She had delayed properly meeting Artorias for...well, she wasn't sure. She had lost track of time to be honest, but better late than never, right? She wasn't sure what would come of their meeting. She was aware that this alpha had been dragged into one too many problems between Ethne and The Raiders, though she was hoping things had finally settled and she wouldn't have to really focus on all of that anymore. Or at least, not much. Hopefully. She was curious to know if they were still allies, or at the very least on neutral terms. She had been doing her best to steer the pack into a new direction, and hopefully put some, if not all, of their problems behind them. The young bear approached the borders of the castle, hoping he was around so they could at last meet and discuss future things. While she hadn't been at that big alpha meeting however long ago it was now, Haydee and her mother had been, so she was somewhat caught up on some of the political things going on, but the focus had shifted to whatever issues the raiders had, so she couldn't quite remember what all she'd been told. That was another reason she was here, perhaps Art could shed some light on some things as well. "Speak"

The world was spinning towards total chaos. That was the conclusion Artorias had come to following the tactical failure the alphas meeting had been and the borderline war that had almost broken out at the bonfire festival. More and more each day it felt like the world wanted to tear itself apart and devolve into full scale conflict, something the Lord of Cinder had worked tirelessly to prevent, and now it felt like an inevitability. So the Carpathian alpha did the next best thing—he prepared. He prepared for war, he prepared to defend his home, he prepared for diplomacy, he prepared for conflict. Whatever was to come to the Hallows, Artorias wanted his wolves prepared. They could not afford to be caught off guard if their lives depended on it.

Artorias had not been expecting visitors today, and had been on the north end of the Hallows territories helping with the berry harvest in the grove before winter came. When one of his ravens came to alert him to the presence of the visitor from the south, concern soon gave way to intrigue when the report of the polar bear at their borders came. He had briefly interacted with Saga in the past, but they had never had an official introduction or interaction that hadn't been interrupted by some other reason. Ready to finally meet their neighbor to the south, Artorias headed down to find the massive white and blue-marked bear waiting for him. He greeted the new leader of Polaris with a warm smile and a tip of his head. "Welcome back to the Hallows, Saga. I hope everyone is well after that... unpleasantness during the bonfire."

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

She waited patiently at the border with her companions, all the while taking a good look at the crumbling castle. How long had it been here? What sort of creatures could build something like that? Her interest and curiosity was intrigued, but she doubted there was anything alive that truly knew what built these halls. Her gaze was drawn downward as Artorias approached at last. She offered a respectful dip of her head as was usually customary among alphas, along with a smile. "Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here under better circumstances, it's a shame we didn't get the chance to celebrate the way we would've liked," She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him at the bonfire since the Raiders had decided to make things hostile. A shame, she supposed. She would've liked to see the Hallows customs and celebrate alongside others that might have had at least one thing in common, but not that day. She had at least been able to return home unscathed. She had no time for petty squabbles anymore. "Everyone is doing okay, I think...my mother and sister are...well..." She wasn't sure how to put it. Her mother had decided to leave, and Haydee seemed more reclusive now. "Speak"

Artorias smiled, pleased to see that the nasty business that occurred at the bonfire in his own home hadn’t soured Saga’s taste towards the Hallows. Truly, it had been a great embarrassment for the Lord of Cinder. The Hallows was meant to be a place of safety and neutrality, and it had come perilously close to becoming a battleground for the feuding packs. "I'm sorry for what occurred with the Raiders," Artorias apologized to the massive ursine, ears flicking back in a show of sheepishness. "The Hallows is supposed to be a place where neutrality and peace is respected. The fact that such threats were made on my lands is inexcusable. I'm just glad Gilgamesh didn't force my hand to violence and that some sense was found." Artorias had been prepared to have to subdue the Raid King with an overwhelming show of force for trying to start shit in neutral territory. Thankfully it hadn't come to that.

It was a relief to hear that no one had been harmed, though Bellamy leaving Polaris and Haydée retreating into herself were disconcerting. Artorias frowned, his brow creasing and he simply nodded to the news. "That is... disappointing to hear. I hope they'll both be all right going forward." Turning his attention away from the grim and back to his current guest, Art waved Saga across the border with a little smile. "Would you like to take a walk around the plains, Saga? I'd be happy to chat with you while letting you see the place you were so rudely ousted from."

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