Artorias was getting better. Still not 100% recovered, but a damn sight better than he had been doing in recent weeks. The voices whispering and screaming in his head had all but gone away. The glowing ooze that had poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth was no longer being discharged from his body. His muscles still felt weak from the toll the sickness and recovery process had taken on him, but he felt a damn sight better than he had. Still, it was best to leave the recovery to the medical professionals, so Artorias had checked himself in to the medical ward, sequestering himself to a bed for Gwyn's treatment and observation before she cleared him with a clean bill of health.

Lying around resting and waiting wasn't exactly Artorias' idea of a good or relaxing time, however. He mostly spent his days either napping or pacing the infirmary while watching the auroras dance across the endless night sky. The Long Night was proving to be far more cataclysmic than he'd feared. Almost all of the Hallows was infected in some way, shape, or form. But thankfully, if he could recover, it meant the others might recover too. To her credit, Gwyn had done all that she could to try and keep him entertained—though the physical, mental, and emotional toll this plague was taking on her was evident to her big brother. He would never have the words to express how much he truly appreciated Gwynevere for all the hard work she put into the Hallows.

Though they didn't share many overlapping interests, Artorias had discovered that both he and Gwyn shared a passion for their heritage—specifically, for the language of their family. Artorias couldn't recall Resin ever speaking it, but after her daughter had shown up around the castle from time to time (mostly muttering and rambling to herself about being dead) and begun sharing bits and pieces about their culture and the Carpathius name, history, and the language the Carpathian wolves spoke back in their homelands, Artorias became enthralled with intrigue. Iolaire was a good teacher when she was around, and over time the Carpathian wolves had begun to pick up the basics of their native tongue. It was thrilling for Artorias to learn more about their heritage he was so proud of and made a conscious effort to practice where he could. Usually, that was with Gwyn.

"Eu... Tu... El... Ea... Noi... Ei... Ele..." he recited to himself below his breath while he stared into the flickering fire burning in the infirmary's hearth, filling the room with an all-over warmth and chasing away the darkness. The orange firelight reflected in his similarly fiery irises while he watched the flames lick at the insides of the stone hearth. "Eu sunt Artorias Carpathius." Though they were only basic phrases and terms he could speak from memory, he would learn with time and practice. Perhaps one day he'd be speaking like a true Carpathian... A language all their own for him and his family.

"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.
____________________

Gwynevere returned to the infirmary after stepping out for a bit to gather some herbs from the greenhouse and some supplies from the pharmacy, finding Artorias in front of the hearth that cast a warm light around the room. When he and Eska began to recover it had been a huge relief even though she was still confounded by the fact that nothing she had tried to chase away the illness had worked. The supernatural nature of everything that had been happening around them and effecting them didn't make sense in her logic driven brain. At the end of the day she was just happy that her brother was on the mend, the worst of it behind them, and felt like there was at least some kind of positive that she could cling to in all of this. The world outside the walls of the castle still scared her more than it should, but that feeling had begun well before this eternal darkness and unlike Artorias' illness there didn't seem to be an end in sight.

She padded over to him just in time to hear him repeat some of the words they had been practicing, giving his name in a greeting spoken in the native language of their lost mother. She smiled a little as she listened to him, setting the supplies she was carrying down on a nearby shelf. "Aia este bună," she said as she came to settle beside him, leaning gently into his shoulder. She had never really felt like she had anything in common with her brothers besides the relation and family love she had for them considering the vastly different paths they had taken, but learning some of their family language with Artorias had given them something to bridge the gap with. She had taken to it like a fish to water, soaking in every little lesson they could get form Iolaire when she wandered in. It scratched the same itch for her that learning different herbs and their properties had once upon a time, but it increasingly felt like she had mastered her craft and there was little more for her to learn. Learning a new language had given her a new challenge that she was enjoying quite a bit.

Her words were still very formal and proper when she did attempt to speak the Carpathian language, the words not flowing as well as they did when Iolaire spoke them, but she was getting better at it all the time along with Artorias' help. "Cum te simti azi?" she asked him with a soft smile. It was one of the phrases she had learned pretty early on and one she had used a lot since she had forced him to stay in the infirmary and rest before he returned to his usual duties.

"Gwynevere Carpathius"

Amber eyes turned upward from the burning fire as the soft sound of claws clicking against the stone floor caught his attention. Artorias regarded his sister with a small smile. Gwynevere had been working her ass off tirelessly since the first case of strange illnesses occurred in their pack, scarcely stopping to rest and take care of herself without some prodding from himself or their mother. Thank the gods that she hadn't fallen ill as well or they might all be doomed! She moved over to a shelf and began storing away whatever she'd left to get, then began speaking to him in the Carpathian tongue. Artorias glanced up at her, still amazed by his little sister's ability to grasp things like foreign languages with such ease. Though her sentences were more deliberately structured than naturally flowing, she still spoke leaps and bounds more fluently than he could! Gwyn's knack for all things learning and knowledge truly floored him.

A wry smirk slowly crossed his face while she came to lean against his side. "Mulțumesc." Trying to speak to Gwyn sometimes felt intimidating to the young alpha, but he persevered without relent. He was still working on putting together natural sounding sentences while she was able to hold full conversations. But their mother tongue had proven to be the greatest commonality he could have hoped for between himself, the burly and brash leader of the family, and his sister, the sweet and meek bookworm doctor. It gave them a shared interest to bond over, and he was so thankful for the lessons Iolaire gave them. Artorias had never felt closer to his sister than he did now. "Bun... Uh, I mean... Uh... Mă... Mă simt bine." Again, his words came out clunky and clearly the speech of a novice, but he was just proud of himself for remembering some of the basic words and conjugations they'd been taught.

Artorias gave a sigh of resignation and shook his head incredulously, having a short chuckle at himself. "How do you do that anyway? You make that sound so easy, Gwyn. I'm over here sounding like a neanderthal and you sound like you've been speaking Carpathian for years," he remarked with another soft laugh. He knew Gwynevere had never regarded herself with much pride or felt as if she was as impressive as her other siblings, but the truth of the matter was that she was incredible in her own way. She just had a hard time seeing it sometimes. That was okay, her big brother would always be there to keep things in perspective for her and cheer her on in private.

"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.
____________________

Gwyn waited for Artorias to get out the sentence he was trying to say, knowing he would get there eventually, and she gave him a nod and chuckled when he did. When he questioned why she was able to do it so easily and called himself a neanderthal in his attempts to speak their new language she scoffed and gave a shake of her head as well. "How are combat and weapons so easy for you?" she countered with a little smile. "How is leadership and navigation so easy for you? We both have our strengths and weaknesses. My strengths just happen to be primarily mental. Learning healing techniques, all the properties of every herb, and... now language apparently." She chuckled again and gave a little shrug, looking back to the fireplace in front of them. She didn't know why their talents had ended up so vastly different when they had much the same upbringing and the same opportunities given to them, but there was no denying that was the case.

Occasionally she wondered what might have happened if things had turned out differently—if instead of healing she had gravitated toward fighting and combat like Artorias, Rudyard, and Avantika had. Perhaps then she wouldn't have been in such a dire position when she was attacked, she wouldn't have felt so helpless, and she wouldn't feel so trapped now. Her expression didn't change much, but her ears did flick a bit before she could stop them. She had gotten pretty good at hiding her emotions and keeping her expressions neutral, but she was especially careful of it around her siblings. She didn't want to worry them and instead leaned into the idea that she was perfectly content being a homebody who never left the infirmary so that she could burry herself in her work when in reality it felt like she couldn't escape her own fears and she missed Ysmir greatly, but didn't know how to go see him.

"Gwynevere Carpathius"

Gwynevere retorted to his question by shooting back one of her own, asking how weapons and combat came so easily to him. Artorias opened his mouth to reply—then froze when he realized she had him dead to rights. "Touché," he remarked with a chuckle. All of the Carpathian wolves had their own unique talents and abilities, it seemed. He had a knack for combat prowess, Gwynevere had her intellect and medical skills, Bowen her thirst for adventure and exploration, Avantika's determination and unwavering drive, and Rudyard's tenacity in the face of adversity. Artorias loved all of his siblings with every bit of his heart; they were all fantastic and unique and he couldn't have wished for better siblings. They balanced each other perfectly, from his brash and fiery attitude to Gwynevere's calm and demure reverence. "Still, you're equally as amazing in your own right, Gwyn. That's probably why we all work well together."

He chuckled softly, but the mirth in his voice died away when he saw the preoccupied look of darkness and disappointment in her mint-lavender eyes. She was still deeply troubled by the attack of their demented adoptive brother. He could understand why; his own attack had remained on his mind and likely would forever as a reminder of what he had to be better than. But for sweet wholesome Gwynevere, that would be a lasting scar that could hurt for a long, long time. That was why Artorias knew he had to do something to help bring her courage and confidence back in herself. He didn't want his sister to lose that brightness she'd had in her soul since she was a little puppy chasing leaves around the autumn woods. "Hey, you're perfect the way you are, Gwyn," he said gently yet with insistence when he saw the anxious flick of his sister's ears. It just confirmed to Artorias what he had feared there most: Gwynevere was hiding her emotions and the severity of her trauma from everyone. He'd seen the small slip and now he knew. Artorias lifted a large blue paw to gently caress his sister's cheek, hoping to reassure her and bring back some of that joy she used to be filled with. It broke his heart to see her reduced to hiding in her room, afraid of the outside world she once loved.

Without waiting for her response, Artorias drew Gwynevere in for a tight hug. "I made something for you," said Artorias as he pulled back from their embrace and moved over to the bed he'd been using for his time in the infirmary. During the Long Night, Artorias had been working on a gift for his sister, a little trinket he hoped would remind her of who she was and how she had been before the assault. Artorias pulled out a folded up cloth from beneath the bed and brought it over to the fireplace for Gwyn. The cloth was a fine black wool woven tightly together, and when unfolded, it was revealed to be a luxurious black cloak. Pinned to the collar was a broach of a maple leaf made from a single piece of silver wire. "To help protect you, to keep you warm whenever you travel, and help you blend into the shadows." Artorias smiled warmly as he handed the cloak and broach to Gwyn, tapping a paw against the silver broach. "And look... a 'weef'. To remind you that the world isn't all scary. A lot of it is beautiful and vast and exciting. Like how we all felt that day." He wanted to give Gwyn the confidence to remember that once upon a time, life had been kind to them, and that she could live beyond the castle walls.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "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.
____________________

Gwynevere gave a small glance with a bit of a forced smile when Artorias insisted that she was amazing in her own right and perfect the way she was. It all sounded like things that she would expect him to say because he was her brother and he loved her so it was hard for her to believe it even if he meant every word. She couldn't shake the fear and the doubt and that helpless feeling that had sunk deep into her core as she was struggling in vein under their adoptive brother. When she saw her brothers going through even worse than she had, far worse in many regards, and yet they were able to pick themselves back up and move on while she was left like this... it was difficult to see how she was still amazing in her own right and perfect the way she was. He eventually drew her attention as his paw brushed her cheek, pulling her mint and lavender gaze toward him.

Before she could react or respond she was suddenly pulled into Artorias' embrace and she blinked with surprise, her ears flicking back shyly against her head, but giving into that welcoming warmth after a beat and leaning into him. "Something for me?" she questioned with surprise and confusion when he admitted he had made something for her as he pulled away from his embrace, her curious gaze watching as he got up and walked over to the bed that he had been staying in. She eyed the folded black cloth with a tip of her head, watching as it was unfolded to reveal the black, wool cloak with a stunning broach made to look like a maple leaf.

She looked down at the beautiful silver broach and cloak with awe as he passed it to her and explained the purpose for it. Something to protect her, to help her hide in the shadows. The idea of traveling felt preposterous at first thought, but when she glanced up at him and saw the hope in his expression she realized how much he wanted this for her. This was his encouragement for her to face the world again. As much as it was also just a nice gift and a lovely garment, she understood his intent behind it.

She looked down at the broach again when he brought his paw to it, calling it a ‘weef’. That immediately took her back, reminding her of a time that she hadn’t thought about in ages, back at the falls when their family was whole and the world was new and exciting. Back when she would spend hours upon hours looking at different plants and leaves with Eilwen simply because she wanted to. Back when she would go on a wild goose chase for a flower with Bowen and Indigo just because she wanted to accomplish something for their mother and see this super rare flower.

Tears welled up in her eyes without her even realizing it until they were spilling down her cheeks and once they started she couldn’t stop them. Every emotion that she had been burying down, ignoring, and hiding came bubbling up to the surface and came pouring out in quiet tears while her own paw traced the beautiful silver broach that immortalized her ‘weef’. She shifted to face him again after a moment, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and hugging him tight as her crying turned into gentle sobs. "Thank you," she managed between her tears, holding on to her brother as if he was the rock in the storm she was weathering.

"Gwynevere Carpathius"

Artorias hadn't been sure what to expect from Gwynevere's reactions when he presented her with the gifts. Part of him wondered if she would just accept them to be gracious, but if his words and sentiments would go unheeded. He didn't know much about mental and emotional trauma or how to help, so he was just doing the best he could to try and make her feel some of that confidence and innocence she'd once had. Back before they had a psychopathic brother trying to kill them, back before their mother's brutal death and the icy winter, back before they'd been forced to grow up far too soon. Back to sunny innocent days as puppies roaming around the autumnal forest surrounding the falls, chasing falling leaves and playing on the hills, snuggling in their familial den at night, or the little basic healing lesson she'd given him way back by the springs. He wanted to give Gwyn a piece of that past back and revitalize a part of her he prayed wasn't dead yet.

When his sister touched the brooch then looked up to him with tears spilling heavily down her cheeks, Artorias panicked for a moment, afraid that he'd upset her. But when he felt Gwyn all but throw herself into a hug, his fears were instantly dispelled. He wrapped his forelegs around her back, holding her tight in his embrace against his form with her face in his fluffy chest so she could sob into him. Gentle paws stroked along her back, comforting her and letting her sob out all the pain and sorrow and fear she held within her. He didn't know how long his sister had been keeping these feelings bottled up, all he knew was she needed to let them out. Gwyn thanked him amidst her quivering sobs and Artorias just quietly shushed her. "You're welcome, Gwyn. You're so strong, you deserve to remember it always. You're my sister, Gwyn, and I love you. I'll always be here for you." He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss between Gwynevere's ears, just holding her for as long as she needed.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "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.
____________________