The gentle lap of the surf against his hind legs kept Artorias drifting in and out of consciousness. He had no idea how long he had been lying on that dark beach for. It could have been hours, minutes, or even days for all he knew. The young wolf lay broken and beaten, his body too ravaged and in pain to move. Warm blood continued to spill from the ragged wounds on his neck and shoulder, leaving dark stains on the black sand beneath him. Every short, shallow breath made his chest ache. His brain had mercifully shut down as soon as he made it safely onto the shore to prevent him from experiencing as much of the agony as possible, but every time his amber eyes flickered open to stare out at a blurred world, the pain returned, centered in his neck and beneath his tail.

Soft whines and grunts left the boy as he tried to pull himself further up the beach, but was unable to. Artorias could only collapse in a crumpled heap where he lay every time he tried to move, the soft waves lapping almost mockingly at his hind end, a stark contrast from the raging river that had left him battered and covered in bruises and cuts. At some point during his delirium, Artorias thought he heard someone calling his name, but whenever he tried to lift his head, there was no one. He was alone, bleeding slowly to death on an empty beach in the middle of nowhere. How could things have gone so wrong? How had he been bested so badly and humiliated the way he had? The feeling of Oxx smothering him... He shuddered and whined.

Artorias was so far gone that he didn't even notice Corbin flying overhead, calling out to him. He heard a distant voice, like someone was trying to lead someone, but the instructions were unclear and the voice garbled. There was a ringing in his ears and a pounding in his head. Was this what dying felt like? Had he failed so badly that the cost of his loss was his life? The pain of humiliation and physical hurt was far outweighed by the pain of knowing he'd never get to see his loved ones again. Briar. Tamsyn. Gwyn. Rudy. Bowen. I'm so sorry everyone... Artorias' eyes drifted closed again as he fought to stay awake, wondering how long it would take before his body finally gave out.

"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.
____________________

A steady, urgent cawing had instantly gotten Bowen's attention as she moved along the edge of the plain. The girl's verdant gaze shot upwards and she saw Corbin flying towards her as though his tail was on fire. Bishop, Bowen's raven, intercepted Corbin and accompanied him to the ground. The raven hopped at her, thoroughly out of breath and explained between gasps that Artorias needed help. Attack. Hurt. Bowen's blood ran cold and her stomach clenched tightly as she felt instantly nauseous. It took her a moment to regain her composure before she was able to act. "Go get Ulric and Eska. Tell them to follow my scent." She ordered Bishop and Corbin. An instant later, the slender fae was rocketing away.

Bowen's paws flew over the earth and yet she willed her limbs to move faster. She didn't know what had happened to Art, but she would be there as soon as she could and would deliver whatever help he needed. Run. Run. Run.

Corbin had pointed Bowen in a general direction, but it took her a while to finally catch scent of her brother. It was the scent of blood that drew her to him in the end. It was ripe on the wind and the girl's heart hammered in her chest. The scent was so strong that it was hard to tell where he was. She ended up on a long stretch of black sanded beach and only the screaming of ocean birds as they milled around a body let her know where she was.

Bowen snapped and snarled at the birds as she rushed to her brother's side. "Artorias!" Bo called out his name on a sob and she collapsed onto the sand beside him. Her paws gently touched his side just to see if he was breathing. To her relief, he was. His body was freezing and there were rips and tears in his neck and shoulders. Fear sent Bowen to shivering and she carefully wrapped herself around Artorias as much as she could, trying to will her warmth into his broken, battered body. "Help is on the way, okay? Ulric and Eska will be here soon. Everything will be okay." Tears fell from the girl's wide green eyes, landing on her already damp sibling. Delicate kisses were peppered across the top of Art's crown and she spoke in a wavering whisper. "Please don't die, Art. If you die, I'll surely follow." The young woman held onto him, giving as much warmth as her body could produce. She willed help to come quickly.

"Speech"

The cries of the seafaring birds waiting for him to perish to fill their bellies on his remains didn't even register in his ears. Artorias was only barely hanging on to consciousness by a thread, drifting back and forth in and out of darkness. The flow of blood from his neck wasn't rapid or grave, but the wounds would clearly need professional attention to close properly, leaving him losing a slow yet steady amount of blood. His head was pounding like his brain was trying to burst out of his skull. It was just one more thing that hurt, and soon all of the pain just blended together. His body tried to shake and shiver in the freezing air, damp fur crisping with ice crystals as water droplets froze to his coat, but his muscles were too weak to even attempt the most basic efforts to keep himself alive. Stay alive... Stay alive... The mantra repeated in his head over and over. The spirit fought where the body did not. Ever the fighter, Artorias was.

Amber eyes closed, welcoming darkness back into his world while the birds landed around him, their cries drowned out by the tinnitus and washing of the waves. What he did notice though was the distinctly lupine snarling near him, his brain registering the sound and trying to rouse him back to alertness. A gentle pressure touched his side, and dulled amber eyes slowly flickered open just enough to peer up at the familiar face of Bowen. The first thought he had was confusion. Was this a specter of his own mind comforting him in his dying moments? No, the pressure of her paws on his side was too real. Bowen was here.

"Bowen..." Artorias spoke her name with a husky rasp. She tried to wrap her body around his, her smaller frame covering only a portion of him, but it was enough for him to feel her warmth chasing the frigid chill of death away from his body. His brain was still trying to play catchup, swirling and spinning in a dizzying way. He tried to move, to lift a paw up and touch her, but all his weak limbs could do was stretch a leg out across the sand. She'd come to his rescue. When he needed the help, she'd come for him. Her soft lips flitted across his forehead while she comforted and kept him warm. Artorias felt that tingling warmth trying to grow in him again from the close contact with Bowen, but right now his body was more interested in keeping him alive than it was anything else.

"I'm here... I'm still here..." he said to her frightened whispers once he felt enough strength to speak. He couldn't die now. He didn't want to die in front of Bowen. They had so much time to make up for, so many things he hadn't said to her. He had to stay alive. "Bowen..." he whispered her name again, straining to keep his vision from blacking out again. No doubt he had a concussion from the number of blows he'd taken to his head. "Bowen, I... I l-..." His words failed on his tongue, as if his mouth just gave up working. His body began to give violent shivers as Bowen put enough warmth back into his frozen muscles for them to realize he was actually nearly hypothermic. Slowly, Bowen was bringing him back to life.

"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 weak voice of her brother met chestnut ears and Bowen released a relieved laughing sob. The young fae held the black and blue brute more tightly, cradling his large form against her. "I thought I'd lost you. Please don't leave me." Bowen begged again, burying her fact between Arts ears. One paw began to rub the uninjured part of his side, trying to warm the frigid wolf with friction. He was so very cold... it was worrisome. He was alive now, but if the cold continued to cling to him, he would surely die. Bowen knew how to craft a fire, but there were no supplies here on the beach. Perhaps once she had warmed him a bit, she could rush off and collect some wood.

Artorias assured her that he was still there and she kissed the top of his head once more. "I know. I know. Save your strength. Stay with me." If Artorias died, Bowen would walk straight into the ocean and let it consume her. He was the most important thing in her life. Bowen loved her family, but Artorias was on an entirely different plateau. He had searched for her. He showed his love for her every single day. It was obvious that he thought highly of her and cared deeply for her. He loved her and she loved him. Artorias went above and beyond for Bowen and she would do her best to go above and beyond for him in turn.

After a time, Bowen felt herself growing very cold. Her teeth were chattering as she held the waterlogged brute against her. She'd waited long enough. There had to be a fire. "I need to make a fire, Art." She informed him, her teeth clacking together as she spoke. "I won't be long. We'll soon be warm. I promise." Bowen placed a few nervous kisses on his forehead, eyes, muzzle. She then peeled herself away and rushed off over the black sands.

On the opposite side of the sand were stands of trees. The henna marked fae skidded to a halt, quickly gathering as much dried wood as she could manage. Three times she made the trip, only wanting to be parted from Artorias once. Stacking the wood, she searched the beach for the proper types of rocks. With some dried leaves and vines as kindling, Bowen struck the rocks together. Again. Again. Again. The sparks were small and refused to catch. She was getting frustrated and was just about to hurl the rocks into the ocean when a spark caught the vines and greedily consumed them. Triumph flared in Bowen's green eyes along with the fire and she coaxed it to life. It wasn't a large fire by any means, but it would keep Artorias from freezing to death.

With the small fire burning on one side, Bowen plastered herself to Artorias' back once more, giving him warmth from that side as well. "Help should be here soon," she assured him in her sweet, but nervous tones. In her head, Bowen begged whatever gods, deities or anything else that might be listening, to save her brother's life. Don't let him die. Don't let him die.

"Speech"

Artorias had never been the wolf who had needed to be saved before. He had always been the family protector, the rock that someone could lean on when they came apart. Even when he'd been injured in battle, he got back up and kept going. This was the first time the young brute ever felt truly broken. Body, mind, spirit... If it wasn't for Bowen right now, he was sure he would perish on this frigid beach. Her body felt wonderful against him, warm and soft where numbness hadn't dulled his sensation of touch. She begged him not to leave her, to save his strength and stay with her. "I'm not... going anywhere..." he said between shivers and heavy breaths, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

Even now, lingering somewhere on the fringe between life and death, Artorias only thought of her. He wanted to comfort her and wipe away her tears, trying to will himself to recovery so he could assuage her fears. She was his little sister and he loved her, far deeper than he'd ever expected himself to. He loved all of his family, but Bowen was special. She'd always been special, someone so much closer to him than their other littermates—it had just taken her absence in his life for him to realize just how deep those emotions ran.

The two lay with her wrapping herself around him to shield his freezing body from the biting wind until he felt her warmth begin to wane and felt her body shiver against his as well. She spoke again, her voice sounding like that of an angel in his ears. A fire. Yes, that sounded heavenly. He didn't respond verbally, but nodded his head between shivers to let her know he'd heard her. Her kisses covered his face, and Artorias wished he had the capacity to catch those lips with his own, to share how he felt with her if this was to be his last moments. Fighting against the pull of his weary body to give in, Artorias clung to life as tenaciously as he could while Bowen set about gathering supplies. He promised he would stay with her, and he would. An army of devils couldn't drag him away from her now.

Time seemed to pass by so slowly with her gone from his side. He could hear her collecting and preparing the wood, turning his head just enough to watch her struggle to produce the fire. He saw the relentless frustration in her eyes as she worked to start the fire, refusing to give up. You can do it, Bowen... You can do this... he thought, willing the wood to catch. After a few moments of struggling, the kindling caught fire, and the small campfire emitted a lovely warming glow that bathed over him. Pride lit up Artorias' dim eyes, a ghost of a smile touching his lips while Bowen came back to lie against his back again. Artorias pushed his body back to snuggle into Bowen's smaller frame some more, doing what little he could to reassure her that he was holding on for her. He wouldn't give up, not now that they were together again. She had come to save him, just as he had done everything he could to find her. No gods nor demons could take Artorias from her now.

"I'm sorry," he apologized in a voice rough with dehydration and from the strangulation he'd received at the paws of Oxx. "I failed... He almost killed me..." His claws raked at the sand beneath him, digging small trenches in the beach out of anger. The heat of the fire and the warmth of Bowen's body began to bring life back into the young brute, finally managing to turn his head to peer up at the little fae who was keeping him alive. Stay alive... "Bowen..." He waited until she looked at him and he was gazing into those rich emerald pools. I love you more than you know... "Thank you for coming for me."

"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.
____________________

Artorias pressing himself against her was the most life that she'd felt from him yet. The gesture was appreciated. She'd told him not to die and he'd promised not to do so. Giving her that little nudge proved that he was sticking to his word like a good brother should. Careful of his wounds, the auburn fae draped one foreleg over him while the lower leg hold him close. Even from behind him, she could feel the warmth of the fire. The larger wolf was becoming less like a meat popsicle and more like a living body once more. Bowen continued to rhythmically run her paw up and down Arts side, but it had become less about creating warmth and more about comfort. Repeating the action kept her focused and kept her mind from wandering to the worst possible scenario.

As the brute beside her gained more life, he began to speak. His words didn't make sense to Bowen and she furrowed her brow, resting her cheek between her brother's ears. "Who did this? What are you talking about?" Someone had done this to him on purpose? It had looked to Bowen as though he'd been attacked by a cat or a bear. The girl honestly didn't understand.

Artorias turned his head, using valuable strength to meet her gaze, so Bowen refused to look away. She stared deeply into the golden pools of her brother with wide, verdant eyes. He thanked her for coming to his rescue and Bowen offered him a small, somewhat sad smile. Her paw shifted to lovingly stroke his grey streaked cheek with soft, pink pads. "I'll always come when you need me, Torias." She used his childhood nickname before placing a gentle kiss upon his cheek. Gods... how she loved him.

"Speech"

Artorias had no idea by what twist of fate Bowen had been the wolf Corbin had found to come save him, his auburn and ivory savior arriving in the nick of time like divine intervention. He was grateful that it had been someone from his family, but felt shame twisting up his insides that it was Bowen of all wolves to see him like this. Laid low, a broken knight left to die on some forgotten shore, an empty scabbard lying near him where his sword had once been, now taken as the spoils of war by the bastard that had done this to him. He must have been such a pitiful sight and it killed him that his little sister had to see him this way instead of the strong and confident protector she knew him as.

Bowen's paw stroking over his side felt good. So very, very good... It soothed him and let him know he wasn't alone and he was going to pull through this. Bowen gave him the strength he needed. He would not die on her today. The pain and deep aches began to appear again as his body thawed out, drawing quiet grunts from Artorias whenever he tried to shift himself or Bowen's paw wandered a little too close to where a blow had landed. She asked what he was talking about and who did this. Vivid memories of shark teeth and dead eyes flashed through his brain. Of all of his siblings, he felt Bowen would handle the nightmare that Oxx was the best. He wished to protect her, but she was also strong enough to not need protecting. She was equal to, if not stronger in spirit, than even he was.

"His name is Oxx," he said after a moment. "He's Mom's son, from before us. He attacked Gwyn." He hoped that would be enough of an explanation for her to get the gist of what happened and why he was out here, still getting her beautiful fur all smeared with his blood. He looked back at her again, seeing where her lighter toned fur blended with his dark hues. It was almost ironic to him that the two wolves in the litter most different from their monochromatic littermates somehow always found their way back to one another.

A stronger smile touched his face when Bowen's eyes held his and her petite paw moved to stroke his cheek. Her touch was so soft, so warm, it seared away the cold both inside and out. She spoke to him using the nickname she had given him as a pup, and Artorias' heart flipped in his chest. It ached in just the right way, and the kiss she pressed upon his cheek turned his blood to liquid fire. He wanted to turn to face her, to bring their bellies together so he could wrap his paws around her and hold her close so she might never be taken from him again. He wanted to touch her face the way she was stroking his, to follow the streaks of autumnal auburn that painted her cheeks, to bring his lips to hers and show her just how much he loved her and how he felt for her. Unfortunately for Artorias, his body protested any movements, and even trying to shift onto his back to face her better felt impossible. "I'm sorry, I'm making you a mess," he said after a moment, eyes spotting the splotches of deep scarlet on her chest and neck left behind by him.

"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.
____________________

Had Bowen been able to hear Art's thoughts, she would have laughed. Strong? Quite the opposite. Bowen was a broken thing. She thought about the sweet release of death almost daily. Only the severity of the situation and the well being of her brother kept her from dissolving into a blithering mess. She had to keep herself together if she was going to keep Art together. Bowen was not strong. She was not brave. She was broken. A bird with missing wings.

Art explained who had attacked him and Bowen's maw parted in disbelief. Their mother's blood born son had done this? And not only to him... to Gwyn as well. Anger boiled the girl's blood and she grit her teeth. Vengeance was the first though, but if this beast had done such a number on Art... then she stood no chance, surely. She couldn't kill the brute, but maybe she could pay him pay in another way. It was something worth thinking about.

Stroking Art's cheek seemed to make him happy and he managed enough energy to grace her with a big smile, which she returned gladly. Bowen continued those slow strokes since they seemed to make him so happy. She tried to not think about how close they were and about how warm he now felt pressed up against her. She tried not to get lost in the man's firelit gaze but it was so, so difficult.

An apology was soon given and Bowen scoffed lightly. "This is nothing. Don't worry about it." She'd been covered in a lot more blood than this. Even if she hadn't, she wasn't the type to mind. Just then, a caw overhead brought Bowen's gaze upward. Bishop landed in the sand beside her and whispered into her ear, telling the girl that Ulric and Eska would soon be arriving. Relief washed through her and she turned her attention back to Artorias. "Help will be here soon." She couldn't wait to get him back to the castle and have Gwyn look him over and tend to his wounds. He had to be okay. He just had to.

Almost as an afterthought, Bowen's brow furrowed. "Should I send for Briar?" Her voice was soft and there was a hint of something else in it. Part of Bowen didn't want to send for Briar. Didn't want the woman anywhere near her brother. Bo ignored that little voice within herself and continued to look down at Artorias. Whatever he decided; whatever he wanted, she would do.

"Speech"

It really was such a small thing, Bowen's paw stroking his cheek, but it brought Artorias so much comfort in that moment. Little trails of electric fire rippled across his skin wherever those soft pink paw pads touched him. He could see the anger in his little sister's gaze as he relayed his experience to her. It surprised him a little and set his mind to wondering if she felt the same rage he felt whenever someone threatened his loved ones. Perhaps he and Bowen were much more alike than they realized, the two standout siblings of the Carpathius litter. Instantly though, he was worried. His anger had led him to this situation. He did not want his little sister encountering Oxx ever. If he'd done these things to him... Artorias shuddered to think about what the monster might do to her. His paw reached up on reflex to catch hers in his larger one, holding it with tender affection against his cheek. He just wanted to hold her paw for a moment, if for no other reason than it felt nice, and if he was dying then this was what he wanted to feel. Love. Bowen's love.

Bowen dismissed his apology, and it was then that he remembered that as a pirate she had been forced to kill to survive. Who knew how often she'd ended up covered in blood and viscera—amongst other bodily fluids. Artorias heard the call of Bowen's raven as he came swooping down to whisper directly to the young fae, who looked beyond relieved with the news he brought. Bowen explained the news: their aid was almost here. Artorias released a long, heavy sigh and nodded his head slowly. "Good... We need to go home." It wasn't safe out here knowing Oxx could be lurking close by, waiting for the opportunity to finish the job.

The question his sister asked next made Artorias' stomach lurch. Did he want her to send for Briar? His expression turned dour, little smile vanishing from his face. Gods, Briar... He really, really didn't want her to see him like this, no more than he'd wanted Bowen to. But if she found out he'd been hurt and hadn't told her, there'd be hell to pay. As much as he didn't want to worry her, he knew he had an obligation to. He glanced back up at Bowen, the conflict evident on his face. All he really wanted right now was to be back home, doped up on painkillers, with her snuggled up to him and wrapped up in his arms beneath some blankets. He noticed the strain of something in her voice, but it was unidentifiable to him in this state.

"We should..." he said with a sigh, still referring to himself with her when speaking. Maybe his brain was just fried after the day he'd endured. "I don't want her to see this, but she should know." Artorias cringed as the throbbing in his head returned in full force. Yeah, he needed to get back to Gwyn. She'd be able to subdue him with drugs and do whatever needed to be done to mend him again. Today had been a harsh lesson. But it had also shown him the fragility of his own life, and put into perspective what mattered most to him. Artorias looked up, searching for the green eyes of what mattered most and smiling like a dopey idiot when he found them. Man, he really was slipping out of it again, wasn't he?

"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.
____________________