Spring in Auster had always been a beautiful show of what nature had to offer. Winter had mostly been skipped by his family thanks to the supernatural autumn that had overtaken the Hallows' lands, meaning Artorias' children had gotten to enjoy more time outdoors exploring their world, learning a million new things, and not having to be cooped up indoors all day. Now with spring in full swing, the days were bright and sunny, warm and pleasant. The days grew longer which meant more hours for puppy playtime! Talyssa, his sweet little girl, had shown an aptitude for exploration and a thirst for knowledge, traits that mirrored both Briar's and his own passions. So when the days became nicer, Artorias decided to take his daughter out on a little trip to spend some father-daughter time together—and what better place to take an eager adventurous puppy than to the beach?

Artorias fetched Talyssa just after breakfast and led the way out of the castle, beyond the gates and into the expansive world beyond. The old dirt path that ran from the castle down to the beach was still present, and Art let Taly walk alongside him so she could scamper about and explore as her little heart desired. All the while he watched her with all the pride of a new father for his child, beaming down at his tawny daughter like she was the most precious treasure in the world—and to him, she was. The gentle lapping of waves on the coast which had always been a present sound even from the castle became louder the closer they got to the shore, and following the dirt path down an embankment to the golden sands below brought the wolves out to the sight of the vast western sea glistening in the sunlight. Artorias watched the way the sun shimmered off the water's surface like a million diamonds, glancing up to the crying gulls overhead that floated lazily in the breeze.

"We're here, Taly!" he declared and leaned down to place an excited nuzzle to his daughter's forehead. "Go on, you lead the way! We're here to explore and see what we can see. If you feel like it, maybe you can race your dad across the beach too." Today was Talyssa's day; whatever she wanted to do, Artorias' attention was all hers.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Just a little while ago, the Hallow's territory seemed endless. That she could keep walking in a direction and never reach the end of it. She remembered the day that Thorn took her out to see the neighboring plains- and how anxious it made her when the castle could no longer be seen on the horizon. How unrecognizably silly that seemed now. Exploring Auster had quickly captivated her heart. Stories from the travels of her pack mates were nice and all- but nothing compared to being able to get out and experience the world on her own. Or in this case, with the company of her father.

After breakfast, she needed no convincing to set off on an adventure- Talyssa nearly trembled from the excitement that engulfed her as she took each bounding stride at her father's side. While she had previously been down the path that they set out to follow, she had never taken it off castle grounds. As it cut its way down to sea level through rolling hills- the landscape making the transition from dirt to stand- the voice of the ocean grew louder than she had ever heard it before. Once they had cleared the final levee of the coastline, she finally had an uninterrupted view of the huge expanse of ocean.

Talyssa halted in her tracks, taken aback by the scene before her- only to be restarted by the affectionate touch of her forehead. Her lips parted in an open-mouthed smile as the wonderment overtook her expression- twinkling in her pale blue eyes as she looked up to Artorias' announcement. Of course, the young girl needed no further prompting. She bounded forward a couple more strides before stopping once more.

The glitter of the water, the scream of the gulls, the warmth of the sand beneath her paws, the uninterrupted breeze that intertwined in the ends of her coat, and even the salinity that dried the back of her throat ... it was all mesmerizing. She had always seen the ocean from the castle windows. She knew it was huge. But it was nothing like standing at the edge of the world and looking out over the horizon. "It is so pretty! love it here!" Talyssa exclaimed, glancing back over her shoulder to find reassurance in her father's gaze. It didn't take much.

Lys pressed on, eager to interact with the push and pull of the tide. The first surge of water that rolled over the tops of her paws earned a squeal of delight as she chased it in its withdrawal- only to be pushed back as it nearly swept her paws out from underneath her in the following rush. The laughter that ensued was almost musical as she hopped back towards the powdery sand that remained momentarily untouched by the ocean's grasp. Once she made it back to the edge of the water's reach, her attention returned to Artorias once more. "Do you like the beach?" She asked curiously, wondering if her father shared her feelings on her newfound love.

Artorias loved all of his children—what father didn't?—but there was something especially heartwarming about the time he got to spend with Talyssa. His precious little princess held a boundless joy and excitement to simply be alive, a wanderlust and thirst for adventure and knowledge that reminded him of both himself and Briar when they had been pups. Watching his tawny daughter while she bounded over the soft golden sands with little puppy leaps melted his heart, and the smile on her face and gleam in her baby blue eyes were almost enough to bring him to tears. Gods, how he loved his children...!

The dutiful father followed his child every step of the way, walking behind her all the way to the edge of the surf where it lapped at their paws. Just like he had done the first time he had seen the sea, Taly chased the water out as it withdrew, then ran back to him with a delighted squeal as the foamy surf rolled up on the beach once more, this process repeating again and again to his delight and humor. Artorias laughed and beamed as a proud father would watching his daughter having fun, enjoying the cool wash of the salty ocean water rippling over his giant paws. It was a perfect beach day, and he was grateful he got to share this time with Lys!

Talyssa declared that the coast was both beautiful and that she loved it here, a sentiment Artorias could echo wholeheartedly. It was one of the many reasons why he had so loved the lands his mothers had claimed as their home when they moved the Hallows to Auster. Close proximity to the western sea was a great benefit to a water baby like Artorias! While he watched her play in the shallows, Taly asked him if he shared her fondness for the beach. The smile on her sire's face grew wider and amber eyes lit up.

"I do! I've always been fond of the water in general, but the ocean has always been something special to me," he explained to his little girl, taking a few steps closer to the edge of the water, leaving large paw prints behind in wet sand to be washed away by the rolling waves. "When I was your age, your Uncle Rudy and I would go down to the beach every chance we got to play in the water and practice sparring on the sand." This had all been back at their home in Boreas, of course, before the ice age hit the world. Glancing down to Taly with a smirk, Art motioned into the water. "Would you like me to show you how to swim, Taly?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Hearing that her father enjoyed the beach as well, delighted her. "It will be special for me too!" Talyssa vowed, wanting to express interest in something that they could share. As Artorias approached the lingering ocean spray, Talyssa followed- going far enough out that the water had no problem reaching her knees on each pass. She flexed her nails into the wet sand, but the dislodged grains were quickly swept away as if they had never been. When she picked up her paw, the impression was immediately erased before her eyes. How fascinating.

Though the cleansing ability of the ocean was momentarily forgotten as her father began to recall the fond memories of times he had spent as a pup himself. "Aww!" Talyssa loved hearing stories about the members of her family. It was very easy to picture the young brothers tumbling in the sand- as if she were looking at a painting hanging in the castle. It also led her to envision Ciaran and Thorn doing the same, and it brought a smirk to the corner of her lips. But riding the same train of thought, it left her wondering about herself. She would certainly come to the beach to spar with her brothers- even if she wasn't very good at it. She couldn't help but wonder where that left her father's sisters. She certainly couldn't imagine that Aunt Bo would be left to be outdone. "Did Aunt Bowen ever come too?" She inquired, hopeful that he would confirm that she did. While she loved all of her relatives, and cherished them for an array of different reasons, Aunt Bowen was certainly one of her favorites. Talyssa couldn't help but wanting to be like her when she was grown.

While she didn't catch her father's motion, the idea of swimming illuminated her expression with excitement. Talyssa nodded vigorously as her attention lingered at each toss of the tide. The girl was a little uncertain of if she could withstand the waves or not, but she trusted her father- that if he said it was safe, that she wouldn't debate or hesitate any further. Plus, the idea of learning a new skill was all the motivation she really needed. "Yes! How do you swim, Daddy?" She asked enthusiastically, lending her pale blue gaze to her father once more as she awaited their next lesson.

It never failed to delight and amuse Artorias to find what traits his children shared with himself, which they shared with their mother, and which were wholly unique to themselves. Taly's love of the sea and the coast was strongly her father in her, and it brought a loving smile to the bright-eyed sire. Little Lys gushed when he told her the story of his and Rudy's antics as juveniles, keenly leaving out any of the bits where he and his brother had knowingly and willfully broken any of their parents' rules in the process. Two of his children were already little renegade troublemakers, he didn't need to inspire another to follow their example. The happy expression on Artorias' face was momentarily frozen however when Talyssa asked if Bowen had ever gone with them to the beach. A cold weight settled over Art's soul, his heart sinking in his chest. He thought of Bowen, visions of her as a puppy flashing in his memory. They hadn't even been yearlings when she'd been taken from them... Artorias tried to remember the last time he saw his sister before she came home to them one day out of the blue, a full grown adult with a lifetime of trauma attached to her.

The smile on his face slipped a little, fiery eyes distant in rueful memory. He blinked, snapping back into the present day, and looked down at his daughter with a more genuine smile, though a lingering part of his gaze still seemed guarded, trying to protect his child's innocence to the darker aspects of the world for as long as he could. Someday she would need to learn some of the harsher lessons of life. Today would not be that day. "Aunt Bowen was away from us for a long, long time when we were very young," Artorias explained, his words slow and tactful while he debated how to phrase the situation to Taly. "Aunt Ash too. It was just me, Uncle Rudy, and Aunt Gwyn here with your grandmother for a while. But we were all very happy when they both came home to us." That would be the extent of the explanation he would give to Talyssa for now. Maybe when she was older Bowen would want to tell her story. He trusted his sister to be discerning in what she shared with the young pups.

A pleasant and much needed distraction, the offer of swimming lessons visibly brightened his hyper little girl's expression and she gleefully accepted. Artorias hadn't doubted that she would be interested, but Lys' endless enthusiasm never failed to make him laugh, a hearty chortle bellowing from the dire wolf's chest. "Well, come with me, little love, and I'll show you!" The father led the way for his daughter over to a small cove inlet further off down the shore, sheltered from the rougher waves of the open ocean it would be a more ideal location for aquatic lessons. The cove had much shallower water, deep enough that Artorias could wade in it up to his knees and Taly would be able to paddle and submerge herself, but the placid surface held very little motion to it. Underneath the water's glistening surface, tiny fish swam back and forth, their scales glittering in the sunlight. "First thing we'll do is step into the water," explained Artorias, walking into the cool water until it reached just above his ankles. "Go slowly at first, at least until you become more comfortable with moving in the water. It'll feel different the deeper you go, like you're becoming weightless. Go as deep as you feel comfortable, Taly." Once Talyssa had gotten familiar with wading in deeper water, Artorias would show her how to swim properly, keeping at her side all the while to make sure his little girl stayed safely above the surface. She would never be in any danger with him nearby.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

The sudden falter in her father's normal warm expression at the mention of his sister brought her immediate concern. Talyssa instantly felt a pang of guilt- or maybe even regret at the question that had forced a wedge of something more sorrowful between them. The girl could all but see the painful memories flash before her father's eyes. She drooped a little herself, wanting to offer comfort or reassurance ... but not entirely knowing how. She waited expectantly, but in silence no less, until her father explained that Aunt Bowen and Aunt Ash had been absent much through their adolescence. The question of 'why' came to the tip of her tongue in the interest of wanting to know just what he was talking about. However, she managed to refrain in order to avoid that downcast look she was afraid she was going to get at the prompt of an elaboration.

It seemed to offer relief to their conversation at the opportunity to learn something new, and she was happy to follow her father's lead full tilt. It seemed that he had a specific location in mind, and when they arrived at the cove, it made sense to her why this was the chosen spot. It was sheltered from the brunt of the heart of the sea, and while there was movement, it was nothing like the open shoreline.

When she was instructed to enter the water, she did so with obvious excitement. Rushing in until the chill of the ocean soaked into the fur beneath her chest. It was then that her father's words registered. Go slowly at first. There was no concealing the sheepish look as she glanced over her shoulder in acknowledgment of her mistake. From there she took slow steps up until it crested at her sides in the gentle surge. Her dad was right, she did feel weightless. It was at that point, she turned around to face him. "Is this deep enough?" She asked, not sure how deep it had to be to properly swim.  

Artorias watched as Talyssa's curiosity grew into complete fascination once they arrived at the cove he would be using to teach her how to swim. The shallower and calmer waters here would make the inlet a perfect puppy pool to learn in! His tiny tawny pup went charging right into the water with absolutely no fear, bringing a bright smile to her sire's face. He loved the enthusiasm she tackled life with and hoped she never lost that zest for exploration and discovery! Artorias remained watchful while Talyssa got herself accustomed to being in the water, going as deep as she felt safe to, then asking if she had gone far enough. "Yes, very good, Lyssa! Do you feel that weightless sensation like you're being lifted off your paws? That's your body floating in the water. Swimming is a combination of letting your body float naturally and using your paws to move yourself around in the water."

Artorias waded a little deeper into the pool, keeping near to Taly in case she needed help, but allowing her to make all of the motions and movements for herself so she could learn by doing. "Try floating for a few moments. Take in the sensations and get familiar with them. Once you're used to being buoyant, it will feel like second nature looking for that feeling when you swim." The dire wolf sire let his pup experiment with floating for a few minutes, testing out her buoyancy and what it felt like to just drift in the water. When she eventually gave him the signal that she was ready to progress, Art gave her the next set of instructions. "Good. Now, try paddling your paws with the same movements like you're walking in the water. Don't struggle or flail, you want smooth and controlled motions."

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

When he asked if she could feel the sensation of weightlessness, she was quick to answer. “Mmm-hmm!” It was such a strange feeling- it would certainly take some getting used to. But as he explained the concept of floating, her attention was zeroed in. Describing the act of swimming as steering yourself while floating actually made a lot of sense. However, the concept of buoyancy was generally strange to her in itself. In an effort to find reassurance, she racked her mind for an example. On one of her adventures, she did recall seeing leaves and twigs being carried by the river current … so it couldn’t be all that hard. They stayed at the surface without any effort, and she had legs. Surely that gave her an advantage over a leaf.

Hesitantly, she took what little of her own weight she was supporting into her shoulders, while simultaneously allowing her hind legs to extend behind her. Taking a deep inhale, she tucked one arm against her chest, and then her final limb… and immediately felt the sensation that she was sinking. Talyssa grit her teeth as she instinctually forced one of her front paws forward and down- the resistance in the water being enough to propel her chin above the surface. Frantically, she mirrored that sweeping motion with her opposite paw, which again, prevented her from going under.

The encouragement she received to avoid struggling was almost missed over the sound of her splashing. However, as she began to awkwardly use her hindquarters to bear some of the burden, it corrected her posture- her back rising to be parallel with the surface- and made things quite a bit easier to manage. After a few more clumsy strokes, she finally felt as if maybe she wasn’t sinking after all.  A bright grin crossed her features as she made a wide arc to return to the spot where she kicked off from. “Look, Tati!” Taly beamed with excitement as she steered herself to try and swim directly to her father- seeking an embrace as she finished her first attempt at swimming in the ocean.

The attentive father watched with unyielding focus as his little girl began the clumsy process of beginning to swim on her own. What started as an awkward sort of shambling splashing in the tide pool gradually began to shift into a more natural posture, and stroke by stroke Talyssa started to right herself and move about the shallow waters. A proud smile slowly stretched across Artorias' muzzle while he watched her find her composure and balance, swimming to one side of the pool and then arcing back around to come back towards him. A celebratory laugh erupted from her sire as she exclaimed for his attention, though she would always have it without needing to ask. "There you go, Taly! You're doing it!" he cheered for her from the other end of the pool, bushy tail wagging with excitement above his back.

As his pup made her way back to him, Art lowered his front half to the water to better receive her, snatching her up in large azure paws as she docked for a congratulatory embrace. Artorias laughed again and brought his snout down to nuzzle enthusiastically into Taly's forehead. "Look at you go! My daughter must be part dolphin!" he joked with a playful beaming grin on his face. "That was very good, Talyssa! You take to water like you were born for it. Remember these basics and soon you'll be able to swim anywhere." Still holding his tawny girl close, Art gestured back to the tide pool. "Would you like to continue practicing? We can come down here whenever you'd like so you can practice and learn. Just promise me you won't try to swim on your own until you're a yearling, okay?" The last thing Artorias ever wanted was for something to happen to his children, and the thought of his daughter losing control while learning to swim and drowning was every parent's worst nightmare.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

As she propelled herself forward across the shallow pool, she knew that she would forever love the water. Each stroke became stronger and more confident. As she tilted her chin up above the surface, she maintained a steady breath- tilting forward as she pushed her uncoordinated limbs to paddle as quickly as they could. Her father’s cheering only encouraged her- and did so all the way until she ended up in his open embrace. As she was scooped up, excited squeals and bouts of laughter erupted- her tail rapidly swaying in a display of enthusiasm as she was praised for her efforts. As an affectionate nuzzle was delivered to her forehead, Talyssa fought to lean into it with a nuzzle of her own. The idea that she could be part dolphin was particularly funny to her, but the promise that she could swim anywhere she wanted was exceptionally exhilarating. “Really?! You think so?” Taly asked out of surprise. She wondered if it was any different swimming in a river or a lake as compared to the ocean … but decided she would just have to find out for herself in due time.

As her father gestured back to the tidepool, offering her the opportunity to continue practicing, she nodded along furiously.  “Just a little bit longer, please Tati?” She pleaded, waiting to be released so she could return to the water. But before doing so, she would have to respect her father’s ruling and offer compliance. “I promise, I won’t.” She answered, trying to be as genuine as she could in her vow to not attempt to swim on her own until she was a yearling ... but her impatience was obviously growing as she bounced on her toes to try and contain herself.  

"Talyssa Carpathius"

His daughter’s palpable joy and zeal at the prospect of becoming a professional swimmer in time brought a hearty laugh from her sire, beaming down at his hydrophilic pup with wide smile and warm eyes. "Absolutely! Your mother and I are avid swimmers, so it’s no surprise you’re going to be a strong swimmer too!" he remarked as he held his excited, wriggly child in his oversized paws. Talyssa’s pleas to keep swimming were quickly followed by her promise to not go swimming on her own until she was older and more experienced, and with his wishes met by his ever obedient little girl, how could any father deny her wish?

Giving her an overly dramatic scrutinizing look and humming as he pretended to mull it over, Artorias finally relented with a playful grin. "Hmmmmm… oh, all right, a little bit longer for my little dolphin," he teased her, but released her back into the tide pool with a gentle toss to send her propelling forward through the shallow water. The giant brute then sat back in the water, watching Taly play about at her own pace with a smile ever present on his face.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

While her echoed answer seemed to give her father the response he was looking for, she wasn’t immediately released like she wanted. Talyssa continued to bounce on her toes as he considered her request. When he finally did agree, an ear-to-ear grin spread across her features. Talyssa propelled herself forward but had not been expecting the quick start for help. She glided out into the pool, paddling furiously as another round of giggles escaped her lips. It didn’t take long for the borrowed momentum to dissipate, but it was sure fun for the few seconds it lasted!

Talyssa continued circling the tidepool time and time again, though it didn’t take very long for her to start feeling the fatigue in her clumsy limbs. But while her body was expressing exhaustion, she couldn’t bare the thought of leaving. As she made her way back to her father once more, she hesitated before going all the way- it was just shallow enough for her to stand- though the water covered her back. “Can we come back tomorrow, Tati?” She asked that same pleading look persistently in place as she did everything in her power to will him to agree.

-End Thread-

Artorias stood watch over his precious little girl for as long as she wanted to keep swimming, the smile never leaving his face for even a moment. Watching his tawny pup kicking and splashing about in the shallow pool, a moment of pensive and emotional awe passed over him. All his life, Artorias had lived in the shadow and mystery of having never had a father. He had Resin for a short time, and he had Sirius to help mentor him, but a whole half of who he was would forever be an enigma to him. He had never grown up knowing a male role model, never had a father to show him how to swim and take him hunting or chase him around the castle gardens. Now here he was, giving all that he had never had to his own children. When he had first found out Briar was pregnant, he vowed to always be there for his pups, no matter what. He would not let them live that curse he had endured. Now, watching his daughter learn to swim, Artorias almost felt angry—angry at the brute that had knocked his mother up and never looked back. Seeing all the things his father had never gotten to experience with him, Art knew that this mystery man would forever have missed out.

As Talyssa came back around to him after a few more laps in the pool, the sweet girl begged him to bring her back tomorrow to continue her lessons. Big baby blue eyes pleaded with him, and the sweetness they radiated could have given him diabetes simply by looking at her for too long. His smile widening, Artorias chuckled and nodded his head. "Desigur, fiica mea. We can come back as often as you'd like!" So long as Taly had an adult with her until she grew closer to her adult size, he didn't care if she spent her entire days down on the beach or by the rivers and lakes. "Come on, let's head back to the castle. You're probably overdue for a nap after all that swimming, little one." Ushering Talyssa out of the pool, Art gave a shake of his damp fur, playfully tossing water droplets all over to splash Taly with a grin as he led the way back up to Hearthstone.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"