Modesty was sprawled out on the beach, the dancing lights and still full moon overhead so much more ominous for the lack of Gilgamesh at her side. She hardly expected Art to take her up on the invitation offered by Moo earlier in the day. It was a straight flight from the beach behind the Ravine over to the castle, so she knew the message had been delivered. She had even managed to get a little fire going with the assistance of Kenway's latest attempt at brewing, (if he kept this up, they'd be able to bottle it with lit rags and use it as a weapon of war). She snickered as she took a long draw from something a bit less... overproofed, but enough to kick her in the back of the throat none the less.

She felt a little bad for scuttling Art's attempt to get the Raider's in an alliance with the rest of the packs. Any other time, she probably would have been a bit more amenable, but not with Ethne at the table too. Gilgamesh still hadn't been returned to them, dead or otherwise at that point.

Friendly fire isn't.

"speech"

The last thing Artorias had been expecting following the alphas' meeting was a missive from Raider's Hollow. While he didn't think they had become enemies or anything of the sort, Modesty had clearly left the summit feeling a certain way, not that he could blame her for the way she was feeling in the wake of everything that her pack and family had been through. He had known having both Ethne and the Raiders sitting at the same table had been a gamble to try and keep the peace, one that had unfortunately not paid off. While blood had not been spilled, the stances of both sides had been made clear. Artorias had done all he could do; now the fates of both sides would be left in their own paws and the will of the gods. Still, receiving a personal invitation to speak with the Raid Queen was a pleasant surprise, and with a quick reply sent across the channel, Artorias made preparations to go visit the Hollow. The Hallows and the Hollow... how fittingly similar their names were.

The trip up across the Bifröst was quick and uneventful, and the Lord of Cinder arrived at the Hollow as twilight advanced and night began to claim the land. Around his neck he carried a small bag with a bottle of wine, never one to turn up without a gift for his hosts. He'd already notified his wife that he would be out until tomorrow, so he had all the time in the world to spend having a heart to heart with Modesty. A gentle call in the evening air announced his presence, and when he received permission to enter, the Lord followed his way around the curve of the beach until he found the violet galactic woman laid out on the beach by a campfire, drinks ready to be consumed. The sight brought a little half smile to Art's lips; were this any other circumstances, drinks by firelight out on a moonlit beach would have been quite a romantic gesture. He knew the truth though—Modesty was in mourning. His heart ached for her loss.

Approaching with paws gently crunching the soft sands below, Artorias regarded Modesty with warm eyes and a lopsided smile. "Good evening, Your Grace. May I join you?" he teased her playfully, stepping over to lie down near her by the fire. His massive body hit the sand with a sigh, stretching out to get comfy with her while he slipped the bag off of his neck and placed it beside her. "I figured you probably have much stronger stuff than this already, but I'd be loathe to show up empty-pawed." The vintage of red wine he'd given her was one of his favorites—and one of their rarer ones, as it was quite a bit tricky to produce right. Golden amber eyes turned from Modesty up to the beautiful light show in the sky, the bands of auroras dancing over their heads amidst the glow of a full moon. "Truly a beautiful night... But my instincts tell me you asked me over for more than just watching the lights." Keen eyes turned back to his fellow alpha and friend, almost glowing in the firelight. Mod was not one to shy away from sharing her thoughts; he knew she'd tell him what was on her mind soon enough.

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

She allowed herself a small smile for the first time in what felt like an age and dipped her head towards the sand. "No need for fancy titles with me, there's nothing formal about this." She allowed him to get himself settled and she turned her attention back to the stars and the strange lights still dancing overhead, that seemed to lack any of the strangeness that accompanied them the last time they stretched this far south. "The meeting... may have been a convenient ruse on my part. Not what I said, I stand by that completely. Kotori ripped off his brother's ear when Deluge led a raid for access to water that might house ducks, there has never been any love lost between ourselves and the Armada. While I count Tori as family, I'm never quite sure where I sit with him, and while the Vikings seem like fun, our interactions have been minimal." She shrugged, getting back on topic. "Bellamy has always been the problem, her promotion was a message received loud and clear and they continue to poke us, and then cry victim when we bite back. I assumed she would be at your meeting, so I sent Scald and a few other trusted wolves that could hold their own to Ethne to try and retrieve Gilgamesh, if there was anything left." They did keep a bear after all. She paused, taking a deep breath, allowing an opportunity for her ramblings to wash over Artorias.

"He's alive, barely, and he's home. Sakana is... guarded in his prognosis, but thinks he will be okay, with time. Alive, at least." She shrugged, having been warned he might not remember them, might be a different wolf when he finally awoke. She would be there for him, regardless of whether or not it was wanted, she owed him that much at least, for all the years they had been together, everything they had endured. "I thought I should let you know, not that'll be publicizing it widely beyond this little... celebration." Her sombre mood was in stark contrast to the words she chose.

"speech"

Artorias chuckled and settled into this easy demeanor of informality with Modesty, curious what the Raid Queen had on her mind. He wouldn't be kept waiting long for his answer; Mod began by explaining that she had meant everything she said at the alphas' meeting. Of that, Artorias had never had any doubt. If there was one thing he knew about Modesty, it was that she was a straight shooter. She didn't mince words, she didn't play games or act coy. She spoke her mind and wore her opinions outwardly. It was refreshing to know someone so violently true to themselves that there was no obscurity to who they really were. The news of what happened at their most recent raid with Valta got a cringe from Artorias, his ears flicking back on sympathetic reflex. Yep, that sounded like the Fatalis sense of justice. "That sounds like Kotori..." mused the Lord of Cinder, uncorking the bottle of wine and taking a sip of the semisweet red liquid, offering the bottle over to Modesty to share. "The Fatalises aren't exactly known for their mercy, or forgiveness when they feel they've been wronged." It was one trait that he was glad Briar hadn't inherited from her father.

Remaining quiet while Bellamy outlined her grievances or indifferences with each of the other packs that had been in attendance at the meeting, Artorias silently realized he was getting a rare glimpse of how the Raiders saw the world. This was Modesty's perspective of their peers; this was how her pack saw themselves and everyone else. Mod named Bellamy the true problem, the real enemy amongst Ethne. That didn't surprise Art in the least. He'd heard from both Modesty and Bellamy herself how her aggression had been the catalyst that set things in motion, the domino that toppled the row. The news of the secret raid that was launched by her children to liberate Gilgamesh from Ethne did catch Artorias' intrigue, and he listened with a raised brow and a cheeky smirk on his lips as the Raid Queen admitted to using his meeting as their cover. A hearty laugh left the dire brute; he wasn't even mad! "Very clever use of the situation, Modesty. How is Gil?" Now Art was curious about the Raid King's condition, and he looked over to Modesty to enlighten him.

The news of Gilgamesh's condition was grim, but at the very least he was still alive. That brought some relief to the Lord of Cinder, grateful to know no lives had been lost in this blood feud yet. "That is... comforting, in a sense. A living wolf is easier to fix than a dead one." Art turned his fire-toned gaze over to his host. He still wanted to help them if he could. "Sakana is undoubtedly a talented healer, but may I offer one of my physicians lend a paw with Gil, or Siduri, or anyone who needs it? If for nothing else than to help alleviate the load on Sakana." Truthfully, Art wanted to see if his physician who had tried to help Sid and Gil before could continue her work to ensure nobody died in this conflict, but that would be entirely up to Modesty to accept or refuse the Hallows' aid. But there was a greater question on the Lord's mind, one aspect he keenly noted Modesty did not address yet. "And how are you doing, Modesty?" During all this conflict and strife, had anyone even asked her how she was? As a leader, it was expected for them to stay strong in the face of adversity, but Artorias knew better than most the great cost leadership demanded from those in charge.

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Things were easy with the Lord of Cinder. Why there had ever been conflict between their packs, Modesty couldn't quite remember now. Sure, the Pirates had been chaotic, but even their chaos paled in her memory when compared to the blatant disorganisation of Ethne and the harm they had wrought on her family.

Her shoulders visibly sagged at Artorias's offer for extra physicians, relief and gratitude toning her response. "I swear, Sakana might turn me into boots if I don't take you up on it, you'll be hard pressed to pry Siduri from Tarnish's side. He fell asleep one night and hasn't woken up since. Sakana is worried, but not enough to move him, or intervene overly at this point. Siduri is doing well with him, but she should be resting, recovering herself."

Were she a human, she might be rubbing her temples. Instead, she sighed and sipped the offered wine, offering up her own spiced rum in return. The bitter bark of laughter left her lips before she could contain it when asked how she was faring through all this. "As well as can be expected." she responded politically with a sidelong smirk before she snorted and shook her head, expression growing grave and her voice dropping to match the shift in her mood. "There's something different about him, and I don't know if it's an injury or if he genuinely... doesn't care for me anymore." She bit back on her molars and focused on the distant waves, taking another deep drink from the closest bottle, trying to force down the fist-sized knot that was working its way up her throat.

"speech"

Sitting here with the Raid Queen, it was amusing for Artorias to reflect back on their packs’ histories and how they had come to this point together. A much younger Artorias would have been aghast to see him here and now cavorting with the Raiders, but he hadn’t been that wolf he once was in a long time. The pirates had been the embodiment of chaos and he had lived and breathed by a code of vengeance. Time and age had tempered him a lot and had enlightened him in what was truly important in life. He was no longer that angry, self-righteous young brute that had felt he had to lead the Hallows like he had something to prove. He found he quite liked the Raiders' leading family the more he got to know Modesty, Gilgamesh, and their children. Perhaps there was something to be said about getting to know your neighbors instead of building fences right off the bat...

The relief that washed over Modesty was palpable, and already Artorias had planned on insisting if she had attempted to refuse, but thankfully that would not be necessary. Mod accepted his offer for help graciously, earning her an amused chuckle from the dire brute at the mention of her healer skinning her alive if she didn't take his offer. "Then I'll have Syanna make her way over once I get back. She can stay as long as you need her. I'm sure she'll be happy to take a look at Tarnish—and Sid again too, so long as the little firecracker will let her." Another chuckle as the brute took up the galactic fae on her rum, taking a deep swig of the spiced liquor. It burned in a delightful way going down; Art had always been a fan of the pirates' rum way back when.

His question about how she was doing was met with a harsh sardonic laugh, half expected given her circumstances. Her response was almost automatic and avoidant; it was what one would expect to hear. Deep down, Artorias wondered just how much she was hiding behind her mask of strength for the sake of everyone else. He knew all too well what a burden it was to wear a brave face when inside your world was burning around you. As Modesty revealed the depths of Gilgamesh's damage and what it had done to their marriage, Art frowned empathetically and turned his amber eyes out over the inky black waves of the rolling sea, the crests of each one illuminated by the dancing lights in the heavens. "I don't believe he doesn't care about you anymore, Modesty. Head injuries... they're a nasty business. I got a pretty severe conk to the head when I was young that screwed me up for a bit." Artorias mimed a blow to his head with a large paw, hoping to alleviate some of the dour mood with humor. He offered Mod a reassuring smile. "It's hard to see the silver lining of a cloud when you're in a thunderstorm. But that doesn't mean it isn't there. And the Gil I met... well, he's a fiercely passionate wolf. A man like that doesn't stop caring so easily."

Artorias hoped his words could offer some comfort to Modesty. He wholeheartedly believed in them too. Love was a powerful and mysterious force in the world. The love he and Briar shared had transcended every obstacle they came across, and it was what gave him faith that Gilgamesh would not abandon his love for Modesty so readily. "I meant what I said at the meeting, you know." It was a shift in topics, but he felt they needed something less grim to discuss, and the futures of their families and packs felt more hopeful and apropos. His amber gaze turned to Modest once more. "I don't want to risk anyone's lives and I don't want to start a war. I want to find a way for us to keep our families and loved ones safe—together. I would love to see the Hallows and Raiders in cooperation with each other. There's a threat in our homes that's already shown a willingness to use our loved ones as weapons against us. Nobody should have to face that kind of danger alone." Art gave Mod a moment to let his words sink in, hoping his earnestness was coming across. "You are Raiders, and raiding is a part of who you are. I would never ask you to abandon your culture or your way of life. But if someone came and threatened you with harm to your children, I'd rather see you with the might of Ardent at your back than have to stand alone. Would you at least consider taking part in a coalition for our mutually assured safety?"

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

She could see what Artorias was trying to do, revealing his own head injury, trying to give her hope, but it went deeper than that. She knew she was deeply unlikable. Selfish, prideful, vengeful and full of spite. She had grown claws and teeth beyond the physical and she would hurt those that cared about her, every single one of them, eventually. There wasn't much about herself that she found likeable. Even this new and tentative friendship, she expected to dissolve once he saw how ugly she truly was, inside and out. A blink had the self-loathing, the doubt shuttered back behind a wall. A deep inhale through her nose. Perhaps the alcohol was affecting her more than she initially thought.

Her smile was apologetic as Artorias spoke of his plans for a coalition again, lined with some of those shadows of teeth she hadn't wanted to reveal. "We will stand alone when we wipe Ethne, or whatever name they try to hide behind from the face of the map. Where does that leave us with your plans? Will you be compelled to save them from me if we siege?" She paused, "And when we turn our attention to those who shelter them? Will we be pitted against each other then?" Her face had slipped into something more serious. "My presence makes things messy. I am not a forgiving wolf Artorias, I can be indifferent, but their inability to leave things alone has forced my paw. I won't abide the threat they pose."

She wouldn't mention that she had met with Ely, that Scald seemed to have an interest in the girl. Messy things, coalitions, alliances. More trouble than they were worth.

"speech"

There was a silent desperation in those flaming amber jewels that looked to Modesty with hope and silent urging. Artorias wanted her to see his side, to understand what he was so urgently trying to lead the other alphas to. He did not see a monster beside him. He did not see anything detestable, dangerous, or disgusting in her. Artorias saw a mother trying to protect her children and make a good life for them. He saw an alpha wearing herself thin dealing with the weight of managing a pack and her own personal relationship on top of that. He saw a fighter so strong to bear these burdens and to keep on going, everyday keep on going one step at a time. But he could only build this bridge halfway to Modesty. The other half had to be done by her.

Mod smiled, apologetic as she declared that the Raiders would stand alone as they destroyed Ethne. Artorias' gaze lowered for a moment, his shoulders slumping some as he listened. He knew that finding a middle ground between the two warring packs would be an impossibility. There was too much bad blood between them; too many scars and souvenirs of warfare. This feud would only end with one of the packs decimated. Still, Artorias gave Modesty the courtesy of his silent attention, taking every severe word she uttered. His lips pulled into a tight line, his brow furrowed over troubled eyes. "Ethne is not part of the Coalition," he gently corrected Modesty, his words simple and resolute as he swallowed another mouthful of that excellent rum. "I told Haydée that she would need to settle this blood feud between you two before I would accept their application, precisely for the reason you just mentioned. I won't allow anyone to use my pack, my family as fodder for war."

Artorias' gaze lifted back to Modesty's once more. He wasn't giving up just yet. "I understand what you and Ethne must do and why it must be done. I will not 'save them' from you if you choose to siege them. Actions have consequences, and Ethne's have more than justified a response from you. I hope you wouldn't test my pack's creeds and try to hunt down Ethne wolves on Hallowed lands, but I understand how far rage will go better than you know." Now it was Artorias' turn to pause before adding, "But this is not the situation I formed the Coalition for. Your family was harmed and your pack threatened by Ethne. Your actions and your anger are justified. But I watched a pack fall and wolves rendered homeless by a group unafraid to threaten to kill a child in front of his father's eyes. I watched that group's leader menace my young pup when he thought he was alone. The Syndicate does not play by the rules. They do not fight fair. They've already made threats against a number of packs and have shown they're willing to carry them out by any means."

Artorias took a deep breath, trying to center himself as that memory of Sephiran refusing to let Talyssa leave as he stood over her stoked the fire in his heart. "You sieging Ethne is to protect yourselves from the threats they are to you. But the Syndicate... they might very well siege you just for existing or because they want to kill. What if they decide they like your lands next? Or maybe they take a liking to one of your wolves and steal them. I am not trying to start a war. I have no desire to see lives lost and blood spilled wantonly. But I'll be damned if I am made to stand by and watch uselessly as my friends fight and I can do nothing about it." Another pause while Art looked up at the sky, watching the colors dance and the stars shimmer for a moment. "I'm not asking you to not seek justice against Ethne or to forgive them, Modesty. I'm asking you to let me help you so that something like this can never happen to your family again. I don't want to see your family in jeopardy." Artorias' gaze darkened as a thought crossed his mind. "Have you met Sephiran Saxe yet?" If Modesty hadn't met the maniacal alpha of the Syndicate yet, perhaps she'd come to understand why he was so concerned about making sure those monsters stayed penned in where they were...

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

It was hard, to pull herself from that deep, dark place within herself, but she forced herself back, to focus on the measured words Artorias offered, showing the contrast to the cards she had shown compared to those that had been dealt to Norad. Part of her thought to argue that perhaps if they weren't strong enough to hold onto what was theirs then maybe they deserved it, but the thought of one of her own children being in the same position, would she have reacted any differently? Would she cede the battle and plan to win the war? Was that what this alliance he dreamed of was?

Hearing that Ethne weren't part of the alliance... Modesty visibly relaxed, although her involvement with it would still muddy the waters where everyone else was concerned. She heard him out, shook her head to the negative when she asked if she had yet met Sephiran, the leader of Syndicate. "I have not, nor am I foolish enough to go knocking on their door to make an introduction in this state, but I have encountered a member of the pack. She seems to have some sense about her and it seems my son is fond of her..." Her son, who was a man in his own right. Complicated, remained unsaid.

"I respect you enough not to drag you into my messes, and of course, we will respect the laws of your lands, however," her head tipped towards her bulging belly, "resolution will have to wait, and it hardly seems right to join a coalition focused on peace and protection when I have little intention of enforcing the spirit of the agreement myself." Bad timing. "Perhaps when the dust has settled, we can revisit it, but it would feel like an act of bad faith to enter such an arrangement right now. Besides, it would hardly been seen as fair to exclude them until all this has settled but extend the invitation to me and mine." A half-smile tugged at the corner of her lips, ever the politician, considering the optics. They couldn't go besmirching his good reputation, after all, he had managed to get so many leaders in one room, that had to count for something. "As an aside, I respect you, would even call you a friend, you and yours have shown us great kindness, and that, we would be willing to repay in kind. The Hallows, we would assist if need arose, the rest?" She shrugged, the small smile on her face betraying that she wouldn't particularly bat an eye if they all happened to catch fire at the same time.

"speech"

Just as Modesty had relaxed when he revealed that Ethne had not been invited into the Coalition, so too did Artorias when the Raid Queen responded to his question with quite humorous bluntness. "Believe me, your life is richer for having not," he quipped back with a tip of his head and a slow swig of the rum that was giving him a very pleasant buzz by now. Dang, the Raiders really knew how to make top shelf booze! The mention of having met one of the Syndicate's members did pique Artorias' interest. He briefly wondered if it was the same lavender lady that had so coldly bragged about kidnapping the child they leveraged in their usurpation. The way Modesty described her didn't sound the same, and truth be told Art did not know how large the Syndicate spanned by now. That was a concern in its own right. "Well, I'll hope that he found at least one of their wolves with decency and sense. I swear, sometimes it feels like our children are the ultimate tests of ourselves." Art chuckled, thinking of how his own daughter now wasn't on speaking terms with him because he hadn't cut down Sephiran the moment he saw the man.

Artorias listened respectfully while Modesty agreed to not drag the Hallows into any tests of virtues with Ethne, to which the Lord nodded his head gratefully. Tough choices had to be made in life, but they weren't exactly something he went rushing to find. At her gesture, Art glanced down to Modesty's plump sides, an instinctive fatherly smile slowly appearing on his muzzle. Artorias loved children and his heart was happy for Modesty. It did make him wonder if all the drinking they were doing was something she should be doing in her current condition... Mod did not outright refuse him, offering to table their discussion until after certain events had transpired, citing the lack of cooperative spirit with the Raiders. That was logical and fair. It would hardly look good for a pack to join a defensive pact only to have them immediately besiege another. Art could respect Modesty's wherewithal and foresight.

Her remark about the fairness of extending an invitation to her and not to Ethne was met with a hard laugh and an incredulous shake of his head from the dire brute. "Modesty, you and yours have shown more strength of character than all of Ethne has. They lost their right to an invitation when they committed wanton violence against your wolves multiple times." In short, fuck fairness. "But you make all good points. Once the dust has settled, I'd be delighted to revisit this topic with you. For now, know that all of Raiders Hollow is welcomed back at the Hallows for shelter and any of our services. And I wish you good fortune in the wars to come." This was about as close as Artorias could get to giving Modesty his pledge of support without outright allying with them against Ethne. He would give the Raiders access to his pack as they needed—which meant they'd have a safe place to get medical attention practically right next door to their enemies. He knew Modesty was a wise politician. Would she be an equally sharp tactician and see what he was offering her?

Artorias couldn't help the bashful smile when Modesty complimented him, respecting him, even naming him a friend. In his mind, he hadn't done anything special to deserve the praise. He'd shown her and her family a basic level of respect and decency, but apparently even that wasn't afforded to the Raiders by others. Her final remark earned her a hearty chuckle from the Lord of Cinder, humor shining in his fiery eyes. "Thank you, Modesty. Our packs have had a tumultuous past, but I'm glad we both grew and came to where we are now. I would also consider you a friend. Hell, who wouldn't want the queen of the most wily and fervent marauders amongst their friends?" Art flashed a wide, toothy grin to Mod. Was it a bit of flattery? Yes, but it was truth as well. The Raiders had proven they had the chops and the drive to thrive and remain standing when many other packs had fallen. "Congratulations, by the way! You must be so excited to meet the new little Raiders," he added on, gesturing with a glance down to Mod's round belly. "When are they due? I'd like to send some wool blankets for the pups." Winter was coming, and besides wine, the Hallows was known for its alpaca herd and wool goods.

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Modesty responded to Art's chuckle with one of her own, Gods above knew her children tested her every day, whether it was Deluge's acerbic wit, or Kenway's lack of sense at all. It was reassuring to know she wasn't the only adult that felt that way about her offspring, when it seemed like the expectation was to treasure every little moment. She loved her children, would burn down the world for them, but that didn't necessarily mean she liked them every moment of their lives.

It was also refreshing to hear she wasn't alone in her assertions that Ethne had gone too far. Artorias's offer of sanctuary and support should it be needed, was met with a sly but grateful smile. Sieges were not something to be taken lightly and while it wasn't much more of a swim from the back of the castle to the beach of the ravine than it had been from Daager to Dove, there was no guarantee they wouldn't carry injuries too severe to make it if everything went pear shaped. Besides, there was a decent stretch of time where she would be out of action with young pups to manage. Perhaps by the time the dust settled there would be no Ethne to speak of? Stranger things had happened after all. Ashen seemed to vanish overnight, perhaps the same would happen again.

His praise for her pack bought a free laugh from her chest, the weight of the previous weeks shifting with the change of topic, a brow raised and a head tipped at his congratulations, "We'll take any excuse for a party," They had meant to have a housewarming bash to celebrate their move before the latest kerfuffle, it would have to wait now, but perhaps spring would be better all round, they could finish off the treehouses, and test out the possibility of adding aerial walkways between them. As for her due date? "In the next week or so," the offer of blankets with the impending winter was more than appreciated. "Speaking of wool, we managed to round up some curly haired goats, something cashmere maybe?" The cattle dog traders had shown a mild interest in the fibre but their bread and butter was the actual livestock, "Wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to start with processing it though, would you mind a member or two of mine stopping by to see how you process your fleeces?"

"speech"

Modesty's assertion that the Raiders would take any opportunity to party was met with an amused snicker from the dire brute. Oh, he knew that all right! Memories of when they had been pirates with their rowdy parties up and down the Obsidian Beach at all hours of the day returned to his mind. "Well, I'll be sure to gild your invitation to our annual Bonfire Festival personally for our VIP partiers," he teased her back with a playful glint in his fiery eyes. The Raiders had never officially attended a Hallows function before—not legitimately, anyways—and this would be a first for both packs. Art had a feeling they could help liven things up and help his wolves cut loose a bit. This sounded like a fun turn of events!

At the mention of her due date being surprisingly close, Artorias raised a surprised brow, glancing from Modesty down to her swollen belly, then up to the alcoholic beverages at their paws, then back to her again. He was no doctor of any sort (hell he could barely tell if a plant was poisonous or not), but something told him alcohol probably didn't mix with puppies very well. But it was far from his place to question her vices when he was guilty of his own too. "Well, I wish all the happiness and health to you and your new little ones," he replied with a winsome smile. Modesty mentioned some curly haired goats her pack had acquired, then lamented not having any clue how to process the wool. Of course Artorias was happy to allow her wolves to come learn from his how they handled their alpacas.

"Certainly! I haven't the slightest idea how it's done, but my wife is in charge over all crafting. I'm sure she and the other crafters would be happy to share what they know. If the cashmere turns out really well, I might have to pester you for a few blankets for my bed for Briar and I to enjoy." Another wry grin as he imagined the softness of the cashmere. Look at the two of them, being chummy and making friends with one another! Maybe Artorias had a bit of Raider in him after all.

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

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________