It was not hard for Celeste to come to terms with the fact that she needed to start working on her relations with other packs. Her knowledge was minimal when it came to the whos who of Boreas and Auster. While packs changed from time to time, there were a few that had been standing strong for a while now that she felt important to at least stop by for a quick hello. On her way down to Auster, she had scented The Hallows pack the moment she had crossed the Bifrost and approached the grove. Surprised that they had taken land so close to the land bridge, she had kept out of their boundaries for the time being. Her mission had been to go see Hattori for more than a few reasons that she would keep to herself. In the process, she had made her way to Lazuli Falls to say hello to Bellamy and now headed straight for the castle itself. Towering above her in its glory, Celeste once again was in awe at the sight. Now, don't get her wrong. She absolutely loved and adored her luxurious oasis, but damn, this castle was amazing. The stone, the architecture, the gargoyles, all of it was astounding and she was at a loss for words. Finishing her approach, toeing the line between no man's land and Hallows territory, the dainty Alphess lifts her lips. From what Venom had mentioned, the Hallows were led by someone named Artorias and his wife, Briar. That unfortunately was the extent of her knowledge. Calling out to whoever was appropriate to answer her request, Celeste shifted her weight until she was more comfortable.

Visitors to the Hallows was not an unusual occurrence, nor was it unwelcome. The sanctuary pack played host to wolves and sentient creatures of all kinds—some stayed and some moved on. So the call from a stranger at his borders did not alarm or surprise the Aegis, but it did intrigue him. Artorias was always interested to see who would show up to the pack. With the frequency of visitors increasing recently, he had gotten used to playing host, so it was easy for him to slip seamlessly from playful father to a pack of rambunctious pups into the refined alpha he needed to be. He left his children in Briar's care while he excused himself from puppy playtime, making his way out of the castle and through the gardens which by now were all in bloom, the wisteria trees a beautiful explosion of purple blossoms. Spring truly brought vibrant color and life back to the Hallows, and the castle's gray stone walls were draped in honeysuckle and ivy, the sweet fragrances of all the flowers lightly perfuming the air.

Artorias strode out of the castle gates with purpose, headed in the direction of the call. He came without sword or armor, feeling no need to come armed for bear just to meet someone seeking an audience with him. Not far from the border, he spotted the stranger—a monochromatic woman about half his height, sporting a set of ram horns atop her head. Artorias looked curiously to the stranger, approaching with a small yet welcoming smile on his lips. While dire wolves were not uncommon in these lands, he knew that a giant wolf like himself approaching someone smaller could be a bit unnerving, and he did not wish to spook his guest.

"Good day to you, Miss. Welcome to the Hallows," he greeted the young woman with a dip of his head. A subtle inhale caught the scent of other wolves amongst her—a pack wolf. "I am Artorias Carpathius, alpha of this pack. You called for me?" Artorias settled back to his haunches, relaxed and at ease while he gave his guest the chance to introduce herself and explain her purposes with him and his pack.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"

While she stood there ogling the castle with a slack jaw, she was not expecting its ruler to be comparably handsome. The sound of his paws against packed earth caused her aquamarine gaze to lower. Meeting his gentle smile and dire wolf size, she couldn't hide her responding smile. Shifting her weight back and forth a few times, she watched unashamedly as Artorias approached. Dires were no new phenomenon to her as she tried to collect as many handsome dire males as she could, but he was closer in age to her than she expected and sported a calm and confident aura that felt similar to Kuroki's. Keeping her wits about her, Celeste regarded Artorias as he introduced himself. It would not do for her to get all flustered when she was here on not exactly important business, but important enough that it could determine their pack's relations. Clearing her throat, she nodded in response to his question. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Artorias. I am Celeste Akizora, leader of Ethyria in the desert region of Boreas," she pauses for dramatic effect as she also sits down in a more comfortable position. "I was down south visiting Tojo-kai and thought I perhaps should come to say hello on my way back north." Now, Celeste was not an idiot. She knew Hattori was Venom's ex-husband; she had also heard how a few of Venom's close allies agreed in their disdain for the mysterious bamboo leader. And even though she was in some sort of situationship with Hattori's black sheep of a son, it didn't mean she wanted to hold the same ill feelings toward anyone. Venom after all had taken her in, spent time with her, given her a nice title, and even graciously approved of Ethyria's beginnings. It wouldn't do good to go making enemies with someone the Empress had allied with. "I come in hopes to make myself and my pack known so that we can start off on the right paw," her smile grows slightly, a somewhat unsure crinkle at the corner of her eyes. She had no idea how Artorias would react to her sudden appearance at his border. Was it normal to do that as a leader? Or she should have sent ahead a companion to announce her arrival? Would he believe this to be some sort of spy mission? Not that she would blame him, but being in the middle of a relationship gone sour didn't exactly sit well with her either. Diplomacy and politics weren't quite her forte as of yet, but she had to start somewhere.

The smaller woman smiled back at him upon his approach, greeting him with an excitement on her face that intrigued the Aegis. She spoke in clear, dulcet tones, almost lyrical in nature, introducing herself as Celeste Akizora from a pack named Ethyria. More so, she was the leader of the as of yet unknown pack. Artorias raised a curious brow while Celeste explained the reason behind her sudden appearance at the Hallows' borders. Diplomatic rounds had taken her to the southern continent and now it was his turn to meet the newest alpha of Boreas. Ethyria must have been founded in the wake of Menagerie's fall, he reasoned. Celeste probably saw the opportunity and taken her chance to found her pack. Bold and shrewd; Artorias admired those qualities in a leader.

Celeste stated her purpose here was simple: to introduce herself and her pack so that they might get to know one another. Artorias gave a thoughtful hum and nodded his head, the casual lopsided smile still playing on his lips. The monochrome wolfess was well-spoken and polite, and Art was curious about her and her pack. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Celeste, and welcome to Auster," he replied with a respectful tip of his head to his fellow alpha. "I'd love to get to know more about yourself, and of Ethyria. I'm sure you'd like to learn more of the Hallows as well." He flashed her a knowing grin; he had seen the way she'd been ogling the grandiose castle behind him. Gesturing with a paw for her to cross the border, Artorias continued, "The Hallows is always open to all who come in peace. If you'd like, I'd be happy to take a walk with you to see the lands while we get more familiar with one another."

Artorias left the offer open to Celeste. Whether she felt comfortable joining him for a casual stroll or if she'd rather spend some time chatting at the borders, he would be glad to engage in some good old-fashioned diplomacy with his newest peer. He had quite a few curiosities about her and Ethyria, and he was more than happy to sate any of hers about the Hallows.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"