Parenting had always had its own unique sets of challenges. For the most part, Artorias had felt that he had navigated those treacherous waters pretty readily with his supportive and loving wife and their extended families around them for guidance. But now things had gotten complicated... messy... Ember was furious with him, barely speaking to him for more than cordial reasons. He had tried to get her to see reason and understand why he had made the decisions he had at the time, but Ember was far more staunch in her beliefs than he was. Had he raised her to be too hardheaded and stubborn—or was she just more like he was at her age than he cared to admit? Either way, the tension was eating up the Lord of Cinder alive. Neither side wanted to back down and admit they were wrong, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the friction mounting between sire and daughter. Fucking hell, when did teenagers become so damn difficult?!

Artorias stood in front of the fireplace in the alphas' chambers that night as he and Briar were getting ready for bed, staring into the flickering flames while he ruminated on everything that had happened since the Syndicate's rise. Mostly he was dwelling on the hard words he and Ember sparred with in the immediate aftermath. His daughter was steadfast in her beliefs, idealistic to a fault with an inflexible view of justice and morality. Had he been just like her when he was an adolescent? Gods, those years seemed so long ago now, and Art was starting to feel his age... Drawing in a deep breath, Art held it in his lungs before releasing his breath in a drawn out sigh. His mind was weighed heavily with turbulent thoughts with no clear answer in sight. What was he going to do with his daughter...?

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar finished unraveling and brushing out her tail just in time to hear her husband let out a long, heavy sigh from where he was sitting in front of the fireplace. She glanced toward him, looking at his back with a little, slightly rueful smile. She knew how heavily this mess with Ember was weighing on him–among other things–but it seemed like tonight in particular had him feeling quite melancholy. She placed her brush back on the vanity and put a lid on the lightly fragranced oil she liked to treat her fur with after her bath and she turned to cross the bedroom to where Artorias was brooding.

She lifted her forelegs to rest her paws on his shoulders and stood up on her back legs so she could wrap her forelegs around his neck from behind. She nuzzled her cheek into his as she gave his neck a gentle hug. "Thinking about Ember again?" she questioned, turning her head to kiss his cheek affectionately. She had tried her best to not pick sides between them thus far, only giving her slight opinions for both sides of the argument, but she was getting the feeling that this war between her stubborn daughter and her hard headed husband wasn't going to end until someone swayed one of them one way or another. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked as she rubbed across his chest.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

So lost in his thoughts was Artorias that he hadn't noticed that Briar had crossed the room to join him until he felt the touch of her paws on his shoulders, bringing him out of his deep brooding. He took a slow breath and blinked his eyes back into focus, leaning back into his wife's gentle affections while her slender forelegs looped around his neck and she embraced him from behind. A gentle smile touched his muzzle, turning his head a bit to face over his shoulder towards her while she nuzzled her cheek against his. She asked if he was dwelling on his ongoing Cold War with Ember and the dire brute simply responded with an affirmative hum. "Ember... The Syndicate... Talyssa, Zephyrus, Vendrick... All of it." Having one daughter angry with him, another daughter out gods knew where on her journeys when there was a dangerous pack of degenerates on the loose, a son who had just vanished and another son gravely ill, it was a lot weighing on the father's mind.

Briar asked if he wanted to talk about it and Artorias sighed again, his fire-toned gaze turning back towards the matching flames once more. "There's not much to talk about with Ven. I know Gwyn and Syanna are doing all they can, it's just... worrying." Artorias bit his tongue from daring to speak the words all parents feared aloud. What if Vendrick never got better...? "I miss Talyssa and Zephyrus. I miss them dearly and I hope they're safe and well. It worries me knowing they're out there with this threat looming over Ardent, but there's nothing I can do about any of it. I just feel... helpless, I guess." And that led them to the bigger problem on the Lord's mind. "Ember is so passionate and stalwart in her beliefs. She thinks she knows absolute right and wrong, but she's only seeing things through her perspective, and I just cannot get her to understand why going straight into open war with the Syndicate is a terrible idea. I know she has the best intentions in her heart, and I don't want to punish her for having strong morals, but I can't seem to convince her that sometimes not acting rashly is the best option. It's like she's fixated on doing the right thing no matter the cost." Artorias could feel his chest tighten with the anxiety as he replayed their arguments over and over in his head. He shook his head, unsure of what to do with her.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

For a while Briar just loved on her husband and listened while he listed off all of his mounting worries which were truly shared worries for both of them, though she knew Artorias carried his worries more heavily than she did. She tended to be the more optimistic of the two of them, but he also kept her from becoming overly hopeful and delusional about some things so they balanced one another well. She gave a little hum of agreement as he mentioned Vendrick and the work that his sister and Syanna were doing to help him get better. All they could really do right now was hope that the medicines the two brilliant women gave him would help this sickness run its course, but the waiting and the hoping was the worst part. She sighed with a little nod and a gentle squeeze around his neck at the mention of Talyssa and Zephyrus. She was less worried about Zephyrus than she was Talyssa given the fact that when they had last seen their bird son he had grown unbelievably large and she doubted there was much out in the world that could harm a predatory bird his size, but she also knew Zeph could be a bit gullible at times. Talyssa had the opposite problem. She had never been a fighter, but she was incredibly bright and all Briar could do was hope that they were both being smart and keeping themselves safe.

Those were all problems that were constant, lingering worries in the back of both of their minds, but then he got to the more present and pressing issue of them all. Their strong willed, fiery daughter that couldn't be swayed from her opinion on this whole Syndicate matter. Briar listened quietly while Art spoke about Ember's refusal to back down from her stance on how things should have been handled and her unshakable morals and she couldn't help the little smile that tugged at her lips. Oh how familiar this all sounded... She chuckled softly as Art shook his head and she scratched lightly across his chest as she kissed his cheek. "I'm afraid that she is very much your daughter, my dear," she told him with a light, teasing tone to her voice. "You were very much the same way once upon a time. If all of this had happened when you were her age are you telling me that you wouldn't have been the same way?" Age and parenthood had tempered Artorias quite a bit whether he wanted to admit it or not, but she had been with him since the beginning and had witnessed his evolution herself. "Try to meet her where she's at. You're probably not going to convince her that you were right this time and that's okay. You said it yourself... She's strong willed and passionate–just like her father. Add young adult hormones to that mix and you have one hell of a combination." She chuckled and gave his cheek another kiss before she slid off of his back and returned to her paws, stepping around to his side to join him in front of the fire. She sat back on her haunches and leaned into his side, her long tail curling around him and entwining with his own. "I can talk to her if you want. I was trying to stay out of it to see if you two could work it out yourselves, but I don't mind being a mediator if you think it'll help."

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias' tense body softened under Briar's loving ministrations while she just lent him her ear while he vented all of the burdens weighing on his mind, his heart, and his soul. Nobody had said leadership or fatherhood was going to be an easy duty, but nobody had warned him about how hard it would sometimes be either. The sensation of his wife's paws scratching affectionately over his broad chest while she laughed at the irony of Ember basically embodying Artorias when he was her age made the giant brute quiver with delight, a happy murr rumbling in his chest. He leaned his cheek into her kiss, a knowing half smile playing on the corner of his lips as a bit of roguish mischief twinkled in his fire opal eyes. "Oh, I know exactly where she got it from. I'm just lamenting that she got it from me at all," he remarked with a chuckle of his own. To Briar's probably rhetorical question, Art simply sighed and shook his head. "No, I know I would've been the same when I was her age. I was the same. I tried to chase down my psychopathic brother all on my own, remember?" Art would never forget his first encounter with Oxx. He still had the scars to remind him...

Artorias' lips lost their smile as the worry crept back into his expression the more he dwelled on his thoughts. "But that's what I'm worried about, Briar. I thought I was invincible when I went after Oxx, and look at what happened. I don't want Ember to follow that same path with Sephiran." The Lord of Cinder shuddered to imagine even a fraction of the assault he had suffered at the paws of Oxx happening to his daughter. It was every parent's worst nightmare. Briar gave him some sage advice—meet Ember where she was at without trying to assert that he was right in this disagreement. Her remark about being strong-willed and passionate like him while also being addled with teenage hormones did get a chuckle out of Artorias as well, turning his head to look at his beloved wife while she sat beside him in front of their fireplace. "I know you're right, Briar, but gods damn, why couldn't she just be getting me upset by flirting with boys or something instead of trying to get me to start a war?" Artorias gave a more genuine laugh this time, finding it quite humorously ironic that his daughters taking an interest in boys was less of a concern for him than them starting international incidents.

Briar offered to speak to Ember for him and be a mediator for them, to which Artorias turned almost pleading eyes to his adoring mate. "Would you mind? Don't have the conversation on my behalf; this is something she and I need to talk out. But maybe soften her up to discussion a bit? She's so rigid in her opinion right now, I fear anything I say will just be deflected away." Artorias was deeply grateful for the partnership and support Briar had always provided him throughout their lives together. She truly was his best friend, his greatest ally, his everything. Lips turning up into a little loving smile, Art lifted one massive azure paw and rested it gently atop of Briar's, supporting her body while she leaned her side into his, his bushy tail happily sliding over to meet hers while they entwined together. Artorias lost himself in the rich turquoise eyes that had captivated him years ago, leaning in closer to affectionately boop his nose against hers. "Ți-am spus în ultima vreme cât de mult te iubesc?" he spoke in low, rumbled tones to his beautiful wife, pure love shining in his eyes for her—his Briar.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar gave a little hum of acknowledgement as Artorias brought up his relentless hunt for Oxx when he was younger. She had thought of that herself, but she felt like Art got her point without her having to bring up that mistake. She understood his concern over Ember trying a similar stunt toward Sephiran even though she felt like that was far less likely. Even though he and Ember both shared a passionate drive and a strong will, Ember did still have some of her mother's logic in her. The crux of the issue in Ember's eyes was the fact that Artorias wasn't willing to bring the strength of The Hallows against The Syndicate so she didn't think that their daughter would go after them on her own. She laughed with him at the fact that her daughter was trying to start a war instead of just chasing after boys like normal teenage girls, amusement in her turquoise gaze as she replied, "Maybe I'll tell that to my father next time I talk to him. Sure, you caught Art and I sleeping in the barracks when we were yearlings, but I could have been trying to start a war!"

When Art looked at her with pleading eyes and asked her to at least soften Ember up to the idea of talking about this more openly with her father she gave him a smile and a tender kiss. "Of course I will, darling. I can't promise she'll listen to me either, but I'll definitely bring it up next time we talk." Maybe all of her years of talking Artorias down from his impassioned ideas and helping guide him to a more moderate path could come in handy now when speaking with her daughter. After all, Ember was every bit her father in a younger, more feminine form. A loving grin spread across her lips as Art leaned closer with a gentle boop of his nose to hers. "În fiecare zi, dar nu mă obosesc să-l aud," she replied happily, tipping her head up to brush the side of her muzzle against his. No matter what happened or what stress came into their lives, she knew they could always retreat into one another at the end of the day and it always made her feel like all could be right with the world.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

If there was one thing Artorias was truly grateful for in his life, it was how much of a support Briar had been for him—past, presently, and would continue to be. She had helped him through his most difficult and dark times in his life, was here guiding him and supporting him in their everyday lives, and he knew she would always be there for him no matter what he needed. Right now, Briar's comedic remark about telling her own father that he should be glad he just caught the pair of lovers having sex in the Armada barracks instead of her causing an inter-pack incident caught Art way off guard and left the brute sputtering with laughter. "I'm sure he'll be very keen to see it that way!" he remarked between bouts of laughter. The anxiousness on his face immediately melted away into an amused smile, light returning to his fire opal eyes. Yeah, Briar was always exactly what he needed in his life.

Artorias was thankful to Briar when she agreed to talk to Ember for him first, meeting her soft kiss with one of his own. He knew Briar couldn't promise him anything, but just having her help was a huge weight off his mind. "Thank you, darling. I know when I was her age, my mother talked me down from a lot of my anger and stupid stunts too. Maybe she'll be more like me than I feared." A peel of sardonic laughter left the dire brute, the chuckles rumbling deep in his chest. The way Briar grinned at him, her expression so full of love, it made Artorias melt. Seeing his Lady smile at him like that with nothing but unfettered love in her beautiful turquoise eyes stole the Lord of Cinder's sensibilities away from him. Gods, he loved her so damn much!

She replied to him in their family's tongue, gentle quivers of desire running through the dire brute's body every time he heard his wife speak in Carpathian. "Te iubesc din toată inima și sufletul meu," Artorias purred to Briar in husky tones, slowly brushing his muzzle back against the side of hers in return. "Niciun bărbat nu a iubit vreodată o femeie la fel de mult ca eu pe tine. Soția mea, regina mea, Briar al meu." This was perfection to Artorias. Sitting here in this quiet moment, just the two of them, enjoying one another's company and love. She was his and he was hers for all eternity. Art rested a giant azure paw atop of one of her daintier forepaws, leaning in closer to press their bodies together while he nuzzled along her cheek and down the side of her jaw to her neck. He breathed in her sweet scent, reveling in everything that made his wife perfect. All he wanted to do now was get lost in Briar wholly and irrevocably.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar knew how much Artorias loved when she spoke in his family's tongue and she couldn't help but grin when she felt how he quivered against her just from a few tender words. Sometimes she felt like she struggled a bit when it came to knowing how to best support him in the numerous stresses and struggles he was put through in his position, but if there was one thing that had always been easy for her it was knowing how to push all of his buttons just right. A grin crossed her features as his muzzle brushed against her own, her eyes fluttering closed as she listened to his sweet words of love and devotion to her. He was everything she could have possibly hoped for in her life and it was little moments like this that reminded her just how lucky she was. She had never pursued Artorias because he was in a position of power or because of his influence. She had only ever seen the pure, good hearted, handsome, loving brute he was and loved him for that.

She giggled softly as he leaned into her and pressed his body closer to hers, letting her head tip back to give him access to her neck as he nuzzled into her and breathed in her scent. "Și niciun fae nu a iubit vreodată o brută așa cum te iubesc eu, băiatul meu albastru," she purred back in response. Her paw that wasn't covered with Artorias' lifted to slip up around the back of his neck as she nuzzled her cheek into his, shifting to turn toward him and press her chest into his. Not that she ever needed an excuse to love on her husband, but given all of the strain and worry that had been on his shoulders lately she felt like now was a perfect time to relieve some of that stress. "De ce nu pui o parte din dragostea asta în acțiune, draga mea?" she teased as she pulled back just enough to catch his amber gaze with her own heavy lidded glance, giving him a sly grin while her claws combed through his scruff.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Of all the great joys and blessings he had received in his life, Briar had to be his greatest. His true love, his best friend, the mother of his children. The greatest supporter and confidant he could have ever hoped for. Ever since they met as little balls of fluff barely out of the den on the old plains of the Armada, it had been Briar. She had found him time and time again when he needed her the most, given him unconditional support and guidance when he felt overwhelmed or lost, stood by his side in his triumphs and his defeats. She'd seen him at his lowest and at his highs, and through it all she never stopped loving him. Briar was his constant—his queen, his goddess, his Deer Girl. She made his life complete and rich.

Briar giggled under the gentle touches of his affections and responded to him with her own words of love spoken in the Carpathian tongue, even earning a husky chuckle from Artorias when she used that affectionate nickname she had given him when they were just pups. Briar's paws looped around his neck as his own large azure paws came up to rest on Briar's waist, stroking slowly above her hips while he relished the sensations of her body underneath his touch. Artorias could have easily spent his whole life loving Briar absolutely silly, and he intended to do so as often as he could. Briar shifted in his embrace to press her body closer to his and Artorias welcomed her closer by tightening his forelegs around her waist, pressing their chests and bellies together. He could never be close enough to his perfect mate.

She teased him with sultry words in Carpathian that sent a ripple of fiery lust coursing down his body to settle between his thighs and Artorias gave a low, horny rumble in reply as he met her heavy-lidded turquoise gaze with a sly grin. Briar knew exactly how to push his buttons and get him in the mood for some loving at any given moment. The wonderful sensation of her feline claws combing through his thick scruff drew delighted murrs and rumbles from the dire brute, his eyelids fluttering over fire opal eyes as he quivered gently under his wife's touch, melting for her in a heartbeat. "Pare o idee perfectă, iubitul meu." Not wasting any time, Artorias slowly brought his muzzle closer to Briar's, moving in as if to kiss her lips—only to quickly slide his larger body underneath hers and hoist her up across his back.

With a playful grin on his muzzle, Art carried Briar over to their bed and deposited her onto the plush mattress with a little toss. He then climbed up onto the bed with her and grabbed Briar by her hips, easily manhandling her to slide and roll her onto her back beneath him. Artorias grinned down at his wife, admiring how beautiful and amazing she was for a moment before slowly bringing his muzzle back down to place a slow, teasing lick along the underside of Briar's jaw where her throat began. "O să te iubesc fără sens, Briar al meu," the Lord of Cinder promised his Lady in low, lustful growls against her neck, teasing her soft skin with gentle fangs and warm tongue, savoring the foreplay while he worshipped Briar's body like she were his own personal goddess.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius" | "Carpathian"