Artorias had always loved the water. He'd loved their home at the falls and the hot springs, loved the coasts and shores he'd wandered on through his year of life, loved the rivers and lakes of Boreas and Auster. He also loved exploring the world, letting his paws touch lands he never even dreamed could exist. More so than any of that though, Artorias knew that he and Bowen shared a similar wanderlust, a desire to explore and engage with the world. He didn't know if Bowen shared his love for the water or not, but she had expressed her desire to be on the sea once more, and the young brute took that clue and ran with it. Since their conversation, he had spent a lot of time thinking about ways to make Bowen feel more at home again. The castle could be stifling to wolves like him and Bowen who wanted nothing more to roam—so that's exactly what they would do.

Artorias had heard from talks with pack mates about a bay to the south of Auster, tucked away in a quiet part of the continent, where an array of sea mammals liked to swim. It sounded like the ideal place for a little day trip: somewhere new, somewhere they could explore, somewhere they could swim and enjoy the water. He had found Bowen early that morning and asked her to come with him to explore the new land, deliberately remaining vague so he could surprise her with their destination. The trip didn't take long for the two young wolves moving at a good pace, crossing through the dense woods and emerging to a mangrove copse and a sparkling sea just beyond. The waters near the mangroves were choked with seaweed, but the shimmering waters of the sea proper beyond were crystal clear and inviting. The delighted grin on his face while he surveyed the bay couldn't be kept hidden. This would be perfect for the two adventure hungry wolves.

"Here we are!" Artorias said and waved a paw to the bay before them. A grin played on his lips while he glanced to his little sister, an excitement in his eyes to explore and interact with the world. "I don't know about you, but I think that water looks great for a swim." He chuckled and started a traipse over to cross the mangrove copse for the edge of the bay, looking around at his surroundings as he passed them by on his way to the lapping waves of the ocean.

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________

When Artorias found her that morning and invited her to accompany him on a little adventure, it never even crossed Bowen's mind to say no. The small woman simply collected herself and followed him out of the castle. Together they moved across the land at a steady clip. His legs were longer, but she kept up well enough. In time they made it to their destination and Bo took a moment to soak in the scenery.

The mangroves were sprawling and thriving. Birds sang in the trees above and various animals could be heard as they did their thing. The gentle to and fro of waves was music to the woman's ears. She stepped into the surf and when the salty air met her nose, the fae's eyes closed reflexively and she breathed deeply. Salted air filled her lungs and for a moment she was at peace. That breeze continued to dance around Bowen, ruffling her cream and caramel coat as she let herself become one with the world around her.

The gentle waves washed against Bowen's ruddy stockings, soaking into the fur of her chest as she stepped deeper into the water. Sea birds called as they flitted about above and for the briefest of moments, Bowen was on the ship once more. It hadn't all been bad. She had loved being on the ship and had loved waking to the salty smell of the sea every day. But... she loved her family more and had given up the sea for them. That didn't mean that they couldn't meet periodically, however.

With her eyes opening once more, Bowen looked towards Artorias, a smile on her face. "Thank you for this." She had really needed to get out of that castle and stretch her legs. She had really needed the sea. Moving through the water, Bo came to her much larger siblings side and craned her neck up to place a quick kiss upon his cheek. "Let's swim, shall we?"

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Watching Bowen smile as she waded her way into the rippling surf lightened and warmed the Carpathius man's heart. He had wanted to do just that: make her smile. Bring a little bit of unexpected joy into her life. He loved his siblings, all of them, but Bowen was special. He'd felt fiercely protective of her from the day they were born, always looking out for his adventure partner. When she'd disappeared, it had broken his heart. Having her back reminded him of just what sort of special place she held in those broken pieces. Even though he was overjoyed to have her back, he knew that she'd had to surrender a life she loved to get back to them. That sacrifice was not ignored, and if it took him all his days, he would find a way to show Bowen his gratitude that she'd chosen to come back to them.

Artorias waded out into the water beside his sister, content to simply watch her bask in the coastal environment. Her eyes were closed, muzzle tipped up to breathe deep the salty sea air while she soaked in the water and sun. That smile on her face was so completely content it was almost amusing. He cocked a crooked smile at her, pushing a little deeper into the water. Having almost two feet of height difference between them, Art had to go a good distance deeper for the water to come up past his knees, whereas Bowen already had her chest in the water. That was fine by him though; their size difference had never been an issue for them as pups, it wouldn't start now.

He was watching her when her emerald eyes opened once again, catching her gaze with a sheepish smile, ears flicking back for a brief moment. She thanked him, then pressed a kiss to his cheek that left electricity in its wake and suggested a swim. Artorias flashed a wide, toothy grin, his wagging tail betraying his enjoyment of her suggestion. It seemed Bowen liked to swim too! "You're welcome," he replied. "That sounds perfect." Artorias led the charge into the gently lapping waves, his toned form cutting easily through the pull of the tides. He waded deeper and deeper until the water came up to his chest, then taking a deep breath, he pushed off of the sandy sea floor and dove beneath the waves.

The feeling of weightlessness as his body was surrounded by the sea was immediate and delightful. Paws pulled through the water, legs kicking to propel himself leisurely around under the surface. He reemerged a few moments later, dark-furred head bursting from the surface with a spray of sparkling water and wet fur hanging down his head and neck. He grinned and swam in water just deep enough for him to kick and stroke without his paws hitting the bottom, not wanting to go too far out and leave Bowen's side. Gods, it had been too long since he'd just gone for a swim!

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________

Art enjoyed her suggestion and grinned at her. Bowen wasted no time and quickly transformed from wolf to fish. While her brother dove under the water, Bowen sought distance. Strong, slender legs kicked, allowing her lithe frame to cut through the drink until she was out in the middle of the bay. The gentle swell of waves lifted and lowered the woman's body and she once again closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of being in the sea once more. The castle was right on the ocean, but the water there wasn't as forgiving as the water here. Bowen planned to take advantage.

Turning her head, she looked back towards where her brother resurfaced. The water slicked his black and blue fur down, giving him a slightly seal like look and Bowen found it rather amusing. The lady gently paddled, treading water as she looked back at her sibling. She was very grateful that he took the time out of his busy schedule to get her away from the castle for a bit and take her out exploring. It really meant a lot to her. They had so much lost time to make up for. Bowen needed to reconnect with all of her siblings, but she had missed Art the most.

Splashing from the side pulled Bowen's attention and she watched as a pair of dolphins played in the clear water. In time they dispersed, finding other things to do and Bowen decided that her legs had been given enough of a workout for the moment. Swimming back to shore, water sluiced off of Bo's petite frame as she padded onto the sand. Without shaking the water from her coat, the russet and ivory fae sprawled out on her stomach on the warm beach, One hind leg splayed out behind her while the other knee remained bent. Already she could feel the heat of the sun absorbing the liquid from her fur. It was a feeling that she'd always enjoyed and it made her flesh tingle delightfully.

As she dried, the young woman continued to watch her big brother, her viridian gaze locked upon him as he cut through the water. He'd grown up fine and strong. Art had turned into a man while she was away. It was so strange. She could still see him in her minds eye as the puppies that they had once been. That was how she had known him last, so that was how she had always pictured him when she thought of him while being away. When she returned, she hadn't expected him to be so... attractive. It wasn't his fault at all, but it made Bowen uncomfortable. In fact, part of her wanted him to stay in the water so that she wouldn't get those urgent, tight feelings in her stomach. He'd have to surface eventually though, so she tried to mentally prepare herself.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

From where he floated in the surf, Artorias watched Bowen take to the water like she had been born for it. She had swum straight out to the middle of the bay, the calm and tepid waters yielding to her as if she were a goddess of the sea. Their eyes met from across the space, noticing her watching him from when he resurfaced to how he treaded water now. Grinning, Artorias began a series of long, steady strokes to propel himself through the water, partially getting in some exercise, partially to enjoy the floating sensation as he bobbed along with the gentle waves.

It was difficult for him to pay attention to anything other than Bowen. Maybe it was because he was still drinking in the fact that she was back home and she was real again. Maybe it was because he was trying to make up for their lost time and reconnect with his sibling. Or maybe it was because of that clawing feeling he felt inside his core. He'd set time aside for Bowen whenever she asked, and even times she didn't, like today. He wanted to do something special for her, for no reason other than to see her smile. But none of that had come with any ulterior motives. He'd done it because he loved his little sister, plain and simple. This was his way of reconnecting with her.

Splashing caught Artorias' attention as well, following Bowen's eyes to the pair of dolphins that sprung from the ocean further out to sea. He smiled while he watched them play, looking over to spot Bowen now making her way out onto the shore. From where he floated, Artorias couldn't take his eyes off of her. He watched the way the water cascaded from her caramel and cream fur, making her coat cling to her slender, petite body. The longer he watched her, the more he couldn't deny that the sweet little pup he'd known his sister to be had fully grown up. They'd both aged well, but they'd both also matured beyond their age. Artorias had faced death so many times, watched his family dwindle, braved an ice age, suffered heartbreak and abandonment and failure. Bowen had been stolen from her home and family, forced into a life of servitude, made to thieve and cheat and fuck and kill to survive, robbed of her innocence far before her time. What a pair these two wolves were...

Artorias swallowed hard past the knot in his throat, trying to keep his eyes from roaming, and instead flipped over to float lazily on his back so he wouldn't get caught staring. He gazed blankly up at the blue sky overhead, dotted with only a couple fluffy clouds. Chimera's words played back in his head over and over again. "If you can pluck that fruit without bruising it, I highly encourage giving it a taste." Flutters started up in his belly. Was he seriously thinking of this? Considering it?! He knew what he'd been taught, he knew of the social laws. But he could not deny that his sister had grown into an incredibly attractive and impressive young woman. No matter how easy it was to see Bowen as that tiny pup in his memory, she had become a woman in so many ways. It was how he'd thought of her when he'd gone searching through the snow and ice for her. As he grew, his memory of her stayed the same. Now he was facing the reality of time, and it came with an entirely new set of challenged he had never expected.

Realizing he was just floating in the water aimlessly now, Art righted himself again and began to swim back to shore with strong kicks of his legs. He emerged from the water with a slow stride, water running like a waterfall down his black, blue, and ash coat. His fur was left clinging to every part of his body, moving with his muscles as he strode up onto the warm sands and collapsed next to Bowen with a heavy sigh, completing his settling in to dry by rolling over onto his back to let the hot sun dry his belly. Doing his best to ignore those butterflies in his belly, Artorias peeked open an amber eye to glance at Bowen, giving her a little smile as they both dried off. He could smell the sea salt clinging to her fur, accenting her natural fragrance. She really was made for the sea. "Swimming was a good call, Bo," he commented with a low groan as he stretched out his legs to relieve the strain in his muscles.

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________

'Fuck,' Bowen cursed in her mind as Artorias emerged from the water. When had she become such a whore? This was her brother for gods sake. Still, Bowen couldn't help the feeling that tightened her stomach and loins. Watching the water cascade off of Artorias' muscular form... it was too much. He was too much. So she closed her eyes. Maybe if she didn't look at him, these feelings would go away. Wishful thinking...

Art threw himself onto the sand beside her and Bowen could feel the pressure of his body. His words brought one emerald eye open and she smiled. "I'm full of good ideas. Horrible ones too, but there are some good ones in there from time to time." A soft chuckle left her before she closed her eye again. It was much easier if she didn't have to look at him. She couldn't keep her eyes closed forever though. These tumultuous feelings would need to be dealt with so that she wouldn't make things awkward between them.

Her brother's groan as he stretched forced her eyes open again and she barely held back a groan of her own. Instead, Bowen sank her teeth into her lower lip, turning her head away from Art as she feigned getting comfortable. What was wrong with her? Did he make sounds like that while he was fucking his woman? The thought of Art's girlfriend... Bramble? Rosebud? Something planty... The thought of Art's girlfriend sobered Bo just a little. If it worked just a little by thinking of her, perhaps it would work more if she heard about her.

"So tell me about your girlfriend. What have I missed? Anything new in the world of Art?" Yes, they'd talked a bit since she'd returned, but they hadn't delved much into his past or her own. Perhaps he'd want to talk some things out. She could tell him about her time on the ship. Tell him about her captains. He could tell her about his girlfriend and whatever else he decided was important.

"Speech"

A rumbling hum of a chuckle echoed in the young brute's chest when Bowen mentioned being full of both good and horrible ideas. He briefly wondered what sort of horrible ideas she had in her head, but decided against asking that out loud. "C'mon, they can't all be that bad," he said with gentle assertion. He glanced over at his sister, just catching her turn her head away while she shifted on the sand, probably doing the same thing he was and getting comfortable. While she wasn't looking his way, he took the opportunity to steal a few quick glances over her form beside him. Bowen had become such a beautiful young fae, and her body looked so womanly with a svelte form and curves in all the right places... No! He shook his head and turned his gaze away back to the blue sky. No, Artorias! Bad boy! Gods, he was so far out of line! What even were the chances that Bowen held any sort of attraction for him the way Chimera's sister did for him? Even if he did heed the Fenmyrian king's advice, it was an astronomical chance he'd have an opportunity to.

He swallowed hard and started to close his eyes to try and drown out his tempestuous thoughts and feelings with the soothing serenade of the sea. He focused on his breathing, slow and steady, but it didn't help the nervous tingles in his belly. Why was this happening to him now?! He'd spent so much time with Bowen when they were littler and he'd never had this issue! Not until she'd returned, all grown up, looking the way she did and bringing out these feelings- No! Stop it! Try as he might though, Chimera's words buzzed around in his head and made it difficult for him to focus on anything other than the urge to reach over and loop a foreleg around Bowen to pull her closer to him...

Fortunately, Bowen broke him out of his own inner turmoil by asking about Briar, and about his life in general. Amber eyes opened once more to turn and gaze at his little sister, who was still looking away from him as she spoke. "Oh, Briar? She's one of the Fatalis princesses in the Armada. I think you maybe met her when we had that playdate once about a year ago." Of course, that had only been one meeting, and only for a few hours. There was the strong possibility Bowen wouldn't recall. "She's training to handle pack affairs and diplomatic deals with the Armada. We got close this past winter, with everything going on with Mom at the time. She really helped me through everything. She's gotten pretty good at fighting too. It hasn't always been that way. There was a time when she lost every fight she walked into, but don't tell her I said that." He shot a roguish grin over to Bowen, not sure if she'd see it or not. "As for myself... I just got back from a season long lesson over in the Armada. Sirius invited me to learn how to lead a pack with him to help prepare me for whenever Ulric decides to step down." That part still scared him a little. The thought of leading the entire pack seemed daunting, and he would be lying if he said it didn't intimidate him a bit. Thank the gods he had his family to support him.

Shifting in the sand, Artorias rolled over onto his side so he could face Bowen easier. He propped himself up with his forelegs, gazing at her with a warm smile that was nothing but affectionate. "What about you, Bo? I know the stories you have from your time away have to be pretty interesting." He paused, then added. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I'd like to know what your life was like. What was it like being on a ship? What was it like living with pirates? Where's the most interesting place you've been?" He basically wanted to know everything, the less abridged the better. He wanted to know Bowen, all of her.

"Artorias" | "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 sound of Artorias shifting around forced Bowen's gaze to fall back upon him, only to find that he had readjusted and was staring right at her. The young woman swallowed hard, her green eyes meeting his golden. She was the first one to look away, not trusting herself enough to keep from acting upon her baser desires. Having been bedded so regularly, Bowen had become quite a nymphomaniac. She wanted sex all of the time. In fact, she'd been soliciting strangers just to scratch that itch within herself. Now here she was, thinking of doing the same thing to her brother. Ugh, he would be so disgusted with her. She was disgusted with herself, though it was hardly something unnatural.

Orange ears perked as Art began to tell her of his girlfriend, Briar. Ah yes, that was her name. Bramble... Internally, Bowen shook her head. As he suspected, Bo didn't remember meeting Briar. She didn't remember a lot from before. The small woman continued to listen as he spoke of this Fatalis Princess. Titles were such stupid things. Anyone could call themselves anything and in the end it meant nothing. Her blue brother seemed to really like this princess though. His face lit up as he spoke of her. For some reason... that made Bowen feel like trash. She wasn't some princess. She was just a former slave. A former pirate. A no one, really. How could she compete with a princess?

Wait, wait. Why was she thinking that she could even compete with Briar? Once more, Bowen reminded herself that Artorias was her brother. Their relationship was that of family and that's all that there was to it. She just felt this way because the slavers and pirates had turned her into a whore, right? It wasn't because he was her favorite sibling, or because he went out of his way to try and find her long after the others ceased their searches. It wasn't because he was sweet and kind and looked so damn good soaked in sea water. Fuck. Bowen couldn't hide a grimace, her lips pulling back for a moment and her eyes squeezing shut. Flicking her ears backwards, she gave her brother a sheepish look. "Bit of a headache," she lied before looking away.

Then Art asked about everything that had taken place while she was gone. Bowen cast him a side-eye and decided to look out into the bay instead of at Artorias. "After the slavers took me, I was delivered to the pirates. They thought that I could fetch a better price elsewhere as I would be seen as a foreign beauty or some garbage. The captain came to like me. Called me his Little Bird." That had been her name on the ship. The name that others called out when they were using her, spilling inside of her.

"I enjoyed working on the ship; being part of the crew. I think it was that eagerness that prompted the captain to make me the offer of buying my flesh price." Bowen turned to look at Art, explaining, "He let me work to pay off the price that they would have been able to sell me for. It was a rather large sum, but the captain was adamant that he was speaking truthfully." She'd doubted at first that she would fetch such a price, but saw later what other fae's were selling for. The prettier the fae, the higher the price.

Bowen began to lose herself in the story as she recanted memories. "The captain was surprisingly sweet. The main captain, anyway. The secondary captain didn't like me as much." Bo gave her head a shake. "The captains were brothers; lovers; and I don't think the second captain liked that his lover was also loving me." The girl's pink nose wrinkled slightly. "And yet he slept with me too, but he always made it a punishment." Again she shook her head as though doing so would throw the memories right out of her ears. "I liked being a pirate. I didn't like hurting others to pay my price though. As for my favorite place, there was an island where the sand was white as snow. The trees, plants, everything what pure white. It was like walking in a dream. And then the white started falling from the sky like snow. It was ash from a volcano, blanketing the entire island." She remembered the place fondly. It had taken all of them by surprise and they'd all ended up white by the time they left the island as well.

After that, Bowen went silent. She placed her chin upon one bent foreleg and looked out over the bay. The girl had returned home, but she'd left a large part of herself out at sea. Would she ever feel complete again?

"Speech"

She looked back at him then, and the moment his eyes met those green jewels, he felt his breathing stop. He couldn't look away from her even if he tried. She had him totally hypnotized with nothing other than a simple glance and he couldn't understand it. Why were these things manifesting themselves seemingly out of nowhere? What was he supposed to do about any of it? Gods, Bowen would be so disturbed if she knew what he was grappling with right now, the visions his imagination was crafting. Yet he still couldn't look away from her. It was as if he was afraid that the moment he stopped looking at her, he'd lose her all over again. Bowen saved him from himself by being the first to avert her gaze, allowing him to breathe freely again. His pulse was racing as he struggled to keep his breathing even and not make it obvious that he'd been holding his breath.

No, he had to keep himself in check and hide what he was feeling. He couldn't risk "partaking of any forbidden fruit" as Chimera had put it, lest he drive Bowen away and frighten her off. She was only just now getting accustomed to being back in the Hallows with her family. What would Bowen think if her own brother started coming on to her, especially after she'd confided in him the sort of abuse she'd endured? Fuck, was he really this depraved? Artorias loved his little sister so much... His family was all important to him, but Bowen had always been special. She held the biggest portion of his heart, a piece he thought he'd lost forever when she vanished from his life. Now, lying here with her, he was reminded of why that was. Bowen was just like him in her desires to explore, to roam and be free, to seize life when they could. She was loving and affectionate and genuine. That's why they were lying next to each other on a previously unexplored beach, both soaked from the sea, her fur clinging to her feminine form so perfectly that she looked like a work of art, only a mere stretch of a paw away...

Again, Artorias snapped himself out of his roving thoughts with a shake of his head. It was fortunately timed with a grimace from Bowen, though he suspected she might have caught him. He gave her a concerned look until she mentioned she had a bit of a headache. He nodded, then stayed quiet while Bowen looked away over the bay to begin her story. She relayed her experiences, detailing the pirates and their intentions. The captain liked her. He called her his Little Bird. He couldn't see her face, so Artorias couldn't discern whether she liked the nickname or not. Would she like if he called her that? Would she want that? Wait, why was he considering that in the first place? Artorias mentally chided himself again.

Bowen's story continued through her time with the pirates: working on the ship, being offered her freedom for the price she'd fetch at market. The captain liked her, and it seemed she held a bit of a soft spot for him too. Well, the main captain, at least. The second captain sounded like an asshole. But when she explained that both captains were brothers and lovers, Artorias froze in surprise and stared at the back of Bowen's head. She'd been the plaything of two incestuous brothers? This was nothing new or startling to her then. But... that was different. She wasn't involved in the incest—just a bridge between it. That didn't mean she'd be receptive to a touch that lingered a little longer than it should have, or a lick or nibble against places to draw sighs... Shit.

Despite having known Bowen had been used as a whore by the pirates, hearing it out loud still evoked a twinge of anger and jealousy in Artorias. Wait... jealousy? No, he meant anger. It evoked anger in him. Just anger. Fortunately. Bowen moved on to his question about places she'd been, describing a beautiful island that was covered entirely in white ash from an active volcano. Artorias closed his eyes and tried to picture it, a world blanketed in white like eternal winter. He hummed softly in his throat. He wished he could see the world as she had. "I wish I'd been there with you," he said, his voice a low, rumbling baritone. "I wish I could have seen the places you did, seen the world with you like I promised we would. Sometimes I fear I never will." His duties and responsibilities to the Hallows did keep him tethered to Auster. It was a bit of a shame. When they were pups, he'd promised to explore the world with Bowen. Somehow, he would find a way to keep his promise.

Bowen went quiet after that. Artorias watched her for a long while as she gazed longingly out at the sea. He glanced at the glistening waves, picturing Bowen standing on the deck of a ship as it cut through the surf, going wherever her heart desired. Captain Bowen Carpathius... It did have a nice ring to it. Reaching forward, Artorias ever so gently ran his muzzle along the side of Bowen's neck in an affectionate nuzzle, only for a moment and then he was pulling back. He couldn't risk getting caught up in her. Too dangerous... "We can do things like this more often if it helps." He tried to give her an encouraging smile, hoping it came through in his voice even if she wasn't looking his way. "We can explore all over Auster. Boreas too. See the world like we said we would, just you and me. Maybe we'll find you more treasures too." He shifted a little more, trying to get comfortable and keep his eyes off of her stunning body, lest some very noticeable things start happening to his own.

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________

Art told her that he wished he'd been there and Bowen's green eyes scrunched up for a moment. "I'm glad you weren't," she admitted. "The strong ones were broken fast. Sometimes irreparably. The compliant ones lasted longer." She was proof of that. She'd done what was asked and she survived. Had she fought against her captors, no doubt she'd be broken and battered; sold to some cruel master somewhere far across the sea.

The sadness in Art's voice when he spoke of traveling together pulled Bowen's attention back to him, her head raising up off of her paws to fix him with her verdant gaze. "Don't feel bad about it. I've traveled and I've seen things. I still feel the pull of adventuring, but I'm content to come back to the castle after." She almost said 'come back home' but the castle still didn't feel like home. "We can take little excursions like this. That's fine with me." Whatever Art needed to make him happy, she'd be content with.

Tender affections were delivered to the side of Bowen's neck and a shudder tore through her, accompanied by a soft gasp. Gods, his touch was electric. She didn't want him to stop, but he needed to. She needed to stop. Art continued, saying that they could travel, find treasure, do things together, just the two of them. It was more than Bowen could ask for. Plastering a smile to her face, the young woman nodded. "I'd like that."

Being beside him while feeling the lustful pull in her belly was too much. Bowen rose to her paws and moved back into the water. The sand clinging to her russet and ivory coat released its hold as she pushed off of the bottom and cut through the water, barely paddling. The cool water helped to ease the heat within her, but it would only be enough for a short time. She would need to find someone to help her alleviate that lust.

"Speech"

Artorias frowned and gave a contemplative hum to Bowen's statements. There would be no doubt that he would have had a worse time as the pirates' captive given his rebellious and fiery nature. It would have been more painful, at the very least. But in the same breath, that meant Bowen thought he was strong. A flash of heat blossomed over his cheeks, and once more he was glad she wasn't looking at him to see the bashful smile that appeared on his face. She looked back at him then, and instantly he was captivated. It was as if every glance demanded his attention. Burnt amber held viridian emerald, and the young brute silently prayed that his turbulent emotions weren't being betrayed by his eyes. Art's emotions had always run wild and hot, and he was still learning to keep them under control and less worn on his sleeve.

Bowen told him not to feel bad and that she was content to come back to the castle after adventuring. That brought a somewhat relieved smile to him. He wouldn't have to worry about Bowen finding a sudden urge to run off on her own, to wake up one day to find her room empty again and his sister nothing but a memory. It was his greatest dread to lose his family—Bowen in particular. Maybe it was because he'd already thought he'd lost her forever once. He would do anything to prevent that from coming to pass again. He noticed the soft gasp she made, felt the gentle quiver of her body beneath his touch, and at first feared that he'd startled her or triggered some sort of trauma from her time with the pirates. When she didn't say anything, he let it pass without comment, but the sound of his little sister's breathy gasp and the feel of that shudder was stuck in his brain. Gods damn, he was so fucked up!

"I'd like that too," he said in total agreement, a crooked smile playing on his lips to see her smile as well. He was already planning on places they could go together. It didn't matter to him if he was to become alpha of the Hallows. He would always make time for Bowen. His breathing hitched as he turned his muzzle back towards her, contemplating leaning in to nuzzle her neck again. He wanted to so badly; he wanted to feel her tremble and hear her gasp again. But before he got the chance to lean in closer, Bowen was wordlessly rising to her paws heading back into the water. He followed her every movement with enraptured eyes, watching her fur melt to her body again as she touched the water. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, taking slow and steady breaths to try and calm his pounding heart. Fuck, had she caught on to him? If she did, why wasn't she saying anything? Was it because she was too embarrassed by him or scared of him?

He turned his gaze away before his staring could have an obvious effect on his body, young hormones raging in his blood as that familiar gnawing lust made itself at home in his belly. He didn't even have Briar around to help alleviate any of the unbearable tensions. He'd be left to his own devices once he was able to sneak away for a time back home. Once he was sure he could stand up without any noticeable side effects of their closeness, Artorias made his way over to the water as well, only going in far enough for the water to reach halfway up his legs to cool himself down some. He watched the waves, the sunlight dancing off the water's surface, the clouds floating lazily in the sky... anywhere but his beautiful water nymph of a sister a few mere feet away. "You do love the water," he commented with a small smirk. "You were made for it."

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________

It was all so much. Keeping her mask in place so that Artorias didn't see that he'd only received half of a sister upon her return was exhausting. Now there was this overload of sexual tension. Did he feel that, she wondered? Could he feel the heat pouring off of her? The desire? Again, she wondered if he would feel revulsion if he knew that she was picturing him pressing her small body into the sand and covering her with his own massive frame. She could almost hear him whisper her name as he took her roughly and thoroughly. Or would he feel pity? Poor broken Bowen. The pirates really did a number on her.

Miraculously, the water didn't immediately give off steam as her heated body stepped into it. As she floated in the bay, her forelegs barely paddling, the young fae refused to look back at the damp, blue and black body on the beach. If she did... if she saw him laying there, all laid out like a gift for her... Gods... Her resolve was breaking. She needed to find someone to fill her up. To make her feel something.

Art's voice rang out behind her and Bowen chuckled sardonically. "It's a wonder they didn't call me Little Fish instead of Little Bird." She gave a soft shrug, her forepaws still treading water. "I suppose birds are more attractive than fish, right?" Thinking of her captains in her minds eye, Bowen bit her bottom lip as images of their heated threesomes and moresomes flashed through her minds eye. She was going to lose her mind if she didn't relieve this tension soon.

Turning, Bowen made her way back to the beach. She couldn't really look Art in the eye as she shook the excess water from her coat. "I don't feel very well," she admitted. "Can we go home?" Her back was slightly hunched as she stared at the ground rather than her very attractive, very grown up big brother.

"Speech"

As he stood in the shallow water, casually watching Bowen from the corner of his eye, Artorias was acutely aware of how she was no longer looking his way. His expression dropped along with his heart into his stomach. Oh no... had she caught on to him? Did she know what he was grappling with and was she trying to avoid him because of it? Panic immediately started twisting his insides up as the young brute scrambled for an apology, an excuse, something—anything—he could use to make himself seem like less of a perverted deviant. But as he was having a mini crisis, Bowen just gave a cynical chuckle and made a comment about being called Little Fish instead of Little Bird instead. He blinked in surprise, realizing after a moment that maybe she hadn't caught on if she was still talking to him.

Artorias gave a weak chuckle and looked away, gazing off to the side as he murmured under his breath, "You've always been pretty. You'd be attractive in any form." With the distance between them and the white noise of the waves, he doubted she'd heard him at all, and he meant for that. He didn't need Bowen hearing her own brother speaking like that about her. His heart was still racing in his chest with a cocktail of anxiety and adrenaline. He felt the nervous jitters in his belly running rampant throughout his body now. This was getting out of hand. At this rate, he'd be acting like a fool in no time, and he couldn't trust himself to be near Bowen without doing something they'd both end up regretting. No, he couldn't betray his little sister's trust like that, especially not when she'd opened up to him about her traumas.

Bowen began to head back to the shore again, looking distracted and positively uncomfortable. All of Artorias' inner turmoil was forgotten the second he saw her expression, now only concerned for her wellbeing. He followed her back to the shore, about to ask if she was okay when she said she didn't feel well and asked to go home. Her back hunched, and he wondered at first if she was about to vomit or if this had to do with the headache she'd felt earlier. "Yeah, of course," he said, shaking out his coat and starting back in the direction of home. "Cmon, let's get you back. I'll ask Gwyn to bring you something for... whatever's going on."

As the two wolves headed back toward the castle, Artorias followed close beside Bowen, offering his side to lean on if she needed it along the way. He was very conscious of how close he stood by her though, making sure their sides didn't touch unless absolutely necessary. There was no reason to make this walk home any more difficult than it already was.

"Artorias" | "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.
____________________