A warm welcome?

There were many things from his past that Artorias had buried or moved on from as he grew into adulthood. His childhood remained now as little more than fleeting memories—some good, some bad, and some horrifying—and all of it was lessons learned that made the alpha the man he was today. Some things were easy to remember, others hard to recollect. But there were always bits and pieces that would remain with him til the day he died. The falls he had grown up in. The gathering of the Hallows in the castle for their first feast. Receiving the name Carpathius as their own. His little wooden sword still tucked away safely in a trunk in his chambers. All of it meant something to the wolf and had left a lasting impression on him for one reason or another. It was these memories that comforted the Aegis on days like this—cold, gray winter days that seemed to suck all life from the world. They were like a warm blanket to immerse himself in, remembering the times that had made him smile the most.

Artorias was seated in the greta hall before the massive hearth, watching the never-ending fire crackling away. The glow of the dancing flames reflected in his citrine eyes. Heat surrounded him, warming his fur against the chill of winter. The storms from the night before had passed, leaving Auster covered in thick snow and ice, frosting the window panes that looked out into the gray world while the wolf quietly immersed himself in his memories. Then, as if calling out from some far-flung dream, a bark. The first one confused the Aegis, who looked up and around as if questioning what he'd heard. Then came the second, and Artorias began to focus in on the familiar voice. Then the distinctly canine howl, and he knew who it was. Art's breath caught in his throat as emotion threatened to overcome him. He wasted no time scuttling to his paws and sprinting out of the hall, not bothering to slow down save to grab a thick alpaca wool cloak from near the doors on his way out. Giant paws tore through the fresh snow in the direction of the call, heading south through the castle gates and across the plains until he spotted the gray and black coat of the man from his past with a trademark hat perched atop his head.

Outlaw.

Artorias had been sure the dog had died somewhere far away from home. The thought had tortured him as a young adolescent that something like that had happened to his friend when he'd disappeared from the pack, yet here he stood, alive and kicking! Artorias didn't break stride as he ran up to Outlaw, the cold stinging at glowing tears threatening to build in the corners of his fire-toned eyes. There was only a moment of pause for Art to slow down his speed so he didn't go crashing into the smaller canine before he threw his arms around Outlaw, pulling the dog tight to him in a strong embrace. Outlaw felt thin, worryingly so, and his coat was a mess and matted thick with sea salt, but this was definitely him and he was alive! Art would take whatever small blessings he could get. "I thought we'd never see you again," the dire wolf spoke through a trembling voice as he struggled to contain his emotions, so overwhelmed seeing the man that had helped raise him and his siblings.

Artorias only withdrew from Outlaw to throw the cloak around Outlaw's shoulders to help keep him warm, then gestured for the dog to follow him back toward the castle. "C'mon, we need to get you inside and warmed up." Every step of the way back, Artorias remained by Outlaw's side, offering his long lost friend his support if he needed any help getting inside. At Outlaw's pace, the Aegis welcomed the man back home, leading him through the gates and snow-covered gardens up into the warm embrace of the castle. Down to the great hall they went, where Art ushered Outlaw over to the grand hearth to warm up while he went and fetched some food. Lia had prepared a fresh stew for the pack, which he filled a bowl up with a healthy amount before bringing it back to let the bedraggled sailor eat. "I can't tell you how much good it does my heart to see you alive, Outlaw. I thought..." Artorias didn't finish his sentence, swallowing hard and giving the canine a gentle smile. "I'm glad I was wrong. Where did you go?"

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