The Aegis was tired. Truly tired. The battle against the pack of hyenas had felt like easy just like battle always did. It was only after when the adrenaline was gone and the danger was past that she felt weary and old. Though her wounds had been seen too, Resin was incredibly sore. Hyena jaws were powerful things and they'd left her hindquarters bruised and lacerated. The marks upon her muzzle from raking teeth didn't hurt nearly as bad, but she still felt them. There were superficial wounds, then there were wounds to the soul. She had failed. One of her own wolves was dead because she hadn't anticipated the threat. Rue had paid with her life. A price that could have been paid by any of her children had they been in the wrong place at that particular time. Resin had sent the patrols out strong. Every able bodied wolf was to comb the Falls and the Springs for threats. Any large predators were to be reported to her. She would burn them all out. After ousting a bear and a pack of coyotes, Resin decided that she was due some rest. Up above, a warm autumn sun twinkled merrily, oblivious to the hardships of the creatures below. Resin lay on the bank of the river, sprawled out on her side. Her body ached and her mind was a miasma of dark thoughts. She tried to focus on the world around her. The grass, the birds singing, the babble of the river. She grounded herself by melting away and becoming one with the land. Slowly her tension began to ease and she drifted off into a much needed slumber. "Speech"

The verbal onslaught with Rudy had left him quite sad. Angry for sure, but depression was always lingering in the background and today it had come on kinda strong after Rudy made him verbalize his feelings. He didn't stick around the den much longer after that, choosing to wander over wallow in the den. He wanted to find Bowen, to tell her how rude her brother was, but it was no use really. If he could just find her to get his mind off of things, that would have been best. He really needed a distraction.

Large puppy paws carried him to the waterside and he stared at them as he walked, hardly paying much attention to where he was actually going. He heard the movement of the water and the sound of the birds and things, but it was hardly making it through to his thoughts. All he could think about was his loss and how he wanted nothing more than to have what he had back. Though, he never stopped to consider what he wouldn't have if his mother still walked this earth. Bowen, for one. At least now he could say he had a friend when he never had one before.

He looked up from his paws finally and saw Resin laying out by the water. He paused and looked around, making sure no one else was around that he had missed. No Bowen, no Rudy, no one. Just Resin. She looked comfortable laying out, although he missed the scrapes and tears across her face from the distance he was still at. Sheepishly, he began to head towards her. He was sad and without Bowen readily available to lift his mood, maybe a good cuddle from the woman that brought him here would help. He was nervous, embarrassed really, but sought out a place next to here where he could bury himself in her warmth and try to feel better, curling up and pressing his face into her fur.


"Speech!"

TABLE & CODE © SKELLE 2020

Training had become his first priority in the days since he'd started his regiments with Resin. From before the break of dawn, Artorias had not missed a single patrol with the larger fae, following at her side like a loyal shadow, watching her mannerisms and learning her habits. While the first few mornings had been a slog he trudged through, Art did not complain nor shirk his vow. He completed each half patrol with Resin dutifully, and then spent the remainder of his time doing as she had instructed: pushing the rocks around the rivers and falls until they reached the edges of the water. Some were deceptive, seeming small but being much heavier than he expected, while some bigger ones slid and moved with a little bit of effort. He'd also begun his own sort of stamina training, marching up and down the hills that led from the bottom of the falls all the way to the top and then back down. It was exhausting work, but already Artorias could feel his body adapting to the new lifestyle. It was thrilling and exciting, but also so very, very tiring. It also didn't afford him much time with his siblings, although he did his best to make sure he carved out moments for them, like when he took Bowen out to look for treasures. Family always came first.

Artorias was in the middle of his climb back up the side of the falls, huffing and puffing as his little legs ached to carry him up his third lap of the day. He listened to the sounds of the cascading falls as he went, the sound of the water calming and soothing his mind as he pushed his body. Artorias had always loved the water, drawn to it by some unseen force. On this ascent though, he noticed something he hadn't seen on his last pass: Mom Resin was laid out on the bank of one of the many small rivers that flowed between the falls. Artorias paused mid-stride, staring at her with concern in his amber eyes. Was she okay? She wasn't moving very much, maybe she was taking a nap? He couldn't recall a time he had ever seen his mother lounging around as such; she was always busy doing things for their pack. Maybe she just really needed to relax. As if on cue, Artorias' legs ached in protest, begging him to take a break as well. Well, if Mom can take a break, I guess I can too... he thought and made his way over to the large mass of wolf.

Once he got closer, Artorias realized two things: Resin was hurt, coagulating cuts evident on her rear end and her face—and that his mother wasn't alone. Artorias once again froze with his paw lifted mid-stride when he saw that new adopted boy snuggled up into her side. Artorias stared at Grimshaw, considering for a moment how to process and proceed. He had not interacted with the brooding boy yet, and Grim had shown no interest in them either, so Art had allowed the boy his space. But now he just seemed... sad... Sad and angry. The blue pup had nothing against Grimshaw specifically, but if no attempt had been made to be friendly, he didn't see now as the best time to start. Artorias pursed his lips together for a moment before circling around to Resin's front, giving Grim a wide berth before collapsing to his rump at his mother's paws and laying out across them, nudging her digits with his small snout. "Mom...? Is everything okay...?" he asked, a touch of nervousness in his voice to see the blood on his mother's grey coat. Something had happened. Did he really want to find out what it was?

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Rudy had left Grimm upset over their conversation and roamed without direction for a bit as he let his mind roll over things he had never considered.  Not all wolves had safe homes like his and bad things really could happen out there.  Why were warriors necessary after all?  They were to defend the pack from bad things and Rudy had known that but bad things had never been real before now.  Rudy couldn’t say what all the bad things were out there but Grimm and Tika were now giving him hints of it. Your parents die and you feel the blame is yours?  Rudy didn’t have to ask if it was intentional as he’d already figured out the pup wouldn’t have felt wretched if he meant to kill them.  How do you accidentally get your parents killed.  What could kill parents?  Were his parents weak or was there something stronger than healthy wolves.  He thought about how they learned to fight and how it was often tactics of fighting other wolves.  How often was that really needed for wolves inside their pack.  Fighting other wolves wasn’t fighting enemies without consequences.  Enemies in his mind suddenly might have kids also, like Grimm. Rudy’s wanderings took him to where mom Grimm and Art were.  Rudy sat at a distance on spotting them.  Rudy didn’t want to face Grimm again yet and he doubted the guy wanted to deal with Rudy either. Yet Rudy did want his mom and Art.  After watching them for a number of seconds he caught a scent, scrunching his features he sniffed the air again a few times and finally realized it was blood and it was coming from mom.  Getting up he ran over with his mind remembering Grimm asking about if he had lost his parents.  He got close enough to see mom breathing,  spotted the scratches on her face and circled around to see her hind end and pinned his ears back before going to the front, “Mom?” the pup slid in next to Art with his head resting on one of mom’s paws. “Are you alright?” "Rudyard"

She had such lovely boys. Though she rested, Resin's senses were always on high alert. She smelled Grim's approach on the wind and a bit of a smile touched her blackened lips as he curled up beside her. One big paw moved to scoop the boy close to her belly where she curled protectively around him. No doubt he needed it if he was seeking out comfort. She would be his protection. The giantess was already resolved to the fact that she and Tamsyn would be the boys new parents. They would keep him safe and raise him right. There was a possibility that he would never shake his brooding nature, but as long as he grew to know right from wrong, that was all that she could ask for. Moments later Artorias crept up close. The concern in his voice was touching and she pulled him against her chest, head raising so that she could lick the top of his head. Rudy was next and he did much the same, asking after her well being. She could hear more panic in his voice than she'd heard in that of his brother. Just as she had done with Art, Resin scooped Rudyard in close, snuffling the top of his head with her dusty blue nose. "None of you need to worry," she rumbled. "I will heal in time. It's all part of being a warrior." It was something that both of them could look forward to if they decided to continue down the path of battle. Though they had sought her out due to concern and the need for comfort, she needed them as well. Losing Rue had reminded her of how precious the lives of the pack were. Especially the lives of her pups. Not Tamsyn's pups. Her pups. Resin had struggled with it at first. They were Tamsyn's children born of some unknown man. Resin had put her stamp on them, however. They swam in her scent. They learned her teachings. They were her children. Had the hyenas killed one of them rather than Rue, Resin wouldn't have stopped killing just the guilty parties. She would have sought out and decimated every hyena horde that she came across. "I need all of you to be extra careful when you're roaming around the territory. Always be on guard. Keep your sisters safe, okay?" Resin knew that giving them a duty like protecting Tika, Daphne, Gwyn and Bo would keep the boys on point. It was an important task and one that she expected them to take seriously. The Hallows wasn't completely safe. Not with all of the pack pushing the predators inward to seek out prey. If it would be safe to move the pack right now, she would surely do so. As it was, they would have to wait until spring. "Speech"

Feeling the grip of the woman, pulling him close into her and curling around him was what he needed to truly relax. It was nice to feel the warmth of another, even if it wasn't his own mother. Resin had done a lot for him already, but he struggled to understand that at such a young age. Maybe one day it would catch up to him. For now, though, it was a lost concept. Two others approached, one he hadn't taken much time to get to know and of course Rudy. He struggled to not glare at the mottled boy, but kept himself pressed into Resin's stomach and chose to only give fleeting glances of glares in his direction. When Resin began to speak, however, his momentarily glares ceased so that he may listen to what she had to say.

The wounds upon her flesh hardly bothered him. He knew they wouldn't bother her, after all it was much less that what his mother had. Resin was strong and he knew she would be fine. Even if it didn't look so good now, he knew it wasn't anything to worry about. She continued on, though, about needing to protect their sisters. Grim hardly considered them his sisters, but he knew he too would have to play his part. Anything coming for Bowen would have to go through him first, but he supposed he could treat the other girls the same. Daphne was big and strong like him, definitely able to hold her own should something come up. The others though could definitely use some help. Maybe if Bowen was his responsibility, Daphne could take care of herself, and the other boys could care for the other girls?? Seemed fair, right?

Artorias only glanced away from Resin when he heard someone else approaching, spotting the dappled form of Rudy joining them as well. He lowered his guard a bit, returning to making sure his mother was okay. She pulled him close, the lick to his crown calming and easing, despite the gristly injuries she bore. She spoke eventually, reassuring them that she was fine and that they needed to be very careful and look out for their sisters. Art's ears pricked up as two things stood out to him. One was that whatever had happened to mother, it had happened in their home. Something had attacked them in their own home lands. His stomach twisted at the thought of enemies already trying to invade their home, and an unfamiliar anger began to smolder in his heart. No one was going to harm his family or his pack. Already he made a mental commitment to double down on his training; he would need to be the bulwark against the outside threats for his family.

The second thing was how his mother had addressed Grimshaw in her words. She had said "their sisters". Artorias' brows narrowed a touch and he avoided looking at the dark-furred pup on the other side of Resin. They weren't Grimshaw's sisters. Grimshaw wasn't a part of their family. He had done nothing to prove he deserved to be part of their family, and as far as Artorias was concerned, he was a usurper unceremoniously dropped in the middle of their lives without their input or opinions. Artorias didn't like the way he behaved, he didn't like the was he skulked about, and he didn't like the way he looked at Bowen in particular. Although they hadn't interacted at all, that had been a deliberate move on his part. Grimshaw had made no attempt to be a part of their family, and as far as he was concerned, Grimshaw wasn't a part of their family because of that. Artorias didn't trust him, and until something gave and changed, he would always be an outsider. He wanted to say as much, to voice his concerns to his parents and demand to know why they'd brought such a miserable blighter into their lives and ruined what they had before, but that wasn't who he was. So he just bit his tongue and swallowed back his emotions.

"Okay, Mom. I'll keep an eye out for them, I promise," he replied, nuzzling affectionately into the fur on his mother's larger chest. He opened one eye to glance at Rudy beside him. He could count of Rudy; he knew his brother would help keep their pack safe with him.

"Speech" | Thoughts | "Corbin"