It had been a little bit since she'd approached her father about training. Not fight training, they did that plenty. Artorias was a great teacher and a wonderful father. Always there when she needed him, but this time, she wanted to address the other topic she was interested in.

Bramble's long strides eat up the stone floor and stairs as she makes her way down from her room. She could tell fall was around the corner by the way the colors changed in the gardens outside the window. Pausing every so often to admire the sprawling lands around Hearthstone, Bramble couldn't help but smile. It was home. Making sure to greet anyone and everyone she passed, the Carpathian princess would turn down toward the lower floors where the meeting room lay.

Traveling down the all-too-familiar hallway, she makes it to the end and before entering the council room, she peeks into the dojo. Ah, a room that she both enjoyed and resented. How many times had she bruised herself taking out those training dummies? As she was done reminiscing, Bramble turned from the dojo and went across the hall and into the council room. Once in there, she pauses to admire the large stone table with all of its intricate carvings. Whoever had created it had been a genius.

Walking up to the table, Bramble lifts a paw to brush along the tabletop. Polished and smooth, she wanders around the large stone piece until she is at the back of the room. There she would sit at the table next to where her father would normally sit. Taking her seat, she smooths out her fur and makes sure the ribbons attached to the cuff around her tail aren't tangled. There she waits, as patiently as she can which is... not very patient. If anyone knew Bramble, they knew that she could hardly sit still for more than a few minutes at a time, but for her father, she would try. She wanted to be on the High Council one day and that meant sitting still.

"Speech"

Artorias' children were growing up fast—too fast for his liking the father might say. There was nothing but pride in his heart as the Aegis watched his younglings grow into the wolves they were becoming, but a part of him would always long for the days when they were small chubby nuggets that he could pick up and carry around. Now, his sons were becoming strapping young men and his daughters beautiful young women. Never had a father ever been as proud of his children as Artorias was of his own. The Hallows had seen a long stint of peace for some time now, and that afforded the Aegis more time to devote to his kids, helping them with their training, playing with his youngest litter, and just being present for their lives. He had never known his own father, and when he had found out he was going to be a parent himself, he had vowed to always be there for his own pups. That was a vow Artorias had taken seriously every single day since.

It was a lovely late summer day, bordering on the eve of autumn in Auster. The weather was still warm and balmy as the southern continent tended to be, but already the nights were cooling off, the days growing shorter, and the trees starting their transformations into bouquets of gold and fire. Even his beloved wisterias were beginning to lose some of their purple hues in preparation for the colder seasons. Art was taking a stroll through the gardens, admiring the beauty of their home while on his way to meet with Bramble. She had asked him for a one-on-one chat and he had happily acquiesced after handing over care of the puppies to Briar. Striding up the terrace and into Hearthstone was always a grand spectacle, as was walking down the long stone corridors he'd traversed a thousand times over. This was their home. These rooms were familiar and filled with memories, the history of the new generation of Carpathians.

Artorias found his lovely daughter waiting patiently (or at least as patiently as Bramble could be) for him in the Council Chambers, seated beside his seat at the head of the massive stone map table. An amused smile lifted the corners of Artorias' lips as he lingered in the doorway, watching quietly as Bramble ran her paw along the edge of the table, examining its features closely. "Impressive, isn't it?" he said after a moment, stepping into the room to join her as he strode leisurely across the room, fire-toned eyes tracing over the table as he went. "The wolf who made it was the greatest artisan I have ever met. A true master of his craft." Art came to stand with Bramble at the far end of the table, giving her a mirthful smirk. "Ți-ar plăcea să vezi ceva special?"

Moving around to the side of the table, Artorias reached a paw beneath the stone surface and pulled out a long metal tray filled with unlit candles, letting Bramble see all the little secrets behind the scenes that few knew about. The dire brute stepped away to let her inspect the hidden compartment of candles while he moved over to the small brazier in the corner of the room and set a long thin stick into the burning coals, catching the end on fire. He then returned to Bramble's side and proceeded to light each of the candles. Once every candle was alight, Artorias extinguished the stick and pushed the tray back underneath the table. As the candles slid beneath the table, the map carved into the stone began to illuminate with the candlelight seeping through from below, bringing the map to life in a stunning orange glow that showed every terrain and landmark on Boreas and Auster. Artorias smiled as he gazed down at the table in all its splendor, then looked back up to Bramble, giving her some time to admire the table she had been fascinated in since she was a wee pup. "It's beautiful in its own right, but it is even more spectacular when its true magnificence is allowed to be shown." A paradigm for how Artorias saw his own children, and a thinly veiled compliment to his daughter. "What can I do for you, daughter of mine?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Lost in her thought as she admired the table, Bramble let out a gentle sigh. Oh, to be a Carpathian. A large role to fill, but one she welcomed eagerly. There was nothing more that she wanted in life than to make her parents proud. Maybe she should spend more time with her mother as well. Learn how to be a proper lady. Er, well, a decent one at least who could decide when to be proper. Fighting bears was a tad too fun sometimes for her to be a lady all the time. Smiling at her own inner thoughts, her father's words draw her from inside to the room. Her tail thumps a few times against the seat as her own eyes draw back down to the table.

"If only more wolves cherished the craft like him," Bramble muses quietly before her ears perk up and big teal eyes look up at her father. "Desigur, tată", she smiles at him before turning her attention to the motions of her father. Watching as he pulled out the candles, her eyes widened even more. There was a secret compartment in the table? Amazed already, she continues to watch as Artorias lights the stick in the brazier and comes back over to light the candles. As he pushes the candles back into the compartment and the table begins to glow orange, her mouth opens.

"I have no words," she whispers as she looks over the map of both Auster and Boreas. There truly was no way to describe how magnificent it appeared. Drawn to the beauty of the stone table, Bramble almost doesn't register that Artorias asked her a question. It takes a few seconds before she blinks a few times and clears her throat. "Right, yes!" Bramble resituates herself and sits a little taller as she turns her attention to her father. "I have brought you here today to discuss my future," her smile widens as she lets her tail wag gently. "I have come a ways in my fight training. I will still make time for that, but I would like to start setting aside more time to learn the other half of what it means to lead the Hallows," She keeps her tail gaze on him, a cool light of energy and optimism that reflects the glow of the table with flecks of orange and yellow.

Artorias enjoyed Bramble's marveling at what he considered one of the grandest points of interest in the Hallows. The council table was one of his greatest delights and to see it fascinate and captivate the mind of his child made him feel like Ruga's legacy would live on for generations to come. When he asked Bramble directly what he could do for her, his daughter immediately straightened up and began to speak her mind. She brought a chuckle from her sire with how formal she addressed their little chat, and while Artorias never made to make his own family feel like he had to be spoken to as an alpha or a leader or a king, he still found it flattering that they chose to do so anyway.

So Bramble wanted to discuss her future and her path in the Hallows, eh? It was a conversation the father and daughter had had before in the past, but as she was growing up, it made sense to revisit the topic with regular check-ins to see how she was doing and feeling. Art listened with rapt attention as Bramble explained how she felt she had made great strides in her fighting training and how she now wished to learn more of the political aspect of leading the Hallows. That raised a brow on Artorias' forehead, a thoughtful hum rumbling in his throat while he considered her words. "You have indeed made tremendous progress with your combat training—although there still remains some things to refine around your bear tactics," he said with a hint of playful jest in his words as he took a teasing jab at his not-so little girl. "And I suppose you did express your desire for both Commander and High Councilor positions when I asked you, so learning about politics and diplomacy is the natural next steps to take."

Artorias pursed his lips as he mulled over his daughter's request, turning his amber gaze down to the illuminated surface of the table, his eyes following the lines etched into its surface from territory to territory. After a moment, the Aegis nodded his head and stepped away from the table again. He moved over to a small mahogany chest in the corner of the room and opened it, producing small metal effigies from within and bringing them over to the table. Each one represented a different pack in Boreas and Auster. "Part of being a leader is being able to see the big picture as well as the finite details in it as well," Artorias explained as he set each effigy out on the terrain where each pack resided, starting with the Armada up north and working his way down to Tojo-Kai in the south. "Beyond our borders, there is a wide world full of friends, enemies, and possibilities. As leaders, we are expected to make the best decisions we can with all the information available to us. That is where our interactions with other packs comes in." He waited for a moment to let Bramble look over the map and consider his words before continuing on. "If diplomacy is your next program to learn, then your mother and I will be happy to teach you. But how about we start with something simple for a first lesson. Do you have any ideas on what sort of diplomacy you'd like to focus on? Perhaps planning something special with our friends?" The Aegis left the ball in his daughter's court. He could help Bramble brainstorm some ideas, but he wanted to provoke the free thought in her mind first and foremost.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Bramble would listen to her father with great interest. Unlike other moments, these were the times that she tried her best to listen and relax. To not allow her mind to wander so that she could put all of her focus on what he had to teach her. Her own eyes would follow the flicker of territory lines that were aglow along the table. Not only was the table for sitting at, it was a tactical map as well. Expertly carved lines to show each and every pack. When had so many risen? She watched as Artorias set up the effigies to show the different packs aside from their own. Though their own lands reached far and wide, other packs had also reached far and wide. Was that why they cared for so many ravens? Wolves couldn't possibly travel that far that quickly and still know everything that went on in both Boreas and Auster.

"Perhaps the bears should learn not to mess with me," Bramble teases back quietly as she looks up at her father. Yes, she wanted both Commander and High Council, the latter being her eventual preference. To sit among the other greats of the Hallows and help lead their pack to whatever great future lay ahead for them.

Leaning back slightly so that she could take in the whole map, she lets out her own thoughtful hum. Friends, enemies, and possibilities. Bramble knew that not everyone needed to be their friend, but wouldn't that be the end goal? For peace and happiness among the lands, they all had to behave and be cordial with each other, no? Artorias does bring up a good point. For her to help lead, she would need the pack to like her. Not necessarily be her friend, but they had to be on her side and not just because she was Artorias' daughter. What wasn't there to like about her though?

Taking a moment, Bramble thinks. What could she do for the Hallows? That included everyone, but wasn't a rip-off of her father's bonfire... When was the last time they had held an event inside of the castle? Her eyes light up suddenly and a small noise leaves her lips. "Ah! What about a party? Uh, what had mom called it? A ball? I'm not sure why she calls it that, but you know, a great big dinner and dancing! Music and festivities!" Bramble beams at Artorias as she looks up from the table to him. "Could I plan something like that to bring everyone together? There are so many within the pack that I think that would be fun! The pups could help make decorations!" She would love to include her siblings and cousins, the pups were her favorite. "Mom could help teach some lessons in manners or party planning, I'm sure she's great at it!"

"Speech"

Artorias put no pressure nor time limit on Bramble's brainstorming as he stood by the table and watched his daughter study the map, her turquoise eyes darting back and forth over everything as her mind buzzed with her brilliant thoughts. All of his children were incredibly smart, but Bramble as one of the most clever of them all, a point of pride for the smitten father. An idea seemed to come to Bramble's mind; Artorias saw her eyes light up as she gave a small sound of inspiration. A party was her suggestion—a ball—something festive with food and drink and dancing and music. Art tipped his head as he curiously listened to Bramble explain her thoughts and requests, the little smile on his lips betraying how much he was enjoying watching her problem solve on her own. She even had ideas on how to get other members of the pack and her siblings involved too.

A pensive hum left the Aegis' lips as he pretended to ponder her suggestion for a moment. "It has been quite some time since the Hallows has hosted any large scale events. I believe the last one we ever had was your mother's and my wedding," he mused aloud, looking over the effigies of the other packs before turning his gaze back to Bramble. "That sounds like a delightful idea, sweetheart! I'm sure your siblings and cousins would love to help out, especially Ember. She's as eager to get involved in the politics as much as you are. And your mother will absolutely love to help you with whatever you need to get it set up." Artorias gave Bramble a moment to realize what he was telling her. This was her idea, she would be the one to organize it and host it. He would just be providing the venue and resources to make it happen.

"Now, as for the guest list, let's not overwhelm you with too much just yet. How about we host the ball for your generation to start with? Say, wolves two or three and younger can come and mingle, give the new generations of the packs a chance to get to know one another. These will be the wolves you'll be interacting with the most for the rest of your life, after all." Artorias did not doubt Bramble's abilities, but giving her some guidelines and parameters to work within would help her keep herself from doing too much or overwhelming herself for her first ball. Perhaps when she was a little more experienced, she could host a full fledged event in the Hallows. Which reminded him... Artorias turned back towards the table and then methodically toppled over the effigies for Insomnia and Raider's Hollow. "These are the packs we have good standing with presently, ranging from neutral to full fledged alliances." These would be the wolves Bramble was permitted to invite. Glancing at his daughter from the side, Artorias asked, "How do you feel about hosting an event like this, Bramble? Would you like to be responsible for our first ever Yearlings' Harvest Ball?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"