about sleep eluding him for some time. Artorias didn't need to ask why. He knew the side effects grief carried with it. How many nights had he lost to insomnia when his mother had deteriorated? Well, at least he was glad to know it wasn't a dislike of his accommodations that kept the Ermis man awake. Making sure his wolves were comfortable and their needs were met was paramount to the young alpha. Mercury asked if he'd fancy a spar, and Art turned intrigued amber eyes to his companion, a playful smirk on his lips. "Taking advantage of me being unarmed?" he teased Merc, leaning in to nudge his friend with his shoulder. "That sounds like exactly what we need. I'll warn you though, I don't hold punches, so I expect the same."

Artorias trotted a couple steps ahead of Mercury and turned to face the dark-furred man, the challenge gleaming in his fiery eyes as he assumed his battle stance, paws planted in the snow. "Your move, Ermís!" Then he waited, nerves steeled and muscles tensed to respond to Mercury's attack, allowing his challenger the honor of the first strike.

Artorias vs Mercury for snow spar
Round 0/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight or Fleet-footed

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