Starting a new tradition all our own

Hearthstone was almost totally quiet the night following the Bonfire Festival. It was still early on in the evening, not long past sundown, but after the late night festivities the day before, many wolves were heading to bed early to catch up on their rest. It also provided Ember with ample opportunity to do some extrajudicial pilfering of the castle's stores—specifically the wine cellar. With all of the Carpathian family and their partners staying a few nights in the Hallows, the midnight-furred fae had decided to have a little fun with Erik by sneaking a bottle of Hallows wine up to her room to share with her viking boy. Ember had taken advantage of her freedom up in Hemlock the past couple of weeks to experience as many things as she could, including drinking. She'd snuck a sip of wine with Rebel before, and Erik had given her the first real experience drinking when he'd shown up at the border with his plum sake. It was thrilling having fun while breaking the rules, and Em was loving it! Hey, chalk it up to her rebellious teenage phase.

Tiptoeing quietly through the kitchen and down into the cellars, Ember deftly made sure to jump past the last creaky stair on her way to where the wine was stored. None of it was locked up; a testament to her parents' trust and openness to the pack. But tonight, it would be her golden ticket to a fun night chilling in her room with Erik. She'd promised him some of the Hallows' finest wine, and she was gonna get him some wine, dammit! Wandering down the rows and rows of bottles and casks, Em eventually reached the back section where the finest vintages were kept, picking out one of her mother's signature summer berry wines and carrying the bottle back upstairs.

Back through the kitchens and the Great Hall she went, paws padding almost silently across the stone floor while she passed the ever-burning hearth. She was the only one in the quiet and dimly lit hall. Ember headed for the stairs, already fantasizing about how the rest of the night was going to go. All she had to do was not attract any attention or run into anyone on her way back up to her room and she'd be home free. Mission accomplished!

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"