Of all the news that Tamsyn had given him when he'd returned home, none had shocked him more than hearing Bowen had returned him. Bowen, his sweet little sister, whom he had thought gone forever, was back with her family and home where she belonged. All the pain and darkness that had befallen his family over the last year and the past season alone, it was high time they were due for some light. When Bowen had disappeared, a piece of Artorias' heart had broken at the prospect of never seeing her again. The searches for her and Daphne had been called off, leaving the boy two sisters shorter, and a heart full of pain heavier.

Now it seemed that the tides of fate had shifted. Bowen had come back, and the Carpathius family was a little more whole. Artorias had spared only a minute to drop off his sword and armor in his room before rushing up to the room Bowen had occupied, throwing open the door to find... nothing. The room was empty. But the ruffled bedspread and the familiar feminine scent hanging in the air proved she was here recently! Artorias followed her scent through the castle, wandering the halls after his sister. It criss-crossed all over the halls, almost as if she were aimlessly looking around for something.

The trail led him to the great hall, to the kitchen in the back, and then down into the cellars, where the food larders and storage room were. What was she doing down here? He spotted the familiar cream and russet fur of his sister poking around between shelves in the storage room, illuminated by small windows around the top edges of the storage room. Artorias froze in the doorway, mouth hung open in shock while he took her in. Bowen... it really was Bowen! The girl who he remembered as a pup had matured into a young woman, still small and slender, but distinctly closer to an adult than the little pup he'd explored the woods with over a year ago.

"Bowen..." said Artorias once he had regained his voice. He didn't move, his brain too stunned silly to get his body to respond while it processed the wolf he was staring at. He waited, waited to see her turn, to see her look at him, as if she were a phantom of his mind and she wouldn't be real until she did.

"Artorias Sirius Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Being back home was... strange. It didn't really feel like home yet. The stone of the castle didn't sway beneath her feet like the ship had. It didn't smell of brine and fish and ocean breeze. She wasn't quite used to it yet. In fact, she'd been having nightmares every time she tried to sleep, so... after a while, she just stopped trying. Seeing her reflection in the water basin in the mornings, she realized how exhausted she looked. There was no helping that.

Not being able to find her opossum was taking its toll on her as well. She hadn't seen Boogie since she'd been stolen away. The last thing she remembered of him was the little, chubby creature waddling quickly after her, but there was no chance of him keeping up. She worried over him greatly. Not knowing whether he was alive or dead really, really bothered her. None in the castle that she'd spoken to had seen him. The caramel cream fae was down in the larder, searching every nook and cranny for sign of the food loving opossum.

A voice sounding from behind her brought the young woman's tired gaze swinging around. Vibrant emerald eyes landed on the massive black and blue form in the doorway. "Artorias," her soft voice was filled with wonder as she looked upon him. He had grown so much since she'd seen him last. She wanted to run to him and have him hold her, but something kept her russet dipped paws rooted to the ground, though she couldn't understand why.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

She turned to the sound of his voice, and it was Bowen! It really, truly was his long lost sister! A mist of relief and joy started to form along the edges of his fiery eyes when they met emerald green. She said his name back, her voice still that soft, light sound, but it had aged along with her, now the voice of a lady and not a pup, just as his had deepened. Neither wolf made a move toward one another, seemingly too shocked by the other's existence to do anything. Artorias looked over his little sister, taking her in as if it were the first time he was seeing her, and in a way he was. The young brute wanted to run over to her and scoop her up in his arms, to spin her around and hold her tight to him so that the world might never try to steal her away again. She was home; Bowen was home!

"It's you, it really is you!" he said in an excited exhale, his lips slowly turning upward into a smile. His heart burst with happiness and love for the smaller wolf. He started to walk slowly towards her into the room from the door, seeing the tension in her body but misreading it as surprise instead of defensiveness. "Gods, Bowen, I thought... I thought I'd never see you again! We were all so worried about you. I was so worried." He wanted to tell her of all the days they'd spent searching for her and Daphne, but no doubt their mother had told her everything. So many searches out in the bitter cold and blinding blizzards, praying for a scrap of scent to follow, only to return empty-handed every time. So many nights spent awake wondering where she could be. So many prayers unanswered for her to return safely.

"Artorias Sirius Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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 panic of the moment soon gave away to relief once she was able to wrap her mind around the situation. This was Artorias, her brother. As he came towards her, she began to move towards him as well. In time, the small, slender fae was pressed up against his blue chest in an embrace. Time out in the world had taken away all of her baby fat. She was now lean and well muscled. Aside from her change in physique, the girl looked exactly the same. The pirates had found her to be quite pretty, so they insisted that she maintain her appearance. It was better than a lot of the slaves received, so she was happy to do so. Bowen was still Bowen, aside from the mark on her foreleg that was hidden behind the brown leather bracer on her left foreleg.

"I'm sorry to have worried you," she spoke apologetically, though it had been far from her fault. Well, not entirely her fault anyway. She'd been captured, but she'd also been the one to wander off in the first place. Extracting herself from her brother's grasp, Bowen took a step back to look him over. "You grew up a bit," she joked, a smile pulling up the corners of her maw. "What's new since I've been away?"

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

It felt like walking in a dream, every step he took she took one closer to him. It wasn’t until the two wolves had come together and he felt the pressure of Bowen’s body press into his chest that the reality of the situation hit him. He could have cried he was so happy and relieved, lifting a powerful foreleg to drape it around her shoulder and hold her, protected and comforted, while they embraced. Bowen, no longer the small pup he’d known back in the autumnal forest of Boreas, was a young woman, slender with lean muscle all over. It was a heartbreaking reminder of just how much time had passed between this moment and the last he’d seen her. But the cream and russet coat, those vibrant emerald eyes, they were all still Bowen.

Artorias shushed her gently while she tried to apologize, rubbing her back with a slow paw. "It's not your fault, Bo. I'm just so happy you're safe and all right." When their embrace did end, Art took a moment to look over his little sister properly. She was much more mature, both physically and in the way she carried herself and spoke. Her coat was maintained and clean, and she didn't have any obvious injuries or look malnourished, so wherever she had been, she had at least been caring for herself. He gave a soft chuckle and a wry grin, motioning to herself with a tip of his muzzle. "Just a bit. You look like you did some growing up as well." She smiled and his heart warmed. He had always loved making Bowen smile when they were pups, and that hadn't changed now.

Bowen asked what had changed since she'd been gone, and Artorias' expression shifted a little. So much darkness and pain had befallen their family, but so much new change had occurred to. How did he even begin to explain everything to her? "I don't know how much Mom has told you," he started, deciding the beginning was as good a place as any to start. "Not long after we moved in here, Mom Resin... she began to act... strange. She'd lose parts of her memory, chunks of time. She became spontaneously violent. Lúta said it was a sickness of her mind, and eventually, we lost her completely. She died defending our home from an attack of these massive wolves... We buried her beneath a birch tree in the courtyard. I can show you, if you'd like." He purposely left out the details of how they'd found her desecrated grave and skinned corpse only a few days after her burial. Bowen didn't need to hear any of that.

"Other than that, Ulric's taken over the Hallows temporarily. Mom found a new boyfriend." He tried not to sneer when he said the word "boyfriend" and "Mom" in the same sentence. "And, uh... I was named heir to the pack." He tried to resist the bashful smile, not wanting to make a big fuss over it, especially since he still had some time to go before he'd be ready to take over in any official capacity. "Those are the big highlights, I think. But what about you? Where did you go? What happened, Bo?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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 tumultuous emotions within the young woman were pushed aside and ignored as much as possible. Seeing Artorias, practically a man, made her realized just how much time she'd missed. Did she look as different to him as he looked to her? He was obviously battle-worn and she could see the scars upon him. The caramel cream fae had weathered the storm a little better. Most of her scars were on the inside. Most, but not all. One russet dipped paw raised and absently rubbed at the leather bracer tied tightly to her foreleg. If it seemed like a nervous tick, that was because it was. She would never get rid of the reminder of what had happened to her, where she'd been and what she'd been forced to do to change her situation.

Art continued speaking, filling her in yet again on the death of their mother. Bowen's brows furrowed and she nodded. "Mom told me." The girl felt surprisingly empty about the whole thing. Perhaps it would sink in later, but for now she just couldn't cry about it. When her brother offered to take her to see the grave, Bowen gave her head a shake. She wasn't sure what everyone else believed, but the beliefs of sailors, pirates and seafaring slaves had rubbed off on her. "No. That's not her anymore." She didn't need to see a grave full of bones. It held no importance to her.

Bowen nodded, accepting that Ulric had taken over the Hallows. It was a wise choice. Mom would have been wrought with grief and wouldn't have been able to lead properly at the time. Bowen's brows did lift a bit when Art spat out the word 'boyfriend' in connection to Tamsyn. That... was surprising. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. How long ago had mom died? Wasn't that a bit soon to fill her bed with someone else? Art shyly told her that he was named heir to The Hallows and Bowen grinned, emerald eyes lifting at the corners. "Congratulations, Art. Just what mom wanted for you." She could remember that much.

As she knew it would, the conversation turned to where she'd been. The smile on Bowen's delicate features faltered and suddenly the darkness of the food larder seemed to press in on her. "Let's go up and I'll tell you." Without waiting for him to agree, Bo lightly pushed past her brother, her shoulder, hip and tail sliding along him as she squeezed by. Bowen found the stone stairs and moved gracefully up them before moving across the open hall and out the front doorway of the castle. She continued to move forward until she was out of the shadow of the massive structure. Once she could feel the warm sun sink soothingly into her fur and flesh, the young lady tilted her muzzle upwards, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply of the cool, clean air.

When she felt the pressure of Art's body beside hers and knew that he had joined her, Bowen sat, sliding her tail around one hip. She hadn't even told mom the full story yet, but she trusted Art to not judge her for what had happened and what she'd done. Some of it she had been forced to do but some of it she chose to do. "I went searching for one of the alpacas and got lost. While I was searching for my way back, a man asked if I needed help. When I said that I was lost, he overpowered me and threw me into a cage." She couldn't remember much of that time other than the fear of the unknown. What was he going to do to her? She eventually found out.

"I was taken to a great ship with several other wolves and overheard that I was to be sold into slavery. The pirate slavers took a liking to me though. They kept me and gave me the opportunity to buy myself from them, having seen my eye for valuables." It was no secret that Bowen had loved treasure from the moment her own gem-like eyes fell upon something shiny. She still hadn't grown out of that. "I lied and cheated and stole." Reddish ears slid backwards and her brow furrowed as she continued. "I murdered."

Again, Bowen rubbed at the leather bracer. There was an obvious spot of wear upon the shining surface, showing just how often she did this. "They said that because of my size and coloring, that I would fetch a high price, so I had to do a lot of bad things to collect enough for them." The russet and snow fae couldn't even look her brother in the eye, so she turned her head and looked away from him. "They made me pay in other ways too." Bowen was far from a virgin by now. She'd been claimed almost immediately and had been used often throughout her enslavement. "At first they forced me, but after a while I began to crave it, so that part wasn't all bad." She still craved it often and did her best to alleviate her own lust almost nightly. It was never enough.

"After my price was paid, they were true to their word and let me go. So I came home." Her brow furrowed again, the girl's liver colored nose wrinkling. "Only it doesn't feel like home anymore. I miss the salt of the sea and the feel of a ship rolling on the waves." Bowen shook her head and finally lifted her vibrant, viridian gaze to meet the amber eyes of her brother. "Does that make me bad? I'm so different from the child that left..." Would The Hallows ever feel like home again? Bo searched Arts gaze, hoping that her big brother would be able to alleviate some of her insecurities and make everything okay.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Bowen took everything he said in such stride, so much more poised and confident than what he remembered of her. Time really had done wonders for them, hadn’t it? No longer were either wolf a child, juvenile, or unmarred by the world. They’d each grown up, two young adults where pups had once been. Bowen declined his offer to see Resin’s grave, and Artorias did not blame her. Everyone handled death in their own ways. He noticed the way she rubbed at a leather bracer on her left foreleg, his eyes glancing to it only momentarily before she gave him a grin, those rich verdant eyes seeming to shine in the dim cellar, and congratulated him on his appointment to heir. Black ears flicked back bashfully, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks, Bo," he replied. "I hope I'll do her proud." Bowen was the third sibling to mention him leading being what Resin had wanted. Perhaps he had missed the signs, or willfully ignored them, but he still found himself flustered when someone brought it up.

When he turned the conversation to her, Artorias noticed the way her demeanor plummeted. She looked panicked, maybe upset? He couldn't decipher the conglomerate of emotions flickering across her expression in the dark, but whatever it was, it had Bowen asking to relocate venue. Artorias said nothing, but nodded all the same. He stepped aside to give Bowen some space to slip by, but in the tight confines of the shelves, their bodies still rubbed together. Her shoulder, hip, and tail brushed against him, the young brute pausing against the subtle touch, ignoring the sensations that came with it and followed his little sister back up the stairs. Bowed led him out of the castle and into the courtyard, pausing only once they were surrounded by sunshine and flowers, the scent of seasonal wildflowers and blooming honeysuckle on the vines of the castle walls lingering in the warm air.

Artorias' paws didn't stop until he was alongside Bowen once more, watching the way she basked in the openness of nature. He little smile tugged at his lips; she had always loved being outside and roaming. He sat when she did, giving her all the attention she deserved. In time, she began to detail her experiences to him. As she began, Artorias swore he would remain quiet and abstain from interrupting. The thought of judging her never even entered his mind, he loved her so. Nothing she could have endured would ever make her any less in his eyes.

Bowen had been caught by a slaver while trying to find a missing alpaca. She was taken to a ship and carried away with other slaves. The pirates gave her a chance to buy her freedom, and she took it. He gave a slow dip of his head and a hum, glad she took every opportunity she had to earn her liberty again. She explained what she had to do to accomplish her task. He saw her ears turn down. Was she embarrassed? Ashamed? Lying, cheating, stealing, murdering... It was a lot for a wolf so young to deal with. Amber eyes narrowed and darkened as he looked down at his paws, but not toward his sister. He was angry at the wolves that had done this to her. A soft rubbing sound brought his eyes back up, and he saw Bowen rubbing the bracer on her leg again. He stared at the leather cuff with such intensity, as if the more he stared, the more he would understand. He wanted to understand.

But the nightmare Bowen survived didn't end there. The pirates, they were greedy. They demanded a lot of Bowen. They took her innocence, violated her in ways he didn't ask and she didn't tell. He tried not to think about his sister in such positions, but he had seen the world slaves lived in, he had a good idea of what she'd been forced to do. The darkness in his eyes betrayed that intimate knowledge of the world she'd been dragged into. He, however, had only seen it from the side of the buyer. Bowen had been the product. Bowen confessed that it began under duress, but she grew to like it over time, even crave it. That took Artorias by surprise, and he glanced up at his tiny sister's sweet face with surprise. Of all the wolves in his litter, Bowen would have been the last he expected to say something like that. Adult Bowen really was someone else now. It would be like getting to know her all over again.

Artorias swallowed hard as her story came to a close. She paid up, she was released, and she found her way home. Her confession that she missed the life of a pirate was a bit shocking, but he didn't think it was bad. It was what she had come to know as normal. Most of her young life had been spent with the pirate slavers under their dominion, so of course that was what she knew. His gaze met her viridian eyes, seeing the conflict and uncertainty in those green jewels. Without a word, Artorias lifted his foreleg to wrap it around Bowen again, holding the small fae close to his body. He wanted to comfort her, to soothe her pained soul, take away all the insecurity and remind her that she was loved—oh so loved by her brother. Not once did his eyes leave hers, letting her find whatever she needed from him.

"No, that doesn't make you bad," he said with such affirmed certainty in his voice. "You're different now, but different isn't bad. You did what you had to. It might have changed who you are, but that isn't bad. I'm different from when you saw me last too. There is no hard good or bad, just who we are. No matter how you've changed, you're still Bowen—you're still my Bowen. And you're home." He glanced up at the towering stone walls and sighed. "I don't know if I can make the Hallows feel like it used to, but I can try. We can go walk on the Shimmering Shore whenever you'd like. It's not a ship, but we can still have the ocean and the salt and the breeze you like." He was grasping at ideas, trying to find the things his sister desired. He looked back down at her and asked, "Can I ask you something, Bo?" A blue paw lifted to tap on the top of her leather bracer. "What's hiding under here?" He'd seen her fidget with it twice now. This wasn't just some sort of calming behavior. This was a veil hiding something beneath it.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Kind, sweet Artorias... he claimed that her deeds didn't make her a bad person. He hadn't stared into the dying eyes of her victims, however. He hadn't left children, families without their loved ones for personal gain. It weighed on the girl. Much less than it had the first time she'd taken a life, but it still weighed on her. The black and blue brute continued, saying that she was still Bowen. He then reiterated that she was still his Bowen. Hearing that come from his lips brought a little flutter in the girl's stomach and her mind warred. Others had called her theirs as well. One had lovingly dubbed her his little bird. In the end she didn't belong to anyone. She hadn't even belonged to herself then. Now that she was her own master once more, she didn't know how to exist yet. In time it would come to her, but for now she was paddling in deep water, trying to stay afloat.

Lifting one russet paw, Bowen placed it upon one of Arts large blue paws. He promised to do what he could to help her regain her sense of home. They would to go the beach. They would enjoy the breeze together. She appreciated the effort that he was making, but Bowen didn't want his life to change just because she was back. He was heir to The Hallows now. Surely he had responsibilities. A broken little sister shouldn't be one of them.

Bowen had placed her paw back in the grass when Art asked about the length of leather wrapped over her left foreleg. The girl almost recoiled at the touch and visibly flinched. Pink lips parted and she gave a soft gasp, her emerald eyes moving to rest upon the leather. Caramel ears pulled back in shame and she tried to decide whether or not to tell him what the bracer was hiding. Bowen was silent for a long time, a war of emotions banging around inside of her skull. In time, she decided that she would tell him. She'd already told Art that she had been a sexual object. How could this be any worse? Well, saying that she had been sexually taken advantage of was just that; words. What lay beneath the bracer was physical. It was permanent. She couldn't just pretend that it didn't exist.

Slowly, Bowen pulled the laces at the back of the leather. As she loosened the ties, she spoke. "Each slaving organization has a different mark." Sliding the leather down, she removed her dainty paw from it completely. The slicked down fur proved that she never took it off. With a deep inhale, Bowen turned her leg to show her brother what she had been hiding. Burned into the flesh of her leg were five lines. Three stretched in one direction and two stretched in another. One was much more fresh than the other four. "When I won my freedom, the slavery brand had to show that, so they did it again." She had been a slave. A possession. This mark proved it and it was something that she could never run from. It was burned into her very flesh and would remain there for all of her days.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Artorias saw the quiet appreciation in Bowen's eyes when he promised to do what he could to make this place her home again. Her soft, dainty paw rested atop one of his, warm where her skin met his. His gaze never dropped from hers, partly to show that he was committed to what he said, and partly because a tiny portion of him was still afraid that if he looked away she would disappear into thin air again. He couldn't lose his sister again—not after he'd lost so many wolves he loved already. He would give everything she needed and everything he had to pull her back together, not as the wolf she once was, but as the wolf she deserved to be. Nothing could turn back the clock and make them both puppies again the way things were. All they could do was let Adult Bowen and Adult Artorias get to know one another more closely and intimately.

His head snapped up in surprise when he tapped her bracer and saw her flinch, concerned amber eyes scouring her face for some clue as to what was wrong or what he'd done. That quiet gasp, her ears folded back in shame; he'd never seen Bowen react like this before. He didn't understand—not until she began to unlace her bracers and spoke of the marks each slaving company used. Artorias' heart sank, knowing what he'd find even before she finished removing her bracer. His eyes remained fixed on her foreleg while she removed the leather bracer, revealing the brand on the inside of her foreleg. He stared at the burned, raised skin, noting the fresher of the five marks. She explained how it had been done again once she'd bought her freedom.

Without saying a word, Artorias gingerly took Bowen's foreleg in his paws, holding her with a tender caress while he studied the permanent mark seared into her flesh. Amber eyes narrowed as the dark fire grew in them, a slight tremor of his lips thinly veiling a growl. If he ever met the pirates that had done this to his sister, he would be sure none of them had heads left by the end of the day. That obsessive protective part of him wanted to run out right now, to go hunt down those pirates and cut them all down like dogs. Only the stronger drive to love and comfort and protect his little sister kept him still, holding her leg as if she were the most treasured thing in the world. After a few long moments of quiet, Artorias released Bowen's leg to let it sink back to the ground. He turned those smoldering amber eyes back up to meet brilliant green, feeling something beyond anger gnawing at him while he stared into Bowen's eyes. Someone had hurt his sister, and they would have to pay. But more importantly, his sister had been hurt, and he needed to help her heal.

Artorias brought a big blue paw back up to softly reach for Bowen's cheek, moving slow to allow her the chance to pull back if she wanted to. If she didn't, he'd caress her cheek, guiding his muzzle to place a tender kiss to her head just between caramel-colored ears. He knew it couldn’t have been easy for her to share this with him, and he was deeply touched by her trust in him to let him close to her like this. "If I ever see those wolves, they're dead," he muttered under his breath, voice husky and low almost directly into Bowen's ears from how close his muzzle was. He nuzzled the top of Bowen's forehead, still reveling in the fact that she was home again. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, Bowen. I tried to find you, but it wasn't enough..."

A sudden thought came to his mind, and he slowly retracted to meet his smaller sister's gaze once more. "I have something for you. It's back inside the castle." He motioned with a flick of his head, giving her a few moments to reaffix her bracer to her leg before leading her back inside and up the stairs to the second level. Down the Carpathius wing they turned, arriving at the first door—his bedroom. Artorias pushed the door open and stepped inside, moving over to the fireplace—more specifically, to the mantle above it, where a perfectly shaped glass sphere sat proudly on display. Art hopped up and grabbed it to present to Bowen. The orb, which had appeared much larger to them when they'd found it as pups, was still as shiny and pristine as the day they found it.

"When you disappeared, the entire pack was worried sick. We sent out search parties, but after two weeks, everyone gave up and assumed you were dead." Artorias smiled a crooked smile at his sister, a flash of white teeth just barely visible while he held the glass sphere. "I didn't give up. I kept searching and searching on my own. I... never found any trace of you, but I tried. When I felt my motivation wane, I went into your room and took this, as a memento of why I couldn't give up. Every time I looked at the orb, it reminded me of the day we spent exploring the woods. I couldn't give up on you. I loved you too damn much." Still smiling, Artorias handed the orb back to Bowen with a bashful grin. "I'm sorry I went into your room, and I'm sorry I technically stole from you. I just wanted to keep a little part of you close to me, so I could always remember why I couldn't give up, and to remind myself that I'd find you one day. Now that you're home... well, it belongs to you."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

Panic and shame surged through her when he had asked about what she was hiding beneath the leather bracer. Bowen couldn't look Artorias in the eye. He was her brother, but she hadn't known what to expect from him. Would he feel shame? Disgust? Would he shun her for being marked as property? In the end, he did none of those things. Despite being uncomfortable, Bo allowed him to take her slender foreleg in his gentle grasp so that he could more closely inspect the permanent marks upon her. Since his attention was on the brand, she took the opportunity to search his distracted fae. Within his golden eyes she saw anger, fury, hatred... but not for her. Her brother was angry for her. She knew that he was angry that he couldn't have prevented this; that he hadn't been able to save her from this pain. That was simply the kind of wolf Artorias was.

Once he released his grip on her leg, Bowen wasted no time in sliding the leather back into place. A pull of her teeth and a quick tie would have her shield right where it was supposed to be once more, but she left it loose for now. She was still unable to meet her brother's gaze until she felt his rough pads settle gently upon one orange streaked cheek. Bowen could feel the love and care in that touch and she reflexively turned, placing a gentle kiss upon those pads before bringing her heavily lashed lids upwards so that green eyes could meet gold once more. Art moved forward and placed a tender kiss between her ears and a breathy sigh pushed from Bowen's lungs. The contact was nice. Physical affection was so soothing. It didn't matter that this physical contact came from her brother. There had barely been a time while she was on the ship when she wasn't touching someone in one manner or another, so being on her own, in her own space... it was disorienting. It was unwelcome. It was something she'd have to get used to again.

The words of apology from Artorias brought a soft, breathy laugh from Bowen and she pulled back just enough to give his chin a little kiss. Nothing more than a quick peck. "You can't save the world, Art. You did what you could, but even you can't walk on water." She had been out at sea. How was he supposed to find her there? "In the end, your little sister saved herself and came home. That's all that matters, right? We're together again?"

An idea seemed to strike Artorias like a bolt of lightning. He explained that he had something for her and he urged her to return to the castle with him. Gripping the leather laces between her teeth, Bowen pulled, tied off the strings, then tucked the loose ends back into the top edge of the cuff. She was ready to go and followed Artorias easily as he led the way back inside the stone structure. It didn't seem as oppressive with her brother beside her. She thought nothing of striding through the giant, stone doorway whereas before she may have hesitated.

Once inside, Art led her upstairs to the Carpathius wing. It was still strange to know that her name had changed while she was gone, but Bowen would accept this final gift from her mother. As she stood in the doorway, the girl watched her big brother move to the mantle and pull down a very familiar glass orb. The corners of Bo's mouth instantly lifted as she recognized the treasure. It was a special item that they'd discovered together and she remembered that day clearly and fondly. Coming into the room, Artorias began to speak, telling her that he had searched for her after the others had stopped. Telling her that he kept this pristine sphere close, this bauble that reminded him of his lost sister.

Bowen's heart fluttered hard in her chest as she accepted the piece of glass from Artorias. Never had she felt such love from another. Even when the words came straight from the mouth of another, the feelings never went along with the admission. This though... This simple gesture of returning a piece of their childhood to her now that they were together again... that showed Bowen love. Love that she had been missing, craving, desiring the entire time that she was away.

With her paw slowly dropping back to the floor, the glass sphere clattered to the stones and began to roll away. It didn't matter though. Bowen was already launching herself against her brother's wide, blue chest. She slammed into him hard, but she knew that he could take it. He'd grown up big and strong, after all. Bowen wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his throat with an ear on either side of his jaw. Bowen... cried. Big, heaving sobs. All of the anguish that had built up over her time away, the walls that she'd built to keep herself safe and sane, it all came crashing down from this simple gesture of love. She never wanted to be apart from her family again. Never ever.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Bowen gave him a gentle kiss on his chin before they headed up and reassured him that he hadn’t failed, he couldn’t save the world. He was still just a mortal wolf, after all. He was indeed exceedingly proud of Bowen for managing to save herself and find her way back home. His little sister was tough, clever, innovative. Though he hated what she’d endured, he admired her tenacity. She never gave up, and neither had he. The fact that they were both standing here together was testament to that.

As he presented Bowen with her glass orb and spoke to her, he saw the light in her eyes, caught the upward turn of her lips when she recognized her treasure. Bowen had hesitated at the door, but stepped into his room to take the glass orb from him, closing the space between them. He watched his little sister examine the trinket from their pasts and felt a sense of completion again. Bowen was home. His tireless days and nights of searching, his endless hopes that she’d one day return, they hadn’t been for nothing. The glass bauble had given him that drive to never give up on her. Now that she was back, it belonged back with its rightful owner: the girl who had squealed with delight when they’d found it amongst the willow grove.

But as happy as seeing her treasured memento had made her, Bowen still carefully dropped it to ground with a clatter of glass on stone. Artorias watched in surprise, but was thrown off of his shock when he felt Bowen throw herself into him, feeling her small, petite body collide into his chest with all her might. He gave a soft "oof" from the impact, but otherwise didn't do more than sway a little as he caught Bowen in his arms, wrapping strong forelegs around his little sister's back, clutching her to his body like the world might try to steal her away again if he ever let go.

Bowen buried her face in his neck, one caramel ear poking into his vision from either side of his snout while her body trembled with each wrenching sob. Artorias' heart ached for her, for the pain she'd had to go through just to come back to them again. Big blue paws pressed to Bowen's back, running slowly up and down through russet and ivory fur while he clung to her, letting her release all of the pent up emotions she'd been harboring. Artorias didn't say a word while he held his crying sister; no words could ever undo the hurt or the time lost. Instead he stroked Bowen's back from shoulder to tail, gently craning his neck down so his head rested over hers and shielded her from a world far too unworthy for a wolf like her. He was seeing past the curtain Bowen had put up to hide her true emotions. He understood how deep her trust for him ran, and he would reward that trust with all the love and security and comfort he could provide. She would never again be away from him or their family—not so long as he was alive.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________