_________________________________________________________________ She didn't necessarily hurry her way home. There were other places she hadn't seen yet in Auster so her mind traveled to the possibility of staying out on the road. Was she avoiding coming home in fear she would be stuck forever? If Tika and her could find a way to successfully have pups, that would busy her time more than anything else. It was something she wanted more than anything she could think of. Cute little pups running around for her to raise. The idea warmed her heart, but that roadblock was steady and dared not move. How were they to have pups if neither of them was male? A question for another time she supposed. On her journey around Auster to see the sights, there was a certain someone that brought up a bit more concern. Setting aside her own personal worries and desires, Audra made her way back to the castle with diligent steps. Crossing the borders and over the courtyard, she found herself standing in the foyer. Tall ceilings towered over her with smooth stone and light filtering in from the windows. Home. It would always be home now and her lips turned up in a smile. She felt safe here and couldn't wait to tell Tika of her adventures. But first, she had news to bring. Letting out a call for Artorias, the petite girl waited patiently in the foyer. She wasn't sure where the man would be today. Outside, the summer sun was bright and warm compared to the other rainy days they'd experienced lately. Turning to glance over her shoulder toward the door in case he came from the gardens, Audra shifted nervously on her paws. She wondered how would he take the news. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Preparations were well on the way for the bonfire festival taking place in a few days. It was difficult for him to believe that it would soon be his and his siblings' second birthdays, officially marking them as adults. It was also a grim reminder that it had been a year since the death of their mother in the dire wolf raid. The summer would likely always be bittersweet to him in that regard, but he tried to skew the memories more in favor of the sweet than the bitter. A massive pile of dry kindling and deadwood had been built up on the plains, just waiting for the time to be ignited and the Hallows and its friends to celebrate the Carpathians' birthdays and the memories of loved ones lost. Things were just about set.

Artorias heard Audra's call from where he was in the castle armory, preparing jars of flammable oil for the bonfire. Black ears perked atop his head and he wiped his paws off on a rag and made his way toward the foyer where he spotted Audra waiting anxiously for him. The woman's body language spoke of nervousness, and the way she kept glancing back outside was cause for concern. The Aegis' brow furrowed as he approached her, claws clicking on the stone floor the closer he got. "Audra, is everything okay?" he asked, moving to stand between her and the door in case something was pursuing her and he needed to defend her. A peek outside showed no immediate threats, no invaders to the castle. Just another rare sunny day in Auster's winter. Confused, he turned fire-kissed eyes back to her with a raised brow, hoping she'd fill in the blanks of his curiosity.

"Artorias Carpathius"

_________________________________________________________________ As her weight continued to shift nervously from paw to paw, she was glad it didn't take long for Artorias to arrive. For anyone who didn't know the man, his size alone would be intimidating. Yet, the way he looked upon her with concern and caring eyes wiped away any nervous feeling she had. Smiling softly, she shook her head yet before speaking. "Oh everything is splendid, but I do have news I believe you might be interested in," her voice is a buzz with her own curiosity. It wasn't every day that someone new moved down into Auster! "Possibly we should go for a walk? I'm not sure how this information would sit with lingering ears," Audra's head tilts to the side before she turns to leave out the door. Waiting a moment to make sure he was following, Audra headed toward the gardens. The way the dewy grass felt beneath her paws helped ground the patter of her heart. Making her way to the small clearing where her and Laeta's time stick still stood, she attempted to collect herself the best she could. Turning to Artorias, feeling nervous once more, she made her words were order first. Inhaling a good breath, she readied herself. "I was down south of here to do some sightseeing before Tika and I settled down. Or more so, probably myself, but that's beside the point," her smile is timid as her chin tilts up to assess Artorias' expression. How he would take this next bit of news might change things. "I'm not sure if you've been brought news of Hattori leaving Ashen, but it's sadly true because I by chance came across him down south by Manatee Bay. The area smelled like him and he wasn't very keen on me going any deeper into the territory. We've met on occasion from time to time, on friendly terms, though knowing Hattori he wouldn't consider me a friend. He doesn't want any ill will with anyone and didn't seem against me letting you know he'd moved down there," her breath exhales quickly after the long-winded sentences. It would perhaps have been the most Audra had ever spoken without stuttering before. "It only seems important after the whole Pirate raid. I wouldn't want us to be blindsided in any way; though he doesn't appear to be a threat," her shoulders shrug as her statement finally ended. With her tail hung low between her legs and ears slightly back, she hoped Artorias would take it well. She rather liked Hattori, for all his grumpiness was worth, and didn't want her home to be on any bad terms. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

Despite her nervous disposition, Audra responded coherently and concisely. She had information to share with him, and that piqued the alpha's interest. His raised brow still turned in her direction, Artorias wondered what the little adventurer had stumbled upon that could have her so abuzz with energy. "Okay, I'll bite. What news do you have?" Audra didn't explain right away, instead suggesting a walk away from prying ears of the castle. Now Artorias' curiosity was highly raised. He glanced around behind them at the empty halls, but didn't put up any resistance as his Hallowed wolf led the way back outside to the gardens. Whatever she had to tell him had to be extremely important and clandestine.

"Sure," replied Artorias, now a little more on edge as he followed her out into the gardens and across the damp grass. Once Audra seemed content with their location, the Aegis seated himself and studied the earthen-hued woman with curiosity. If nothing was wrong, why did she seem so nervous? Something had her guard up and her nerves frayed. He wouldn't have to wonder long though, as with a deep breath, she launched into her explanation. She had been wandering southern Auster when she came across Hattori's scent marking Manatee Bay. That got the young alpha's attention. Listening with keen ears and steely eyes while Audra relayed how she'd met with Hattori in the lands he'd claimed as his own, how he hadn't wanted her to enter, and how he seemed to bear no ill will with his presence. But that just raised more questions than answers in the brute's mind. Audra ended by explaining that she wanted him to know this in light of the recent raid on the Hallows.

It was only once Audra had finished speaking that Artorias permitted any sort of response from himself. Firstly, he was damned impressed that Audra had spoken so clearly and without a single stutter; a testament to how safe she felt in the Hallows, it seemed. Secondly, he hadn't even known Hattori had departed from Ashen. Hadn't he been mated to Empress Venom? Didn't they have a family? Art made a mental note to gently probe that front with the Ashen alpha once he saw her again to see if he could suss out what happened. "That's some excellent recon work you've done, Audra. Are you sure you want to be a Physician and not a Scout?" he teased her with a gentle smirk. "I was not aware of Hattori's departure from Ashen. I've met the man only once before. He was curt and stern, but civil. Interesting to know he's decided to set up his own pack here in Auster..." From what he'd heard of the former Shogun, he had a violent streak and a lust for war that Venom had kept in check. Without that leash on him, could they trust their new neighbor?

But now Artorias had other questions for his wolf. He fixed a cautious gaze on Audra while he spoke. "You said he had taken Manatee Bay, and where else?" From all his learnings, packs always took two territories. Manatee Bay was bordered by a number he could claim, though he had a hunch he could guess what the man had chosen. "And why would he use you to relay that he bears no ill intentions instead of coming to us himself?" Something didn't add up with the way Audra had explained not wanting the Hallows to be blindsided by him, but also not feeling he was a threat. It was a contradiction, and with how close Audra seemed to be to the wildcard that was Hattori, it made him wary. "What did you two talk about? What did you tell him about the Hallows?" he calmly asked. While not expressly forbidden from being discussed, sensitive information about the pack had been what Sparrow had been trying to obtain just before her attack on the Hallows. If Audra had given away anything to a non-ally, he needed to know to be prepared.

"Artorias Carpathius"

_________________________________________________________________ Glancing over her Alpha with her nervous eye, she wondered if she would be in trouble. She wasn't a terribly social wolf, but Hattori had been the wolf who had opened her eyes to the world. Really, he was the reason she hadn't stayed in Valhalla. Did that not at least earn him some respect? On the surface, Audra knew very little of the shadowed Alpha who had left his family for a new start. In earnest, she didn't blame him. They had met previous, before, and after the Long Night, and it didn't take anyone with great intelligence to see he had been in pain. Now though, there seemed to be something else that had lingered in the eyes of the man who was now their neighbor. Torn from her thoughts after Artorias had taken a moment to assess her information, Audra laughed. "Oh, I-I do enjoy looking around. M-most other wolves don't think much of m-me since I'm p-pretty unassuming," she shrugged it off but her stutter would be a giveaway. Audra didn't think much of herself, but maybe her true path in life was scouting and gleaning information from others. To be a fly on the wall was easy for the petite girl. "Before his move, he had not mentioned leaving Ashen, but I take it he is rather secretive," again Audra shrugged the comment off because it was a matter of fact and she wasn't one to risk getting harmed by being nosy. It was then that she noticed Artoria's cautious gaze and a chill ran down her spine. This was the part of the conversation that would put her on edge the most. Thinking over the question posed to her, she held quiet for a moment. "H-honestly, I d-don't know what it's called, but i-it was near a large f-forest of long skinny green trees with thin b-branches," the words were hard for her to get out. She didn't want to betray Hattori, but she was loyal to her pack and she knew either man would be able to face any challenges that came their way. Artorias' next round of questioning brought out a timid grimace. "The t-truth? I d-don't think he c-cares. I-I get the f-feeling he wants t-to keep to himself," oh were the nerves back and she couldn't get the words out confidently anymore. In no way did she lie, but was that not true for a lot of the packs? They wanted to keep to themselves and not cause any issues. Except for the Pirates, they seemed to be the rowdy bunch up to no good. "I-I told him we kicked the Pirate's butts! A-as I m-mentioned, he didn't s-seem to care too much about what we do here," she sits now and lets out a sigh. Maybe she wouldn't be a good scout. Other than letting Artorias know that Hattori had moved down here, there wasn't much else she could give. "I-I have nothing bad to say about the Hallows and I-I try to keep to myself so I d-don't poke around much," Audra admitted as she looked down to her paws. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

And just like that, Audra's mood shifted again and her stutter returned. Artorias frowned, wondering if he was pressing too much and making her nervous. He certainly didn't mean to come off across that way, and though his eyes were pensive and concerned, his expression and posture were relaxed and calm. He certainly didn't hold any animosity or blame toward Audra for wandering; hell, he did it himself all the time! What he was concerned about was his pack's safety, and if she had given away any crucial information to someone who may or may not be their enemy, that required his knowledge. Audra confirmed that Hattori had remained guarded and secretive; that came as no surprise to the Aegis. When he'd met the man back in Boreas, the then Ashen leader hadn't spoken a word to him for the entire meeting, remaining stern and terse the entire time. Artorias didn't trust a wolf that didn't speak any more than he trusted a wolf that spoke too much.

Audra nervously told him where she'd met Hattori. A forest of long skinny green trees. The Bamboo Maze, he realized. He'd ventured there recently after his mother and her mate had encountered the paleo dire wolf there. It seemed Hattori had taken the opportunity of it being newly vacant to occupy it with his own pack. That was good. If the brute turned out to be a danger, it would be easy enough to set fire to the bamboo and burn that forest to the ground. He gave a hum of acknowledgement and nodded his head, taking in her words quietly while paying close attention to everything she told him. He saw her grimace when she explained that he didn't care for the other packs here and simply wanted to keep to herself. He would have had an easier time believing that if Audra didn't look like she was in physical pain trying to tell him these things. Something wasn't fully right here...

A wry smirk spread over Artorias' lips when Audra mentioned how she told him about the Hallows kicking Pirates Plunder's asses. By now, word of the pirates' failed attack and ultimate defeat would have spread to almost every pack in the northern and southern continents, and he still took pride in his pack's strength when rallied together. They had done so well that night. "I know. And I hope if you ever did have something to criticize the Hallows over, you'd mention it to me so we could work on it together." When Audra finished speaking, Artorias regarded her with concerned amber eyes. "Is everything all right, Audra?" he asked once more, repeating his question from earlier. Except now he had a reason to be asking it. "You seem... nervous. Off. " Audra's stutter had returned, she looked like a pup getting a scolding from a parent, and there seemed to be some sort of conflict behind her gaze. He was worried over how his wolf was reacting all of a sudden.

"Artorias Carpathius"

_________________________________________________________________ With the words finally dying down in the tense around that surrounded her, she let herself look up toward Artorias. Her chin would have to lift considerably since he was much larger than her. She had expected a sterner gaze, something more serious along the lines of "why did you do what you did," but that wasn't what she saw. No, she saw concern and question. Could he see right through her? Could he possibly know what really was bothering her? It wasn't Hattori. No, the prior Shogun didn't stress her out. If anything, she knew if the titan of an Alpha came knocking on their door, Artorias would be there to swiftly answer. Plus, there wasn't any possible way Hattori had had time already to gather enough wolves to raid. It wasn't possible. Something else picked at the back of her brain and with Art staring down at her asking, how could she not say something? She could feel a tear prick at her eye and her heart ache for comfort. Comfort that she hadn't been given as of lately, ever since the raid. "I-it's Tika," she whispered finally as she let her one eye close for a moment. The long, lonely nights in bed without her. The days gone by without even a good morning. The stressful afternoons of trying to have a good time, but nothing was there. "I'm worried about her Art," Audra's voice is hoarse. Maybe this was why she'd spent so much time traveling lately. Why mope around the castle waiting for Tika to come back to her? "I do not w-worry about the Hallows a-ability to defend," the petite girl started, hoping her stutter would calm itself if she confessed her worries. "I-in all honesty, I-I think I w-wanted to tell you about Hattori's n-new pack because I worry that it will push Tika away. E-ever since the Pirate's raided, she-she's been on edge. She spends most nights patrolling the borders. Her mind is s-somewhere else and I don't know what to do," Audra paused then as her eye opened back up to look at Artorias. Her brother, the Aegis, the helper, the caring wolf that he was, would be able to help, right? "We, we've talked about finding a way to have pups, but ever since the raid, I've hardly seen a peep of her. How can I live a life without her by my side? I've tried talking to her, tried herbs to calm her, maybe I am a shitty healer," she chuckled lightly with a shake of her head. "I-I apologize if I wasted your time, but if I am being honest, I want nothing more than to have a f-family. It-it's all I ever wanted and I see it now slipping away from me," her lips turn down into a frown as she sighs. "I do not know if you can do anything, but maybe some guidance would help," Audra's voice is quiet as she feels her body relax slightly. Admitting her worries and thoughts had helped, but it wasn't helping Tika any at all. What was she going to do? Find someone to have pups with her and put Tika on edge more? Wait around until she was pushed away forever? The same questions continued to revolve around in her head insistently putting doubt at the forefront. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

When Artorias had asked if she was all right, he really knew she wasn't. Something was bothering Audra, that was plain to see. But he hadn't been expecting to see the tears forming in her still seeing golden eye. The sudden sorrow that broke down the girl's reserved and stoic expression caught him off guard, but he didn't shy away from her emotions, instead shifting slightly closer to offer his support. Audra then began to explain, answering his question before he got another word in. It was Avantika. "Is something going on with my sister?" he asked, his concern growing. While he hadn't seen his sister very often since the pirates had raided the Hallows, he had just assumed she'd been keeping herself busy with her duties. Had he been blind to a bigger issue this whole time?

While Audra detailed Tika's concerning behavior, Artorias could only listen on with mounting concern and worry for his adoptive sister. While Audra's unease about Hattori forming an unknown pack in Auster was justified in its own right, he understood now why it was a bigger issue for her altogether. This was a matter of their relationship. He listened attentively and quietly while Audra explained how she and Tika had been talking about finding a way to have pups—another surprise to the Aegis—right before the raid happened, and right after, how Tika's behavior had changed virtually overnight. A rueful smirk touched his lips when she said she must be a shitty healer if she couldn't help her girlfriend out, which Art immediately dismissed. Audra was one of their most talented healers, and everyone was aware of that. "There are some things that medicine can't fix," he said, remembering back to his own mother's mental decline and eventual death. No amount of herbs could have saved her. He just hoped Avantika wasn't losing her sanity in a similar manner and that this was just a response to the stress of the raid.

"You didn't waste my time at all. You brought a very important issue to my attention," Artorias said to Audra once she finished speaking. The look he gave the smaller woman was resolute, yet benevolent. He would speak to Tika and see what was going on. If one of his wolves was hurting, especially one of his own family, he had a duty to aid them. "I think it's wonderful that you and Tika want to raise a family together. You'll both make excellent mothers, I have no doubt of that." He smiled at the thought of being an uncle, but first they would need to get Tika back to herself. "Let me try talking to Tika. Maybe I can get her talking about what's going on and see if I can help bring her back to the way she was. I won't mention you telling me anything, it'll just look like I'm checking up on her." That seemed like the simplest solution to him. If he could understand what was going on inside Avantika's head, maybe he would know how to help her.

But there was a bigger discussion Artorias was interested in having. "So you and Tika are ready to raise a family together, huh?" he asked with a barely contained smile. "That's wonderful to hear. Tika adores puppies. Have you had any thoughts on... er, how you two would go about it?" He winced a little, hoping he wasn't prying too much into personal information. He only asked because of how eclectic the Carpathius family was. Five pups born to an unknown father, raised by two mothers, who also adopted two more pups. Can't get more of a mixed bag than that! He hoped whoever they chose to be the sire of their pups, if they were having their own and not looking to adopt, would be a good role model and be a constant figure in their lives. Too often Artorias had laid awake at night wondering about the identity of his own father—a wolf he likely would never meet.

"Artorias Carpathius"

_________________________________________________________________ As her concern mounted with the rapid pace of her heart, she could feel Artorias shift closer to her. Her eyes lifted to him briefly as she spotted the look in his eyes. Why had she not thought of coming to him sooner? There could have been so many fewer nights of being alone if Artorias had an answer. A brief smile lifted the corner of her lips as she drew a paw up to wipe away the tear. Out of instinct and the longing for comfort, she leans closer and rests her head on his shoulder for a moment. Letting her eyes close as Art as he tells her that some things medicine can't fix, she nods her head. Pulling away, her expression slides back from pain to neutral. The ever-thoughtful and slightly naive expression that she adorns and seems to fool most with. Looking back up to him, she returns his smile. "Oh, I-I don't mind. Maybe if she knows I came to you, she'll realize I mean business," Audra jokes as another small laugh leaves her. She really did love that long-legged girl with all of her heart. But there was more to this issue than just her and Audra knew that. It was the safety of the pack and everything that the Hallows meant to her. With the first raid Tika had ever been to still haunting her nightmares, Audra really didn't blame her. Feeling reassured, she can breathe easier now that Art agreed to talk to Tika. What she hadn't expected was Art's interest in them wanting to have a family. Why she hadn't thought of that with him being both their Alpha and Tika's brother, she was almost embarrassed. A rush of heat spread across her cheeks as she smiled sheepishly at him. "I think we are if, if we can get past this," her voice is soft and thoughtful. Puppies and raising a family with Tika would mean the world to her. There weren't any words she could use to explain how deeply she felt about that. His next question also came as a surprise and she felt frustrated but also lost. "Honestly, I w-would love to birth our own pups, but I don't know if Tika would be okay with th-that," her voice faltered a moment as she looked down to the grass beneath her paws. "Adopting would be f-fine. I'd never t-turn a pup away who n-needed a mother, but," Audra paused as she stares at the blades poking up between her toes. "It wouldn't be the same," her words are a whisper as she admits her feelings. It was selfish, more selfish than she'd ever been, but it was the truth. "I, uh, just don't know how t-to ask Tika," her tail curls tighter around her as her features slide into a grimace. The idea of being with a man never sounded gross to her like it did others, like Tika, and maybe that was okay, but her heart still belonged to Tika and she couldn't ruin that. _________________________________________________________________ A  U  D  R  A

As the eldest sibling and the head of their family, Artorias was used to being sought out for comfort and reassurance that everything was going to be okay. That's why it didn't faze him when Audra leaned her head on his shoulder, sniffling back some tears. He simply lifted a paw without a word and gently stroked her back, letting her find as much reassurance as she needed that he would support her and Avantika. A little chuckle of amusement left the Aegis when Audra mentioned how sending the alpha after Tika might show her that she meant business. "It might, but my sister is a bit of a firecracker. She still surprises me with her passion sometimes." Still, he would have a chat with Tika. If nothing else, maybe he could get a feel for what was going on in his sister's head. Artorias released Audra when she pulled back way, her easy neutral expression settling back onto her face.

Artorias listened intently while Audra explained, somewhat shyly, how much she and Avantika wanted to start their own family—provided they could overcome the challenges they were currently facing. The admission of the smaller lady that she would love to birth their own children didn't surprise him. It had been what his mother had decided. But where their father would forever remain a mystery—just a faceless and nameless sperm doner she'd coupled with at a party after too much mead—he hoped that wouldn't be the case for these little ones. Artorias nodded, his face sullen and melancholy while he pondered over their situation. "I understand that," he said with empathy when she explained how adopting would be fine, but it wouldn't be the same as their own flesh and blood children. "The first step to any conversation is having it, though. When you feel it's right, talk to her. Tell her what you want, what would make you happy, and how you'd like to go about it. You'll only ever know how she feels about it by talking to her though."

It was almost ironic to Artorias to think that he was giving out relationship advice now as if he was some sort of love guru. Artorias' gaze lifted from his paws to seek Audra's once more, a subtle pleading look in them. "I realize I have no place asking anything of you in this regard, so let me give you a little something to ponder over... If you and Tika to decide to have your own pups, please choose a sire for them that will be present—or at least get their name." Artorias swallowed hard; beyond his family, no one knew about his own struggles with knowing himself for the lack of a father in his life. "My siblings and I will never know who our father was. It's not crucial to know, but... there's a part of me that will always wonder and long to know who he is. Every man I pass, I wonder if it could have been him. But it's an answer I'll likely never find. I'll never know where I come from, or who I might have been if he'd been around... or if I'd even just known his name. It's like a part of my identity that I'll never have." A rueful smile barely touched the young man's lips while he considered his angst around the subject of his unknown lineage.

"I hope you find someone worthy of siring a family for you and Tika with, and I hope that when you do, they'll want to be around, or at the least you'll know who they are so your children will never have to wonder who they are." Gods knew it plagued Artorias' mind in the quiet of many a night. But that was enough of a heavy topic to be discussing. There were other things to focus on first before pups could be considered. "Anyway, I'll talk to Tika, see if I can feel out what's on her mind. Don't worry, Audra. We'll get her fixed up again."

"Artorias Carpathius"