Swift as the ocean breeze

Spring in Auster had always been a beautiful show of what nature had to offer. Winter had mostly been skipped by his family thanks to the supernatural autumn that had overtaken the Hallows' lands, meaning Artorias' children had gotten to enjoy more time outdoors exploring their world, learning a million new things, and not having to be cooped up indoors all day. Now with spring in full swing, the days were bright and sunny, warm and pleasant. The days grew longer which meant more hours for puppy playtime! Talyssa, his sweet little girl, had shown an aptitude for exploration and a thirst for knowledge, traits that mirrored both Briar's and his own passions. So when the days became nicer, Artorias decided to take his daughter out on a little trip to spend some father-daughter time together—and what better place to take an eager adventurous puppy than to the beach?

Artorias fetched Talyssa just after breakfast and led the way out of the castle, beyond the gates and into the expansive world beyond. The old dirt path that ran from the castle down to the beach was still present, and Art let Taly walk alongside him so she could scamper about and explore as her little heart desired. All the while he watched her with all the pride of a new father for his child, beaming down at his tawny daughter like she was the most precious treasure in the world—and to him, she was. The gentle lapping of waves on the coast which had always been a present sound even from the castle became louder the closer they got to the shore, and following the dirt path down an embankment to the golden sands below brought the wolves out to the sight of the vast western sea glistening in the sunlight. Artorias watched the way the sun shimmered off the water's surface like a million diamonds, glancing up to the crying gulls overhead that floated lazily in the breeze.

"We're here, Taly!" he declared and leaned down to place an excited nuzzle to his daughter's forehead. "Go on, you lead the way! We're here to explore and see what we can see. If you feel like it, maybe you can race your dad across the beach too." Today was Talyssa's day; whatever she wanted to do, Artorias' attention was all hers.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"