Kea was patrolling the borders around the Plains. Getting accustomed to the weight of his cuirass and looking for opportunities to sharpen his skill. Spud, his spunky companion, was playing in a patch of grass off to the side. Trying to keep out of the worst of the summer heat. Kea caught a hint of dampness in the air that tasted sea-salty and interesting. Perhaps a storm was brewing out over the waves?

He continued along the border another few paces, and a different scent caught his attention. It was interesting, and he thought maybe he had caught it before. But dead. One of the coats in the castle, maybe? He took another few sniffs, and noticed Spud had gotten to his paws, coming to attention. He knew from experience that Spuds sense of smell was stronger then his own, and he trusted the way the bear's fur seemed to rise that whatever the small was - it wasn’t good. He thought for a good, long moment, of tackling it alone. But he didn’t want his dad to think he was irresponsible, not when he was angling for his own sword. So he did the responsible thing, and lifted back his head and howled for his dad.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Ever since his daughter's encounter with the strange wolf on the outskirts of the Hallows, Artorias had amped up the Knights' patrols around the borders, picking up extra shifts himself to be on the ground with his wolves helping to make sure their home stayed safe. Though he didn't think a single lone wolf would dare try to make a move against the pack, he wasn't about to roll the dice when it came to his children's safety. It was for that reason that when Ciaran's call for him came out, Art didn't spare a second to abandon his patrol route and sprint across the plains from one end to the other to intercept his son. Kea had really taken to the Knight lifestyle, even volunteering to run patrols at such a young age. He reminded the Aegis of himself when he was the pup's age, and it warmed his heart to know his son was taking his aspirations so seriously. It was no secret that Kea was working his way towards his own blade, and at this rate, it would only be a matter of time before Artorias was giving his son the gift he so desired.

Approaching the ever-growing black and blue pup, Artorias immediately smelled the musky stench on the air. His nose twitched, brow furrowing and expression turning to a sneer of disgust. He would recognize that smell anywhere. Tiger... It smelled fresh, and it smelled close. Art was glad to see Ciaran holding his position, listening to the warning sounds his bear was making. "Have you seen it out here yet, Kea?" he asked his son, steely amber eyes fixed out on the long summer grasses of the plains around them. Tigers were masters of camouflage, and only a telltale flash of orange would be their hint to where the predator might be hiding. "Do you recognize the smell?"

"Artorias Carpathius"

His father was there fast - so fast he wondered if his dad had been keeping an eye on him. He would never admit to feeling worried, but he immediately felt a sense of confidence as his towering larger-than-life dad appeared at his side. He fought the urge to greet his dad with a hug. He was patrolling the border, he was training to be a Knight. Knights didn’t hug their dads when a predator was at the border.

His dad was already in teaching mode, and Kea frowned thoughtfully, taking the question seriously. “I do recognise it, but I’m not sure what from, or what I’m looking for” He admitted. He didn’t like admitting to not knowing something, but he couldn’t pull up an answer he didn’t know, either. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to pinpoint where he had found this scent before.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Artorias was a very loving and affectionate father. He doted on his children and showered them with endless affection. That was why Kea was clever to recognize that the stern expression that overtook his sire was a signal that things were not as they should be. No matter the peril though, he would never allow any harm to befall his son. This would be a good moment to introduce the boy to the realities of being a warrior, of what it meant to fight and take life for the right causes. Tigers had nearly taken his half-sister's life and had grievously wounded his nephew-in-law. He knew all too well the dangers they posed, especially to a pack so full of young pups. Kea confirmed that he recognized the smell, but couldn't place it to anything. That didn't surprise Artorias. Ciaran had never encountered a real, live tiger before.

"That's the smell of a tiger," the sire explained to his son, those hardened eyes still slowly roving over the grasses that swayed in the wind around them. They were downwind of the tiger, that much he knew, but where it was would be anyone's guess. It was deathly silent out on the plains, only the distant roil of waves on the shore keeping the world from being soundless. Artorias shifted his stance, his cuirass moving with him and sword shifting on his back. Art turned his gaze down to Kea to give him the information he needed to know. "The easiest way to spot a tiger is to look for their distinctive orange color. They're striped, so they hide themselves amongst tall grass to ambush their prey. If you're keen-eyed, you can pick them out before they spot you. We're downwind of this one, so we'll need to move into the wind to track it down. Look for sections of crushed grass, feline tracks, anything to lead you to it."

Artorias nodded to Ciaran, then motioned with his head forward. "Why don't you take the lead tracking it, little Knight? I'll be right beside you." Though his parental instincts wanted to protect Kea, Artorias also knew that coddling his son would teach him nothing. If Ciaran was to learn what battle was truly like, he would need to experience it for himself whenever he could. Artorias remembered the fights he shared with Resin against hyenas, saber cats, and paleo dire wolves. They had made him into the man he was today. They would help shape Ciaran as well.

"Artorias Carpathius"

A tiger! His eyes shot open in surprise, and he glanced up at his dad. Oh! Well that was why he recognised the scent. They had tiger pelts in the castle, but he had never seen a living one before. He took in a few more sharp breaths. He would remember the scent from here on out, he knew. His father started to fill him in, giving him information on their prey. He took it in eagerly. His eyes were already darting around for any signs of what his father mentioned.

He beamed at Art as his father mentioned him taking the lead. His dad trusted him with this!? He wasn’t about to lead his Aegis down. He started forward. At first, moving slowly and cautiously as he looked for any signs. But as he started to spot them, he picked up his steps in confidence. Spud had gotten out of the ground and was stalking next to him. The Polar bear was surprisingly quiet for his round size, and was a good tracker. But he wasn’t giving Kea any hints. Perhaps sensing how important it was that Kea figured it out for himself. He lead his bear and his dad through the plains, searching for signs of the tiger and a means of getting up wind of it.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

Dutiful as ever, Ciaran looked ecstatic when Artorias offered him the point position in their hunt for the feline intruder in their lands. Art gave his son a proud smirk before falling into step alongside his boy, who by now was easily showing signs of matching his sire in height when he hit adulthood. The two brutes of ebony and azure made their way through the tall summer grasses of the plains, all the while Artorias keeping a close eye on Kea to make sure he stayed safe. Every bit of evidence his son found he presented with pride, and Art would help him analyze it. The freshness of a track, the bending of blades of grass to indicate which direction it went in, and the ever present, pungent scent of big cat on the salty coastal wind. With Spud at their side and Corbin and Eira circling overhead, Artorias felt confident letting Kea take a little bit more of a lead ahead of him, giving the boy his chance to shine.

As they moved further into the high grasses on the western side of the plains, both of Artorias' ravens began to croak out in warning from overhead. The Aegis' eyes snapped up to the grass surrounding them. The avians had spotted the tiger. "It's close," Art spoke in a hushed whisper to Ciaran. Tigers had hypersensitive hearing, so the Aegis didn't say any more to his child than was necessary. He still couldn't make out any orange between the grass yet, but the smell had gotten stronger than ever. They had to be within a few dozen meters of it at most.

"Artorias Carpathius"

His dad seemed impressed by every sign he discovered and presented to the Alpha. It made him more eager than ever to discover what he could. They were stalking a tiger! And it was amazing. Then Art was giving him a warning, and suddenly Spud was growling at his side. He looked at the bear first, and was surprised to see the white round creature leaping at him. He ducked under Spuds ‘attack’ and the movement meant the tiger missed him by a hair. He felt the breeze stir his coat, and then Spud and the tiger were tussling.

They’d found the tiger! With a war cry, Kea dived in, swiping at the tigers back paw as his well padded companion fended it off at the front. He dug his sharp teeth into a back paw, crunching down as hard as he was able to.


"Ciaran Carpathius"

No sooner had Artorias alerted Ciaran that they were right on top of their quarry, a ruffle of grass not caused by the now still wind came from nearby. Artorias' ear flicked, head snapping in the direction of the sound, and as the grasses shifted just a bit, his enhanced eyesight caught a glimpse of ochre amongst the green. There was no time between spotting the tiger and its ambush for Art to warn his son, and Ciaran was the closer target. Thankfully, Spud stepped in to save the day, intercepting the lunging tiger with a ferocious roar as the two predators locked in combat. Kea took a moment to gain his bearings (no pun intended) and then rushed in to fight the tiger as well.

As a father, Artorias' first instinct was to rush in and join his son in battle. But as a young warrior's mentor, the Aegis knew the value of paws-on learning. The tiger was outnumbered three-to-one. It would not be a fair fight, and Art could end it in seconds with the sword sheathed across his back. So instead, Artorias hung to the perimeter of the skirmish, watching Kea's form and his tactics while making sure the tiger didn't pose too great of a threat to the wolf or polar bear. If the fight started turning in favor of the tiger, then he'd come to his son's aid. Artorias did lend Kea a hand every so often by barking and feigning an attack towards the tiger, who recoiled from the wolf and roared while swiping its clawed paws at Art to keep him at bay. "Don't let up, Kea! Press the attack and keep it on the defensive!"

"Artorias Carpathius"