The night was dark and a summer storm shook the land with its thunder. Lightning flashed, lighting the way back home. Bowen was sore and tired and soaked to the bone, but she felt accomplished. An injustice had been done to her family. Her brother, her sister, her mother. Payment was required and so she had gone to collect what was owed.

Through Artorias, Bowen had heard what happened to Gwyn. When her brother had come back, injured and half drowned, sharing his tale of this infamous beast, there was no other path before her. In the dead of night, after she had sat beside Art to ensure that he could sleep, Bowen left the castle. She left The Hallows behind. Tonight, she would slip back into her former skin. Bowen would be packed away and Little Bird would slide into place. She had been this other creature for half of her life, so it was easy; natural. Bowen missed her other self. Stitching the two halves of herself together would be tricky and would take time, so she enjoyed being able to just dissolve into her other self.

It took the small woman some time to first find the place where Art had washed up on the beach. Bowen followed the river upwards until she found Arts scent on shore. From there, it was no easy feat to track the giant brute that called himself  their brother, but she managed. Finding those that didn't wish to be found was a specialty of hers. Killing them was a specialty as well, but that wasn't what she was after. There was another prize in mind and she would have it.

The night was dark and clouded, threatening snow. Perfect for the small fae to complete her task. She could smell snow on the air, but it wasn't there quite yet. She had time to get in, get out, and hopefully the storm would cover her tracks. Not that it needed to. The beast would know right where she was. It was no secret, especially considering her quarry.

Bowen found the man fast asleep, curled up on a big, thick fur. The closer that Bowen came to the man, the more she realized that this fur... was her mother. Emerald eyes narrowed as she stared at the bastard. He looked happy as a clam. In fact, was that a smile on his face? No doubt he was pleased with himself for almost killing her brother. Well, no matter what he'd 'won' in his mind, he was about to lose something too.

Picking up a nice sized rock, Bowen chucked it far off into the trees on the opposite side of the man. The rock struck a tree before clattering to the ground, making a fair bit of noise. From her hidden place, Bo watched the man rise with a spluttering start, and move off into the trees, his pelt bristled. He was big. Very big. She could see the resemblance between him and her mother and knew that their blood was no lie. This demon truly was her mother's son.

While his back was turned, Bowen crept out into the open. She had no time to spare and only glanced at the skin of her mother before taking it between her teeth. She turned to run and ran face first into the chest of the slate and obsidian man. He grabbed her by the throat and walked her backwards, slamming the small fae into a tree and lifting her off of her paws. Bowen squirmed as her breathing was cut off. Both dark paws were wrapped around the brute's foreleg, trying to get him to let her free. She tried to bite him, swinging her head and gnashing her teeth, but he didn't like that. The devil rose up onto his hind paws and struck her with his other paw, splitting Bowen's lip and spilling her blood onto the paw that was strangling her. She was beginning to see spots in her vision from lack of oxygen.

By rising up to strike her, the brute had brought himself just a little bit closer. Still struggling, Bowen managed to swing her lower half outwards, kicking the man square in the throat with all of the force that she could muster. It did the trick. Sputtering and gasping for air, he dropped the girl, who also gasped for air. Her neck hurt, but adrenaline did its job and she was able to move quickly while the brute was still choking.

Grabbing the corner of her mother's skin, Bowen rocketed out of the clearing, the grey and black fur flying behind her like a flag. A snarl of rage sounded behind her as the hellhound gave chase. His legs were so long that he was right on her tail. The air catching her mother's pelt was slowing her down, but she didn't have far to go. Breathing heavily, Bowen ran as quickly as her slender legs would take her, the cold air beating at her lungs. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she could feel the heat of the man's breath on the tip of her tail. Then she could hear his jaws snapping behind her. Maybe it hadn't been her imagination...

The end was in sight. Bowen never stopped running and when she dove over the edge of the cliff, she spun, wrapping her mother's pelt in her arms. Before she crashed into the icy, churning water of the river, she saw the demon's face looking down at her over the side. Bowen couldn't help but grin before the dark water carried her away.

------------------

The river had ferried her away much like it had done to Art, but she didn't need it to take her too far. Just out of reach of the man, she found her way to the opposite bank. She exited the river just in time. The snow that she smelled began to fall. Thunder and lightning soon followed as further south the snow clouds gave way to storm clouds. Bruised and exhausted but utterly victorious, Bowen trudged on. The storm accompanied her the entire way. The young woman was still soaked when she pushed through the doors of the castle. Up the stairs she went, dragging the sopping, muddied fur of her mother along with her. The floor and hall would need to be cleaned later, but it hardly mattered now.

Her legs wobbled from all of the swimming and walking and she eventually buckled, slamming her shoulder into the wooden door of the infirmary. No doubt the clatter would rouse her sleeping family, but that couldn't be helped. She had planned to wait until morning to share the good news, but if they woke, they woke. Tired and unable to move any further, Bowen curled up on the stone floor, still clutching the muddied pelt of her mother. A soft laugh of accomplishment ghosted past her bloodied lips and one might have thought her mad, but honestly, she was just so happy to have been Little Bird again, even if it was for just a short time.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

She had become a permanent fixture in the infirmary over the last several weeks, but that had become exceedingly true a few days ago after Artorias came back brutalized. Gwynevere had been here round the clock as well and kept insisting that she could go, but she refused. Both of her sons were here and now that she knew the truth of what had happened to Gwynevere she was equally as worried about her daughter. She might not have the physical trauma to deal with, but the mental anguish was just as detrimental and it made her watch Gwynevere more closely, realizing all the things she hadn't noticed because she hadn't been looking for them. She was laying on one of the infirmary beds watching Artorias, Rudyard, Gwynevere, and Briar sleeping. She had forced Kane to go back up to their room so he could get a good night's sleep - the infirmary cots didn't really suit him and his size that well and even though the infirmary was fairly large it was already starting to feel crowded. She was at least attempting to sleep, though so far she hadn't had much luck and just ended up watching over her children worriedly instead.

The silence of the night was suddenly broken as something slammed into the infirmary door, making her jump and gasp as her head shot up and her mint gaze spun to look at the door. Her heart was beating a mile a minute from being startled but after that initial thud there was just silence. She glanced across the room, Gwynevere's gaze catching hers and the bleary eyes of Art and Briar blinking open as well. It made her wonder if Gwyn had been sleeping at all. She hopped to her feet, hurrying over to the door and pulling it open, revealing the curled up, white and tan form of Bowen laying outside the door. Her heart dropped to the floor and panic filled her as she immediately sprung into action. "Bowen?!" she breathed as she began to lift her back to her paws, feeling just how soaked and freezing she was. "Gwyn! Get some towels and furs," she said, not even noticing the muddy fur Bowen had been laying on in the hall. It was hidden away in the darkness, unnoticed in the flurry of her frantic worry. She was doing all but picking Bowen up to get her into the closest cot and if there was any protest from her smallest daughter she didn't hear it. Gwyn hurried over to help and begin wrapping her in towels to dry her pale fur and wrap her up in warm furs. "What happened?" she questioned, rubbing Bowen's paws between her own to warm up her pale toes.

Tamsyn Carpathius

Most of Artorias' days following the fight were spent resting and recovering in the infirmary. Gwynevere had given him a heaping dose of painkillers and numbed him up to stitch the wounds on the back of his neck shut, both his neck and shoulder now bandaged up to allow the flesh and muscle to heal naturally. The damage he'd taken from Oxx's more vulgar attacks could only be healed with time and painkillers. Blood was replenished with plenty of fresh uncooked meat, but mostly it was just waiting for his body to regain the strength he'd lost from his extended period of exposure to the cold.

When he'd arrived back at the castle, he'd told Tamsyn everything he'd learned. Oxx, what he'd done to Gwyn, the fight that he'd lost, everything. After that, the young brute spent almost all of his waking moments resting and recuperating. Bowen and Briar kept him company and tended to his needs; they were both far too sweet and kind, and he hated feeling like a burden on them. The sooner he could be up and about, the better. That night had been uneventful. A storm roiled over Auster, Artorias listening to the sound of the rain on the windows and the rumbling thunder until he drifted off to sleep with Bowen and Briar at his side. He loved storms, and they helped keep him in a deep, restful sleep.

That's where he'd been when Bowen returned from her excursion, his sleep mostly dreamless save for a few pleasant visions. The slam on the infirmary doors kicked the boy out of his sleep with a dazed grumble, his head shooting up much too quickly out of reflex and drawing a hiss of pain when it pulled at his stitches. Artorias flopped back to the bed, reaching a paw up to the back of his neck to try and soothe the stinging his jerky movement had caused. Blinking through bleary eyes to get his bearings, Artorias tried to sus out what had woken him up, when the sound of his mother calling Bowen's name in shock and calling for Gwyn did that for him. Artorias was now instantly alert at the prospect of Bowen being hurt.

"Bowe- Owww!" He winced as he once again sat up too fast, his body screaming in protest. Unable to move to go and assist his little sister, Artorias settled for carefully rolling over to better face the doors. He tried to sit up enough to see what was going on, heart racing as a million dreadful thoughts filled his head on what could have happened. "Is Bowen okay?" he called out to his mother, desperate to know she was all right. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her while he was laid up like this.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
____________________

The door opened and muted light filtered out onto the collapsed wolf. Her mom's voice rang out in alarm and Tamsyn tried to lift Bowen to take her into the room and the girl scrambled, fighting her mom until she could grasp the muddied fur in her arms once more. No doubt she looked mad, but this was her mother. This wretched, dirty piece of fur was her mother.

Behind her, Art's voice rang out, asking if she was okay and Bowen twisted in Tamsyn's grasp with a sudden burst of energy so that her viridian gaze could fall upon her injured sibling. A wide grin spread Bowen's maw and the action reopened her split lip. Blood began to trickle down her chin once more, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she won. Her voice was raspy from having been choked so harshly, but there was joy in the young fae's tones. "I did it, Art. I beat him and I brought our mother home." The muck encrusted fur bounced in her grasp and she fought to roll it up to make the sight less macabre for those in the room.

The adrenaline of the moment began to wane and Bowen's teeth began to chatter anew. She welcome the furs that were brought to her, but she refused to give up the only fur that mattered. The fae's eyes were wide, glassy, unblinking. She was close to being in some sort of manic shock. "You should have seen him, Art!" A giggle pulled free as she squeezed her dead mother against her chest. "He was livid. Absolutely livid!"

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Artorias called out to Bowen - only to have his words cut off by a sound of pain. She was grateful that Briar was there to stop him from trying to get up. The last thing she needed right now was Art hurting himself to try to get to Bowen when she and Gwynevere were here to care for her. She considered calling for Kane so he could help as well, knowing Gwyn was probably exhausted, but when she saw Bowen's wild expression she held off. She didn't know what was going through Bowen's head in that moment but her motherly nature naturally shielded her daughter from anything and anyone else until she could find some kind of stability. Bowen's words confused her and made her brows pull together as she looked to Bowen with shock. "You what?! Beat who? Mother...?" she questioned as she continued to work on drying her off and warming her up with Gwynevere. It was only when Bowen hugged the muddy fur she had clung to that Tamsyn slowly begin to piece things together.

She froze, looking down at the rolled up fur and her eyes going wide as she noticed the gray tones the fur held through the gaps in the mud that was smeared across it. She fell back onto her haunches, staring at the fur in stunned silence. When Artorias had told her about what had happened, about what this bastard had done to Resin, she had honestly had a hard time believing it. Even with all the proof and the multiple eye witness accounts of it she still couldn't believe that someone would actually skin her late mate. But here it was. She lifted a shaky paw and brushed through the fur that wasn't being covered by Bowen's foreleg, tears beginning to pool in her mint gaze. "Oh Resin..." she whispered, her ears folding back against her head. It was so much, all of it. Artorias gravely injured, Gwyn traumatized, Bowen manic and on the verge of hypothermia, Rudyard in a coma, and now Resin...

She glanced up at Gwyn who was behind Bowen on the other side of the bed, her marbled gaze wide and terrified, looking at the fur that had been such a feature of her nightmares int he weeks that had passed between her attack and now. Tamsyn grit her teeth, drawing in a breath. She had to keep it together. She had to be strong for them, just as Resin had told her to do. She thought all this terror was finally behind them all, but just when they were all beginning to move on they were all drug back into it. But her children had been there for her when she needed it and she could be here for them now. She turned her gaze back to Bowen, gently resting her paw on her daughter's foreleg. "Bowen, can I... Can I take Resin from you?" she asked softly. She debated briefly on what to call the fur, but she was doing her best to get through to her daughter in whatever state she was currently in. She gave her a small smile, letting her paw brush Bowen's cheek. "You did so good. Let me take care of her now so Gwyn can take care of you, okay?"

Tamsyn Carpathius

In amidst the chaos at the infirmary doors, Artorias saw Bowen's sweet, beautiful face peer out at him from between his mother and his other sister. She was grinning ear to ear, despite the blood trickling down her muzzle from her busted lip, and she was actively trying to push her way over to him even with Tamsyn trying to hold her still so Gwyn could tend to her. Bowen's voice sounded hoarse, just like his had after his fight with Oxx. Her declaration of victory confused him at first—that was, until he saw what Bowen was carrying... or more specifically, who. The pelt was worn and covered in mud, but the onyx and ash gray fur was unmistakable. His heart sank into his stomach when he realized where she'd been.

Even from this distance, he could see the wide and amped up eyes of his littlest sister staring at him with such joy and energy. He hadn't seen Bowen this alive in... well, actually he'd never seen her this alive! Gwyn threw some furs over Bowen when the young fae began to shiver, but it wasn't enough to dampen her indomitable spirit. Artorias, despite all his worry for her, grinned when Bowen told him how she'd beaten Oxx and made him furious. Ha! Served the fucker right! He glanced between Bowen and Tamsyn when his mother tried to gently take Resin's skin from the little fae, waiting until Tamsyn had successfully convinced Bowen to surrender her prize before sitting upright a little more, ignoring Briar's protests to lie back down in favor of holding shimmering emerald eyes with his own fire-kissed ones.

"Bo, come over here," he urged her with a wave of his paw since he couldn't get up to go to her. Once she'd come close enough, Art reached a paw over to pull Bowen into him for a tight embrace. He was thrilled that she'd managed to accomplish such a feat of skill against a wolf like Oxx, but he was a million times happier that she'd gotten home safe. He went to nuzzle the side of her face and neck with a triumphant laugh, marveling at his small sister, the only wolf out of the three of them who'd managed to outwit or outskill their "brother".

"I'm so proud of you! You did amazing, Bo!" He pulled back after a moment so that her scent mixed with the rain didn't begin to get to him and grinned to her, seeing that manic high in her eyes. Were it not for his entire family in the room or his injuries, Artorias might have pulled Bowen up into the bed with him and surrounded her with his warmth like she had done for him on the beach. That was a dangerous thought though. He gently turned her head to and fro with one large paw, wiping away some of the blood from her chin as gingerly as he could. She didn't seem any more harmed than that, and Art was even more impressed with the former pirate. "I'm glad you're back safe. Are you hurt?" He had given her a brief glance over, and other than soaked and cold, she didn't seem injured. But he also knew what Oxx had done to him, and the question was more directed there. Some injuries were not so easily visible.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
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Still giddy with her success, it took a few tries for Tamsyn's words to eventually break through so that Bowen could understand. Her mom had been drying her off, but had suddenly stopped. Only Tam's paw on Bowen's cheek was able to make the girl focus. Brows furrowed as green eyes stared hard at the scarred woman. Take Resin? Oh. Bo lowered her gaze to the filthy skin that she clung to and her grip loosened. She allowed Tamsyn to take Resin's pelt from her, though her eyes remained upon it for a long while. Their mother was home again and she'd been the one to deliver. Even if Bowen didn't believe that her mother was within that skin anymore, she had needed to retrieve it. It was a matter of honor. Of principle. Knowing that the image of their own mother was bringing nightmares to Gwyn... It all needed to end and she had ended it.

Art called her, beckoning the shivering young fae to his side. Before she went to him, Bowen looked upon her terrified sister. "Gwyn, you don't have to be afraid anymore." Resin's skin was back in their possession and it would never be able to sneak up on the ebony fae again. Bo hoped that this would alleviate some of the anxiety that had held her sister in its grip since she'd returned after her attack.

A strong arm pulled her into an embrace and Bowen didn't fight it. In fact, she sank against Art, careful of his wounds, but soaking up the affections that he was lavishing upon her. There was no flare of lust this time, only the triumphant feel of accomplishment and pride. When he started nuzzling her cheek and neck though, that familiar glassiness took over her gaze and a bit of the joy in her snaked away. Ohh, too much. Too close. Art began to gently turn her head back and forth, looking for any damage that she might have sustained. Her brother's paw pads pulled away some of her blood and he grazed her injured lip. Reflexively, Bowen's tongue protruded, running over her damaged lip. In the process, it swiped across Art's bloody pad as well. She thought nothing of it, especially when he began to speak again.

Art asked if she was injured and Bowen gave a light shrug. "Nothing too bad." She'd banged into a few rocks in the river, got punched in the face, was choked, was definitely freezing, yet she had never felt more alive. "He sure does have a grip on him." Bowen joked as she raised one paw to absently rub her sore, slender neck. The fae brought her cool, viridian gaze to meet the firing depths of Artorias' eyes. "After what he did to Gwyn... After what he did to you... We just needed to win one, Torias." She couldn't kill the man who called himself their brother, but she had definitely bested him.

"Bowen"

Bowen Arrow Carpathius

Sounds were leaking into Rudy’s consciousness.  Like the sound of steady rain with no meaning to it at first.  A noise to be ignored and he tried to ignore it.  Noises didn’t stop and his fogged mind finally seemed to realize it wasn’t rain or some other background detail but voices.
 
Rudy felt tired, the sort from weakness and having slept too long.  A part of him wanted to try and fade back out again but the other part of his mind was trying to conceive where he was and what was going on.  Names spoke slowly formed the images of family in his mind.  

‘After what he did to Gwyn’ was the first thing that he could really latch onto as his mind worked more.  Gwyn?  Rudy took a deeper slow breath.  It felt like he was trying to pull himself out of a deep lake.  Effort was taken to open his eyes.  Infirmary.  

Rudy felt groggy and disoriented but slowly he was catching up on the situation at least to the degree of where he was and who he was with.  Something about something being done to Gwynn? A leg twitched as he tried moving his body for the first time.  Rudy felt weak as a pup and let out another slow breath, paused midway.  Bowen?

He tried to lift his head, it didn’t go up very far.  Rudy really needed to wake up more.  “Bo?” Soft confusion mixed with hope, “Bowen?” Rolling his head a bit to focus his gaze on Bowen and Art and then noticing Tam and Gwynn were also in the room. “Your back.” Rudy was focusing on that first.  His head felt fuzzy and there was just too much to wrap his mind around.  She was a mess and Art was injured and there was probably more he should notice.  Hell of a way to wake up.

Rudyard Carpathius

Artorias lavished in the feeling of Bowen sinking into his embrace. Affection was freely given, pride in his sister's accomplishments and admiration for her bravado shining in fire-hued eyes. Bowen had impressed him before with her ability to survive and her ambition, but to go up against the wolf that had terrorized Gwyn and nearly murdered himself? Bowen was a badass well and truly worthy of the Carpathius name, and his heart swelled to be able to call her his sister. Bowen offered no resistance while he inspected her for any reasons to go after Oxx again, finding none beyond the cut on her lip. The moment he wiped away the blood from her mouth, Artorias felt the warm wetness of Bowen's tongue flick out and swipe over his paw pad, cleaning it of the liquid crimson. His pulse skipped and he stared at her in surprise for a moment, but otherwise gave no visible reaction other than a wry smirk when she mentioned Oxx having quite a grip.

"Yeah, no fucking kidding," he remarked with a husky chuckle while trying to keep his eyes from following Bowen's paw as it moved over her slender neck. He could still recall his vision starting to black out when the gargantuan beast had throttled him. "You did so good, Bo! You'd have worried me to death, but you did amazing." Their gazes met and held for what had to be the millionth time but still felt like the first. She called him Torias again, a little smirk of some unrecognized emotions twitching on his lips and a light of life blazing inside his eyes for the first time since his defeat. "We did, and you got it for us, Bo. Thank you."

The sound of bedsheets and furs stirring in the cot next to his drew Artorias' eyes up away from Bowen to spot Rudyard stirring in his bed. Art's breathing stopped, shock and amazement lighting up his eyes. "Rudy!" he exclaimed, instinctively going to rise from his bed again and groaning when his aching muscles protested, forcing him to sink back down to the bed. "Rudy, you're awake!" His brother was alive! Bowen was alive and had brought Resin home! The Carpathius family was whole once more.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Corbin" | "Argent"

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.
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