What was wrong with her? She was losing her mind, this she was sure of. But why? Was some parasite eating her brain? Were all of the head injuries catching up to her? Or was she simply just too damn old? Either way, she had made the decision that she, Resin Carpathius, was no longer fit to be the Aegis of The Hallows. She would hand the reigns over the Ulric until Artorias and Rudyard were old enough and wise enough to accept the title. Handing over the pack was a good first step, but there was more that needed to be done. The lowest parts of the castle had long chambers lined with bars. They were old and rusted, but they were still very strong. She had tested each and every one. The bars stretched underground and the floors were made of stone. There would be no digging her way out. There were no windows within the cell for her to attempt escape through though there was a singular window at the end of the corridor that provided minimal light. She didn't think that she would attempt to escape since she was the one subjecting herself to imprisonment, but she also didn't know herself anymore. She couldn't be trusted. There were long stretches of clarity. She was herself most of the time. It was the moments that she lost herself that made her dangerous. She had scarred Tamsyn for life and for that, she would never forgive herself. Resin hadn't even realized that she'd been the cause until later when she came to and couldn't get out of the room. There was no memory of attacking the woman. None at all. That was why she needed to be locked away. Gods forbid she lose her mind when one of the children were close... Into the dungeon the scarred woman had brought firewood to stoke the small hearth nearby. The flickering flames were all of the light that she needed to work. Resin collected debris from the cell; wood, scrap, bones... She pushed it all outside and away. Back into the barred room, the ash and onyx fae tested the door. It would need to be sealed from the outside. She would ask Ulric to lock her within. There was no one else that she could trust to keep her inside. With her locked away, the rest of the pack would be safe. She was lucid the majority of the time, but recent events showed that she couldn't be trusted. Tamsyn had been injured and that was bad enough. Next time she could very well take someone's life. That could not happen. With the room cleared, Resin took a moment to reflect. She seated herself in the middle of the long room, accepting that this would be where she spent the rest of her days. Others might think it heartless, but she didn't want to see Tamsyn again. She didn't want to see any of them again. Not after what she'd done. Knowing what she would slowly become, the proud woman would rather spend the rest of her days alone, rotting, atoning for what she'd done. "Speech"

Rudy was mending up nicely after his run in with the coyotes.  His limp was gone, and all that seemed to remain was the slashes left over one eye.  Rudy wasn’t one to worry about such minor details and just decided they were some good battle scars that could make for great stories.  The day was nice, he was healed enough to go hunting but, he wasn’t doing that today.  The sky was clear today, and while it was still really cold it was less cold than the prior days of the week.  None of that mattered, something in his gut told him not to hunt.  Rudy never took such feelings lightly, and instincts had saved his rump more than once. Rudy quietly roamed the castle.  He wasn’t bothering to hide himself but the boy wasn’t doing anything to stand out, listening to any conversations that passed his way that might explain the cause of his unease.  Rudy paused as he reached steps that led farther down into the castle bowels.  He smelled mom having gone down there and the question of why quickly came to his mind.  He’d been down there back early on when they had arrived here but nothing had given him a desire to return.  The barred doors and darkness created a sense of gloom that didn’t mix with Rudy’s generally happy disposition. For the moment his curiosity to his unease were cast aside to go check this out instead.  Heading down the steps the shadows quickly overtook the light.  There was no fresh scent of others coming down here so this wasn’t for conversation.  His ears strained for sounds and for a moment he imagined having heard a scrape and movement but then things went silent.  As he neared the bottom there was a bit more light but the shadows danced and soon enough he knew why by sight of the fire in the hearth. Resin was sitting in the middle of the room and something of it brought that unwanted feeling in his stomach. Whether or not this had to do with why it was a bad day to hunt didn’t really matter, something down here was wrong.  Some part of his mind pointed out if she came down here to be alone he should leave.  There was some potential logic to that, but logic was different than instinct, he could ignore logic and create his own. Rudy stepped farther into the gloomy room, noticing it seemed a bit cleaner than before.  “Mom?” The boy offering just one questioning word of greeting.  Rudy’s inside burned with this being wrong.  This wasn’t a spot one would come to think, there were better places for it.  She wasn’t doing anything actively here for a secret spot to work.  Even full grown, approaching Resin it was easy to see he’d always be smaller than her.  Resin’s normal sense of quiet confidence would likely have her seem large as life even if she had been small, but again something was different now. “What are you doing down here?”  Nosy.  Well, that was nothing knew for Rudy. "Rudyard"

Resin had tried to kill Tamsyn. That was what Gwyn and Ulric could infer from the severity of the wounds inflicted on his mother by the other. There had been no signs of restrain in the bites, no degree of mercy or recognition in the way Tamsyn had explained what had occurred. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like Resin had actually tried to kill her mate, his mom, unprovoked and unpredictably. Artorias had spent the rest of the horrific night staying with Tam while Gwynevere treated her wounds to the best of her abilities, watching over them and on edge the entire time, dreading to hear splintering wood followed by the vicious snarls of his crazed mother coming for them. Fortunately, that never happened. He didn't know what had happened with Resin, but after Ulric had been alerted, the big dire brute had gone off to deal with her and he'd heard nothing since.

Now, as Tamsyn rested and Gwyn tended to her, Artorias was left somewhere in limbo. He could do nothing more for his injured mother now, but he also didn't know how to handle facing Resin. What would she do? Would she even recognize him? Surges of doubt and worry choked the boy while he cursed himself for not mentioning anything about his mother's condition sooner. He had seen the slips in her personality weeks ago; why didn't he say anything then?! Maybe then this all could have been avoided if he hadn't been so stupid! Pacing up and down the halls did nothing to quell his nerves, and though he loathed the idea, Art knew the only way to get some clarity was to go face his mother head on.

Finding Resin hadn't been too terribly difficult. Her scent trail from her bedroom led him through the castle while the young wolf followed his mother's footsteps down the grand staircase and around to another set of stone stairs that descended into the depths of the castle's guts. He had never explored down here before, but today he had no choice. Strangely though, Rudyard's scent was also here, fresh and recent. A pang of concern stabbed him in the heart while hurried paws stepped briskly down the cool stone steps into virtual darkness. He came to another corridor that spanned the length and breadth of the castle, and down on one far end he heard a voice. His brother's voice. Art's head snapped in that direction and he took off down the corridor at a brisk gait, walking with purpose and focused eyes.

He ended up emerging into the dungeon cells, having to squint until his eyes adjusted to the minimal light filtering in from a single window. Rudy was approaching one of the cells, the sole inhabitant seated in the middle of the cell. Resin. Artorias' fur bristled at the notion of Rudy approaching his still potentially dangerous mother, and the boy was quick to rush forward and put himself between Rudy and the wall of iron bars separating the brothers from their adoptive mother. "Rudy, stop." His words were hard and stern while he cut off his brother's advance, fixing his brother with a somber yet serious look. Rudy had no idea what Resin had done to Tamsyn yet, it seemed. He couldn't blame him for being curious—but he had to protect his brother at all costs.

Artorias turned to face Resin, fiery amber eyes locking to the stalwart wolf locked away like some sort of feral animal. It broke his heart; this was his mother, gods damn it! She deserved better than this! How had it come to this? "Mom, I saw what you did to Mama," he started. He was never one to mince words, just like she was. He knew, and now she knew that he knew. "Why? What would make you ever do that to her?" Artorias took a couple brave steps closer, just a few feet out of reach from the metal bars. He wanted so desperately to help her, to save her and bring her back to them. She had done so much for them, sacrificed so much... so why couldn't he do anything for her now? It all felt wrong. So very, very wrong...

"Mom, what's going on? What's happening with you?" he asked the direct question. This was no time to skirt the issue. Something was wrong, and something had to be done about it.


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

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.
____________________

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, the sound of approaching approaching pawsteps echoed through the long stone chamber. In the low light of the fire, the shape of Rudyard appeared. She watched from the shadows as the boy blinked against the darkness, then tentatively moved forward. She didn't want him here. She didn't want any of them here. Perhaps it would have been better to simply leave the territory and strike out on her own, but she would be subjecting strangers to the death and destruction that she knew she was capable of. The mottled child stepped forward and questioned her before another set of paws, more hurried than the last, sounded on the stairs. Soon Artorias was there, placing himself between the bars of her cage and his brother. It was obvious that the blue boy knew what she'd done. She could see the accusation in his golden eyes. She didn't wince or physically react as another wolf might. The grey woman simply sat tall within her cell and stared at the boys before her. They were growing so quickly... Art took a few steps towards her and she stared at him through the rusted bars. His words brought obsidian ears flicking forward, showing that she was listening. She sat silently for a time, warring with herself. She could shut down. She could flip the switches of emotion easily and feel nothing. Or she could tell them the truth. She could own up to what she'd done, though she'd no memory of doing so. Engaging in conversation with her sons would only prolong their interaction. Resin didn't want to speak. She didn't want to socialize. She didn't want to see the two boys before her ever again. Their expectant eyes eventually worked on her. She could at least give her sons some closure. After a long stretch of silence, the scarred woman finally spoke. "My mind is not my own. I did not know who Tamsyn was." She took a breath, still staring at them. "I cannot trust myself, nor can I be trusted around others. I will live the rest of my days in this cell." A familiar intensity entered the fae's singular eye. "Ulric will take over until one of my children grow old enough and capable enough to rule." That was a hint to the pair of them to work hard make themselves into good wolves. A moment of sentimentality struck and she spoke again. "Take care of one another. Take care of your sisters. Take care of your mother. Learn. Grow. Make me proud." Turning away from the pair, Resin moved back into the deep shadows of the chamber, depositing herself upon the raised pallet that she'd erected and covered in furs. With finality, she spoke. "Don't come down here again." "Speech"

One moment Rudyard was asking mom questions with the two of them alone and just a moment later there came Art running to get between Rudyard and his mom.  The warning given was so stern, so serious, and made absolutely no sense.  Rudy might have questioned Artorias but then his brother was questioning his mom and things made even less sense. Things had been abnormal when he got home, mom nor Resin where he would have expected.  He tended to stay out later for his hunting and just sleep in later to make up for it.  It had caused Rudy to miss the tragedies but it must have been small details in that area that had caused his unease.  Perhaps other small details he’d not noticed except in his subconscious.  Rudy knew what the sickness in his gut was about but only the rough details.  Now he was dreading to know any more. Questions welled up but it seemed silence might get him more answers than speaking up.  As Art had moved a few steps away to move closer to mom Rudy took the opportunity to move up farther himself.  His steps were slow and silent, not trying to avoid notice only the somberness in the air called for quiet.  Too many questions buzzed through his mind.  What had happened?  How bad was mom hurt?  Why would she hurt mom? Was there confusion?  Was this all a mistake?  It wasn’t really like Art to get so upset over a mistake.  Why was Art worried about him?  Surely the mess would be over. Rudy listened to mom’s explanation, a furrow coming to his face and ears flattened back but there was no blame on anyone in his face, it was the situation that had him upset.  His glance looked back the way they had come thinking of needing to go see mom but then his gaze turned back to Resin.  There was a finality in her words and if Art was here it meant he knew their mom was well enough for this moment.   The weight of the world was pressing in on him.  Rudy didn’t want to face this sort of situation, who would?  It really didn’t matter though, a leader dealt with the things no one else should face.  He would be alpha and he would have to face these matters so others could trust in him to make everything right, or as right as it could be.  This would be the curse that came with the fate he had put upon himself. “I don’t understand.” A quiet statement calmly made.  Somehow with so much confusion and emotion-stirring inside Rudy felt numbness in him.  This was a moment of time that would never be forgotten.  “How could your mind not be your own?  How could you not recognize mom?”  He might as well have been asking an explanation on some hunting technique.  Rudy needed to understand to know how to feel.  The boy needed to understand to make his decision.  The boy also needed to check on Tam and help Art deal with the now.  There was a lot that had to be done at this same moment.  Rudyard didn't like this numb feeling or anything else really. He would assure mom of their future later, once these details were explained.  Responding to her stating they could never come down here would also wait until he understood.  The boy who was so good at talking his way through anything to get what he wanted was far more somber and thoughtful at this moment.  The air itself felt heavy, the dancing shadows from the hearth adding to the dark mood that surrounded them. "Rudyard"

If Resin's stony demeanor had been meant to try and overpower the young wolf's will, she was about to be sorely disappointed. Despite his mother's hard stare, Artorias did not back down or back away from her, affixing her with an equally hard stare that demanded answers to his questions. She had taught him to be tenacious and she had taught him well. He knew the law of their pack—they all knew the laws. Blood was never to be shed intentionally. From what he had witnessed last night, Resin had betrayed her own tenets and caused severe harm to their family. Had Tamsyn not bee quick enough... Art refused to entertain that thought any longer. The notion of his parents killing one another was far too horrible to conceive of. But that just wasn't her. His mother was not that kind of wolf. She had established the Hallows as a place of sanctuary and shelter. It made no sense that she would turn into a bloodthirsty savage seemingly overnight. Something was wrong and Artorias was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Their battle of wills finally ended when Resin relented and explained in terse sentences what had occurred. Her answers didn't do much to clarify the unknowns in his mind, only raising further questions and uncertainty. She wasn't herself? What did that even mean? Mental illness was not something either of the boys had been exposed to or taught. Nothing made sense. How could this have happened? What was happening to his mother? Most importantly, how did they stop it? Artorias continued to stand defiantly when Resin went on to give them directions as if these were her dying words, imparting her wishes onto the two Carpathius boys. No, that wasn't good enough for him. There had to be a solution, an answer, an explanation—anything he could do!

He followed Resin's movements with hurt and confused eyes while she retreated from them into a darker part of the cell, bidding they not return. Rudy took the initiative to press the questions further, and Art was thankful he wasn't the only one questioning this fucked up situation. Having Rudy at his back made him feel infinitely more confident, but also far more wary of keeping his brother safe from their own mother. Artorias bit his tongue to keep his mouth shut, reining in his turbulent emotions while he tried to put sentences together in his brain. He wanted to be angry, to rage and yell and demand to know how she dare ask such things of her own children and expect them to be okay with it. He wanted to help her, the same way she had helped so many others and bring her back to her old self. Resin had done so much for everybody else, and now in her moment of need, no one could help her. That was not acceptable.

"That's not good enough!" Artorias snapped back, letting some of the anger born from frustration and uncertainty slip through unintentionally. "You can't just give up like this, Mom! That's not who you are! What you did is not who you are! Don't shut us out. Let us help you." Artorias stepped closer to the cell bars still, mindful of how within reach he was getting. He wanted to show Resin that he wasn't afraid of her and that he still loved her. "We still need you, Mom. If something's wrong with you, we can fix it. We have a whole pack of healers. Let them help you..." He gave a hurt cry, a desperate plea encapsulated in his voice when he begged, "Don't leave us... Please..."


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

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.
____________________

Both boys were tenacious and free thinking. Spirited children. Just like she and Tamsyn had raised them to be. For once though, she wished that they were meek and mild. All of this was mentally exhausting and the grey woman was feeling that tingling in the back of her skull again. The edges of her mind were encased in the beginnings of fog. Neither seemed willing or able to accept her word. That was just too bad. Rudyard questioned her first, admitting that he didn't understand. How could they, really? Neither had been exposed to such things. Who would even think to mention the malady to children? From her place in the dark, curled in a ball upon the fur covered pallet, Resin watched her sons, light from the hearth illuminating their forms. Artorias seemed more angry than confused and spoke of redemption and healing. Poor, foolish boy... He was so hopeful. "There is no fixing this." Her voice was lifeless and dry. Clinical. Sterile. No feeling. No emotion. She'd flipped the switch. "Imagine an old rope. One by one the strands break until there's nothing left and the rope breaks." Low tones continued to slither forth from the darkened corner of the cell. "I cannot be fixed. Over time, I'll lose more and more of myself. I'll no longer be me." That was why they could never come back. They couldn't see what she would eventually become. Even she didn't know what her end state would be, but she knew that it wouldn't be pretty. "I need you to stay away. I need everyone to stay away. Remember me as I was. Not what I will be." They were too young to understand, but Resin had always been strong and proud. She could end up as a drooling, incoherent mess, pissing and shitting all over herself. She could end up a whirlwind of rage, trying to murder anything that happened by. No one knew what would be. She only knew that she would no longer be Resin. "Speech"

Rudy could understand Art’s rage but he couldn’t touch those emotions himself.  Rudy knew the emotions buried in would have anger as well as a myriad of other things.  Still, if Art was going to rage then Rudy really had no choice but to remain calm.  Art would always be the best to defend them both in a fight but Rudy was the one who would stay calm and control the tense situations.  Well, those he could control.  Right now it was mom who was in control, who had the answers they both needed. Rudy swallowed back his own words of stating they needed her.  They did but – there was no continuing that line of thought without facing unwanted answers.  Mom killed Arts argument fast.  No fixing the sickness.  As she described a rope Rudy had a flashback to when mom taught him how to braid ropes to create a snare.  He cast the memory aside before it could touch him emotionally.  Art needed him calm, and perhaps in some way mom also? Mom, Resin, had nearly killed mom, Tamsyn.  What if mom had died saving Rudy from the herd of charging elk?  What if Art had died in the coyote fight?  The situations were both of Rudy’s making.  How much worse to actually be the one who did the blow?  What was the right thing to do in such a situation?  The answer was sickening.  Every list of possibilities kept going back to answers he didn’t like. Rudy swallowed before he almost choked on his words.  Calm.  He had to be calm.  Rudy would become alpha, even mom had made mention of such a thing, sort of. Rudy took a steady breath.  “One of your children won’t be alpha.  Two of them will be, supporting each other to balance strengths and weaknesses.  They’ll take the job,” Rudy cut off as he had to take another shuddering breath, squeezing his eyes shut trying to break off tears.  No, calm, confident.  Mom’s weren’t fixing this.  Mom’s fixed things but not this time.  Well, in a sense mom was just not the way they wanted. “they’ll take it seriously and never forget any of your lessons.  They’ll protect the family and all of the pack.”   Rudy would check on mom after this and then he would flee somewhere to let out all the barricaded emotions that were trying to slip out of his control.  Somewhere no one would see.  There was a back part of his mind that seemed to mock him, pointing out Resin didn’t want them to see her when she lacked control either.  Pride, honor, things no one wanted to lose.  Shit.  There was another thought, one the young wolf hated himself for and wasn’t sure he could speak of. “Why though,” it wasn’t a finished sentence, just one he couldn’t say without another deep breath to master himself, “why wait for…”  Could she understand the question with just that?  Why wait for death?  If there was nothing left to do in life then why suffer and grow worse?  There was a pang of guilt that Rudy would even think of such a thing.  Rudy hated himself. He could ask the question in more ways.  Was there hope she wasn’t telling them about and that was why she would live and wait?  Could she simply not stand the idea of cheating and dying early?  What would Art think?  What would mom think?  Would they be horrified he could think much less ask such a thing? Rudy just imagined staying down here, no company, such madness as she mentioned, loss of hope.  How much more could one suffer?  Well, he’d offer mom a promise of them growing up strong and well.  “I love you mom.  I’m sorry.”  Shit.  The bubble of calm was slipping and he wanted to flee.  At the same time Rudy didn’t want to leave and have this be the end.  Rudy was carefully not looking at Art.  Was his brother looking at him in horror at Rudy’s question.  It was horrific but so was leaving Resin down here with nothing except time to wait for death and suffer.  Rudy wouldn’t be a puppy anymore, he had to grow up now.  Right now.  He’d be hiding somewhere to cry as soon as he was done faking calm.  Well, sort of faking, sort of failing. "Say goodbye Art," the words whispered softly, "whatever else also."  Would his brother listen?  Rudy couldn't look at him so only words would be an answer now. "Rudyard"

Artorias did not take the answer of no. There was no world that existed in which a solution wasn't attainable somehow. He refused to accept things as they were presented to him. Already in his first year of life the Hallows had lost two wolves, he'd nearly been killed fighting the gigantic dire wolf, Rudy had nearly been killed by a pack of scavengers, and now this? He'd be damned if he just accepted his mother was a lost cause. Too much—this had all been too much. He understood what Resin was trying to explain to them, but he rejected her analogy. A rope, even frayed, could be repurposed and remade. From the very first day when he could make decisions for himself, Artorias had told his mother that he wanted to be a knight like her so he could protect the wolves he cared about. That included her. She had taught him to fight to the bitter end and to never give in, and that was what he intended to do. He would rage—rage against the dying light in Resin and fight it every second he could. Even if she had given up, Art would not give up on her.

The boy's jaw clenched so hard he felt his teeth grinding together, stifling the raw emotion from spilling forth any more than it already had. Resin didn't even re-emerge from the darkness to look at them. From the shadows she instructed them to stay away from her and to remember her as she was. He didn't get a chance to respond though as Rudy piped up and gave voice to his commitment to taking over the pack with him. Artorias just snorted and turned his head away to glower at the stone floor. He didn't give a damn about leadership or lines of succession. He didn't want to consider the world in which Resin didn't exist anymore. His mother, his mentor, his role model... He couldn't just accept losing her like this.

Rudy then asked the darkest question of their mother. Why wait for the end? He hadn't said those final words, but it had been implied, and that was all that mattered. Again, Artorias snorted and turned his nose up in repulsion. Suicide was a quitter's way out, and Resin was far too proud and mighty a wolf to go out in such a way. Quitting was giving in and giving in was weakness. The venerated warrior would not surrender her life so meekly, of that Art was certain. Amber eyes, fogged with anger and sorrow, turned up to peer at the misty gray light streaming into the dungeon from its sole window. Even down here the light found a way to permeate the darkness. That was what he would be; Artorias would be the light in the darkness—for everyone, but especially now for his mom.

When Rudy told him to say goodbye, Artorias just shrugged away and instead stormed right up to the bars of the cell until he made contact with them. No more fear, no more excuses, and no giving in. He pressed his paws to the cold metal barricade separating him from his mother and burned his fiery gaze through the dark to where he knew she was. It took all of his might to keep the tears dammed behind his eyes, but he was managing so far. He didn't want his mother to see him cry, the same way she didn't want him to see her turn. He wanted her to see the look of the determined young warrior she had bred into the world and know that she had created this. But mostly, he wanted her to know he wasn't afraid of her.

"I'm going to save you. I'll find a way somehow. I promise," he spoke through clenched teeth, still fighting his own hurricane of emotions. He wasn't as well versed as Resin was at switching them off yet, but he was learning. "I'm not giving up on you." There was a pause long enough for him to swallow down the surge of emotions. "I love you, Mom." His words burned hot with the conviction of a youth rebelling against an unacceptable future. He loved his mother dearly; he could not just let her go like that.

Not bothering to wait to hear any more protests or orders from her, Artorias slammed a furious paw into the bars, then stepped back and turned on his heels, storming his way past Rudy and back up the stairs out of the dungeons. Only once he was back up the stairs and into the castle proper did the hot tears finally fall down his face, cutting trails through the thin fur on his muzzle. So caught up in his emotions was Artorias that he didn't notice he was growling under his breath or gnashing his teeth together. He didn't want to hear any more giving up from his brother or refutation from his mother. Boreas was large and they had some of the best healers in the world. Someone somewhere had to have an answer for him. Resin had to be saved. He could not fail her, not when there was so much at stake. Tamsyn was hurt, Resin was broken, and everyone else was in disarray. Artorias had to fix his family somehow.

— E X I T —


"Artorias" | Thoughts | "Corbin"

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.
____________________