His tour of Boreas' lands that he'd never gotten to explore before had brought Artorias out to the Range, a vast grassland of golden wheats and old farms. The obsidian and azure wolf had seen old human structures before, but none quite like these before! The large, derelict barn and old crumbling farmhouse still stood, wearing weathered coats of paint faded and worn from decades of exposure to sun and the elements. Across the plains, the familiar sight and fruity scent of the bordering orchard could be seen, its trees still bearing a few blossoms in the mid-spring weather that would eventually grow to be full fruits by the fall. The surrounding land was quiet, with a gentle warm breeze rippling the grasses around him as he drew nearer to the buildings. Artorias, ever keen to explore the ruins of creatures that came long before him, approached the abandoned barn and homestead, sniffing about for the presence of anyone else who might be nearby.

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

Now that it seemed like he would be spending a significant amount of time (if not the rest of his mortal life) in Boreas as a part of the Ashen Empire, Maverick was making a conscious effort to get to know all of the surrounding lands like the back of his paw. Branching out from the northern white-treed forests of Ashen, the dire wolf headed north, past the Rio Grande and into some expansive golden fields flanked on one side by a large orchard. The warm spring breeze rippled across the grasses, making them sway like waves on the ocean. Sunlight seemed to make each strand shimmer. Two large structures stood like monuments amongst the wheat fields, their dilapidated skeletons remains from a civilization long-since gone. He approached the barn first, pushing his large body through the large wooden doors with a creak of timber and rusted iron. The inside of the barn was dark and smelled of mildew and old straw. Sniffing about revealed nothing much of interest, so he made his way to the opposite sides of the barn, where he pushed his way back outside—and came face to face with another wolf about his height, this male black and blue as opposed to his white and navy.

"Oh, jeez! Hi!" Mav said with a startled recoil, releasing a hard exhale as the shock left him. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see anyone else here!"

"Maverick"

After studying the two sun-bleached wooden buildings for a moment, Artorias decided to start with the larger of the two structures. He made his way towards the old barn, eyes studying the unusual curves and slopes of its decaying roof. It looked like it may have been used for storage once upon a time, with massive doors and old winches rigged up to the higher windows. Perhaps there would be something worth taking a look at inside... Approaching the large doors, Artorias paused to consider how to get in. The direct approach seemed the most obvious, and so the Aegis stepped up to the wooden doors—just as one began to open outwards toward him. He froze mid-step, amber eyes wide while he stared at the white and navy male that stepped out and nearly walked right into him. The other wolf seemed just as shocked as he did to find someone else here, and after a brief moment of nearly jumping out of his skin, the stranger greeted him and apologized; he hadn't expected to find anyone else here.

"Yeah, the sentiment's shared," he replied with a crooked smile, glad to see the other wolf was at least friendly. A tentative sniff told him this stranger belonged to Ashen, which helped relax Art further. Ashen were close friends to the Hallows. "I was just taking a look around. The last time I was here, a pack had owned these lands," explained the dark-furred wolf to his lighter-coated counterpart. "I'm Artorias, by the way." Art glanced up at the barn behind the wolf. "Is there anything worthwhile in there?"

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

Despite having almost run straight into him, the stranger was gracious and also good-natured, laughing off the surprise encounter with him, which helped put Maverick at ease. He didn't want to start confrontations with anyone over something as simple as exploring a new land. The stranger echoed his surprise, then introduced himself as Artorias, explaining that he was also looking at the lands now that they were vacant. Maverick nodded assent; so they were both explorers, eh? "Guess great minds think alike," he quipped with a smirk. "I'm Maverick. Nice to meet you." Artorias asked about the barn, and Mav shook his head. "Nah, not really worth your time. It's a lot of old crates, straw, and a lot of dust and mold. Whoever had lived here before really cleaned the place out before they left." He'd been hoping to find something useful to bring back to Ashen with him, but alas, the barn had proved to be a fruitless, albeit interesting, endeavor.

There were only two structures on the land, which meant there was only really one more place left to explore. Maverick motioned to the old farmhouse with a tip of his muzzle. "You check out the house yet? I was thinking about taking a poke around there myself if you wanted to join me." His offer made, Maverick began to head toward the farmhouse, shooting Artorias a joking grin. "Just promise me you won't try to stab me in the back if we find hidden treasure or anything." Together the two wolves walked up the steps of the front porch, the old wood creaking beneath their weight. Maverick wasted no time in pushing open the front door and stepping over the threshold. Inside was equally as dusty and stuffy as the barn had been, but it was much more furnished as well. Aging furniture sat in various states of decay around a spacious living room. Golden sunlight filtered in through the hazy windows, casting bright streaks across the walls and floors. fading photographs of creatures he'd never seen before hung on the walls, scattered about the house.

"Well, can't say I've ever seen anything like this before," mused a curious Maverick as he traipsed around the living room, his nose twitching as he sniffed at all the furniture. He could see why wolves would want to live here. This place felt comfortable, safe, warm... the way a home was meant to feel. Even without any life in it now, it was easy to see how it could be made that way with the right individuals in it.

"Maverick"

Artorias tipped his head in greeting when the wolf introduced himself as Maverick. Maverick from Ashen; the Aegis would need to remember that name to mention to Venom the next time he saw the Empress. "Likewise, Maverick," he replied in polite tones. Maverick confirmed that the barn had held nothing useful in it, and that it looked like Fireside had cleared it out before they disbanded. Artorias frowned; disheartening, but expected. That just left the farmhouse left to explore, and as if reading his mind, Maverick explained how he was about to head there to check it out as well. He invited Art along, and the Aegis cast his new acquaintance a half smile and a nod. "Sure. I was planning on looking around there next anyway." He punctuated his statement with a laugh, then added, "If we do find any treasure, I'll be sure to fight you to the death for it."

Together, the two wolves approached the farmhouse and entered. Artorias gazed around the overhang on the porch as they stepped through the front door, and suddenly he was inside a cozier space than he expected to find. The house still held a lingering warmth to it, as if the presence of Fireside still lingered within its walls. The house felt lived in, signs of previous activity still noted from the clumps of old wolf fur on the floorboards to the scratch marks from claws on hardwood. Maverick marveled at the sights, beginning to peruse the living room while Artorias moved off to one of the side rooms adjacent to the main living space. Pushing open a halfway closed door, he found himself in a small bedroom. Much of the furniture he recognized from what was around the Hallows' castle, but there was one piece that stood out to him. A worn wooden chair in the corner with no feet, instead sitting on two curved rockers. Artorias had never seen a chair like this before. Approaching with curiosity, the wolf nudged it with his nose, then gazed in amazement as the chair swayed smoothly back and forth. How strange... he thought.

Taking another look around the bedroom, Artorias noticed a thick patchwork quilt draped over the full sized bed. It was made up on vibrant squares of colorful fabric, and when he ran his paw over it, it was soft and pillowy to the touch. With the approaching winter in Auster, this would make a great addition to his and Briar's bedspread to help keep the chill out. Snatching up his souvenir and throwing it over his back, Artorias made his way back to rendezvous with Maverick, who had meandered his way into the kitchen. "Well, no treasure, but I did find something for myself. It was a pleasure meeting you, Maverick. Enjoy your exploring!" With a final courteous tip of his head, Artorias headed back out of the farmhouse and towards the southern border, heading back home.

- exit Artorias -

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

While Artorias went off to investigate a side room, Maverick continued to poke about the living room, placing his paws up on an old bookcase shelf to peer up at the contents hidden just out of side. It was a lot of books, tchotchkes, and mementos from the original occupants of the house, and all virtually useless to himself. Disappointed at the lack of good finds, Mav headed toward the kitchen. The lingering scents of old food hung in the air, but a closer inspection of the counters here too once again revealed little of interest. Damn, this place was picked clean already! He really didn't want to just go back to Venom empty-handed. He wanted something special to present to his girlfriend; a souvenir of his daring solo adventures across Boreas! Well, solo save for this one time, but a one-off didn't count.

Artorias' voice behind him caught the wolf's attention, and he turned to find the other male sporting a thick patchwork blanket across his back. He was heading out, and that meant Mav would be left to find any hidden treasures himself. "Well, darn! I was really hoping for treasure," he remarked with a dramatic pout that changed into a chortle. "All right, safe travels, Artorias! It was great getting to meet you too!" And with that, Maverick was on his own once more. "All byyyy myseeeeelf..." Maverick sang softly to himself while he moseyed down a hallway that branched off from the living room. Each side of the hall was littered with doors, each one promising untold riches within. But which one did he start with?

Picking the door closest to him, Maverick pushed it open and found a decent-sized bedroom. Most of the furniture was plain and unassuming, though it was remarkably well preserved. The wolves that lived here before must have taken good care of it. A few minutes of rifling about yielded nothing, nothing at all. That is, until teal eyes landed on a small wooden box sitting atop a dresser. Lifting himself up with his forepaws, Mav poked at the box with a curious paw. The wood was etched with delicate patterns all interwoven together. It was a unique sight—but its real beauty was revealed when he managed to push the lid up. A soft melody of chimes began to play, filling the room with a tranquil song from the music box. Maverick gazed in awe at the box, listening to the song play for a few moments. Oh yeah, this would do the trick! How many other wolves in the world had something this unique? With a wide grin on his face, Maverick snapped the lid shut, then picked up the small box with careful jaws and hurried out of the house. He trotted at a brisk pace south, heading across the southern border and back in the direction of Ashen to present his beloved with his rare find.

- exit Maverick -

"Maverick"