Red alert

Bramble’s raven wasn’t the only corvid that had detected the intruder on the chilled plains. High in the gray cloudy sky, the black inkblot that was Corbin had spotted the vibrant violet of the trespassing wolf in an instant and had diverted to go find his master, the Hallows’ alpha. Artorias was not hard to locate these days; the Aegis kept close to Hearthstone, helping look after his mate and freshly born pups. But when the alert of a purple intruder on Hallowed lands reached his ears from his faithful companion, a panic struck the dire brute’s heart. Immediately his mind went to Sephiran and fear for his children’s safety, and Artorias was rushing out the doors of his chambers, snatching up Embershard on his way out.

Massive paws crunched through the dry grasses as the Aegis marched north, heading for the border Corbin was leading him towards. Even from a distance, the vivid violet fur was noticeable lounging casually on a rock as if they owned the territory. A deep, primal anger burned up in the alpha’s heart—but when he got closer, he realized that the purple wolf was, in fact, not Sephiran Saxe. The woman was a stranger to him, but a trespasser in his home nonetheless. Her anonymity helped assuage some of Artorias’ initial anger, now more stern than homicidal as he approached, but it seemed he would not be the first to arrive. Coming closer, the tawny-turquoise coat of his daughter came into view, and Artorias slowed his stride so he could stand back and watch how Bramble handled this interaction. He remained close enough to hear, ready to step into action if needed to defend his child, but he would give her the chance to show what she was capable of and watch his little girl in action.

"Artorias Carpathius"