The Firekeeper

Syanna laughed and played along with him, but was quick to correct him by saying her "friend" wished to become a resident of the Hallows. Brows raising with curiosity, Artorias gave his full attention to the stranger then. The young fae introduced herself as Ellara Praetor, a healer and fighter by trade, and a nomad in lifestyle. Immediately, the surname caught Artorias' attention. He had not had many run-ins with the Praetor family, but to say they weren't exactly the most liked family in Ardent would have been an understatement. Ignis' runnings with the Raiders had seen to that reputation. But the Lord of Cinder was nothing if not fair, and he would not judge a wolf by her family alone—so he listened and he considered.

The more Ellara spoke, the more Artorias found himself taken by the young healer. She was well spoken, kind, and appeared genuine. She truly seemed to be looking for a home to continue practicing her work and developing her skills. It was a no brainer for Artorias even before Ellara officially asked for a place amongst the Hallows. "Well, Ellara, I think you came to the right place if you're looking to expand your medical talents. The Hallows is always happy to welcome new faces looking for a place to do their work to help others and better the world," he replied with a welcoming smile. "Let me show you around while we talk. There's a lot to take in."

Syanna dismissed herself from their conversation to go store her herbs away while Artorias motioned Ellara across the borders, waiting for her to grab her belongings before setting off towards the castle at a leisurely pace so she could take in the sights. "The Hallows is comprised of three lands currently—the Starlit Plains, the Wildberry Grove, and our castle home, Hearthstone. While we do much of the care for the God's Garden too, we haven't formally claimed the land. We don't want to deprive the public from having access to its lifesaving plants and medicines."

Artorias led Ellara up to the high stone walls and gates of the castle, then through them into the courtyard and garden. The wisteria trees were changing color in the Austral autumn and sadly didn't have their usual vibrant violet buds, but the rest of the gardens were teeming with dozens of flower varieties. "My family settled these lands years ago and since then, we've worked tirelessly to make this a place of shelter and succor." Looking back to Ella, Art asked, "Would you tell me your story, Ellara? Where you come from, what journey brought you to us?" He wanted to know more about this wolf who wanted to join the Hallows family.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"