He moved out of the dungeon like a zombie, eyes glazed over, paws dragging beneath him. People didn’t just go from protective Alphas and loving mothers to psycho killers. His head could wrap around it. But he had seen Tammys scars. It wasn’t until he had surfaced from the dungeon that he snarled, and struck a paw against the castle wall just outside the entrance. His paw his hard, and he felt the vibration of the hit through his teeth. Dammit! but that did nothing to let him vent. He could feel the pent up anger brewing inside of him. He wanted enemies he could fight, demons he could kill he could do nothing against demons in the head. He was supposed to be the Warlord the wolf that could take down any enemy that stood in their way. Tam and Resin needed him, and what could he do? He snarled again, and heard a noise like a peep. His head shot up and he saw the departing tail of a wolf. What? he paused, wondering if he should follow, and caught the scent. He in a slow, deep breath, his eyes glazing over. “Briar Zee Fatalis, you get back here right this instant!” he roared. "Speech"

After she found Artorias in the training gym, she made it her personal mission to cheer him up. Even if it was just for a little while before something worsened or changed. She didn't know exactly how she was going to do it yet, but she had to try. She couldn't just leave him again after seeing him cry like this. She had truly planned to just be in and out so hopefully her father would be none the wiser. But seeing Artorias like this... It hurt a lot more than she had expected it to. She led him away from the training gym, coaxing him away from the room he had destroyed as she insisted that they should go up to the tower again.

As they neared a crossing point in the castle where some hallways and doors met, she saw a door open ahead of them and she froze in place. Her father. She saw his distinctive, saber toothed head emerge from a doorway and her heart dropped into her stomach. She felt like she was holding her breath as she stopped Artorias and started to slowly back away, but as she watched her father for a moment longer she saw the snarl cross his face and watched as he hit the wall hard. Her expression changed from fear of getting caught to actual, genuine worry. She had never seen her father lose his cool before. Not even when that pack of dire wolves attacked their pack. He had obviously been worried, but he had taken charge and directed them where to go. This... this felt deferent.

She saw him snarl again and start to turn toward them and a gasp escaped her as she turned to duck into one of the near by rooms, pulling Art along with her. Not more than a moment after they had hidden themselves away, she heard him yell for her, and she didn't even want to look at Artorias as the real fear settled over her. Sure, she had gotten in trouble plenty of times before, but... she'd never heard him be this angry before. She gave Blue Boy a worried glance before slipping out of the room, and continuing down the corridor to face him, her ears pinned back and head low as she approached him with guilt written all over her face.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Artorias felt hollow and out of place. He felt useless and listless. He hated all of these feelings that consumed him the more he thought about his mother's condition and the more time he spent not doing something proactive to help her. But... what could he do? He was still just a pup being shuffled back and forth between adults while even they tried to pick up the pieces of their broken family. None of this was right, and although he had vented much of his anger in the destruction of his own training gym, inside him still churned a tempestuous sea of negative emotions ranging from confusion and hurt to fear and rage. He was so torn up and scrambled that his once fiery eyes just appeared lifeless from the lack of rest and strain he'd put himself under. The only breath of fresh air he'd gotten in the last few days was seeing Briar again and the small ray of hope her presence along with Sirius brought.

At her behest, he had abandoned his dojo to go on a walk with her back up to the tower they'd sat in not too long ago and observed the Austern landscapes. He trudged alongside her down the corridors, silent as the grave all the way back to the grand foyer that led to all the other levels of the castle. He had kept his eyes cast down at the path in front of them as they walked, mindlessly watching the stones under their paws, so he hadn't noticed Sirius emerging from the dungeons right in front of them until Briar stopped him in his tracks with a paw. He glanced up with a start, noting first the fearful expression on Briar's face, then followed her gaze to find her father punching a wall. He cocked his head curiously; why was Briar so startled by her own father if she'd come down with him?

The startled gasp she made while hurrying to get them out of sight took the boy by surprise more than when she yanked him back out of sight into the closest room they could hide in, which turned out to be a small storage closet, empty of everything except for a few old barrels and crates. "Briar, what-?" he started to ask, but the bellow of a furious Sirius calling for his daughter cut him off with sudden realization. Briar hadn't come down here with Sirius after all; she had stowed away on his trip. Art looked back into Briar's terrified turquoise eyes and felt nerves begin to twist at his stomach. She had been caught and from the sound of her father's voice, it was not going to be pretty once she stepped outside. He didn't know what to say, especially not when Briar gave him a worried look before defeatedly hanging her head and stepping out to face the music. "Briar!" he called after her to stop her, but she was already gone.

Dammit, he had to do something! Briar had come down here on her own volition, knowing full well what sort of trouble she'd face for doing so, and did it anyway just to look out for him? He couldn't just hang her out to dry! But... that was Sirius out there, and an angry Sirius at that. It was different when he was protecting Briar from a scolding from his own parents—them he knew how to handle—but the Warlord, the most powerful wolf in the lands? It felt very much like David standing up to Goliath. But despite the boy's nervousness, his racing heart demanded he do something to help his friend. The ache in his heart at the thought of her facing an unjust punishment on his behalf was unbearable. No. He wouldn't let her do this alone, not if he could stand with her.

Artorias rushed out of the closet and hurried back to the foyer to catch up with Briar. She was already approaching her father looking like a chastised puppy, but that didn't stop him from walking up to stand beside her. He looked up at the stern face of Sirius, the Warlord appearing less massive than the last time he'd seen him now that he'd grown into his height, but still as intimidating as ever. He swallowed the lump out of his throat and met Sirius' eyes with as much life as he could muster back into his amber irises, giving the older man a small smile and a bow of his head. "Hello, Mister Sirius. It's nice to see you again," he greeted their distinguished guest. "Thank you for coming to help us... and thank you for bringing Briar with you. It's..." He hesitated, looking at Briar while trying to think of the right words to describe how the last few days had been. "...It's been really hard for us. I didn't have anyone to talk to about it until you brought her back. Everyone's been so busy... I'm glad she came with you so I'm... not alone anymore..."

Was he overreaching the truth a bit to maybe garner some sympathy points from Sirius to help keep Briar out of the fire? Yes, yes he was. It was also the only thing he could think to do to try and save her hide from her pissed off dad. It also wasn't entirely untruthful either. With everything going on around the pack, Resin and Tamsyn had been the highlight of all activity, and while it was entirely justified, nobody had really checked on any of the pups to see how they were doing. Briar had been the first one in days to ask if he was okay and to offer him aid. He didn't want to see her get in trouble for being his life preserver.


"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.
____________________

“Dammit Briar!” he swore, thinking of the unstable wolf he had just left behind in the dungeon. Of her fear, and her rage. Echoed in his own heart. He thought of Tam, and her ripped up face. He wanted to hit the wall again. There was a haze in his eyes, he was so angry. He had only just talked to her about recklessness! And she had gone and sneaked out again, charging all the way out of the Armada and down to the Hallows behind him. Art slipped out of the closet behind her, demure and respectful, sad and apologetic. He remembered then that Briar had mentioned him… that he had realised there might be feelings between the two of them. She hadn’t come here for Resin, she had come here for Art. that was better, safer. He let out a soft shaky breath, and stamped his closed paw more gently on the ground before them. Gods, he wanted to hit something. “Dammit, Briar” He said, more quietly this time. “I told you… I told you that there are few rules in your life, but the ones that are there, are there for your safety.” he turned to Art. “I can see from your expression that you knew she did not come here with permission. Very well, if you want to take responsibility for her - Don’t leave her side. You're responsible for her action while she's under your roof.” a reminder of responsibilities, a pushing of two pups together. Art was going through a lot, and he was a noble sort. He would listen, and have a reason to have Briar beside him. He would have a responsibility to distract him, and a friend to help him through. He let his eyes linger on his daughter. He didn’t have the heart to punish her. Not today, not for this. "Friends are running in short supply as it is" He whispered, but not for them. for the friend he had left behind in that dungeon. He needed to get out of here, he needed air. before he hit someone, or the kids saw him cry. he wasn't sure which was worse. "Speech"

Briar carefully made her way toward her father, flinching a little when he swore at her. She had been in trouble before, but not like this. She had never seen him this angry before, angry enough to want to hit a wall or yell at her. She tried to reason with herself, telling herself that he was stressed by everything that was going on and that even though she technically had done it for a much better reason this time she had broken the same rule twice. Even still she couldn't meet his gaze as she stood in front of him, feeling like she wanted to sink into the floor.

Before she could start trying to defend herself, Artorias emerged from behind her, making her look up with surprise. She watched her friend as he spoke, his amber gaze eventually meeting her turquoise one while he thanked her father for bringing her and spoke of how he wasn't alone any more thanks to her. Despite how afraid she was of her father's reaction, she couldn't help the little smile that pulled at her lips. Artorias had surely figured out by now that Sirius had in fact not brought her along, but she appreciated him trying to come to her aid and disrupt her father's anger. Her dad was an intimidating wolf so she knew it took a good bit of guts to do so.

When her father stomped his foot began to speak again she brought her gaze back to him, noticing how his anger had at least seemed to settle slightly. He didn't look quite as angry now, but he looked... tired. As he reminded her of how the rules were there for her safety, she nodded quietly, her gaze shifting down to the floor guiltily. She knew that she'd be in trouble from the second she left the Armada border, but she just had to come check on Artorias. She couldn't really explain why, but she had to. She would have just worried herself sick wondering if he was okay if she hadn't. She lifted her eyes to Artorias again when her father declared that she was now his responsibility as long as she was here and she gave him an apologetic look as well. She definitely hadn't meant for him to get caught up in this, but... she was kind of glad that her father had stuck them together. She didn't really want to be anywhere else anyway. At least now she could keep an eye on Art for as long as she was here.

Her father whispered something she didn't quite catch and she looked up at him once more, her gaze worried as she peered up at him. She wanted to ask how things were, ask if there was anything they could do to help, but she didn't. It wasn't her place and she didn't want to risk making her father more angry by poking her nose where it didn't belong. She tentatively took a step closer to him and reached up to tap his chin with her nose. "I'm sorry," she told him quietly, far more genuinely than any of the other times she had been in trouble. There was no big puppy eyes or being cute to try and worm her way out of a harsher punishment. She could tell this was all really hard on him, just as it was for Art, and she really hadn't meant to make this harder on him.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

It seemed at first that perhaps Sirius wasn't going to be settled down regardless of what he said, but after he took a deep breath and muttered a few more curses, the Warlord relented and, after a little bit of scolding to remind Briar of why his rules existed, permitted her to remain with him. The only caveat was that Artorias was now responsible for her behavior during her stay, which he would have accepted regardless of Sirius' conditions. Any guests brought into their home were the responsibility of the inviting party, those had always been the Hallows' rules. Plus if it allowed Briar to stay when he needed her companionship the most, he would have agreed to any terms. "Yes, sir. Thank you," Artorias said with a grateful bow of his head. Sirius would never know how much it meant to the boy to have someone with him at his side and to not be left alone with his fears and thoughts. Briar would be a welcome distraction and something to focus his worry-addled mind on.

Artorias turned to Briar then, gently ushering her away with a nudge of his head against her shoulder. Sirius definitely didn't look like he was in any mood to entertain any company right now, and perhaps it would be best if they both went on their way while he sorted things out. A sudden thought struck the back of his mind, and the young wolf turned back to meet the Warlord's clouded blue eyes with his own hopeful and desperate amber ones. "Mister Sirius... thank you for coming. If you can, please help my mom. Everyone else..." He hesitated, choking on the words that he wanted to say, though they tasted so bitter on his tongue. He continued after drawing up his courage, "Everyone else is acting like she's dead... She's not dead though, she needs our help... Please, help me save her..."

The poor boy was so hopeful, clinging to strings better left to fray in the desperate need to keep his mother with them. He didn't understand what was happening or why no one seemed to be trying to save his mother besides himself. But maybe Sirius would believe the way he did. Maybe the older and wiser Alpha would know something he didn't. Either way, all of his hopes lay on Sirius, and he prayed that the two of them would be enough to save Resin from herself. Maybe that would be enough.


"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.
____________________

He wrapped a paw about his daughter's shoulder as she reached up to his chin. Her antlers sticking up behind her, so much like her mothers. “I know, sweetheart. You were thinking of your friend” he of all people could understand that. Thoughts of Resin had blinded him in his mad dash here, otherwise he might have realised his daughter was shadowing him. He turned to Artorias, and barely managed to contain his grimace as the boy begged him to help his mother. “Resin is my mother too, Artorias. She is the wolf my kids call Grandmother, and I love her. I will do whatever I can for her.” He couldn’t turn back time, and he couldn’t heal the damage in her head. But he could stay with her, when everyone else had been warned off the dungeons. He could stay with her, so she would know she wasn’t alone. He released Briar, and moved closer to Art, leaning down to look at the young boy at eye level “You aren’t alone, Art.” he said, wrapping a paw about the boy and drawing him close for a moment. It was only a short hug, and then he was releasing him. He turned his back on them, rubbing dirt from his eyes. “Try not to get into any trouble” he said, more to the wall then them, before moving off and leaving them behind. Maybe he would be able to find some training dummies to break apart in the courtyard... - Exit unless stopped - "Speech"

A small smile touched Briar's lips as her father wrapped her up in one big foreleg, pulling her into him as he admitted that he understood and that she had been thinking of her friend. She leaned her head into his chest for a moment and felt infinitely better about things now that she was forgiven and she had permission to stay with Artorias. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about how he had hit the wall with so much anger, how he had yelled her name... It was a different side of her father that she had never seen and she secretly hoped she wouldn't have to see again. There was a difference between seeing him fight and things like that and this where he had been truly at his wits end and furious.

She looked toward Artorias when he began to plead her father for help and she looked at him sympathetically, her brow creasing with worry when he said how everyone was acting as if she was already dead. She genuinely hoped her father could find some way to help, some way to fix things. He always fixed things and made them right. It's what parents did. She had to have faith in him to give her some kind of hope that all of this was going to get better and she wouldn't have to see Artorias hurting any more. She leaned away from her father as he released her and went to embrace Artorias instead. She smiled a little as she watched them, happy that Blue Boy was getting some comfort from someone other than herself.

She watched her dad walk off toward the courtyard for a moment before turning her attention back to Art. "So... Still want to go to the tower?"

"Briar" | "Marigold"

When he saw Sirius' expressions and voice soften while he embraced Briar, Artorias knew that things would be okay between them. He breathed a soft sigh of relief while he just watched the two Fatalis wolves for a minute. When they did separate, Art met Seer's gaze while the Warlord told him that Resin was his mother to and he would do everything to help her. Despite the overwhelming sense of futility he had been drowning in, Sirius' simple reassurance brought a kindling of hope back to the dying fire in his heart. If there was anyone he could count on, it would be Seer. He remembered the older wolf's words from when he had been just a little fluff ball. If he ever needed help, Sirius would be there to help, and true to his word here the Warlord stood.

"Thank you, sir," he replied. Simple words, but they carried a tremendous gratitude he'd never be able to put in words otherwise. Artorias was in for quite the surprise though when Sirius brought his head down to his level, eyes meeting between the two wolves while he reassured the lad that he wasn't alone. Then all at once Artorias found himself surrounded in the Warlord's strong, comforting embrace. Even though it was for a short time, it was enough to make Art feel safe, confident, like he was being sheltered from everything that wanted to hurt him. It was almost enough to pull more tears from him again—but Artorias steeled himself to keep the choking sobs from slipping out. He needed to be strong, now more than ever.

Once Sirius had released him and told them to avoid getting into more trouble, Art simply nodded and replied, "Yes, sir." He sat in the foyer with Briar until Seer had walked out of view before turning back to her, meeting her eyes with a tired smile and a slow nod of his head. "Yeah, I could use some air..." he replied, getting back to his paws and heading for the stairs. While they ascended, a question crossed his mind, and he turned his head toward Briar to ask her, "Your middle name is Zee?"


"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.
____________________

Briar nodded in agreement when Artorias told her that he needed some air. Sometimes it was just good to change up your surroundings, even if it was just to another part of the castle as it was in this case. She began to climb the stairs up to one of her favorite places in the castle, staying at Artorias' side and walking in time with him. It still kind of surprised her how comfortable she felt when she was beside him and was really thankful that she had found a friend in the Carpathius boy. Well... that was until he questioned her about her middle name.

She shot him a glare as they continued to climb, feeling a warm blush come over her cheeks. "Yeah... So what?" she challenged with a huff and a toss of her head. Her father's obsession with her mother truly knew no bounds and had clearly found a compromise in her name when Zee rightfully refused to let him name any of them after her. Briar sighed with a little shake of her head, adding, "Dad is ridiculous when it comes to my mom. I'm pretty sure all of us would have just been named Zee if he had his way."

It did make her curious though... She turned her gaze toward him then nudging his shoulder with her own. "What's yours then?"






"Briar" | "Marigold"

Artorias was a little surprised by Briar's visceral reaction to the mention of her own middle name, the glare both amusing and starling the boy at the same time. Uh oh, had he struck a nerve unintentionally? Wait... was she blushing? Before he could inspect her any further, the Fatalis girl had huffed and tossed her head to look away from him, challenging his question with a snide response. "Nothing, nothing at all," he remarked, giving a scoff under his breath. "Just... never heard it before." He was still mulling over why the innocent question about her middle name had gotten her so upset when Briar went on to offer clarifying information about her father's obsession with her mother. The corners of Art's lips pulled upward in a smirk when she mentioned all her litter would be named Zee if Sirius had the chance.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think it's a pretty name," he remarked. "But I like Briar more." There went his heart feeling like it was floating away again, only this time it was accompanied by nervous twisting in his stomach. Except he didn't have anything to be nervous about. Was he just worried about how Briar would take his response? He certainly didn't want to upset her again. The two reached the top of the stairs and Artorias led the way into the tower and the single stairwell that spiraled all the way up to the top.

When she nudged him, Artorias turned curious fire eyes to meet her cool turquoise, cocking his head as if to ask a silent "What?". His face turned into a wry, crooked grin when she asked his middle name, the boy shaking his head at the incredulity of their fortunes. Boy, if she thought it was obnoxious having her mother's name as her middle name... "I, uh... don't know if I should tell you," he said, pausing before adding, "I mean, if your name means your dad's obsessed with your mom, then I guess my mom is obsessed too, but with... uh..." He cast a sideways glance at Briar and finally answered her question. "It's Sirius." He winced a little, already dreading her reaction. Gods, he hoped this didn't make things super awkward now.


"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 she hadn't already been blushing, then Artorias went and complemented her name, saying it was pretty. Her face felt even hotter and she pointedly glanced away from him, pretending to look out one of the slim windows they passed as they went up the stairs just to hide it. "Um... Thanks," she said with a bit of hesitant awkwardness, fighting the smile that threatened to pull across her face. Dang it, why was he always so sweet? It made it so much harder to poke fun at him when he was sweet like that. Luckily though they got to the top of the stairs and stepped out side, the cold air helping to cool off her blushing face.

When she asked about his middle name in return the grin she got from him made her curious and nervous all at once. What could it possibly be that would make him grin like that? At first he tried not to tell her and she gave him a glare to get him talking, fully ready to keep poking at his shoulder until he told. Luckily she didn't have to do that though, listening as he gave an even more confusing answer about his mom being obsessed with something. What, was he named after one of his mother's too?

He finally confessed his name and her eyes went wide with surprise and disbelief. "They named you after my dad?" she questioned, blinking as she took that fact in. She supposed it maybe made sense considering how close he was with both Tamsyn and Resin... But it was still a little weird at least. Regaining her composure she pulled in a bit of her usual attitude, telling him, "Well, I mean, he is the Warlord and the best fighter ever, so obviously they just wanted to name you after someone really strong." Yes, of course, obviously.

"Briar" | "Marigold"

Turned out that cringing in recoil from her reaction had been the right call after all, as Briar fixed him with a shocked look and reiterated the obvious that he had been named after her father. Yep, Tamsyn and Resin had given him Sirius as his middle name in honor of the Warlord of the Armada, although at whose insistence, he didn't know. Zee had very clearly come from Sirius. He had no idea if it had been Tam or Resin who had suggested Sirius for him. "Yeeeaaah, they did..." he admitted, ears folding bashfully to his head while they both emerged at the top of the tower. The air was cold, but at least there was no breeze today, leaving it chilly but clear in all directions. He stepped over to the parapet and placed his forelegs up on the cool, weathered stones, peering out northward towards the Wildberry Grove and the ocean beyond near the Bifrost.

Briar's hypothesis of why his parents had given him that name was as good as any he could have guessed. Artorias just rolled his shoulders in a shrug. He didn't know the exact reasons, nor did he question it. It was his name, and he was proud to bear the name of the renowned alpha. It felt like an honor, like a reminder of who he should aspire to be. He had always looked up to Sirius the same way he did his mothers. "Dunno. They never told me the reasons why," he said, extrapolating on his lack of answers. "Could be that. Could be that my mom Tamsyn wanted to do something to honor him. She's always told us how she looks up to your dad and how he saved her life, so maybe it's like a tribute thing." He really had no answers other than speculation. Perhaps he would ask her about that sometime for his own understanding.

While Artorias surveyed the expansive landscapes surrounding his home, he would occasionally glance over to Briar at his side, watching her enjoy the views. A little smile grew across his face while he watched her excitement and joy at the scenery. He liked when she was happy, and it was easy to do when he knew how much she liked the views from the tower. "I'm glad you came," he said after a few minutes, turning his gaze back to the world so as not to get caught staring at her. "I dunno how I'd get through this on my own, so, thank you... It means a lot to me that you're here, Briar."


"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.
____________________

Briar hummed softly in acknowledgement when Artorias mentioned how much Tamsyn looked up to her father and how he had saved her life, citing that as the reason for it, that she may have wanted to honor him. She had heard stories about her father's former General, but had never really asked about her. It made her want to whenever she got a chance to talk to her father again. She knew he'd be caught up in everything going on for a while, but she tucked it away on her ever growing list of things to question him about.

For a little while she just looked out at the scenery, shoulder to shoulder with Art, a small smile lingering on her lips. Considering how dark this day had started out, she was pretty happy with how it had ended up. She knew it wasn't over yet and there would be a lot more dark days ahead for her friend, but she'd be there for him. It made her happy knowing that she could make him a little happier. As if reading her mind, he said how he was glad she came and she looked over at him. His thanks made her ears fold back shyly and her smile widened before she could glance away again, nudging his shoulder with hers. Dumb, sweet Blue Boy. "Don't mention it. What are friends for?"









"Briar" | "Marigold"