Amber eyes gazed around at the bright pink blossoms on the trees surrounding him. The last time Artorias had been here, the trees hadn't been quite so bursting with color, but this time they showed their splendor and beauty ostentatiously. Their falling petals were like a rosy snow in the warm spring breeze, covering verdant and lush grass in a carpet of vivid pink. The air was fragranced gently with the floral smell of the buds, along with the smell of a wolf pack. Like with the trees, the last time Artorias had been here, the land hadn't seemed as active as it smelled now. That made him feel better; it meant Habari wasn't going the way of Abaven or Fireside. When Artorias had come up this way before with Ulric during their diplomatic mission, they hadn't gotten the chance to meet with the reclusive Recluse. He hoped that the second time would be the charm.

The sky above was painted in deep shades of navy, indigo, and pink as the sun slowly drifted below the western horizon. Sunset had passed, and now twilight blanketed the land in its rich shades. Ordinarily, Artorias would try to aim to meet other alphas during the day when it seemed more polite to conduct official business—but he'd learned that Recluse was no ordinary alpha. He'd heard from others of the Klein alphess's nocturnal tendencies and predilection for the evening hours, and so he would cater to her preferences. After all, Artorias wanted this meeting. Habari remained the only pack he had no true knowledge of, and Recluse the only alpha he'd never interacted with. The dire male was keen to see that ended tonight.

Tipping his muzzle to the darkening heavens, Artorias sang a call for Recluse in his rich baritone lyrics. Then he stood at the marked border of Habari and waited for her. He had come here alone and unarmed, without the company of his wife or ward. He didn't see a reason to drag them away from their time with Briar's family while he took a detour to handle a little alpha business of his own. As he waited, he considered the things that hadn't crossed his mind when he'd first set out with his plan. Things like what Recluse would be like and whether the little tidbits he'd heard about her ring true. But most importantly, where he would be bedding down tonight or if he'd chance the long walk back to the north in the dark.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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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The evening was descending upon them, Recluse had woken up early enough to watch the colors of the sky change through the hole in the cavern of her den, she watched her children as they slept and had to stifle a groan as a call went out as the sky darkened, no rest for the wicked. She extracted herself from her nest and made her way down the mountainside towards the nook. Galho flew above her but she'd left Lilith behind this time, though the potoo would land on a nearby tree, letting loose a deep guttural cry as a sign for the alpha that he'd found her visitor. Recluse would arrive upon the dire, he carried with him a pack scent, one she wasn't sure she could put a name too... But wait- The tall grey alpha who'd once had land bordering her own? Oh if only she could even remember the woman's name or her pack's name. Recluse gave the man a dip of her head, she held herself with an easy confidence. It was easy to slide on the mask of a the alpha meeting someone at her borders, easily hiding much of the grief she carried with her, but not the exhaustion she wasn't quite able to shake no matter how much she groomed, nor the deep sadness that lurked behind the surface of all her smiles. "Good Evening, I am Recluse Klein Seraphim of Habari. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Speech" Think

Art by Ulfeid3

Artorias wasn't kept waiting long before the cry of a potoo sounded from nearby, and then he saw the ethereal form of Habari's seclusive alpha appear from between the pink-petaled trees. She moved like a ghost, silent and graceful as she wove her way closer to greet him. Artorias hadn't known what to expect upon hearing the rumors of Recluse Klein, but seeing her in the flesh, he found the rumors carried truth with them. She was smaller than him, svelte and feminine, and moved with all the confidence of someone who knew who they were. She greeted him with a polite dip of her head, her expression impassive and very well rehearsed. But even though he couldn't tell the truth behind her countenance, her expression was measured enough that Artorias suspected it might have been an artifice. That told him something about her. Recluse was cunning, clever and sly. She was not new to the game of thrones and had likely been bred for reigning. She reminded him of Venom in the way the Ashen Empress also conducted herself with a measure of decorum, though there was something about Recluse that felt much more her own self too.

As she greeted him and introduced herself, Artorias responded with a respectful bow of his head to the alphess of Habari. "Good evening to you as well, Recluse. I am Artorias Carpathius, Aegis of the Hallows." The Aegis returned to his full height, meeting the Seraphim's rosy gaze with his own eager fire-toned eyes. "Our packs were neighbors once upon a time, and I felt it was high time I took the opportunity to meet you and introduce myself. Perhaps build bridges where others seem to be busy tearing themselves apart." A charming smile touched the younger male's lips while a low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "I apologize for showing up so late, but I'd heard you're more inclined to the nighttime hours of the day. Venom has also told me of your grace and flair. You sounded like someone worth getting to know. So here I am, hoping to get to know you, know your pack, and and let you get to know us too."

Artorias' expression brightened as he remembered the gift he'd brought along with him. Sirius had taught him to never visit an alpha without bringing some sort of offering for their time. Turning to lift the leather bag he'd carried with him, he presented it to the Seraphim, the soft clinking of glass from within breaking the tranquil quiet of twilight. "Ah, before I forget, a gift for you," he said with a bashful smile. "The Hallows has been making our own wines for some time now from the fruits in Auster's orchards. I don't know if you're much of a drinker, but if not, maybe some of your wolves could enjoy it."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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.
____________________

He was polite. If Recluse wasn't a sceptical wolf she might have thought him blindingly so, though she was willing to put some stock in his earnestness for now at least, always easier to keep her sceptisism to herself. The Hallows, that was right, she tucked that name away in her mind, though she still wished she could remember the name of the giant woman who'd answered her call all those lifetimes ago. "I remember the Hallows, I once spoke to the alpha at the time." She kept her tone light, a little appologetic as she added: "Unfortunatly I've forgotten her name." The woman had been older than her then, she'd been quite young and determining age had been significantly harder for her, she wondered if the woman even still lived and made sure to keep herself open to the possibility of that news, if Artorias decided to share it, otherwise she did not imply anything else beyond the single meeting they'd once had. She perked slightly at the mention of her cousin, so he'd spoken with Venom then? She would need to keep that in mind. Recluse nodded in response to the Aegis' comment on her preference for the night. "As much a force of habit as anything else, I spent some of my youth in Ashen and at the time my aunt often handled buisness at night, I simply saw no need to change what I'd grown used to." A true enough statement, Deathbelle had kept Ashen nocturnal when she'd been a member. If Artorias was more familiar with her condition he no doubt would have some suspecions about her preference for the dark but she'd not admit her weaknesses like that outright to a stranger. "As for me and my pack I am certainly always open to helping you sate your curiosity, though I hope you'll understand there may be some secrets I am not at liberty to share." There was a slight flirt to her voice, easily slipped in to her words, she was hardly a stranger to this dance. If he bit, well all the better but if he shut it down then no harm done. His gift though, well that did manage to catch her a little and Recluse's brows shot up, she graciously accepted the bottle, she'd had little enough time for drinking. As, up until recently, a single mother and alpha she'd had to do her best to keep her wits about her but she couldn't deny that she'd been interested in drink for some time and the idea of it helping to give her a moment of respite from her grief... Well it was a downright tempting prospect, but one for later. "I must admit Mr. Carpathius, you've left me at a bit of a disadvantage. I'll have to make sure we return the kindness in time." "Speech" Think

Art by Ulfeid3

Recluse's rose-tinted eyes lit up with recognition when he mentioned the name of his pack as she recalled having met with its previous alpha. Artorias briefly wondered which one it was she had met, but when the ethereal woman mentioned forgetting "her" name, he had his answer. The dark-furred male tipped his head in a subtle nod. "That would have been Resin, our founder, and my mother," he clarified for her, elucidating some of the mystery. He did not mention how Resin had long since passed; there was no need to venture down that road just yet. Better to keep things lighthearted in their first engagement. A lopsided smile touched the man's lips while Recluse casually explained away her predilection for the evening hours. "As good a reason as any. I tend to find the nights more peaceful anyway. More intimate." Although Artorias did not know of Recluse's condition, it wasn't difficult to take one look at the alphess and realize the she-wolf was an albino, her ghostly-white fur, rosy eyes, and pink nose giving away all the hallmarks of the congenital affliction. He thought briefly of Alastor, the Elysian alpha he'd met who had the opposite condition, his melanism rendering him almost entirely black from pupils to dark gray skin.

The Habari alpha spoke in alluring, almost melodic lyrics as she talked of her and her pack, offering to sate his curiosity about them to a certain degree. That skewed smile on his lips grew into a grin, his gaze never leaving his fellow alpha’s while his brain tried to sort out the intentions behind her words. Artorias wasn’t exactly used to wolves flirting with him, though he was not a new player to the game of intimacy, the Seraphim’s suggestive undertones catching the Aegis off guard. "Well, I am curious about you and your pack. I’d be keen to know more about the both of you. I promise I’ll even behave and not pry into any of those secrets too much," he replied, his husky voice returning some of the subtle flirtatiousness back to Recluse. This dance between them was not something Artorias was very experienced with, but it wasn’t foreign to him either. He’d done the same when Manea had come to his borders some seasons ago, though he’d been much younger and greener then.

The genuine surprise that flitted across Recluse’s seraphic features told Artorias that he had done well in choosing his offering to the pallid alphess. She accepted the bottle of vintage wine with grace, then playfully lamenting how he had her at a disadvantage. The dire man chuckled in his low baritone vocals, a modest grin turning up a corner of his lips. "Please, Lady Recluse, you can call me Artorias. I’m not that old yet. Consider it a bribe to encourage closer dealings between us in the near future." Another chuckle as he added, "You’ll just have to be sure to take the advantage over me next time we meet." Artorias was enjoying the playful banter between himself and the Klein queen; it had been some time since he’d gotten to do it. Recluse kept him on his toes, the svelte woman playing this game of thrones as if she were made for it.

Separating his fiery eyes from her for but a moment to look around the blossoming cherry blossoms around them and the smoldering volcano nearby, the Aegis said, "You’ve chosen beautiful lands to make your home. If you’d permit, I would very much like to see more of them as you ‘sate my curiosity’. Unless those are some of those personal secrets you mentioned, in which case I am prepared to beg and barter with more wine." Another crooked smile, looking to Recluse with a curious tilt to his head to see if she would grant him permission to enter her domain or if he would need to return with more bottles to gain his admittance.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "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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