Ash had wanted to spend time with her new nieces and nephews and get to know them as they were starting to get a little more mobile and explorative. She wanted to be the best aunt she could be at least and she hoped they would love her to be that part of their life. She was still struggling with transitioning into a normal every day life but being around the pups made those worries wash away.

She had brought some paper and charcoal pieces, and well as some flower clippings to try and get some color into their silly creation. She joined Thorn somewhere in the courtyard before laying out the supplies on the stone pathways and started to make an outline on the large sheet of paper. She drew three areas, made to the the plains, the grove, and the castle. "These will be the three lands of The Hallows." She spoke gently through a smile as she looked back at Thorn, her paw motioned down at the charcoal pieces, some wrapped in the flowers so that he could pick a color and start his own work on the map.

"Ashelia Carpathius"

Thorn had waited for his aunt relatively patiently.  Relatively patiently included wandering about, sniffing every corner of every wall and every flower on every bush.  A fallen leaf had been chased as it blew on the wind and once caught torn in half.

When Ash showed up and put the map down, Thorn watched her draw with rapt attention.  A paper took on life as she drew lines and explained what they symbolized.  Thorn's imagination came to life as Ash explained it.  Thorn didn’t know all of their lands well so he put a paw on the line she had labeled as the castle, “I can draw the castle.  I’ve been all over it!”  

Thorn carefully picked up one of the pieces of charcoal in his mouth with a red flower wrapped about it.  At first, he tried drawing while holding it in his teeth, head tilted sideways but what should have been a straight line curved all about.  Woops!

Thorn looked at the curvy line with a narrow gaze wanting it gone.  Lying down he pulled the charcoal piece between his two paws, cautiously inching it along that way.  Which way would be easiest?  He could make lines quickly with it in his mouth it felt like, but he hadn’t had control.  Between his paws, he kept the charcoal straighter but it was really slow moving.

His first intentional motion was making circles along the outer line that marked the castle, “these are the towers.” The first he drew Thorn decided was too small, so he made the next one larger and it was clearly too big.  So he made another that was somewhat in between the sizes.  His circles also were wobbly but you could tell the attempt for a circle was there. "Whatcha think?"

"Thorn Carpathius"

Watching Thorn as he attempted to draw onto the paper map made her giggle quietly to herself, but her wide grin would show him just how happy she was and how much fun she was having with him. Something so simple as watching him scribble around on the paper and do his absolute best just made her heart soar. She wasn't his mother, but she was just as thrilled as his aunt to watch him in his creation.

"It looks wonderful." She spoke through that smile as he asked, it was not a lie in the slightest. She thought is was wonderful, even if it was sloppy and messy and didn't look much like a castle. It was perfect to her.

She pointed over to the land next to the castle, "These are the Starlit Plains," She started by making a blue squiggly wave through the center to make the river that ran through the plains, "There's a river and it's a good place for flowers too." She made a few little stems with different colored balls that represented the plains of the lands as well as a few spikey green lines. "And as the name suggests, it's a good place to star gaze at night." She added a few black asterisks that would seem like stars though they wouldn't be in the sky as that wasn't a part of the map. That was okay though. "I bet you've seen the oceans from the windows in the castle." She suggested, pointing her claw around the edges of the border she had made for the castle, at least giving him the idea that he's seen a little more than just inside the castle.

"Ashelia Carpathius"

Thorn had plenty of energy that could have him running all about with lots of exploring and puppy spars.  However, when his mind was suddenly focused on the map he seemed far calmer.  Something had gained his attention and every ounce of his being was absorbed into it.  His tail wagged with glee as Ash approved of his work.  The circles didn’t match on size but that was alright if she thought it was and in Thorn’s mind they weren’t circles, they were how he imagined the tower might look if you looked down on it.

When Ash called his attention to the starlit plains Thorn’s head raised up as he watched with apt attention to what she showed him.  Her lines weren’t just scratches but real places.  That line she drew was water that went through the entire plains.  The plains looked like they must be really big in comparison to the area the castle claimed.

She mentioned how it was a good spot to stargaze and Thorn tried to imagine what would make it any better than the castle or anywhere else.  If she said it was a particularly good spot though Thorn had no reason to expect her to lie.  His mind had to turn from stars though as she made mention of the ocean, and Thorn nodded quickly agreeing.  “I’ve seen the water.  It just goes out there forever.  And the water moves on its own.  When it's real windy the waves turn white as they go up and down.”  

With the thought of the waves and where she had tapped, Thorn twists his body to draw a few little wavy lines, “Those are for the waves.” On inspiration he tried making the outer edges of the waves a bit darker than the middle, drawing over the areas with more pressure.  

Ooching back to the inner castle section he tried making a squire where he imagined the garden was, and another square that he imagined for his family's bedroom.  “That’s the garden, and that’s my room,” said as he drew each one.   As he finished up that bit he added in, “Aunt Ash, can you take me out to the plains one night so I can see the stars out there?  We can ask mom or dad if it's okay of course.  I bet they’d say yes if I’m with you.”

"Carpathius Family"

Ash looked down still with that happy smile as Thorn made little waves in the ocean beyond The Hallows. As Thorn continued working on the rest of his view of the castle, Ash started drawing in the third land of The Hallows. She made a few tree trunks with bushy tops which wasn't a perfect depiction of the trees of the grove but she was sure to shade in the golden leaves that made the land unique compared to the trees that may have been surrounding The Hallows.

Ash looked back up as Thorn had pointed out the garden and his and his family's room, patting down on the paper lightly as she told him, "It's perfect. You know your way around the castle." It was a little far fetched compliment but he deserved it. The castle was his entire world, and even if just a few squares and circles it was his idea of the castle. It was a good first map she believed and a learning experience she could share with him. It really made her feel special.

Her heart sunk though as Thorn had asked if she could take him out to the plains. It would be easy to tell him that he could go with his parents, or another one of his aunt or uncles. But it was near impossible too. She hadn't left the walls of the castle since she had been back, being out in the open is what scared her the most even while protected inside the borders. "We can go there someday soon." She tried to reassure him, he didn't need to carry the weight she had. He was so tiny and innocent, so at least she could try to better herself so that she could share more than just this moment with him. She looked down at the map again, her paws running over the paper to flatten out their creation. "You can give this to your father, I bet it would look great on the alter with the pup statues." A good showcase, and what she could believe was a memorial of some sort. She thought a drawing made by her nephew would be a nice offering to pup who may have lost their life a long time ago.

"Ashelia Carpathius"

Thorn’s gaze went from Ash to the lines she was turning into trees?  Maybe they were trees, or bushes were possible also but he still kept to his guess on trees.  Would she agree to his request?  Thorn would have no clue as to her true reason to possibly have denied him.  In his mind, it was about whether about if she wanted to go out late with him or if she thought it was fine for him to be out late at night.  If she let him he’d be sure to be on his best behavior!  

When she agreed it earned Ash a great big puppy smile, “I’ll ask mom and dad also of course but I’m sure they’ll say yes!” With another thought, Thorn quickly added a circle and made a few squiggly lines in the corner for a last little addition. “This is the great hall, and that’s where the fire is kept.” After a seconds thought he stretched his head out, grabbing a bit of chalk with an orange flower.  Keeping it in his mouth he scribbles in more lines around the fireplace area, making it super firey in his imagination.

He watched as Ash carefully flattened their map down.  His aunt said they could use it for the feast and his tail swept some dust from the floor as it swished back and forth.  “ok!” a moment of excitement, then hesitation as he looked over the map again.  His aunt's lines were smoother than Thorns.  He’d have to practice to make sure the lines he made looked better next time.  Thorn imagined he’d also need to study the castle and then the plains to if he wanted to draw them better.

“We should do this again too.  I want to draw as good as you do at some point.” Thorn had mostly been thinking of learning to become a great fighter like his mom and dad someday but now the idea of making maps was starting to take shape as well. “Thank Aunt Ash!.”  

"Thorn Carpathius"