It had been just over a season since Artorias had made his way up to Boreas. The Long Night had made it difficult to leave his pack's lands, especially when his wolves started to get sick—himself included. The last time he'd been up this way had been for the unproductive meeting of the alphas at the onset of the cataclysm, but since the ending of the would-be apocalypse, he'd heard precious little. Sirius and Briar had come to visit to share news of the Armada's survival, but that was all. He thought of the other packs up north and wondered how everyone on the other continent had fared. And so, with Ulric tending to the Hallows, Artorias began to explore.

It had been a while since the young alpha had gone off exploring and roaming on his own just to the hell of it. It reminded him of the simpler times in his short life, back before all the responsibilities of the world had crashed down on his shoulders, when all he had to worry about was getting his chores done and then deciding what he wanted to do with his day. Traveling and exploring made him feel alive, and he made a mental note to carve out time to do it more often. His path north had led him along the coast to the Rio Grande, and then up to an old apple orchard. He still smelled the Fireside pack's scents lingering in the nearby terrains, so he knew they had survived the apocalypse. So far, so good...

Turning eastward, Artorias started to make his way towards Ashen lands, trying to take a shortcut through some overgrowth along the edges of the orchard. What Artorias hadn't expected, however, was for most of the overgrowth to be more bramble bushes than weeds. Slinking his way past the harmful plants, the dark-furred brute began to navigate the area like a maze, eventually emerging at a small clearing amongst the thickets with only a few minor nicks to speak of along his legs and sides. Dense strawberry and raspberry bushes grew here, an odd softness amongst the sharp thorns, and rays of warm sunlight streamed in from the thick canopy overhead that obscured the sky and shaded the bramble. Deciding to take a short break, Artorias sat on his haunches beside one of the strawberry plants, idly picking the fresh red berries and popping them in his mouth, enjoying the sweetness on his palate while he studied the area and tried to plot his course out.

"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.
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Venom was missing her head scout as the sun returned and light once again found Boreas. The disease melted away but had also taken valued Ashen members along with it. Venom tried to focus on the gifts given during the long night. She had new nieces and nephews to dote on, they would grow into their roles as members of the Empire, like her own brood they would just need work and guidance. Perhaps one of them would take on the Renja title one day, they had the whole world open to them so anything was possible.

The Empress had the pups strongly on her mind as her white gloved paws carried her through the orchard and into a thicket. She mostly wanted to check for signs of deer, but the labyrinth soon pulled her in deeper. Her slim form easily slipped through, under, and around the thorned berry bushes. At her feet strawberry plants began to take over, covering the ground with soft grasses. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries surrounded the clearing. With the spring most of it was only just in bloom but she did notice a few red strawberries beneath tender green leaves.

Fruits were not the only thing present in the clearing, sunset eyes fell on a familiar dark furred form. ”Artorias,” She greeted while stepping from the shade of the thicket and into the sunlight. ”You’re a long way from home.” She noted curiously with a raised brow.

Not long after his arrival to the berry-filled clearing in the midst of the brambles, Artorias heard the snapping of thin twigs under weight, head snapping in the direction of the sound to spot the approaching wolf. His eyes lit up with recognition when the svelte form of Venom appeared from the thicket, approaching on graceful white-gloved paws. A casual smirk touched the young alpha's lips as he dipped his head to the Empress of Ashen, greeting her with the respect afforded a great ruler. "Lady Venom," he spoke in rich baritones that showed how close he was to reaching maturity. No longer did he possess any juvenile or adolescent qualities, it seemed. "Would you believe me if I said I got turned around and missed my exit?" He chuckled and shook his head before explaining without the humor this time. "Theory recently came to visit the Hallows. She said she was visiting the packs across Boreas, and I thought it would be a good idea to see how everyone fared the Long Night."

Artorias snatched a pawful of ripe strawberries from the bush beside him and held them out to the regal fae, offering her some of the sweet fruits. "I'm very glad to see you're alive and well. I feared for the safety of everyone, my friends especially. I hope the rest of your pack is well too." He turned curious, but grimly guarded eyes towards her, fiery sunset eyes meeting the twilight jewels that made her own. He knew the Empress had very young children during the cataclysm and deep in his heart he prayed that they had been unharmed. The Hallows did not have any pups to fear for when the sickness came. Others were not so lucky.

"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.
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He greeted her with a reverence that any leader could appreciate. Their relations were smooth thus far, and she could see herself aligning with the powerful wolf before her and the Austeren pack. Venom returned the greeting with a deep bow of her own, careful not to catch herself on the thorny bushes surrounding them. He mentioned Theory’s trip around the continents and nodded knowingly. The Head Mistress had come to see Ashen and her own as well. She had much to ponder when it came to who she would allow the opportunity.

Venom’s sunset gaze lifted to the blue sky above them and the foliage above. Mostly they were surrounded in thickets but there were massive trees that poked through the thorned plants. Unlike the Ashen forest these trees were not the beautiful stark white specimens of her home. ”She stopped in to see us as well.” Venom returned easily enough, but did not admit that her first thought had never been to check on the status of the other packs. At least not personally. Oki was out collecting information.

He picked a few choice berries and made his offering to her while mentioning how good it was to see her healthy. Venom was reminded how close they had been to falling. ”We might not be here if the sun had not returned.” She returned as she extended a pale paw. Her sheathed claw extended to impale the ripe berry and bring it to her lips. Venom’s serpent tongue licked pale lips and she offered Artorias a nod of thanks. ”Almost all of us recovered to see it rise. I hope the same can be said for you and yours.” She asked subtly after the Hallows. Likely they saw as much terror as Ashen.

Venom came to sit closer to him as he offered her a selection of the ripe berries and the two began to chitchat about the ongoings of their packs and inter-pack relations. Artorias popped a juicy red raspberry into his mouth while Venom regaled him on how Theory had visited them as well, and how Ashen might not have survived the Long Night much longer. The young alpha's expression grew grim, turning to peer at the empress with worry in his fire-touched eyes. He didn't need to ask the question on his mind, however, as she carried on to explain that almost all of her wolves had recovered. Almost all. Artorias didn't need to ready between the lines. Ashen had suffered casualties. His heart sank for the gloved lady beside him. He didn't know the pain of losing a wolf under his rule, but he knew it would be an eventuality he would one day have to face.

"I'm sorry to hear it wasn't all of your wolves that recovered," he said, voice heavy with empathy for his fellow leader. Watching while she ate the berries, Artorias quipped an intrigued brow. He hadn't know the extent of the Abraxas queen's mutations, but after seeing the cat claw and serpent tongue, he was highly intrigued. He popped a strawberry into his mouth and chewed, looking around the brambly thicket once more, trying to discern how this place had grown over so much. Venom asked about the Hallows then, and Artorias breathed a heavy sigh. "All things considered, we were very fortunate. There was no loss of life, but several of my wolves were left... permanently maimed." His lips pursed into a tight line while he glanced over to hold the Empress' amethystine eyes. "One is blind in an eye, another is crippled and will never walk again."

Artorias breathed another sigh while he tipped his muzzle up to gaze at the sky overhead through the thicket of tree canopies. He rueful smirk touched his lips. He felt far older beyond his years, a curse of being forced to grow up far too fast by a cruel world and unforgiving life. "I suppose that's the curse of leadership though, huh? When things are going well, you feel great, like nothing can touch you. But when you see your wolves in pain... in fear... It's like the weight of the world comes crashing down on you and you're powerless to stop it." Artorias was still new to leadership. He admired the cool demeanor of the gloved empress. She was the definition of regality and grace, a strong and confident leader to her people. Sometimes Artorias wondered if he'd ever be like she was, or like Sirius or Theory or any of the other infamous alphas of Boreas.

"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.
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Venom wondered if this place was not so difficult to get to if it might be a great resource to be harvested. She’d tasted of the homemade wines, though Hattori preferred sake she liked the sweeter beverages. Now she wished she brought a sack to utilize the fresh berries all around them. The summer festival was coming up and they could all use a night of being care free. Next year maybe. If the brush was this plentiful now it would be even better as the year progressed.

Artorias offered his condolences and Venom tried not to think about Lament or his passing. She was just glad to be out of the cursed dark. The Hallows did not come out unscathed and part of the Empress wondered if it were better to be dead, or never walk again. She hoped she wouldn’t ever have to face that decision. ”The curse spared no one.” Venom answered with knowing compassion.

It was the young man’s turn to look to the sky as if he would find premonition there. Venom had to have been about the same age as him when he took Ashen’s throne. ”Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is lift their chin and bear the weight for as long as they can. The world surely enjoys testing its leaders.” Venom offered quietly, her gaze catching a couple fat birds ”You either break, or come out stronger on the other side.”

The azure-furred wolf gave a low hum of agreement when the gloved empress stated that the curse had spared no one. It certainly seemed that way, from what he had seen. He'd passed by a number of corpses on his way around Boreas to check on the lands, infested with mushrooms that ate away at the decay. Each one had been a living, breathing being with thoughts, emotions, ambitions, personality. Now they were cadavers, little more than food for the organisms that had killed them. He was thankful his wolves had all mostly recovered from the ordeal, but his heart ached for those that had not. He hadn't spoken about the Long Night to anyone—Venom was the first—and somehow the empress' presence and listening ear was comforting. It reminded him that despite how isolated they'd felt during the ordeal, they weren't truly ever alone. He didn't know the exact reasons why his mother had been against aligning the Hallows with Ashen, but perhaps now that the pack had established itself some more, those bridges could be built.

Venom spoke to him again with velvety, soothing lyrics, reminding him that sometimes the best thing a leader could do for their people was persevere through the trials and strife. A rueful, sagacious smirk twitched across Artorias' lips. It was sage wisdom the more seasoned alpha offered him, spoken from a lifetime of firsthand experiences. "Thank you, Venom. That... actually makes me feel better knowing it's not just the world having it out for me," he replied with a soft chuckle. Fire turned to find sunset once more as he dared to hope that they might have more candid meetings of this sort in the future. "I wanted to ask you something... A proposition. I know there is much I can learn from a leader like you, and I hope you find value in the services my pack offers. I'm brokering an alliance between the Hallows and Fenmyre, and if it pleases you, I'd like to discuss the same with Ashen. I think our two packs could benefit from the connections. We need more friends in this fucked up world now more than ever."

Artorias chewed on another berry, then offered the remaining few to Venom. He had taken his lessons in manners very seriously, and always offered the last morsels to the lady. "I don't expect an answer right now, I'm not putting you on the spot. Think it over, talk to your husband about it, whatever you need. I know more than anything, security and friendships are in short supply, and I would consider myself lucky to be counted amongst your friends."

"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.
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Venom got where she was after many victories and defeats, the only constant was perseverance. She wanted the throne, she wanted to serve her people and prove she was the best for that position. Toxicity was the only one to truly challenge that position. Venom was made to lead her people, and that was a fact she would not allow anyone to forget. Really, there were many similarities between her and the young alpha in front of her, and both of them realized the benefit that might provide both packs.

Artoris thanked her for her soft words, but didn’t stop there. Venom tilted her head curiously as he offered a proposition. Chimera was already working towards allying himself with the Hallows, and Artorias wanted to see her merged with that deal. A Klein like smirk replaced her concerned expression at the thought. From the moment he and Ulric had crossed into Ashen for talks that day she had seen the potential in an ally like the two of them. Artorias was a talented leader, but it would take more experience to make him a great one.

”You possess wisdom beyond your years, Artorias.” Was all the comment she would give him after he reminded her to take her time in making her decision, but really she already had. Their next visit would be much more revealing. ”We are already friends,” she told him warmly without hesitation. ”We will make it officially so the next we meet in a professional setting.” Venom chuckled as she accepted the last couple of berries from his extended paw.

Artorias hadn't noticed the sagacious smirk infamous for her family creeping across the Empress' face while he stated his proposition to her. The young alpha turned back to the shrewd alpha with a flattered and humbled smirk of his own, ears flicking back momentarily in a brief show of shyness he usually didn't display. It wasn't his first time receiving praise from the experienced leaders of Ardent in his life, but it was still something he wasn't entirely sure how to handle. He never felt like he was trying to garner compliments or kind words from his peers and friends and sometimes he didn't feel as if his actions were anything special to be deserving of them. But Venom showed that she felt different and Artorias appreciated that. It inspired confidence in himself that maybe he was walking the right path. Perhaps one day he would feel the confidence in himself that others had in him, as he sat amongst the other great alphas of Boreas and Auster.

Venom continued to voice her inner thoughts, asserting warmly that they were already friends no more than a second after he'd uttered the comment of hoping to call her a friend. An earnest smile spread across Artorias' features and he dipped his head in wordless appreciation for the Empress. "Thank you, Venom. I'd hoped that was the case, but I'd be remiss to assume anything." He flashed his teeth in a happy, youthful smile to the limber monarch beside him. "All the same, I'm glad we're friends." The azure and obsidian brute nodded his head with a hum of acknowledgement to her final statement while Venom took the remaining berries he offered. "Well, whenever and wherever that happens to be, I'll be ready. Until then, the Hallows is always open to you, your family, and your wolves."

Rising to his paws, Artorias took one more gaze around the strange thicket of brambles surrounding the berry grove, then dipped his head to Venom. "I should keep moving. There's several other places I wish to see while I'm up in Boreas. You're welcome to accompany me if you'd like, but I understand being away from home and your children might be tricky." Still, he'd leave the offer open to her. He'd enjoy getting to spend some more time with the monochromatic gloved Empress, but if that wasn't in the cards for this encounter, he'd politely take his leave and look forward to their next encounter.

"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.
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