Stick 'em with the pointy end

When Artorias had given Briar her anniversary gift, he had made the promise to teach her how to properly use it once she had given birth to their pups and was physically able to join him for some sparring. Well, the newest litter had been born, the little wolf nuggets were two seasons old and off running amok around the Hallows, and the Aegis and the Queen had a bit more time to spend by themselves now. A perfect combination to set up a little practice lesson to introduce Briar to the finer art of swordplay! Saying nothing to his wife to keep it a surprise, Artorias had snuck off after breakfast to go set up a private training area for them down on the beach. With it being the height of midsummer, having the ocean nearby to go take a dunk in to cool off would be a tremendous boon, and the soft sands would make for a much nicer cushion if they wound up losing their footing.

Artorias had scoped out the shore many times on his patrols, and as such he knew of a small secluded cove on the southern end of the shore just past the Hallows' pack lines. It was little more than an inlet surrounded by the rising rocky hills of the shoreline, but it was quiet, tranquil, and above all, private. Briar had asked him for private tutelage for their lessons and he would deliver on his promise to her. Though whether she wanted the privacy just for them to enjoy their one-on-one time together or for more mature ulterior motives remained to be seen. Artorias could hope for the latter. With a little grin on his face, the dire brute set up a pair of training dummies he'd taken from the Hallows' training yards, sticking them securely in the sand so they wouldn't topple over. He'd brought two dulled daggers from the armory with him for them to practice with, but he had also brought his own Carpathian steel dagger so he could train alongside Briar and learn with her. The Aegis may have been a master swordsman, but even he knew he was not above honing his skills.

With everything set up for them, Artorias stepped back to admire his work, then waited for Briar to come join him. He had mentioned to her at breakfast that he was going out to do something for them, leaving her with a little cryptic clue to come find him down the shore at midday. All he had to do now was wait for her to track him down, and then the real fun could begin! Artorias' tail wagged on the sand behind him while he sat and watched the rising and falling of the sea; he was so excited to get to train Briar in his special fighting styles!

"Artorias Carpathius"