The Warlord and Isa had taken a very slow, winding route through the territories between the Armada and Hallows. He hadn’t actually intended to take as long as they did, but there was a peace to their explorations - both of the lands, and each other - that made it worth the time. It also meant that Basilisk was free to work on the Armada without his interference. But by the time they neared the Hallows land, Sirius was itching with the need to know what had been happening in the world around him. They’d been out of contact for a while now. He came to a stop at the Hallow’s border. He knew he had permission to enter as he pleased, but there was a politeness in waiting. He nudged Isa and grinned before raising his head and calling out to Artorias. "Speech"

The trip between the Armada and The Hallows had become sort of like a little vacation. The pair of older wolves moved at their own pace, the world around them changing as they went. One season shifted into another and it was warm again by the time they made it to Auster.

Sirius nudged her lightly when they reached the Hallows border. The blue fae gave him a little nip to the shoulder in return. A happy little smile was plastered on her face and she leaned into the giant man as they waited for the Hallows alpha to meet them.

"Speech"

The call at the border had been one Artorias had been expecting for quite some time now. He would have recognized Sirius' voice anywhere, and to hear it now brought a sense of relief to the Lord of Cinder. Part of him had worried that something had happened to his father-in-law and his wife when the Fatalises had taken a while to arrive, but thankfully that didn't seem to be the case. Setting down the Carpathian steel he was working on smelting, Art wiped the sweat and soot from his brow and paws and left the armory to go greet their guests. Of course Sirius and Isa had free rein to enter the Hallows as they liked, but he knew Seer had a thing about just running into someone else's home unless it was an emergency.

Artorias crossed the fields to the pair of wolves waiting for him, the day another balmy mid-summer day in Auster. He hoped the Fatalises didn't mind the warmth compared to the cold of the north. "Seer, Isa! We thought you'd gotten lost!" Art joked with a wide smile as he greeted his family, approaching Seer to throw his forelimbs around the other dire wolf in a familial embrace. He was still building a rapport with Isa, so to the former Warlady he offered a respectful bow of his head while he gestured them to cross the borders. "How was your trip down here? Have fun on your way? We've got your room all set up so if you'd like to take a rest before dinner, you can go right ahead." There was so much to go over and Art wouldn't even know where to begin, but getting his in-laws settled in and cared for was his first priority.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Sirius shared a smile with Isa while he waited for Artorias, who didn’t leave them waiting long. “I felt like I’d let myself get lost” he teased lightly to the blue wolf, steadying himself for the equally large wolf to throw his paws around his shoulders. He leaned into the embrace, and wrapped one of his own around Art. “I missed you.” He said. He wasn’t accustomed to being so far from his family. He had loved every moment of his time with Isa, but all his life the majority of his family had been only outside his door. Sure, not Artorias, but he certainly stood for the family that Seer missed. “Thank you Art, actually if you have some free time I would love to catch up, and you can fill me in on everything I missed. You haven’t heard anything about the Armada burning down or falling apart?” He teased, though a faint hint of worry did sneak its way in there against his will. "Speech"

Isa settled her old bones down beside Sirius, leaning into his side until Artorias arrived. Once the blue brute came into view, Isa held her own weight again, anticipating the warm embrace between the two males. She smiled as Art greeted her, giving a nod in return. It was clear that the boys had a lot to talk about, so the blue woman rose to her paws. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go investigate the kitchen." It was no secret that Isa loved to cook. Already she wondered what she might be able to whip up in the kitchen as a thank you. With a pat to Art's paw, Isa went in search of Briar. She was about to lure the younger woman into some cookery.

"Isa"

Sirius’ embrace was warm and familiar, and for a brief moment it made Artorias feel like everything was right in the world. "I missed you too," he returned to the former Warlord. Isa greeted him equally as warmly and dismissed herself to go find the kitchens. Art knew of the elder fae’s love of the culinary arts and he knew she’d be right at home amongst the Hallows’ facilities. "Of course, Isa! I believe Briar is in there getting dinner prepped." Art had a feeling Briar and Isa would get along well now that they had plenty of time to get to know each other better.

The two brutes now left to their own devices, Artorias motioned for Seer to take a walk with him, leading a leisurely pace down the rolling green hills towards the castle so they could walk and talk. "I'm afraid it’s worse than you feared, Sirius… Basilisk has changed the Armada to the Cutesy Cuddle Club and begun inviting Sparrow’s family over for make up snuggles." Art even feigned a distressed expression and grievous voice as he spoke, keeping the facade up for a moment longer before a smirk cracked through and he shot his father in law a mischievous grin. "The Armada is fine from what I’ve heard, though Basilisk is making some… concerning decisions."

Artorias drew in a deep breath, not wanting to worry Sirius in his retirement, but not willing to lie to his father in law either. "You remember Sephiran Saxe?" Of course Seer would remember the insolent cur; both alphas had fought the bastard before when he’d made advanced on their young daughters. "He and his family recently usurped a pack for themselves. Took the alpha’s son hostage and threatened his life to get what they wanted rather than challenge the alpha directly. They’ve relocated back to the north somewhere near Heiðinn and Elysium. There’s… a significant number of them now, all in support of the rabid fucker as far as I’ve seen. They go by the Syndicate, and they’ve declared all members of the old Ashen Empire their enemies."

Artorias released a heavy sigh, feeling that crushing weight of the world coming back down on his shoulders as his amber eyes turned downward, ears flattened to his skull. "I convened a meeting of the alphas to warn them of the Syndicate. It… did not go as well as I hoped. Many refused to see the threat of the Syndicate as a concern. Basilisk was one of those wolves, despite the open threat made to the Armada. He’s chosen to remain neutral, to take no sides and has even been talking with some of their wolves too. I tried to keep the old empire together in a new coalition, but I don’t know if Bas will continue to remain in the group. He didn’t exactly seem keen on keeping the Armada in an alliance if it meant facing the threat of war, even if it means letting a group of savages and degenerates that threatened his family run free across Ardent. I don’t think he believed me when I told them all of Sephiran and his family’s behaviors."

Artorias scowled, doing little to hide his frustration and disappointment with the other alphas, especially Basilisk and Avacyn. The only one who had agreed directly to the coalition was Kotori. Where did that leave the packs of Ardent now? Broken and fragmented, to stand alone against whatever came their way? What happened to the days of grandeur of the Ashen Empire, where all the packs came together as one?

"Artorias Carpathius"