The morning sun had only just begun to break the indigo dawn from the eastern horizon above a dark sea. Roiling gray clouds mostly obscured its light—they had become a commonplace fixture in the sky this autumn—but a few golden rays burst out to welcome a new day across Boreas. Artorias sat at the northern border of Armada territory, breathing in deep the cool, dewy air of the early morning. At Sirius' behest, he had shown up at the border just before the sun rose, ready to begin his training in earnest with the Warlord. He wore no armor, but carried Embershard slung across his back, even for a routine morning patrol. Ever since it had been given to him by his late mother, Artorias never parted from his blade. It was his last memento of her, the reminder that she had left him with that she trusted him to safeguard their family—that she saw him as her little knight. Artorias would never be without his sword.

While he waited, Artorias had begun some tai chi style stretches, combining the meditation techniques Sirius had taught him with slow, rolling movements of his body to stretch his limbs, joints, and back. He limbered himself up while clearing his mind with pleasant and soothing imagery, not knowing what Seer had in store for them today, but knowing it would no doubt physical work. It also helped him to keep his mind clear and razor-sharp, focused on the day ahead, any decisions he would have to make. He'd always been an early riser, and this had become his routine since the meditation sessions with Sirius months prior.

"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.
____________________

There was a smattering of stars visible above the clouds when Sirius pulled himself from his bed. Shaking out his coat and falling into a light jog, he made his way first to the packs stores, and did a quick check on supplies. Closing the door behind him, he found the first rays of light just beginning to burn across the dark clouds. Picking up his pace, he made his way to the rendezvous point with Art, and found the other wolf there waiting for him. The blue wolf was just coming out of a stretch when Sirius stopped before him. Des[ite the early hour, the boy looked none the worse for wear. He grinned at the memory of seeing Art drunk. The both of them had turned into giant saps - but just as long as Art kept that under wraps, the Warlord didn’t mind the moment they had shared. “Alright, eyes peeled, let's start our patrol.” He ordered, before falling into a light pace along the border. “What signs would you look for in order to deduce if something is out of the ordinary?” "Speech"

He had just been wrapping up his stretches when the sound of footfalls parting dewy grass caught his attention. Artorias looked up to greet the Warlord with bright and eager amber eyes, ready to begin their patrol as soon as he was. He smiled as he regarded Sirius, seeing him as stoic and serious as ever, but still recounting the heartfelt moment the two had shared under the effects of the Hallowed wine. Much of the latter half of that evening was a blur to the boy, but he remembered just enough to know how much Sirius loved him.

"Yes, Sir!" At the Warlord's directive, the two began to set off on their patrol. Artorias kept pace alongside the larger dire wolf, setting into a light trot with keen eyes scouring the horizon as they walked. Sirius quizzed him, asked what signs he'd look for to spot something out of sorts. He pursed his lips, mulling over the question. "Scents would be an obvious one. Unknown scents around the border or even crossing over would be a big sign. Tracks, or maybe ground that has been disturbed recently? Any signs of life, like camps, leftover meals or campfires, beds or lean-tos... If the environment seems off could be a sign too, like if there's a sudden lack of songbirds or prey animals."

"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 boy was quick to show off his knowledge as they walked. Listing everything he could think of in regards to what he should be keeping an eye out for. Sirius nodded in agreement. “Know your surrounding lands, not just the ones you control. It’ll help you understand what's going on around your borders.” He lectured as the two moved around the familiar landscape along the Armada borders. “You already covered everything I would have said to watch out for, I see you’ve learned these lessons well” He approved. The sound of their steps crunching quietly through the still-damp grass. “Say you were scheduled on patrol and caught the movements of birds, distrubed, fleeing not far from the borders. What would you do?” "Speech"

Sirius nodded to confirm each answer he provided, then explained the importance of knowing the nearby lands to the pack as well. If something were amiss in a neighboring territory, that would be like the first alert system. Artorias nodded, but couldn't help the proud smirk when the Warlord said he'd covered everything he would have thought of. Good. That meant his lessons from Resin and Ulric had him on the right track. They had smelted the metal, and now Seer would sharpen and hone it. Artorias turned his eyes out toward the rest of the world again, steely gaze making sure there was nothing lurking beyond the Armada's borders while his nose twitched to pick up any lingering scents of trouble.

The next question from the Warlord was a situation-based scenario. Artorias pondered it for a moment, trying to place himself in that position. Had this not been a similar scenario to when he'd engaged the giant dire wolf on his own back in the long winter? He vividly remembered how that fight had gone, how he had nearly lost his life trying to stand up to the threat alone. "I'd investigate the source as subtly as I could from a safe vantage point. If I needed to advance more than a few paces beyond the border, I'd find one of my Knights or call for the backup and press the investigation with a partner." Going it alone had proven dangerous. Calling for support, having backup to help, these were the lessons he had learned after nearly getting eviscerated in a blizzard.

"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 took a moment to ponder the scenario, telling the Warlord he would seek information before proceeding. Good, sound logic. Of course, Sirius himself hadn’t always been the best at following it, too certain he was invincible. “Very good, but remember all your resources. Are yours the only eyes available to you?” he hinted. Glancing up at the sky where Marshal followed them soundlessly. “Who's watching the border while you investigate?” he continued, letting the scenario play out a little more. By this point, the two warriors had made their way closer to the stream that ran along the Northern border of the Armada. The sound of the burbling stream accompanied them. "Speech"

Artorias gave his mentor a confused look, but then followed Sirius' gaze up to Marshal floating soundlessly in the air. Recognizing lit up in his eyes. Of course, he had Corbin to help! The raven had proven his loyalty and worth a thousand times over, he knew he could count on an aerial view from him. "Right, got it," he said with a sharp nod. Use all of his resources. He had companions for a reason. He had Knights willing to follow him for a reason. Sirius pressed the scenario further. Who would watch the borders? That was an easy answer for Artorias; he'd come up with the patrol routes and schedules himself when he'd been promoted to Baron. "The Hallows runs regular patrols of three Knights throughout the day, two moving in the same direction and one the opposite," he explained. "They start at different points along the border and overlap so we can make sure no one tries to pick off our guards and it leaves a smaller window for anyone to try and sneak in. If I take one to assist me, I know I still have two active patrols, plus the other Knights on standby in the castle."

"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 recognise what the Warlord meant. Using the resources available to you was important as a leader. You trained and led your wolves to follow the needs of the pack, once you had that established, it was easy to call upon them for what you needed. Having companions was another resource that couldn’t be overlooked, especially with the advantage an aerial view lent. “Sounds like you have patrols down pat” He complimented the other wolf. Oh, how the Armada would prosper if Art lent himself and his knowledge to the pack permanently. He gave the wolf a shrewd glance, but ultimately knew that Art was destined for his own leadership one day. Still, Sirius had the very distinct feeling of ‘mine’ when he looked at the other boy. “Your foundations are sound, Art. Let’s move on from theoretical dangers at the border. Let's say you have issues inside your pack. How do you intend to deal with them? Two wolves come to you, claiming ownership over a specific item or companion. How do you go about deciding who speaks the truth?” "Speech"

Artorias felt his confidence in his abilities and answers swell when Sirius complimented the patrol strategy he'd set in place for the Hallows. With the winter they'd had, plus knowing he'd be spending a season in the Armada, he had to make sure the pack's defenses ran lick clockwork in his absence. He knew deep down that he was an integral part of the pack, that his presence kept his Knights on track with their training and kept things moving. This would be the first test to see if his systems were self-sustaining when he wasn't there to monitor them. Would he return home to his pack functioning the way it had been before his departure, or would he return to chaos and bedlam?

Sirius began to move the questions away from border security and into inter-pack conflict resolution. Artorias' smirk began to slowly slip from his face, his confidence wavering a bit as he was presented with a difficult situation. He had to determine the rightful owner to an item being contested by two wolves. He paused to think about it, walking along with Sirius in silence while he tried to decide what the best way to handle that situation was. "Uhh, I don't know. I guess if either wolf has witnesses to support their claim, maybe?" he admitted after a few moments of thought. Artorias turned his curious gaze up to Seer. "How do you handle situations like that in the Armada? Trial by combat?"

"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 offered a crooked smile, tapping a paw to the dirt as if in thought. “That would be amusing to watch.” Sirius grinned. “I would determine the reason each wolf wanted the item - is it sentimental, is it greed? How did they come upon that item. Family heirloom? Souvenir picked up along the way? What is its value, can it be replicated? If it can, I will determine how it can be crafted, and teach each wolf to craft their own. The item they fought over would then be added to the pack stores, no longer needed by either of them. In the end, it boils down to reasoning and use.” He gave a crooked smile. “If it was an item that could not be replicated, nor proved who it belonged to… Perhaps I would keep it for myself. Let them turn their frustrations to me, and not to each other. I will allow no infighting within the pack, and if either of them wish to own it badly enough, they could fight me for the right of it..” Surely if either of them were brave enough to take him up on the offer, they were more deserving of it, regardless. He fell silent for a moment, letting Art chew on that for a while. "Speech"

Artorias considered the Warlord's words and his system for determining rightful ownership. The greater argument, the better use, the more sentimental value... it was all a lot to consider. But then there was also the possibility of one of the wolves lying, fabricating a greater story than the other. Would justice truly be justice in that case? Could a definitive truth always be reached in all circumstances? He smirked and snickered when Sirius stated how he might just keep the item for himself if an owner could not be determined, and a wolf could challenge him for it. Artorias considered that, realizing that if a wolf really wanted an item badly enough to fight the Warlord for it, then maybe they did deserve it the most. Although he was tickled by the Warlord's instinctive response of "mine" to an undetermined item, it was another lesson that would stick with him and ingrain itself into the boy's impressionable young mind.

"What about in situations where a crime has been committed against a wolf? How do you determine innocence and guilt and justification of a party? How do you know what punishment fits a crime? Is it all left to your discretion and judgment, and how do you keep yourself from being biased in those decisions where you have to make a judgment call like that, either for an item or a crime?"

"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 silent for a time, but it was companionable. The two large wolves, roaming across the Armada border together. Occasionally, Marshal would let out a soft cry, his familiar vulture vocals giving the Warlord passing news. When Art spoke, it was to delve ever deeper into the murky waters of right or wrong. “What sort of crime are we talking about? Bodily harm? Theft?” They had already touched the bases of theft to a degree, so he steered the conversation based on that. “The long and short is, the Armada is a Monarchy, in which my judgement supersedes all. Is that the sort of rule you wish for The Hallows? Or would you prefer something more constitutional? Governed by rules rather than a singular force?” He questioned the young would-be-ruler. Once he had his own pack to shape, he was going to have a lot of decisions to make on structure and rule. The Warlord was curious to see how he would handle it all. “If one wolf harms another in my pack - of course dismissing the occurrences of accidental injuries during spars - I would look into it with the purpose of determining if this wolf is a continuous threat or a one off occurrence. If they seemed likely to continue hurting my wolves, I would either expel them, or demote them to a slave rank and force them to work their way back to freedom, until the lesson was learnt.” "Speech"

As Sirius explained the structure of the Armada and how their judicial system was set up within it, Artorias listened attentively and quietly. When Resin had first set up the Hallows, she had convened a council of wolves she trusted, though she always retained the final say in decisions and judgments. When she stepped down, the council had essentially disbanded, and now Ulric held all the power, so the Hallows had also transitioned to a single-actor power structure. Artorias didn't know which he would end up preferring: total power and adjudication, or relying on a committee to help come to a consensus for decisions and directed by laws. Was there a better choice? The thoughts made Artorias frown as he mulled them over. These were not answers he'd find in a single patrol walk. He would have many months of mulling it over and debating himself before he reached his decision.

While he thought over what he was learning from Sirius, the Warlord explained the punishment system of the Armada. The punishments for continued threat were expulsion or enslavement. That caught Artorias' attention and the boy looked over curiously at his father figure with a curious look. "You can make wolves slaves?" he asked, the concept brand new to him. The Hallows had punishments in place, but slavery was not something he had ever encountered before. "What does that mean, demote them to a slave rank? What happens to that wolf?" He waited for a moment, then realized something else the Warlord hadn't mentioned. "Is there ever a time when an appropriate punishment would be taking a wolf's life? I mean, murder is an obvious one, but outside of that. If someone is intentionally hurting your wolves, why would you not make sure they can never harm another wolf again?"

"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.
____________________

Sirius raised a brow at the boy's question. “There is little you can’t do, if you have the strength for it.” He pointed out. Art expanded his question, and Sirius slowed his gait, thinking through his answer. “For the Armada? A slave is the lowest tier rank, whether earned through punishment, or brought into the Armada in that rank. Normally, if I have a slave in the Armada, I teach them worthwhile skills, and if they have the disposition for it they can work their way into ‘freedom’ and branch into fighting or healing ranks within the pack.” Art’s next question was a great deal more serious. “I have never considered killing a wolf that belongs to the Armada. I have killed others that threaten the Armada, however. I suppose if a wolf was irredeemable, I would consider it.” "Speech"

"There is little you can't do, if you have the strength for it." That sentence burned its way into Artorias' mind. His mothers had always stressed the importance of strength, but emphasized tempering it so as never to bring undue harm on anyone. But in Sirius' ideals, might made right. He could do anything he desired so long as he had the strength to back up his actions and desires. His mind felt conflicted. Resin preached strength, Tamsyn had urged mercy, and Sirius championed dominance. The concepts were not mutually exclusive, but they did conflict in many places. What was the right way? Was there a right way? Artorias didn't know how to feel about the dueling ideologies in his brain, and the conundrum showed on his face. "So... I can do whatever I want, so long as I have the strength to do it?" he asked, still trying to navigate these muddy waters.

Sirius described how the Armada treats slaves, keeping them in a low rank below all others to learn a skill. So were slaves just unskilled wolves? That didn't make sense to him, because the Hallows often brought unskilled wolves into its throngs, but his mothers had never addressed them as slaves. "Are all unskilled wolves considered slaves, or do they have to do something to get there if they're brought in like that?" He turned confused, curious eyes back up to Sirius. "What is the role of a slave then? If they're just learning skills, how are they any different than a student, or anyone else learning a skill? What does a wolf do with a slave otherwise?"

The Warlord's was answered far more gravely, and Artorias could understand why. The decision to take the life of another wolf was not one to be taken lightly. It was one thing to kill a threat outside his pack or an invading force—but what if that threat was internal? What if a wolf attempted to stage a coup and overthrow him? What if one wolf gravely injured, maimed, raped, or killed a pack mate? What if they weren't a pack wolf at all, but a prisoner taken captive during the commission of a crime? What punishments would fit the most severe of crimes? Artorias' brow furrowed. Was imprisonment just a slower death? Would his sword not be a greater mercy? Artorias made a soft sound of frustration, finding fewer answers and more questions the deeper he navigated this rabbit hole. Was this what ethics was like all the 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.
____________________

Sirius raised a brow at Arts words. “Well,” said, holding back a smile. “Once you're a leader, all eyes will be on you. And having a mate ensures you’ll be under scrutiny. I found out the hard way, that just because I can and want to do something, doesn't mean it's going to go over well with the pack or Wife.” He was able to smile at the memory of Zee, now that she was back home. Alive, and ready to beat him up when he stepped a toe over a line she didn’t like. Art was still hooked on the idea of slaves, trying to understand it. “You're overthinking it. The long and the short is, you need to decide what benefits your pack - sometimes having wolves at the lowest level, a slave, can stand as a reminder what they can fall to. Or, if you have a truly unskilled wolf, it can stand as a place for them to slowly learn skills and work their way up to something. A slave can be a more demeaning or demanding rank on the wolf. A wolf shouldn’t want to be a slave, it should encourage them to work their way up or keep them in line.” he lectured the young boy. He scratched a paw in the dirt, thinking. He didn’t normally have to give or consider such analytical reasoning to what he did. “Outside of the Armada, slaves can be considered a currency or a resource, which isn’t something that I personally agree with. I don't believe any wolf should have no chance to better or further themselves. But… this is all theoretical to you. Let's go introduce you to Iris, who comes from a background of slave traders, and is now in a position where she can better herself.” He decided. "Speech"

Artorias listened to Sirius' sagacious words with rapt attention and introspection. He had considered all of the responsibility and attention being in a position of leadership would bring him; it had actually been his biggest fear when he thought of himself as a leader. All the hopes and trust of his wolves placed on him, the eyes watching to see him succeed or see him fail. He hadn't thought as far ahead as having a mate, and he certainly hadn't expected scrutiny to come from there as well. He thought about Briar, wondering just how much careful observation he'd be under from her. What if he didn't meet the expectations of his wolves? What if he let them down? What if doing what he felt was right turned out to be the wrong move, or wolves disagreed with him. He thought back to what Seer had told him about the governing of the Armada, how his word and his call was final and supersedes everything else. Perhaps it would be better to lead the Hallows like that...

Sirius tried to reframe the idea of slavery and the role of a slave to him. As alpha, he would get to decide what best affected his pack and he could make the call what slaves could be should he choose to keep any. He could treat them as the Warlord did, teach them skills and make them functional members of the pack when they'd earned their rights. He could keep them for servitude and labor. He could demean them and demand anything from them should he choose it. Or he could treat them as others did, like commodities, tools, resources, currency. Ultimately, a slave was a wolf far below him, below his wolves in his pack, and no would should aspire to stay in that position.

The more Artorias thought about it, the more difficult he found drawing the line with slaves was. Perhaps this was a subject that was so far into the shades of gray that lines simply couldn't be drawn. Or maybe he simply didn't understand the function of a slave or how best to utilize them if he chose to keep one. Fortunately, Sirius seemed to understand that, and offered to introduce him to a wolf named Iris who had apparently come from slave traders. That caught Artorias' attention. "I think I'd like to meet her," he agreed with a tip of his head. She might be able to elucidate her purposes for him more practically in ways he could better understand. "You said Iris came from slave traders. But she isn't one of your wolves you demoted to that rank. So... why did you purchase a slave? What were you going to use her for?"

"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 seemed he had given Art much to think of, and he was quick to show his interest in meeting Iris. It was like Sirius had presented him with a puzzle, and he wanted to understand it. He was also quick to ask a question that could be a little awkward… “You may have noticed that the Armada is slim on members at the moment. It has some need to bulk up its ranks. A slave can be a clean slate wolf to shore up gaps where you need them, as well. In this case, she also helps as a healer.” But that wasn’t really the answer to his question. “It can be nice to watch the one you love the most get a little pampering, and women seem to like to have other women close to confide in them, Iris is a handmaiden, Zee’s handmaiden.” he explained, as he tipped back his head and called for the woman in question to come and introduce herself. "Speech"

Ever since being introduced to Zee and given the task of being her handmaiden she had done everything she could to make herself useful and keep Zee company while she recovered. She still made time for gathering herbs and doing the lessons that Sirius wanted her to accomplish while she learned how to fight. It was the most responsibility and work she had ever been given, but it felt so much more rewarding and fulfilling than the life she had been living before. Sometimes it felt overwhelming and as if she was being pulled in a hundred different directions, but she knew it was only because everything was still so new. She didn't want to let her masters down. She knew she couldn't if she wanted to stay here.

When Sirius called for her she quickly tucked away the herbs she had been working on making into various remedies and got to her paws to trot out across the plains toward the sound, giving her fur a quick shake as she went to make herself presentable. She didn't really know what he might be calling her for other than maybe another fighting lesson, but when she arrived she was surprised to find another male there, this one younger - maybe a yearling if she had to guess - though he wasn't that much shorter than Sirius. He was slightly less imposing though without the saber teeth. She stopped in front of the two men and dipped her head low, greeting them both respectfully while giving the Warlord a curious glance. "You called, sir?"

"Iris"

Artorias arched an intrigued brow over concerned eyes. He'd never spent much time around the Armada lands proper, so he'd just assumed this was how the pack always was. To hear they were having issues with occupying dens surprised him a tad. Where had all of the Warlord's wolves gone to? Why weren't there lines at the Armada borders for wolves to try and get in that Sirius was resorting to buying slaves to buff those ranks? Sirius then went on to answer his question properly, explaining how he had bought Iris to be Zee's handmaiden, since women enjoyed being pampered and keeping confidants who were also women. That made a little more sense in the young wolf's mind. Faes liked other faes to tend to them, pamper them, talk with them and share secrets and gossip. It all sounded dreadful to Artorias, but then he didn't try to understand the minds of the women in his life either.

Sirius gave a call, and not too long later, a smaller woman approached the two, a figure of tan and navy against the sea of green grasses. She bowed to them both, then addressed Sirius directly. Artorias watched Iris curiously, from her demeanor and posture to her tone of voice and the words she used. This woman was a slave? While a little thin, she otherwise didn't seem any different from the rest of the wolves in the Armada, save for the submissive demeanor and how she called the Warlord "sir". Artorias looked absolutely befuddled by Iris' existence, looking her over like he was trying to figure her out or piece together the parts of the puzzle his mind simply wasn't getting.

"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.
____________________