"We're going," Dusk spoke with a growl of authority towards her larger sister. Was there ever a time that the Gargoyle of The Hallows wasn't decked out in armor and weaponry? Maybe when she was sleeping, but she was definitely awake now and so the dark armor and Whisper were in place. Dusk looked serious and severe as always. Today, she was very, very serious.

Bramble had wanted to be a member of the Hallows council for as long as she could remember. Unfortunately, her sister was a little shy and seemed to doubt herself in this area. Dusk had no idea why Bramble hadn't talked to their father, but today was the day.

With her relationship moving forward with Sitri, Dusk was coming into her own. She felt a sense of assurance that she hadn't felt in her three years of life. The anxiety was slowly melting away with Sitri's constant love and support and Dusk had begun thinking of the future. What did she want in life? Simply to protect The Hallows and those within it. As such, she had begun to think that she would also like to join the council.

"Come, come," she told her sister, giving Bramble a bump to her shoulder. "You'll be fine and I'll be right there with you." The dark lady shot her blue and teal marked sister a reassuring smile, then waited for her to prepare herself. Today... they were making big moves.

"Dusk Carpathius"

Unlike Dusk, Bramble was not always so well put together. She was a busy woman and didn't always have time to keep her form prim and proper. Or as angular and dark as Dusk. Opposite that of the Hallows' personal Gargoyle, Bramble was gentle, lithe, the Princess. She smiled at everyone she walked past and spoke with regal softness. Glenda, the Good With, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Opposites that worked so well together.

When Bramble was nervous, Dusk was her rock, and vice versa. Today, Dusk was there for her, commanding her to step up and be the big girl she desperately wished to be. "I should've never mentioned anything," she grumbled under her breath, huffing dramatically. Dusk would know its pure theatrics because Bramble was always thankful and appreciative of the things others did for her.

Standing before her mirror, running a brush through her tail one last time before setting her jeweled tail piece in perfect place, she gives herself one more look around. Around her shoulder, a slim leather strap fit snugly in place with a sheath for her paw-crafted dagger gifted to her personally by their father. Bramble had yet to find a name for it, but one would come to her eventually. Lost in her train of thought, she was brought back to the present when Dusk's shoulder bumped into hers.

"Better not leave me. I'll melt into a puddle," Bramble croons, bumping Dusk's shoulder in return. Following her soot sprite sister down the stone steps of Hearthstone to the War Room where they requested their father's presence, she felt her nerves build. Bubbling up in her chest, tightening until her lungs struggled to gather oxygen. Ugh, why did she have to suffer anxiety like this?

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

Of all the many titles Artorias carried, "father" had to be the one he was most proud of. Sure "Lord of Cinder" was cool and regal, but nothing brought him more joy than being the sire to his dozen amazing children. He would stop everything at the drop of a hat for any of them, come to their aid, support them and love them unconditionally. That's why Dusk's request to meet in the Council Chambers was met with willing acceptance in an instant. The sapphire and obsidian dire wolf sat in his chair at the head of the unlit table, idly studying the pack effigies laid out across the lands of Boreas and Auster while he waited on his daughters to show up. Dusk hadn't been specific in her request for an official meeting, just cryptically stating that she and Bramble needed to talk to him about something. His mind wandered while he waited, wondering what they wished to discuss that was so important. He had a hunch, but he was going to leave that ball in their court for now...

He wasn't kept waiting long before two sets of paws coming down the stone corridors reached his ears. Artorias glanced up from his musings and rose to greet both of his daughters with that fatherly smile so full of warmth and love that never truly left his face when he was with his family. Dusk was adorned in her battle gear as usual, and Bramble was also dressed regally with her jeweled tail cuff and her dagger around her shoulder. So formal, so official... Dusk was as austere as ever, but Bramble seemed nervous.

Art raised a curious brow at the pair of Carpathians, waiting until they'd joined him at the table before addressing them. "Oh boy, this looks like trouble... Okay, where's the body and how long do we have to get rid of it?" A wry smile was turned his daughters' way, clearly jesting with them. He might have been the alpha, but he was still a goofball of a dad at his core.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Bramble grumbled and groaned but, in the end, Dusk got her out the door and on the way to the meeting that she'd already set up. She understood anxiety and second guessing oneself. Look at her situation with Sitri and how long it had taken her to even acknowledge the fact that she liked him. So, that was why Dusk was pushing her sister. If she was forced to act, well... things would get over more quickly and Bramble would be able to move on and breathe again.

The pair of Carpathians arrived at their father's study and made their way inside. Dusk, as stoic and severe as usual, brow already furrowed, walked in behind her sister just to make sure that Bramble wouldn't balk and hightail it back to her room. Once the door was shut, the dark lady's tension eased a bit.

Moving across the room, Artorias spoke and Dusk's expression grew offended at his question, though there was mirth in her fiery gaze. "Do you doubt my ability to get rid of my own bodies?" she quipped, one dark brow raised. For the record, she could get rid of her own bodies, thank you very much.

"We're here to discuss promotions." Dusk waved Bramble forward, giving the floor to her sister. They were here because of her, afterall. It was only fair that Bram spoke first, eh? Besides, Dusk didn't know what Bramble wanted, she only knew what she wanted.

"Dusk Carpathius"

Should she sit? Stand? Go closer? Stay off to the side? Bramble's mind reeled as their father addressed them. Oh my god, would I be able to hide my own dead bodies? Her brain nearly screeches at the idea. Dusk appears to take it stride, her mirth apparent as she replies. Bramble is still balking at the idea that she would have to ask her father for help burying a body. No, she would definitely go to Dusk first. Less explaining in the long run with that route.

Staring blankly ahead, she starts when Dusk waves her forward. Yes, right, promotions. Why did this feel so hard? Her breath is sharp as she steps forward, closer, but doesn't take a seat. Instead, stands tall and as straight as possible while she mentally readies herself. This wasn't like when they turned one and got to choose what path they wanted to take. This was a very serious ask!

"Tati, I want to know what steps I have left to take to be a member of your Council." The words rush so quickly from her lips that she doesn't really know if she actually said them out loud. But now that it was out, she felt relief wash over her. Shoulders relax slightly as she shifts her gaze over to Dusk. "We, Dusk and I, think we're ready," Bramble nods, trying to smile, but she feels it falter as her gaze flicks back over to Artorias.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma

As he expected, Dusk didn't hesitate to retort to his humor with a sarcastic remark about her ability to dispose of her own bodies. Artorias fixed his onyx-coated daughter with a suspicious raised brow and chuckled. "Well I certainly didn't teach you how to hide a body, which means I'm going to have to have a talk with your mother," he quipped back with a roguish flash of a smile. Bramble, however, remained stoically silent and stiff beside her smaller sister, the anxiousness and nerves painted on her face clear as day. Artorias wouldn't tease Bramble in front of her sister when she was clearly nervous over something. Dusk broke the ice first, getting straight down to business. Ah, so this was about promotions for the two of them! If he was being honest, Artorias was surprised it had taken them both this long to come to him about joining the High Council. Dusk and Bramble were both ambitious, more so than most of their siblings were. This came as no surprise to the sire wolf that they wanted more for themselves.

"Is that so?" Artorias said, then turned his inquisitive gaze over to Bramble, who up until then had been doing a remarkable impression of a statue. With a blink of teal eyes, his petrified daughter was back with them again and approaching where he sat at the head of the table. This time his raised brow was turned to Bramble, giving her the time she needed to take a deep breath and steady herself. When her words did come, they were exactly what Artorias had expected to hear. Bramble had made it no secret that she wanted to be a member of the Council since she turned a yearling. Art had just been waiting for the day when she felt ready to take that next step. "And this is what you want as well, Dusk?" Artorias looked at Dusk, waiting for her confirmation.

As Bramble finishes her ask and begins to relax, Artorias takes a moment's pause to look between his two eldest daughters, amber eyes flicking back and forth between them before settling on Bramble. That easy playful smile returns to his lips as he asks the tawny woman, "That wasn't so bad, now was it? I'm not that scary, am I?" Another chuckle punctuates his words while he stands from his seat and moves over to Bramble and Dusk, looking his daughters over with love and fatherly pride. Oh, how much they had both grown... "You have given every bit of yourself to the Hallows from the day you were born, Bramble. You've made excellent strides in your studies and you've never balked at any challenge you faced." Artorias shifted his gaze over to Dusk next, fiery eyes meeting his daughter's matching pair. "There is not one of us who fights more ferociously to defend our home and our family than you, Dusk. You never hesitate to stand up for those who need protection, even if it means putting yourself in harm's way."

Throwing open his forearms, Artorias pulled both of his girls in for a big bear hug, his heart filled with unfathomable pride for them both. "Sunt cel mai mândru lup în viață pentru că sunteți amândouă fiicele mele. Niciun tată nu a fost vreodată mai norocos decât mine." With his moment of sappy dad-ness done, Artorias would withdraw from his girls to fix them both with a smile and a nod. "I would be honored to have both of you on the High Council, effective immediately. But first, I want to make sure you're both ready for this role."

Artorias gestured for Dusk and Bramble to follow him, then made his way back to his seat at the head of the Carved Table. The Lord of Cinder gestured to the empty chairs around the table; Bramble had her own, of course, and now Dusk would get to choose hers as well. He sat and waited for his daughters to join him before he gave them their "test". "The High Council is not just the highest rank a wolf can achieve outside of leading the Hallows. It is the group I turn to when I need advice and guidance, opinions and perspectives outside my own. It comes with great influence and responsibility. Your voices can determine the fate of a wolf or of the Hallows. A vote between whether an offender lives or dies. Decisions of who we become friends and enemies with. To be a Councilor, I need your voices impartial and resolute."

Artorias rested his paws on the edge of the stone table, letting the gravity of his words sink in for Bramble and Dusk. His examples were extremes, of course; not decisions made every day or even every season. But right now, their first task would be. "The Hallows has existed in peace for many years, but with recent changes going on around Ardent, I find myself looking forward with uncertainty. I've held off on naming a Warden because I did not want to incite envy or disgruntlement amongst any of you, but now I fear what would happen if our enemies come for us and I should fall." A grim thought, but one that could be all too real. Artorias' hand was being forced by factors outside his control—factors that could fell the Hallows if there was no plan in place for his succession.

"So I ask you, my High Councilors..." Fiery amber eyes moved between his two daughters, curious of what each would have to say. "Who should be named heir of the Hallows?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Bramble was still incredibly stiff. It took a bit more of their father's teasing to get her to chill a bit. At least Dusk was there to explain just why they were there and what they wanted. Artorias joked with them and Dusk cracked a smile as he mentioned Briar teaching her how to get rid of a body. Really though, Dusk was pretty good at critical thinking. If she needed to get rid of a body, nothing would stop her from getting rid of a body.

Complements were given and Dusk nodded in acceptance of her father's words. She would indeed stand up and protect any wolf in The Hallows, though her protection didn't often extend to those outside of their walls. Unlike the rest of her siblings, Dusk tread a path that was neutral rather than good. She accepted that bad things needed to happen some times for the greater good. Dusk had no qualms with carrying out these bad things either.

Artorias pulled them into an embrace and Dusk didn't stiffen, though she didn't get all melty either. She wasn't a pup anymore, but she knew that her father loved showing them affection, so she'd stay locked into the embrace as long as he wanted to keep her there.

Their father then moved along to business, laying out what he expected of his council. Dusk listened quietly. In the end, he asked them who they believed should be heir to The Hallows. Dusk's brow furrowed as she considered the question. Part of her wanted to say that she should inherit the title of Aegis. She was one of the oldest and he said himself that she would go to any lengths to protect those under her care. That didn't seem like the kind of answer that he wanted to hear, however, so Dusk continued to quietly consider.

The Hallows was a special sort of pack. The fact that her father needed a council proved that decisions weren't meant to be made by one wolf alone. So, after a time of thinking, Dusk responded. "I don't believe that any one wolf should become heir. Our differences are what make us strong. Varying ways of thinking can solve a situation in many different ways. So no, I don't believe that any of us could or should be The Hallows heir. At least not as we are now." She wouldn't voice this part, but she didn't believe that any of them were worthy or ready for such responsibility.

"Dusk"

Bramble relaxed further at their father's words. He had always been so capable at quelling her nerves. His easy going nature was indeed a factor that aided him in being the Aegis he was. Her cheeks blush at his words with embarrassment, a slight roll of her eyes that said 'no Tati, not scary at all.'

She straightened up though when he took on a slightly more serious note. Artorias' compliments have her feeling embarrassed once more, no matter how true his words were. Bramble would indeed put every ounce of her energy into the Hallows, do anything to see that they succeeded. Her eyes flicker to Dusk, subtly blank expression as reserved as always. What was her sister thinking? She was dying to know.

Before Bramble could think to thank their father for the compliment, they were being pulled into a tight, fatherly hug. "Oh, Tati," Bram murmurs, eyes closing as she pressed into his neck, enjoying the warmth from his body before they pulled away. As she restraightens, his words register in her brain. Both ears perk up as she stares wide-eyed at him, her tail betraying her emotion as it begins to wag quickly behind her. Following him with quick steps, she does her best to bolster her energy and keep her excitement contained. They were going to be a part of the High Council! Her dreams really were coming true!

Taking her chosen seat as she had so many times before, Bram glances to Dusk to see which one she would choose. To Bram, it was an important moment. There was significance in where they sat at the table. Only important figures ever received such an honor. Moving her gaze back to Artorias, Bram smooths her expression, exhaling deeply to calm her nerves as their father went into another explanation. He spoked of the important of the High Council and Bram nods softly, assuring him that she understood.

Where he goes next though as Bram looking at their father carefully. Envy or disgruntlement? Would any of them truly feel such a way toward each other? Did they not believe in their father to choose a Warden that was fitting of the Hallows? Her brows furrow as she thinks, quite stumped for an answer. Silence begins to settle, both her and Dusk in thought for a few minutes. This was no easy or light answer, they would need to contemplate as all High Councilors should. The thing was, as she thought about it, the answer led her to only two wolves and one of them wasn't Dusk.

Thorn might be a good option, but Bram felt he still had growing up to do. If he were Warden or even Aegis, she wondered if it would get to his head. Ciaran was so reserved, though a fighter as well, Bram rarely saw him and knew he wouldn't want such a title anyway. One might think Dusk the obvious choice, but she wasn't the best socially and her need to protect might get in the way of what's right. Talyssa, no, she wanted adventure, to journey and explore, she clearly wouldn't want to be stuck in the castle. Next was the second litter and while Bramble knew them, she didn't know them as well as her own littermates.

Out of them, Silas was too soft, too shy. Nelu was hard headed and a bit out of touch. Vendrick, well he was sick a lot and also tended to wander. Would he even stay? Solaire might be a good choice, Bramble could see him stepping up to do good with experience. Clove was sweet, smart too, but Bram didn't think her strong enough to lead the Hallows in a way that was good enough. The girl could potentially be a good scout though! Ember was another good option for Warden. She was headstrong, protective, smart, but there was that troublemaker behavior that caused Bramble worry. Would she be blinded by the ideals of honor and glory that it would get in the way of what was right?

And the third litter, well they were far too young to even know if they were a good fit. Already, though, Bram had a feeling they might not even be interested in leading. They would be good for other roles. All four seemed interested in the healing arts and would do well following Auntie Gwyn in her paw steps.

By now, Dusk had spoken her piece and Bram almost didn't register what her dust soot sister had said. With furrowed brow, she glanced at Dusk, humming quietly while she considered her final answer. Her nose scrunched, switching back and forth for a moment before she exhaled and made her decision. "The choice of Warden is not just upon you, Tati. If you choose one of us that does not want the role, what good does that do for any of us?" Her head cants, looking from Dusk to their father. "Have any of us expressed interest in being the Warden? If we were to know who was in the running, we would be able to give a better answer," Bram nods shortly, pleased with her answer. It was basically the same as Dusk, but worded differently. At least if they knew who was interested, they could pick based off of that or even help them train to become a good fitting Warden.

"Bramble"