One of the great benefits of taking an extended trip up to the north was the opportunities it offered for Artorias to run his paws over some unfamiliar ground. The avid explorer with an insatiable wanderlust never passed on an opportunity to get to see the world, and so when he and Briar were making their trek up to northern Boreas to see her family and the Armada's new home, Artorias seized the chance to get to explore the far distant northern territories and see all the landmark sights! Ever his enabler and encourager, Briar was accompanying him on a brief stint around the territories that surrounded the Armada. The two had headed out to the north shortly after breakfast, intending to spend the day roaming as far as they could and seeing what they could see.

Like an eager puppy, Artorias gazed about in awe and splendor at the vast craggy gorge that sat just above the Dreamer's Col. Even in spring, the north felt cold, with a bit of a chill in the early morning air that nipped at his skin through his thick fur. Artorias made a mental note to remember to warm Briar up once they both got back to their den in the Armada. "D'you think someone should tell Mother Nature that she forgot to send spring to the north?" he joked, shooting an incorrigible grin to his wife at his side while they followed the slope of the gorge down past the rocky cliffs that made up either side of the valley. The gorge itself was wide, covered in coniferous forests and mossy lichens, and was surprisingly lush given the harsh climate it was surviving in. The Aegis' amber eyes swept over the high cliff walls rising above them the further they descended into the gorge, drinking in the sights around him as he mentally built his ever expanding map of Boreas.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

When they began to make their trek up to the north to see the Armada, she was already anticipating that Artorias would want to do some exploring and see the sights while they were there. Her dear husband was insatiable when it came to exploring and enjoying everything Boreas and Auster had to offer so she had no doubt that he was going to take advantage of this time to spend some time exploring the north. Sure enough, after they got settled in and got a good night's rest, Artorias brought up going out to see what they could find over breakfast. She was never one to discourage his wanderlust so of course she agreed and as soon as they were done eating they were off. Their path took them out of the Col where Armada had made their new home and eventually they found themselves in a large gorge. Unlike some of their other travels, the north had the disadvantage of still being quite chilly even in the spring and that was even more evident as they began to make their way through the gorge with the winds that whistled and whipped through it. "No kidding," she replied with a chuckle to Art's joking about the weather, shivering lightly as a particularly strong gust ruffled her fur. She had never been the type to like the cold. There was certainly a reason why she moved to Auster beyond just wanting to be with Artorias. Still, she followed at Art's side while he took in the views of the forest and the gorge that was certainly a beautiful sight despite the unfavorable weather it was in.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias knew of Briar's dislike for the cold, hence why she had been all too eager to move in with him down in Auster. It was why he appreciated the sentiment that came with her volunteering to willingly traipse the northern lands with him for his own pleasure. Her selflessness was one of the many incredible qualities of Briar he admired and loved, and that made her the perfect queen to lead beside. The two wolves descended further into the gorge, some of the harsher winds being cut away by the shelter the pine trees and high cliff walls provided, but the valley still allowed a good bit of breeze to ripple down through it. Artorias didn't miss the way Briar shivered against the cold wind, and he was quick to press his body closer to hers, letting her lean into his side and use his warmth to soothe herself.

"I wonder how your family tolerates it all," he mused while they wandered down through a copse of cedars, his nose breathing in the strong scent of pine all around them. "Your dad and brother have their thick coats, but your poor mom... She's a lot like you in that regard." Artorias cast a little teasing smirk down at his wife, adding in with a bit of humor, "The little Zeelet that you are." Art braced himself, fully prepared for some sort of retaliation from his beloved. He knew her father's affectionate pet name for her pushed her buttons, but damn, was tweaking her in good fun too tempting to resist!

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

When Artorias leaned into her she realized he must have noticed her shivering and she gave him a grateful grin and leaned back into him in response, tipping her head up to kiss his cheek in silent thanks. She knew it was going to be cold, that was an obvious and unavoidable fact about the north, but she hadn't really accounted for the wind whistling through here and how much more chilly that would make it. When he made comments about her family putting up with the cold and mentioned how her mother lacked the thick coats that her father and brother had she was about to respond with her genuine concern for her mother given the fact that it seemed like she still hadn't really put on much weight since her return from captivity and perhaps mention the fact that her mother did usually wear a fur cape so maybe it wasn't so bad... but then Art brought up the pet name her father gave her as a pup that she absolutely hated and her turquoise turned up to his with a glare, smirking as she paused her steps long enough to throw her shoulder into his. "Yeah yeah, alright, Artorias Sirius... That's enough out of you." She smirked and grinned up at him, shaking her head a little as she turned her gaze back to the land around them, getting a few more glimpses of the gorge before she started insisting that they head back home so she could thaw out a bit.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias happily received the affectionate kiss from his wife to his cheek while he helped keep her warm with his thicker coat, and then the shove from her shoulder when he teased her with her father's pet name that she oh so loathed being called. The dire brute giggled, his smaller wife's lighter frame just enough to make his steps stumble, but not enough to really push him over. Yeah, he had deserved that, but it had been oh so worth it! In retaliation, Briar referred to him by his full first and middle names, the moniker his mother had given him in honor of her respect to the Warlord of the Armada. Artorias gave a barking laugh and shot a sly grin down to his mate, leaning in to graze a lick across the bridge of her nose. "Hey, I happen to think it's an adorable name for you! And you at least had the chance to change yours when you took mine," he retorted, giving her a brush of his side against hers in turn.

Amber eyes scanned the valley once more, but didn't see anything else of note to explore or investigate. Besides, with Briar slowly freezing into a wolfcicle, he would need to get her back to the Armada and in front of a fire before too long. "All right, I think I've seen enough," he declared, ushering them back the way they came so they could head back. "Let's get you back so we can warm you up... Zeelet." As quick as a flash, Art smacked at Briar's shapely rump with his bushy tail before taking off at a lope to get ahead of her before she could retaliate against him again. A playful grin played on his muzzle and his eyes flashed with mischief, daring her to chase after him for her revenge.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"