The day had come for Artorias to go see Sirius in the Armada to continue his training into becoming an alpha. Ulric had made all the necessary preparations for his Baron's departure, and after a heartfelt farewell to Tamsyn and the rest of his family and pack, Artorias had made the pilgrimage north to their allies' lands. He had traveled with only what he needed: his sword, his armor, a satchel with some bottles of wine from the castle's cellars for the Warlord, and Corbin on his back. All the way north to Boreas, he thought about his mother's concerns and her words of warning with Sirius. If the Warlord was truly becoming unhinged permanently, he would need to be prepared for whatever may come. Playing with a deck of cards that wasn't complete was risky, but playing with one that was constantly being shuffled felt downright dangerous. But Seer was his friend and mentor, a close comrade to the Hallows and family to the Carpathiuses. For better or for worse, he couldn't abandon him in his darkest hour.

It was late afternoon by the time Artorias arrived at the borders of the Armada. He gazed out over the familiar sea of grasses, smelling the salt in the air from the nearby coast. He stood just on the other side of the scent markers defining the borders, then lifted his muzzle to call for the Warlord. Despite being family, he was still coming as a guest, and he would observe formalities and decorum. Then he waited, sitting in the long grasses for Sirius to show up and welcome him in. Despite his nerves around the massive man's mental state, he was indeed looking forward to spending a few weeks learning from the wise and seasoned warrior and alpha. Plus the added benefit of getting to see Briar on a regular basis didn't hurt either. He just hoped whatever had gotten her upset before could be fixed while he was here.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

It felt strange to fall back on his old duties, but Sirius had commanded it of him. With Asla distracted with her first litter of fuzzies, the Warlord needed help running things. It worked for Mortis, who needed to fall back into Seer’s inner circle, to keep an eye on the old Warlord. It didn’t make it feel any less strange, when a call rang out at the borders and Mortis angled his patrol to intercept.

There was something oddly familiar about the voice of the caller, and he understood why when he arrived. Art, son of Tamsyn and Resin. Family. Just not one he knew too well. He was friendly enough, and they shared a common loss. Did that make things comfortable, or awkward between them? With Mortis, probably awkward, it was his default in life.

“Hey Art, I'm sure the Warlord will be along soon. What brings you to the Armada?”
"Mortis Fatalis"

Artorias hadn't been waiting long before he saw the large dark form of the Warlord come to greet him at the border. Except... it wasn't the Warlord. It was a face Artorias had met only once before, but one that he remembered well. "Mortis, I didn't realize you'd returned home," he greeted the larger wolf with surprise, but bowed his head politely all the same. Mortis was friendly enough the last time they'd shared a heart-to-heart during his mother's passing, and he was family, but he was still a wolf of note in these lands and deserved all the same respect afforded one of the Warlord's children. "Sirius invited me here, actually. He was starting some training for me. He's going to help me learn to be the best alpha I can be when my time comes to lead the Hallows."

When he said his reasons for his arrival out loud, it all sounded so innocuous. Yet even still, his mother's words of warning remained at the forefront of his mind. He would remain vigilant and on guard, but he wasn't about to squander this opportunity to learn and apprentice under one of the greatest alphas Boreas had ever known. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt spending extended time in the Armada now that there was tension and hurt feelings between him and Briar, but Artorias had made a commitment to Seer, plus he trusted himself to behave professionally enough to not let his history with the Warlord's daughter affect his performance.

He hid his hurt behind the numbness well, not a trace of negativity anywhere in his stolid countenance. "You look well," he commented with a friendly smile to Mortis, noting how the Armada heir's mood had improved since their last meeting. "Happy to be back home?"

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

It was a vast difference to meet Art here and now. The smaller wolf held an imposing figure, sword and satchel slung over his shoulder, he looked very official, on his way to important business. Mortis looked different too. Back home, patrolling the Armada borders. Official. The last time he had seen Art had been miserable in the rain, tears and rainfall mixing in his coat.

“I returned just after the tournament” he explained. Had Tamsyn talked to Art, did he know the darker parts of the Warlord's temperament? “Training? Well, it’ll be good to have you around.” he considered Art a moment, his eyes glancing to the sword, and back to the serious face of the young wolf. He didn’t look his age, but how could he? After losing his mother and becoming a leading figure in the Hallows. He was angling to become leader one day. It was a lofty goal. Surely Tamsyn would have told him…

“It… It’s different, that’s for sure. Keeping busy. Keeping… an eye on Sirius.” that could be innocent enough a statement, and locked his eyes on Art, catching any reaction.

"Mortis Fatalis"

He would have to have been blind to miss the way Mortis' expression changed when he mentioned Sirius' invitation, or the way the winged wolf eyed the sword on his back. Mortis' eyes shifted, his posture becoming more guarded. Artorias could understand why. He was being a good son and trying to protect his father's image. Both of them knew something was wrong with Sirius, yet neither of them would outrightly say it. It was a delicate lingual dance they did, acting more like politicians than anything and deftly avoiding the subject at hand. It was Mortis to yield first, mentioning keeping busy with maintaining the Armada and keeping and eye on Seer. Artorias' eyes darkened with understanding. Ah, there was the confirmation he was looking for.

Taking a moment to glance behind and around Mortis, Artorias let his smile drop from his face while fixing the Armadan heir with a serious gaze. "How is he?" he asked, then quickly qualified, "Truthfully. My mother... she mentioned things about him. Unpleasant things he said and did to her." He again avoided stating that Tamsyn had called him volatile and unstable, or that she had begged him not to come here. It seemed like both young men were fighting the same war on the same side, but they weren't a unified front—not yet, at least. "I'm not here to kill him. I want to help any way I can," Artorias said with a harder edge to his tone when he caught Mortis' eyes move to his sword a second time.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

It was all the invitation Artorias needed. The blue boy glanced behind what Armada heir and Mort had to fight the urge to look that way himself. It was obvious that if Sirius was within hearing, Art wouldn’t have said what he did next.

Tamsyn. It seemed she was the lynchpin to all this, the thing their knowledge revolved around. He didn’t doubt his Aunt, he had seen the emotion in her eyes, heard it in her voice. She had been horrified and upset by his father. Then there were Briar’s scars… No. His father was not right. Zee had been his entire world, and it had shaken in her absence.

“And you’d be wrong to do so. If it comes to it, that won't be your burden, Art. It’ll be mine.” He said softly. Or, when Sirius inevitably won and killed the winged wolf, maybe then it’ll be Art that finished the job and put him down. Perhaps he could rely on Art as a contingency plan, to keep those he loved safe. Briar had mentioned him, they cared about each other, didn’t they? And Tamsyn and Resin had been tangled deeply within his family. Now the children were muddling their way through those tangles. Art was a part of all of this, or he wouldn’t be here now. “... Or maybe ours, if it has to be.” He allowed softly.

"Mortis Fatalis"

Artorias didn't much care for the way Mortis dismissed his reassurances that he had intended no harm to his father. Would he be wrong to do harm to the Warlord? Absolutely not. Sirius had inflicted harm upon his mother time and time again. If he really felt the desire to, he would be justified in coming for the Fatalis' blood. He had once already, after all. And now Mortis was here, acting some sort of hero in his head after coming home from hiatus. To say the Hallowed wolf didn't exactly trust Mortis' ability to act against his father would have been an understatement. Mortis had failed to do so before, and he knew the emotional turmoil he carried around his family. Mortis may have been bigger than he was and been the son of the Warlord, the heir to the Armada, but in Artorias' eyes he was no more intimidating or threatening than a scared child. He had a lot to prove to earn Artorias' faith in him.

"Respectfully, Mortis, I'm not here with the intentions of seeing any more bloodshed. I'm trying to prevent it," he spoke bluntly. He was in no mood for a pissing contest with the mutant wolf. If he wanted to be an agent of patricide, he was free to be. Artorias was here to learn, to make connections in the Armada, to check on Sirius' mental state and try to bring him back from the brink of insanity, and to make sure Briar wasn't dead. That was all. Anything else fell outside his scope. If the Fatalis wolves wanted to start an internal power struggle with one another then that was their prerogative.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

He blinked at Arts words, caught off guard. He had let himself get caught up in the drama of it all... that's what seemed to start a lot of thr boys trouble. He let his emotions scamper away from him until he felt too much and hurt for everything. "I... I got a little crusadey there didn't I? I just mean I want to keep everyone safe. My siblings, the people here. I don't want to see them hurt." He scratched a paw over his leg and looked a little bashful. Arts words had made him feel like a kid again, but he couldn't fault the other boy for his logical. He had come here with serious eyes and a sword over his shoulder, and Mortis wondered what he hoped to accomplish here... but now he knew.

He didn't want to start bloodshed. Mortis had been in conflict with his father his whole life, so Arts blunt view was strange and refreshing. "I'm glad your here, art." He let out a soft breath. "I can't be thay kid anymore, the one that runs away. I guess I have have find the line of what I should be fighting for, and what's pushing too far."

Artorias gave Mortis a crooked smirk as realization seemed to dawn across the older young man, giving him an expression that read "you don't say" when he asked if he'd gotten too dramatic. He could feel the nervous energy radiating off of the Fatalis man. It was understandable, given who his father was. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't felt some anxiety when facing off against Sirius in a spar, and although that had turned bloody fast, he could only imagine what facing the Warlord as an enemy would feel like. Mortis was doing what he did best: protecting the wolves he cared about in his own way. Artorias could respect that; was he not the same way with his family? Perhaps the two shared more in common than met the eye.

"I'm glad to be here too, Mort." His eyes softened a touch while they met the turquoise of Mortis', reminiscent of Briar's and the eyes many of the Fatalis family bore. "I know you mean well, you're just looking out for your family and your pack. Whatever happens... whatever needs to happen, I'm going to side with the right reasons. Whatever you need of me, you can confide in me. We're basically family, after all."

He did respect Mortis, but Sirius was like a father to him. He wouldn't swear fealty to one side or another, especially when lines didn't even need to be drawn yet. But if things took a turn for the worse, if Sirius became such a threat that he endangered his own family, Artorias would take up arms with the Armada to defend them from a bloodthirsty tyrant. He would not be the spark to set off the powder keg, but he damn well would be a blade to fight for the righteous cause.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

Mortis nodded in acceptance of the younger wolf's words. There was a calm confidence to this wolf that Mort wished he himself could feel. It felt… strange, to be back in the Armada, under his fathers rule again. His father was yet to give him that disapproving scowl he knew so well, but it was only a matter of time before he did something that earned it…

As for his fathers sanity, he had seen nothing yet that aligned with what Tamsyn had spoken of. The Heir would be patient, and watchful, and hoped to never see it. “That’s honourable Art. You remind me of… of Resin when you speak like that.” he began to say the words before he thought about what they meant. He looked away, hoping he had pricked at something in the boy with those words. He knew what Art had lost, he missed his Grandmother dearly.


"Mortis Fatalis"

Artorias had been expecting some sort of kind, heartfelt response from Mortis; it was what he had learned he was good at. Everything about Mortis was genuine and gentle. But when the winged wolf said he was honorable and reminded him of Resin, Artorias' heart stopped. His expression froze on his face, a sting of pain rising as his heart resumed its normal rhythm. Nobody had said such a thing to him before. It was... strangely enlightening and comforting. Everything he had learned, had done, believed in, it was all what his late mother had imparted onto him. He tried to carry a part of her spirit with him in all his actions, seeing the world through the lens she had helped him craft. To be told he was a reminder of Resin was quite possibly the highest compliment anyone had ever paid him.

Blinking away the mist threatening to form in his fiery eyes, Artorias averted his gaze down to the grass around his paws. "Thank you, Mortis. That's very kind of you to say," he replied, bringing his eyes back up to smile more genuinely to him. His chest felt light, a sense of humbleness warming him from the inside out. If she could see him right now, he hoped his mother would be proud of him.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

The Warlord appeared then, he had moved quickly across the territory, and the boy's conversation had not been going on for long. He caught the tail end of it, hearing Resin’s name mentioned, and Art’s response to it. He stood to the silent, silent, and respectful as he too felt the impact of that name.

A moment later, and he shook it off. “Art, it’s good to see you. You're early, but that just means you’ll get a head start on your training.” He said, moving closer to the blue wolf. He noted the blade and the travel supplies the other had carried with him. “How about I show you to the barracks and you can get settled in. I believe we’ll be getting rain later in the day, so i’ll make sure your set up in supplies before then.’

"Sirius Fatalis"

No sooner had their conversation faded off, the Warlord himself arrived, an imposing force to be respected and revered as he loomed above the two boys. Artorias met him with a warm smile and bright eyes, noting that Sirius' mood was notably better than the last time he'd seen him. Seer had been volatile, riding a razor's edge of misery and fury. Now he looked much more like the wolf he remembered meeting as a small child.

"I know, I'm sorry if I caught you unprepared. Ulric was able to let me go sooner than expected, and I thought I might be of better use here for now." His words, while neither full truths nor lies, were a perfect blend of his intentions. To learn and protect. Seer would never know that though. He would just appear to be an eager student, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. "That sounds great, thank you, sir!" he replied, only then allowing himself to finally step over the Armada's borders and follow the Warlord through his domain. "I have a gift for you from the Hallows as well. Ulric recently discovered some wine cellars beneath the castle and he asked me to bring you a couple of vintages." He didn't know if Seer partook of alcohol, but surely someone in his family would, so the gifts wouldn't go to waste. His mothers had always imparted the importance of bringing your host a gift when they offer you hospitality.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

Art was quick to respond to the Alpha. The growing lad put his diplomatic knowledge to use as he explained what had brought him out here early, and explaining that he had brought a gift from the Hallows. It wasn’t every day that a gift was brought to the Warlord, and the idea intrigued him.

“Sounds lovely, Art. Perhaps after you're settled we can camp out in the barracks and try one of them together. Does your mother consider you old enough to drink?” he glanced at Art with a grin and a raised eyebrow. He was an adult in so many regards, was he still treated as a child in others?

The two of them made their way to the packs central location - Art’s earlier arrival meant the Warlord hadn’t had a chance to send anyone down to the barracks to restock its supplies yet.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Artorias was thrilled with the idea of getting to share a drink with Sirius as they spent some time together. He had already looked up to the Warlord like a de facto father figure in his life, and this seemed like another coming of age rite of passage, getting to participate in adult activities. Sirius asked if Tamsyn considered him old enough to drink and he nodded once. "Well, she didn't tell me anything about not drinking, so I'd say it's fine," he replied with an equally roguish grin. His mother was very lenient with him and his siblings. He was allowed to travel alone and carry a sword, so how much more dangerous could a drink be? Besides, he'd already gotten high once, albeit unintentionally. How different could this be?

The young wolf followed his host closely, taking in the sights of the Armada lands as they walked together. It had been so long since he'd been in the tall grasses of the vast plains, but there was something familiar about them that made it feel almost like a home. "How have things been around the Armada?" He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Seer much at the Ashen festival and he was more than happy to get to spend time with his godfather and mentor again.

"Artorias"

The Warlord barked a deep laugh at that - he had kids of his own, he knew what it was like. Not being told ‘no’ was the same as being told yes. At least with the Warlord and in the Armada, Art would be trying it for the first time in a relatively safe environment.

“Asla had a litter of pups recently, and Mortis is falling back into his roles in the Armada. My kids are still somewhat scarce, but they have a lot to adjust to. It's been… quiet. More so than I am used to.” He admitted. Or perhaps that was just life without Zee… He chased the thought away. He saw her, sometimes. But ‘sometimes’ was not enough.

The ground beneath them smoothed out as they reached the well-worn spot of the communal area. He propped open the cellar door. “How is Ulric and the Hallows doing?” He asked as he started to grab out some bedding


"Sirius Fatalis"

Hearing that deep laugh from Sirius that had once sounded as loud as booming thunder to him when he was a pup brought a more relaxed smile to Artorias' face. This was the Sirius he knew and remembered. The way his mother had described her encounter with the Warlord... She had made him out to be some sort of manic monster, but Artorias saw no monsters here. His eyes lit up with delight when Seer mentioned Asla giving birth to a litter, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Oh wow, that's fantastic! Congratulations, Sirius! I bet the whole family is ecstatic. How's it feel to be a grandfather now?" He smirked a little as he ribbed the Warlord in good humor. He would have to ask Briar about the new puppies. She was an aunt now, and Seer would be a grandfather. Wow, how fast life moved...

Artorias' good mood was only slightly dampened when Sirius mentioned how things had been quiet and his children scarce around the Armada. He was reminded of the struggle the Fatalis family had faced in the wake of the loss of their matriarch. This was why he was playing chess, not checkers with the Warlord. His emotions could be like nitroglycerin: volatile and unstable unless handled with care. "I'm happy to hear Mortis is finding his place back home again. He was a delight to have around the Hallows," he said, hoping to move their topic on to greener pastures.

As Seer pulled some supplies from a hidden cellar, Artorias began to haul some of the bedding up over his back. He had come here to learn, to work, and to help where he could; that started right away. "They're doing well. Ulric's been courting a new lady, the Adravendi family is happy and healthy, and my brother and sister are good. My other siblings... they ran off somewhere. The Hallows has shrunk a little bit since Indigo and his party left, and some of our wolves have gone their own way this past season, but we manage. We're alive, and we'll stay on our feet as long as we're breathing." He gave Sirius a small smile. He didn't feel the need to mention his mother to the bigger man unless he was questioned directly. Whether it was out of some sense to protect her or something he didn't know. But he didn't feel like willingly pulling the pin on that grenade just yet.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

The Warlord winced at that. The whole family? It still felt like his family was ripping apart in slow motion. He hid his pains, but the wounds were still there. But the other part of that however… “They are absolute tiny tyrants. I swear, they have me wrapped about their little paws already, Artorias.” he was grinning again, the thought of the two pups bringing a smile to his maw. Yes, he was smitten with them.

“Mortis has a lot to learn. His grasp on leadership needs more polishing than yours, don’t be surprised if I have him directing some of your training.” he cautioned. The responsibility would help shape the boy.

Sirius nodded a little more solemnly at the mention of missing siblings and shrinking packs. That seemed to be a thing going around at the moment. Were wolves becoming a more scarce commodity of late? “Ulric can lean on the Armada if he needs to, I’m sure anything he needs, we could come to an agreement on.” he said, as he finished pulling out supplies. Some of which were already slung about the younger wolf's shoulders. The Warlord grunted in approval at the sight, and closed the doors.

Thunder cackled in the darkening skies above. “Let's get to the barracks before that opens up on us” Anything, anything to get his thoughts away from the wolf in his life who had feared thunder storms. Of the miserable, wet face peaking out at him from the bushes in the old Ashen lands. Seeking him out, and afraid.

"Sirius Fatalis"

Artorias couldn't resist a small chuckle at the Warlord's expense, thinking of two tiny little loaves of wolf terrorizing the giant man. He had never been around puppies save for his own siblings when they'd been born, so he had no idea what sort of trouble they could be. He made a note to go give his well wishes to Briar's sister and her new litter. Sirius described Mortis' abilities to lead as green, needing refinement and polish, then told him to expect him to lead some of his training. Artorias gave a nod with a low hum of acknowledgement. "I look forward to seeing what Mortis is capable of." He hadn't spent much time with the Warlord's son beyond their first and only conversation. It would be curious to see how the young man operated if his father considered him needing a good bit of work.

"Thank you, sir. I'm sure Ulric is well aware of his allies and resources. He doesn't strike me as incompetent, so I'm sure he's handling everything in his own way," he replied with a grateful nod to Seer. While Ulric may have made some decisions in his personal life that Artorias didn't necessarily agree with, the man was a capable leader thus far, and he had Artorias' respect. The clap of thunder overhead turned both sapphire and amber eyes up to the sky. While he didn't fear or dislike storms, Artorias certainly didn't enjoy being caught out in the rain. "Good plan." With a nod, Artorias followed alongside Sirius to where the barracks sat, taking in the sights around him as they walked.

"So who else responded to your summons? Is Briar still planning on attending the training program?" he asked while they walked, doing his best to keep his emotions repressed while he asked of the Warlord's daughter. Things between the two were not good, so he wondered if perhaps she might have backed out of the training, or if he'd need to mentally prepare to have his patience tested for the next season. It would also give him a chance to glean who he might be sharing a bunk with.

"Artorias Carpathius"

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.
____________________

He shook the image of Zee free from his thoughts, concentrating instead on the boy before him. “I’m sure he is” he said in agreement to Ulric. The man had seemed likable the few times they had talked. He wasn’t Resin or Tamsyn, but Sirius saw no reason not to continue their alliance.

“Venom has pledged her son Kuroki to my training, and Briar will be in attendance” he agreed. However… He sighed. “I’m still waiting for Habari and Abaven to give their agreement and send a wolf. It may well be a smaller programme than I had initially hoped.” he explained. He glanced over at Art as they hurried into the barracks. “Our allies have been rather quiet of late.” He was just setting down his supplies when the sound of rain pelting on the roof above began. “I believe you mentioned wine?” he prompted, seating himself on the cool floor.


"Sirius Fatalis"