After seeing how some of the flowers and plants around Boreas had suddenly begun to glow and how mystical fireflies had appeared seemingly everywhere, Briar knew exactly who she wanted to share the odd phenomenon with. She had resisted the temptation to see Artorias for at least a few weeks after she returned to the Armada, but she couldn't deny how much she missed him. Each and every day without being with him made her feel like a huge piece of herself was missing and even though she felt more capable of standing on her own than she had in the past she didn't want to. She had learned the difference between feeling like she needed him to keep herself afloat and simply feeling like she wanted the happiness he brought her and that was exactly what she was craving right now.

She sent Willow to The Hallows the day before to request that Artorias meet her at the Fern Gulley the next evening, wanting to give him plenty of time to prepare anything that needed to be put in place before he spent a night away from his pack. Once Willow came back with his acceptance of her little date night she got together a few supplies and the next day she set out for the usually flora filled location. She hadn't seen it since all of these strange night time occurrences began happening, but with how much plant life this place usually held she was hopeful it would give the effect she was wanting.

It was late in the day when she arrived and a quick look around the valley told her that she had gotten here before Artorias which suited her just fine. There wasn't quite as much plant life as there had been when they were last here, but the valley was sheltered from the worst of the wintery weather so there was still quite a few plants and bushes and even a few hardy flowers to be seen. She picked a spot under a large tree to roll out a fur for them to lay on and while she unpacked some dried meats and berries, Marigold helped her set up their little camping area by going around and collecting twigs and branches for a camp fire. The sun was beginning to set, the night coming earlier and lasting longer than ever, but she hoped that meant that by the time Artorias made it here the effect of the luminous plant life would be in full effect.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

It was a rare thing for Artorias to receive a message from a bird, so when he recognized Briar's winged companion Willow swooping through the air to intercept him during his morning meditation, he knew it had to be something important. At first the young alpha feared the worst; with all the strange occurrences happening in the world, his initial thought was that something had happened to Briar. Fortunately, Willow assuaged his concerns when she told him Briar was fine and that she was inviting him to an evening picnic in the Fern Gulley. Artorias happily accepted, of course, and the following day began to prepare for the short trek it would take to get to the northern continent. Fern Gulley wasn't incredibly far, just shy of a day's journey from Castle Carpathius, so once he'd seen to his morning tasks that day, he delegated the rest of the day to Ezra and then set off northbound to meet his beloved princess.

The journey was entirely uneventful, crossing from summer into winter as he trekked the Bifrost with Argent in tow. In his mouth, Artorias carried a bottle of Hallowed wine, one of the nicer vintages he'd found in their wine cellar. Though he was far from a sommelier, the young brute had taken it upon himself to learn the different types and tastes of each vintage the castle stocked, learning how they could be made, adjusted, perfected so they could produce their own signature blend in house. He kept the rarer, finer vintages locked away for special occasions, but this felt like a good time to break out one of the nicer bottles, especially since he knew how much Briar had liked it the last time they'd shared a drink together. Coming up into the fertile valley, Artorias was surprised to see the land mostly devoid of snow and still bearing a good amount of flora. But what caught his eyes immediately was the gorgeous fae lying on a fur blanket beneath a tree just across the valley.

Grinning to himself, Artorias crept just out of sight down the valley and up to where Briar was waiting for him. He stalked closer to her, amber eyes eating up her slender form stretched out and bathed in glorious twilight. Everything about Briar was perfect, and he hesitated in his approach for a beat to appreciate her in her entirety. This wolf that had captivated his heart, turned his blood to fire with every touch, filled his every dream of longing... Gods, how lucky he was to have her in his life. Finally finishing his approach with a loving smile, Artorias set the bottle of wine down beside Briar, knowing it would get her attention and then swiftly catching her lips in a quick kiss when she turned to look at him. "Good evening, my beautiful princess," he said with a wide smile as he settled down to lie beside her on the fur. "You look like you could use some company." Behind him, Argent beamed when his whiskey eyes landed on Marigold, giving her a wave and a wink.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

She was just finishing up her little picnic area just as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon and not even a moment later she saw a bottle of wine be added to the other supplies she had brought out of the corner of her eye, a wide grin pulling across her lips as she quickly turned to face the handsome aegis that brought it. She murred at the quick kiss he gave her before she could even greet him, a pleased grin crossing her lips and she looked at him happily while her tail wagged. He knew how much she had liked the last time they shared a bottle of wine at the hot springs and more than appreciated his thoughtfulness in bringing another for them to share tonight. Just his presence here alone was more than enough of a gift and even if it had just been the two of them and nothing else out here under the stars she would have been thrilled, but this just made the evening she had planned for them that much more fun.

"Good evening, my handsome king," she teased with a little sultry purr to her words as they settled down onto the fur, leaning into his side and happily nuzzling into his neck. It didn't matter if it had been a few days or a few weeks, she still missed him just as much every time they were apart and it was always such a relief when they found each other again. "Well I guess you got here just in time then," she said with a chuckle to his comment about her looking like she needed some company. Marigold returned right about then with the last pieces of firewood they needed for their camp fire and Briar glanced up, catching the slight eye roll her companion gave at Argent's grin and wink. She giggled at the two foxes, watching as Marigold immediately dropped the sticks she had been carrying onto the pile and then turned with a hard pivot to walk off into the foliage. That didn't discourage Argent though and the other fox immediately ran off after the vixen, making Briar grin and give a little shake of her head at the pair.

Briar got up then, passing the bottle of wine over to Artorias. "Would you like to get that open while I get our fire started?" she asked as she picked up a flint and steel. She had hoped maybe Marigold would start it for them, but she was clearly too focused on avoiding Argent to do so - not that Briar minded starting it herself. As she was shuffling around some of the sticks into a better shape and getting some kindling placed in the middle of the pile, a flicker of blue, iridescent light flickered in front of her nose and she blinked with surprise looking up to watch the firefly float by. It was the same kind of firefly she had seen while she was out with Lia and she watched as it flew up into the tree above them.

She got their fire going quickly, the warmth of the fire combatting the cool winter air, and then went back to laying beside Artorias and leaning into his side. The darkness of night finished descending on them fairly quickly while they began to share the wine and food she brought, sharing little affections and chatting together. As the sunlight faded and the stars became more visible so too did the strange glow of the foliage around them. The leaves of the tree they were laying under started to glow with a pale iridescence and she looked up toward the branches curiously, watching as more of those blue fireflies floated out of tree, fanning out over the valley and filling it with pin points of blue and lavender light. She grinned and leaned into Artorias' side while she enjoyed the sight, some of the other plants and flowers around them taking on a similar glow in the distance as the darkness deepened around them.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

Were it anyone else, Artorias would have visibly flinched when they addressed him as a king. It was difficult enough learning to adapt to being called Aegis and having wolves turn to him for decisions and commands, but being called a king just sounded so elitist. When it was Briar calling him by that title, however... well, the young, hormone-driven adolescent couldn't be faulted for finding a bit of enjoyment in that. The sensual purr in her voice tempted his imagination, and Artorias already had a feeling she didn't intend for either of them to be making it home tonight. Good thing he'd made all the necessary arrangements in the Hallows; he was all hers for the night. After snickering while watching Argent give chase to poor Marigold, Artorias turned all of his attention to Briar. "Can do." He took the bottle in one paw and pierced the cork with a claw, twisting the bottle until he popped the cork out. The rich scent of a summer red wine wafted from the open bottle, and Artorias gave it a quick sample. The wine was sweet, bursting with flavors of summer fruits and a touch of honey in the aftertaste. Briar would like this vintage, he was sure.

Briar got their fire started and Artorias set the open bottle between them, helping his girlfriend divide up their food just as the sun began its final descent in the sky. Artorias watched as night claimed the land, silently realizing that night seemed to be coming sooner and lasting longer. Granted, Boreas was in the middle of its winter season, so shorter days and longer nights weren't unusual by any means, but even down in Auster, it seemed to be staying dark significantly longer. The sun faded in the sky, but the sunset didn't show any of its usual reds or oranges. Instead the sky was a murky violet and indigo blend that gave way to the dark navy of evening, and gradually to the black of night. As darkness consumed the land, Artorias and Briar shared their meal and their wine, enjoying light conversation and eager exchanges of kisses and teasing affections. Being with her again was almost enough to make Artorias forget about the fright he'd experienced with Bowen the last time he'd ventured out after dark.

No sooner had the sun completed its disappearing act, Artorias noticed the familiar blue glow rising across the valley. From out of nowhere, a sea of those fireflies began to rise from the ground, their blue and lavender lights shining over the valley from end to end. But unlike the last time he'd seen the strange bugs, this time the fireflies weren't the only things glowing. Artorias stared in wonder as flowers and plants around the fertile valley began to glow with that strange ethereal blue light as well. Blue light began to engulf him and Briar, and when he glanced up to see where it was coming from, Artorias gasped to see the leaves of the very tree they were under were glowing as well, bathing them in the paranormal light. Around them, a few of the fireflies floated leisurely by, more spilling from the glowing tree and dancing their way through the air around them. Unlike last time, Artorias did not feel threatened by the lights. Instead he felt dazzled, awed by the splendor of this magical world.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" he asked Briar in a hushed voice, as if he were afraid his own speech would break the spell on the land. "I've seen these fireflies down in Auster recently, but... I just thought it was normal. And the plants..." He looked back up at the tree again, watching as a single glowing leaf fell from its branch and began its slow descent to the ground. By the time it landed on his paw, the leaf had lost its glow and returned to a normal brown hue. "It's beautiful. Strange, but beautiful." He curled his body some to better receive Briar's as she leaned into him, draping a foreleg across her side to hold her close while they reveled in the supernatural light show. Artorias took a long swig from the bottle of wine before passing it back to Briar, nearly half of the alcohol gone by this point and a very warm and pleasant buzz taking over his brain and body.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Briar looked over to see Artorias' reaction and grinned at the surprise and awe on his face, her tail wagging gently at the fact that her surprise had gone so well. She had hoped that the plants would do the same thing she had seen happen with Lia, but this was even better and more noticeable than it had even been when they were out in the weeping willows. She wondered if that was just because there was more living plant life out here or perhaps the fireflies and their glow were getting more noticeable and stronger as the winter nights continued. Either way, it certainly had the effect she wanted and she grinned as she watched Art take it all in.

She nodded when he asked if she had seen something like this before and commented on how it was strange and beautiful. "A few nights ago I was gathering herbs with Lia and the flowers she was picking started to glow," she explained, looking back out at the mysterious landscape around them. "This is even more glow than we had seen that night, but I hoped it would be something like this so you could see it!" She smiled as he curled around her a bit and draped a foreleg over her shoulders, holding her close as she nestled into him with a happy murr. They laid there quietly like that for a while, passing the bottle of wine back and forth while they watched the strange light show that the fireflies created. She watched another leaf fall from the tree above them, but this time it landed in the small campfire that was still burning strong near them and her brows lifted as licks of blue fire flickered up through the camp fire and floated off into the sky in the form of blue smoke. It only lasted a moment and then the fire was back to normal, but it did make her wonder how all of this glow and these mysterious occurrences were going to eventually effect other things around them.

She nuzzled into his neck, a floaty smile lingering on her lips as she let her eyes close for a moment. The warmth and tingle from the sweet wine they were drinking had fully spread through her and she was having a hard time imagining this moment getting much better. Laying here under a beautiful starry sky with this otherworldly glow around them, leaning into the wolf she loved more than anything else in the world, buzzing pleasantly from the alcohol he had brought for them... This was quite possibly one of the best nights ever. She blinked open her turquoise gaze again to look up at him lovingly and tipped her muzzle to press her lips to his, her tail curling to brush across his thigh.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

The longer they lay together watching the world become this incandescent, glowing wonderland, the more things Artorias began to notice were different around them. Besides the plants and fireflies, some smaller critters also seemed to be glowing as well. A hare that ran across the opposite end of the valley was also glowing pale blue and lilac. The stars overhead seemed to streak like beams of light rather than static dots, almost as if they were all moving at hyper speed. His eyes left the cosmos above to join Briar's in watching the glowing leaf fall from the tree and wind up consumed by the fire, a few streaks of cyan-blue flame flickering up amidst the orange where it burned before wisping away into indigo smoke. Artorias was in awe of the world, but there was still a lingering part of his brain that remembered the terror of that night on the plains. As beautiful as this glowing paranormal world was, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't meant to be a good thing. Tonight, however, the world seemed peaceful. Strange, but peaceful...

The two lovers lay in quiet for a while, listening to the crackle of the fire that kept them warm while they snuggled and shared the bottle of wine between them. It was these moments of serenity that Artorias treasured the most and savored with his beloved Briar. Of course he loved all of their adventures and the time they spent training and sparring, but it was these quiet moments where all the rest of the world fell away to leave them to one another that he found his peace with the wolf he loved. As he stared up at the giant full moon, which oddly had not waned in phase since he'd seen it this way about a week ago, he felt Briar nuzzle into his neck, drawing pleased murrs from the young brute. He turned amber eyes back down to find her turquoise ones, gazing into those deep pools of green-blue with all the love in his heart and soul. He smiled back, that same happy, inebriated grin she was giving him. The alcohol was making its way past tipsy and well toward drunk, his body feeling warmer and lighter, held down to earth only by the beautiful princess currently leaning into his side.

While they cuddled, Artorias stared into Briar's eyes as if he could find all the answers to life within them, his paw stroking slow paths up and down her slender side from the curve of her shoulder to the curve of her waist. She tipped her muzzle up to his, and he eagerly received her lips with his own, kissing her slowly and deeply beneath the star-streaked sky and gigantic haunted moon. The fireflies around them seemed to grow more energetic the more heated the lovers became, buzzing around silently in a dazzling display of cool-hued lights. A low rumble of desire vibrated in the young alpha's chest when he felt Briar's soft tail brush his thigh, tempting him on. Pressing deeper into their kiss, Artorias gently parted Briar's lips with his own, his tongue dipping into her maw to find hers and claim her mouth, tasting her sweet flavor with the semi-bitter flavor of the wine they'd both drunk. That endless desire for Briar burned hot low in his belly, and the longer their kiss stretched on, the hotter it became until it consumed him entirely.

After a few long moments, Artorias slowly broke his lips away from Briar's, letting a soft sigh of contentment pass from parted lips as he gazed into her eyes, a sly grin playing on his muzzle. Artorias didn't need any words to tell Briar how much he loved her, how deeply he craved and needed her. He let his body do the talking, wrapping his strong foreleg around her waist and using it to shift their positions and roll Briar onto her back, positioning himself on top of her as he stared lovingly down at his future queen. He braced himself against the fur with one paw, using the other to wind around her and tug her hips toward his. By the light of the fire and the moon and the ethereal fireflies, Artorias pressed himself into her, joining their bodies with a deep groan of satisfaction. His eyes rolled closed as he brought his lips back down to hers, his body melding and moving in harmony with hers as he and Briar made passionate love to one another, lost in their pleasure and love amidst the fantastical and mystical night.

- sexy wolf times -

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Artorias

The air feels somehow thinner than before. You also find 4 mushrooms. Maybe these are worth keeping…

BRIAR

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a small mouse scampering by. Wait - is it glowing? You also find 2 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…