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Chapter Text

"Don't tell me you're leaving again? You just got back this morning." Ciaran sighed as she climbed onto the balcony outside of Artorias's chambers. He looked up from the bag he was packing and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. But with the royal family away in Astora and the Silver Knights guarding them, I have to pick up a few patrols in the Royal Woods." He looked away nervously as she crossed her arms disapprovingly. "You promised me that we would spend some time together when you returned. Or have you forgotten about that?" She asked sadly as she turned away to lean against the balcony railing. The city of Anor Londo glistened in shades of white and gold as the afternoon sun beamed down on them.

Artorias stepped away from the bag on his desk and walked up behind her. Tugging back his cowl he knelt and wrapped his arms around her. "Forgive me, Ciaran. You know I keep my word, but you also know I must obey when given orders." He said quietly as she leaned her head back to look up at him. Underneath her expressionless, pale mask he could tell she was pouting. With a playful grin he gently removed her headdress revealing dirty blonde hair tied up in a messy bun, pale blue eyes that stung as sharply as her tracers, and fair skin with a faint dusting of freckles.

To most she was rather plain, but he found her simply adorable, until she got angry, then he was terrified of her. She raised an eyebrow at him as he set her headdress on the ground next to him. "Alright, what are you-" Her question was cut short by an abrupt but gentle kiss on the lips. She blushed and sighed as he lazily placed a few more along her cheek and neck. "I will honor my promise to you. But I must tend to my duties first, please, be patient with me." He said softly as she turned around to face him. As his bright silver eyes peered down at her, she felt her disappointment fading away. "Oh, I can't stay angry at a face like that. Very well... I forgive you Artorias."

"Thank you." He replied as he hugged her once more. As he stood he reached down and returned her mask before going back to packing his things. After doing a thorough check of his equipment he placed everything on his armor stand and stretched out on his bed for a nap before his watch began. Ciaran discarded her mask and weapons and happily climbed onto the bed next to him. She smiled contentedly as she cuddled against him and it wasn't long before she drifted off into a dream.

The loud tolling of the cathedral bells stirred Artorias from his sleep. He counted off each chime as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was nearing six in the evening, and he had about an hour till sunset. Looking over with a yawn he saw Ciaran laying on her side, sleeping peacefully. He decided not to wake her as he climbed out of bed and donned his armor. With as much silence as he could manage he covered Ciaran with a quilt from his bed and kissed her forehead. Strapping his sword and shield to his back he crept out of his room and shut the door behind him.

About an hour later Ciaran awoke to find herself alone in Artorias's bed. "He must've left for the night." She said to herself as she sat up and stretched. "Oh well, guess I'll go bother Ornstein." She sighed as she untangled herself from the blankets and climbed out of bed. Picking up her mask and weapons she made for the balcony. Jumping onto the railing she leapt gracefully into the air and landed in a crouch on her patio below. Entering her room she stopped by her nightstand to pick up her satchel, just in case she felt like going out or if her commander had a task for her.

Locking her door behind her she strolled out into the quiet streets of the city. The Knights of Gwyn had a home in the shadow of the palace, it was tucked away out of sight but there was a path that led straight to the rotating staircase outside the cathedral. Ciaran took in the scenery as she walked, the setting sun painted the sky in orange and gold, and off in the distance the first stars began to appear. She enjoyed the peace and quiet, it was usually much busier when the royals were here. Around this time her and the other knights would gather in the dining hall for supper, but this time the dining hall sat dimly lit and empty.

And normally Ornstein would be perched on the balcony of the inner sanctuary, waiting to drop in on trespassers. But tonight the inner sanctuary was silent and unguarded, making Ciaran tilt her head in surprise as she wondered where the other knights were. Leaving the cathedral she set off for Gough's chambers. He had a spacious room on top of a towering spire where he kept an eye on everything. The tall gaping windows of his tower had no glass in them since it often doubled as his post and afforded him the range to strike nearly anywhere. As Ciaran's eyes scanned the tower a light at the top caught her attention, someone was home.

"Good evening, Sir Gough!! Have you seen Sir Ornstein?!!" She called out, her voice echoing loudly off the stone walls nearby. "To you as well Lady Ciaran. He is here, you may come up if you like." Gough's voice rang out from above. The door to his chambers was a massive wrought iron gate with a smaller door in the middle. Ducking inside she climbed up the steep, winding stairs that led to the top. Stopping to catch her breath about midway she heard the voice of her commander, he was laughing as he told of his latest adventure.

"So...hehehe...after my Lord and I beat that arrogant prick in a duel, he got angry and called the guards. Neither of us felt like going to jail, so we fought our way through about four companies of guards and knights. Turns out that moron was the son of the King and we almost caused a war with our scuffle. Lord Gwynn made us apologize, and my Lord and I decided to give him a gift." Ornstein started snickering. "Oh dear! I think I see where this is going." Gough chuckled. "It gets better. You know how all the knights wear that ridiculous armor that looks like an onion? Well, he thought it would be great to give him a large trunk filled to the brim with braids of garlic....hehehe....to compliment the armor. Garlic and onions!!! It was brilliant!!!"

Gough's thunderous laughter shook the walls of the tower as Ciaran entered his room. Ornstein was sitting on the floor by the fireplace, his helm and spear were laid out next to him and in his hand was a bottle of mead. Gough sat nearby whittling away at a piece of wood. "You have no trouble making enemies do you?" The giant shook his head as he tossed a handful of shavings into the fire.

Ornstein smiled as he looked over his shoulder. "Greetings, Ciaran. I was just telling Gough about how I got banned from Catarina." He took another sip from his bottle as she crossed her arms. "I heard on the way up. I came to see if you had any tasks for me since Artorias was patrolling the Royal Woods." Ornstein raised his eyebrows in surprise, "What? No one ordered him to patrol the woods. You were away when Lord Gwyn left, but we have a few months of leisure time while the royals are in Astora, so we're taking it easy."

Ciaran was surprised as well, Artorias was not the type to sneak around or lie. Ornstein casually glanced out the window, in the distance a brilliant full moon was creeping over the distant peaks. A sudden curious expression crossed the dragon slayer's face, as if he had suddenly remembered something. "Actually, I recall that I did send him out. There was rumor of a dark wraith lurking in the area." You're a terrible liar, she thought as she nodded. "Well, if he's busy I'll wait for him to return. If I'm needed for anything, I'll be roaming the grounds." She replied as she turned to leave. When she was out of sight she stopped in the stairway, a snippet of hushed conversation drifted down to her.

What was that about?
Artorias had some private business to take care of, he didn't want to be bothered.
But why did you lie to Ciaran?
It wasn't entirely a lie, there has been reports of a dark wraith in the woods. He's probably out hunting it tonight.

That was all she needed to hear, as she left the tower she turned towards the main gate and set off for the woods. Her dear Artorias had some explaining to do.

Chapter Text

Ciaran sighed wearily as she pushed away a strand of hanging moss from her face. Six hours of searching the woods had yielded no trace of Artorias. The moon hung high overhead illuminating the narrow dirt path that guided her deeper into the forest. Wanting to take a rest she stopped in the shadows of a nearby tree and sat down against the trunk.
"You would think an eight foot tall knight in heavy armor would leave tracks...but this man is more elusive than Gwyn's youngest son." She muttered to herself as she scanned her surroundings. After some time she was considering returning home when an ominous howl made her jump to her feet.

Ciaran bolted off in the direction of the sound. She knew of the great wolves that roamed the north but they never crossed into Lordran, so it was strange that one would be here. And knowing how Artorias adored animals, she suspected that she would find him if she found the wolf. As she wove her way through trees and brush an inhuman scream pierced the night, sending birds panicking from their nests. Ciaran stopped dead in her tracks and drew her weapons, the eerie silence that followed made her uneasy.

Treading carefully she moved along, looking every which way for danger. A chill went down her spine as she spied a large pool of blood on the ground near a clearing. A trail of darkened splatters led away from it, and just on the other side of the clearing something metallic glinted in the moonlight. Upon closer inspection it was revealed to be a dark sword, the weapon of the darkwraiths. To her disgust a gauntleted hand was still firmly gripping the handle. A few yards away she heard the sound of rustling leaves, something large was moving about.

Raising her weapons she proceeded and crouched behind a bush. As she searched the darkness her eyes widened in horror. There on the ground not terribly far from her was the mutilated corpse of a dark wraith. It was mangled beyond recognition, it's armor had been reduced to shreds, and it's chest torn open. Standing by the corpses feet was the wolf she heard earlier. She only caught a glimpse of it as it turned and limped away into the night, it's back right leg had a gash on it. I've seen enough, and Artorias can handle himself. I'm going home before that beast gets any ideas, she thought.

Swiftly Ciaran made her way home, and didn't slow down until she reached the main gate. When she passed Gough's tower Ornstein exited and spotted Ciaran, he nodded at her in greeting before turning away towards his quarters. But he didn't go very far before he stopped and tilted his head to the side. Slowly he turned around and looked her over again. She was breathing hard and there was bits of moss and twigs tangled in the ebony locks of her headdress.

"Where did you run off to?" He asked. "I went for a walk." She replied as she tried to sound calm. Ornstein crossed his arms, "You went to the Royal Woods didn't you?" Ciaran shook her head, "I went to check on Artorias, but all I found was a dead darkwraith and a wolf." Ornstein shook his head in disbelief, "There are no wolves in Lordran, it's too warm for them. And that was foolish of you to go running off after him in the middle of the night. What if the darkwraith found you before Artorias did? Don't do that again!" By his tone she knew that was an order.

"As you wish." She replied. With that the dragon slayer departed. Once inside her own chambers Ciaran bathed and spent time cleaning her armor before placing it on its rack. Stretching out on her bed she gazed up at the ceiling, the cathedral bells tolled loudly, it was about three in the morning. She had dozed off for a while before being awakened by the sound of a heavy door scraping against stone. Quickly she got up and walked to her patio, above her she saw the flickering of candlelight, Artorias had returned.

Going back inside she slipped into a loose tunic and pants before returning to her patio. With a running jump she grabbed the balcony railing and swung herself over to land in a crouch. Artorias had just placed his shield and sword on their stand when he turned to see Ciaran walk towards him. "I hope you weren't up waiting for me." He smiled as he remove his helm and cowl.

Ciaran gave a disapproving look as she crossed her arms. His smile quickly vanished, he knew he was in trouble. "What were you really doing last night? Ornstein said you were never ordered to go on patrol." She kept her eyes on him as he fumbled for an answer. "There was a darkwraith sighted roaming in the woods.... So I went out to kill it..." As he took a few cautious steps towards her she couldn't help but notice he was walking with a slight limp. Any anger she had was quickly replaced with concern. "Are you hurt?" She asked.

"I got sliced in the leg, but I'm alright. I cast a healing miracle but I'm still a little sore." He replied as he started to remove the outer layer of his armor. Ciaran lent him a hand and insisted she look at his wound. Along his upper right leg was a jagged, pale scar still covered in dried blood. Fetching a rag she cleaned away the blood and applied an ointment to help ease the soreness. "I assume you killed the darkwraith?" She asked as he hung his armor back up. He gave a weary sigh, "Yes, and this one was determined. He fought like hell but it ended quickly when he lost his sword arm."

This made Ciaran raise an eyebrow, she had seen the darkwraith herself, and she knew he couldn't have killed it. Was there another she didn't know about? "Did you know there's a wolf roaming the Royal Woods?" She asked casually. To her surprise he tensed up and nearly dropped his chest plate onto his foot. "What?!! That can't be! There aren't any wolves around here." He waved his hand dismissively as he tried to play off his reaction.

"Hmm, I thought I had seen one when I went walking last night. Perhaps I was mistaken." She gave an innocent smile. Artorias seemed to relax a little, as he was about to climb into bed Ciaran gave him a kiss goodnight. "You'll sleep better without me. I'll see you later then?" She asked as she made for the balcony. "I'll come find you later." He said with a grin. He watched as she leapt from the balcony with a graceful flip.

Ornstein was stretched out on the stone bench of his balcony just outside his room. In his hands was a book and nearby was a glass of red wine. He contentedly soaked up the afternoon sun while idly thumbing through a novel he found. He was having a great day, or rather he was until a flutter of movement and a cry caused him to look over. Across the street was Ciaran's and Artorias's apartments. Since Ornstein was their captain he had his own apartment with an office downstairs. From where he was he could see straight into Artorias's chambers, and what he saw made him drop his book onto his face.

He saw Ciaran, completely exposed, sitting on top of Artorias with a look of pure bliss on her face. With cat like grace Ornstein hopped up and darted inside, his face turning as red as his fiery copper hair. He knew all too well what was going on, and deeply regretted his decision to read outside. "By the Gods! I didn't need to see that..." He groaned. Stepping into the door way he called out across the street, "Artorias!! Close your damn door!!"

Not waiting for a reply he picked up his wine and went back inside. With his bottle nearly empty he decided to venture to the palace cellar for more. As he strolled into the dining hall he heard the sound of something metal being dropped. Ornstein froze and reached for his spear, the knights were supposed to be the only ones in Anor Londo. The palace staff had departed with the royals to tend to their needs. Fearing an intruder Ornstein raised his spear and proceeded cautiously. I know where the lovers are, and Gough is in his tower, so who could this be? The dragon slayer thought as he cracked open the door to the kitchen.

Inside he caught a glimpse of Gwyndolin, the Lord's youngest son fiddling with some pots and pans. On a nearby table was a mixing bowl with dough in it, and another full of vegetables. Ornstein strapped his spear to his back and entered the kitchen, his expression was both surprised and concerned. "What are you doing here Gwyndolin? Didn't Lord Gwyn take you to Astora?" He asked as the boy turned around. "Greetings Sir Ornstein. No, father did not want me to leave, he said I would be a burden to bring along." He replied with a sad smile as he looked down at his feet. The dragon slayer was shocked, "He never told us you were here. Have you just been here fending for yourself?"

Gwyndolin nodded. The royals had been gone about a week, and all this time he had been all alone. Ornstein was furious, "Forgive me, but how dare he leave you without anyone to watch over you! I cannot allow this!! Until my Lord returns you are under my supervision. No child should be left home alone, it's irresponsible." He huffed and crossed his arms, causing Gwyndolin to flinch. He was about to say something when the boy's stomach growled loudly, causing him to blush.

Ornstein sighed and ran his hand through his hair. From the disorganized state of the kitchen, he could tell Gwyndolin had no idea what he was doing. "Alright, pass me that apron. You're going to get some cooking lessons." He said as he tugged off his gauntlets.

Chapter Text

Gough was making his way into the dining hall to prepare supper for the other knights when a delightful scent caught his attention. It seems someone else had a similar idea, he thought as he pushed his way through the doors. What he saw next made him laugh, there was Ornstein in his armor with an apron around his waist and spear on his back kneading dough. His helm and gauntlets were laid on a side table and over the fireplace hung a huge pot of beef and vegetable stew.

"Hungry are we?" He chuckled, but he stopped laughing when he spied a set of golden eyes peeking out at him from the edge of the prep table. "Little Lord Gwyndolin?!" He gasped. "Why are you not in Astora with your family?" Gwyndolin ducked under the table, he was afraid of the giant standing before him. "Lord Gwyn felt it was unnecessary to bring him. He's been caring for himself for a week." Ornstein replied as he slammed his fist into the dough a little harder than he should have.

Gough clenched his fist and growled, "How dare he!! He's merely a boy, how can he be expected to take care of himself?" Ornstein sighed, "That's what I said, so I'm taking charge of him until his elder brother returns from Vinheim." The mention of the eldest son made him shudder, "I dread the coming conflict between our Lords. Frankly, I'd rather brawl with Kalameet."
The other knight nodded in agreement. "Anyway... I'm almost done here. Can you set the tables and get the others?" "With pleasure." Gough nodded.

Sometime later the knights and Gwyndolin were gathered for supper in the dining hall. Artorias and Ciaran sat next to each other and across from Ornstein and Gough, Gwyndolin sat on the other side of Ornstein . He had told everyone about why Gwyndolin was there and each knight expressed their anger over the situation, but then they all reassured the young boy that all was well and he was in good hands. They took turns telling funny jokes or stories about their days. Ornstein looked up from his mug of ale and gave Artorias a mischievous grin. "So, did you manage to get that door fixed?" He asked casually.

The other gave a faint smile and calmly replied, "Yes, it was a rusty hinge. It won't be a problem now." Ornstein could tell he was squirming in his boots. Ciaran's face turned red and she nearly choked on her drink. They both had heard Ornstein's yelling, and were embarrassed about being caught. Ciaran quickly finished eating and dismissed herself, Gough went to wash dishes and Gwyndolin offered to help. As Artorias stood to leave Ornstein grabbed him by the shoulder, "Meet me at the library, we need to talk." His tone had turned serious causing Artorias to raise his eyebrows. "Very well, I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He replied.

The library of Anor Londo housed the second largest collection of books in Lordran, only surpassed by the Duke's Archives. Amongst the seemingly endless rows of tall bookcases Artorias leaned against a pillar and ran a hand through his jet black hair. It's starting to grow out again, I'm going to have to cut it soon. He thought. The door on the far side of the library opened, the scent of ozone and the clank of metal plates caught his attention. It's Ornstein, he thought as the footsteps grew closer.

A moment later the lion knight rounded the corner. As soon as he was close enough he wasted no time in telling Artorias about Ciaran looking for him the night before. "I know, she told me she saw a wolf too. I'm going to patrol a different place tonight." He answered quietly. "You got lucky this time, you need to be more careful. Listen, I'm guarding the cathedral tonight since the boy is here. Don't let Ciaran know you're going out again, in fact, don't even tell her you're leaving." He said as he looked over his shoulder. "I'll be fine, I only have to patrol two more nights." Artorias tried to reassure him.

Ornstein slapped his palm against his helm making it clank loudly. "No you don't! It's the first month of summer, one of the heavenly bodies slows the moon's orbit, that means five nights instead of three. This happens every year, don't you remember?" Artorias shrugged his shoulders, "No, I didn't remember. And since when did you become an astronomer?" He eyed him with curiosity. "Since the day you risked everything to save me." He responded quietly as he placed a hand on the other's shoulder.

Artorias was touched by his commander's concern. He cracked a joke trying lighten his mood, "It's not like you to be so caring. Did you hit your head again?" He grinned. "Go fuck yourself!" Ornstein huffed as he started to leave. Artorias laughed as he watched him turn the corner. After waiting a few minutes he left for his chambers.

Ciaran had been in the library on the second floor looking for something to read when she spied her commander walking swiftly to the other side. Out of curiosity she wandered to a spot above him to see what was wrong. She sat frozen as she overheard his conversation with Artorias. So there is a wolf! And he has something to do with it! By why would he keep such a thing a secret? She thought as she heard a metal clank below her. After she learned that he was going out on patrol again, Ciaran departed the library to gather her things. She was getting to the bottom of this secret Artorias was keeping.

Even though it was a few hours before sunset Ciaran left Anor Londo for the entrance to the Royal Woods. Next to the road a stones throw from the gate was a stack of massive boulders. Sitting down behind them she stayed out of sight of any foot traffic and waited for Artorias. She rested her eyes for a while and almost nodded off when the clank of metal boots passing by stirred her to alertness. The light had faded and the stars were glimmering overhead, the cathedral bell tolled in the distance, it was six in the evening.

Ciaran jumped up and tailed Artorias from a distance, nearly having to run to keep up. She never knew he could move so swiftly, he continued down the road a ways before sharply turning off into some brush. Ciaran had to stop and go around to avoid making noise, and it didn't take long to lose sight of Artorias. Cursing herself she searched the area, the only thing she found was a narrow cave. Shrugging her shoulders and adjusting her mask she ducked and went in. The cave was cold and damp, it snaked down into the ground and got so dark that Ciaran thought she had wandered into the abyss. But after stumbling around in the darkness a while the tunnel finally came up and returned her to the surface.

She emerged into a field on the other side of the Duke's Archives. A vast meadow blooming with colorful summer flowers stretched out before her. Beyond that was a massive gnarled tree with pale white bark and translucent blue leaves that glowed with a soft light as they rustled in the breeze. Ciaran stood in awe at the sight, it was a spirit tree, perhaps the only one still in Lordran. As her eyes wandered down the trunk she spied something laying near it.

Checking to make sure no one was around she ran for the tree. There in the grass was Artorias's shield and great sword. Scattered haphazardly nearby were bits and pieces of his armor. Ciaran knelt down and picked up his helm, she was both confused and concerned. "What compelled him to so carelessly discard his armor and weapons? Has he gone mad?" She said to herself.

Chapter Text

Ciaran had a sinking feeling as she left the tree behind and ventured into the woods. Not only was she in an unfamiliar place, but her dear Artorias was out there unarmed and unprotected, which bothered her immensely. The moon was rising over the mountains bathing the land in a silver light. All around her tiny fireflies flitted about flashing in greens and yellows. Ciaran couldn't help but smile at the sight, it was so beautiful here, and the trees towering overhead must've been there since the end of the dragon wars.

She could understand why Artorias was so secretive about this place, and his "patrols" must be when he comes here to relax. A howl in the distance pulled her from her thoughts. Wasting no time she sprinted towards its source, she still wanted to see this creature that Ornstein insisted wasn't real. As the trees thinned out she came to the edge of a large pond. An outcropping of gray rock created a ledge on one side that one could dive off of. The rest of it was surrounded by sandy banks and smaller boulders.

Ciaran suddenly froze in place, on her side of the pond not far from her was another darkwraith. It growled as it knelt down to examine what looked like animal tracks. Movement above her caused her gaze to shift up, and her jaw dropped at what she saw. Perched on the outcropping was a large wolf with inky black fur and bright silver eyes that gleamed eerily in the moonlight. It glared at the darkwraith with an expression of disgust, and even contempt. The darkwraith had its back turned to the wolf, it never saw death coming. Ciaran watched in horror as the beast leapt down from the rocks and seized the wraith by the neck with its jaws. It violently shook it from side to side until it's head was sheared from its body and blood sprayed everywhere.

When the wolf finally dropped the corpse it let out a dreadful howl. Ciaran gave a shuddering gasp, causing the beast to look around. With an otherworldly grace it silently crept towards her, and upon seeing her its lips curled up in a snarl revealing bloody fangs. Not wanting to be next Ciaran drew her tracers and lashed out. A golden streak of light left a cut across the wolf's cheek. With a yelp the beast leapt back and vanished into the shadows.

Ciaran ran like she had never run before. By the time she returned to the spirit tree she was dripping with sweat and breathing heavily. Sitting next to the trunk she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She was terrified by what she saw, and she wasn't leaving until Artorias returned, she had to make sure he was safe. When the adrenaline wore off she found herself eyelids getting heavy, and before long she had fallen asleep.

The sound of rustling grass woke her up. Remembering the beast from earlier she stayed completely still, but opened her eyes. The wolf was sitting a ways from her tilting its head to the side and looking at her then off at the horizon, it would be dawn in a few hours. Ciaran could swear the creature appeared to be waiting, it would sometimes stand and pace about before sitting down again. After a few rounds of this it gave an irritated whine and finally walked off into the woods.

Ciaran jumped from her spot and reached for her pouch, inside was a off white bundle of cloth, a saint's talisman. Chanting a prayer in a sonorous tone she cast the homeward miracle and returned to Anor Londo. Screw waiting if it meant getting eaten by a beast. Once inside her chambers she barred her door and locked her windows, with everything secured she bathed and went to sleep.

About midday she was awakened by a harsh pounding on her door. She climbed out of bed and went to the door. "Who is it?" She called. "Open the damn door or I'm going to kick it in!" Ornstein yelled. Unbarring the door she was greeted by a sleep deprived dragon slayer. "Artorias sent me to check on you, said he hasn't seen you at all today. Everything alright?" Ciaran nodded, "I'm fine. Are you alright?" She asked as she saw the rings under his eyes. "I was guarding the cathedral all night, and Artorias returned to take my watch. Then Gwyndolin set Gough on fire trying to cook breakfast. It's been a rough morning." He replied.

She felt sorry for her captain and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, "I'm sorry, Ornstein. Please get some rest. Maybe tomorrow will be better." The lion knight trudged away to his quarters and Ciaran went to dress herself.
Setting off from her chambers she went up to the cathedral, peeking past the wooden panels at the inner sanctuary's entrance she saw Artorias leaning against a column. His cowl was down and she could see that he looked exhausted as well. On his cheek was a bright red cut, Ciaran's eyes widened in shock. She looked down at the tracer on her belt, then up to his face again.

She knew her handiwork well and there was no mistaking the slash of a tracer. Spotting her Artorias gave her a warm smile and waved at her. She waved back before ducking out of sight and heading for the dining hall.

Chapter Text

Ciaran sat in a numb daze as she finished her third glass of wine. "Tough day for you as well?" The giant archer asked as he sat down across from her with a mug of ale. "Sort of, just doing some thinking. How was your day Gough?" She replied as she looked up at him. His face mask was darkened slightly and his arms were streaked with soot. "Well... The little Lord learned about the dangers of grease fires. And I never have to wax my eyebrows again!" His reply made Ciaran burst into laughter at the mental image.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is Gwyndolin unharmed?" She asked when she calmed herself. "He is well, but said that he'll refrain from any further culinary experiments. He's in his room right now." Gough answered as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. Taking a pull of his ale he asked, "How has your day been? You seem troubled by something." Ciaran wasn't quite sure how to answer, "I found a beast in the Royal Woods, and I'm having trouble getting close to it. I'm certain it's a wolf, but neither Ornstein nor Artorias believe me. I've watched it viciously murder two darkwraiths, I've never seen a beast capable of besting one with such hatred."

Gough fell silent as he thought, sipping off his drink occasionally. "Hmm, you say its a wolf? They are creatures of habit that never stray far from home. If you want to get close to it, I suggest finding a hiding spot and waiting for it to return to where you last encountered it. But they are nocturnal hunters, so you'll be waiting a while."

Ciaran smiled as an idea came to her. "Thank you, I'll put that advice to good use." With a farewell she put on her mask and departed. She made a beeline straight for the secret area she discovered. The place was even more beautiful during the day, the spirit tree had grown translucent in the afternoon sun and took on a ghost like appearance. Nimbly she climbed up into the branches and hid herself from view. Taking an extra measure she put on her fog ring that Alvina had gifted her. "Now we wait." She said quietly with a smile.

One of an assassin's most important assets was patience, which Ciaran had more of than most beings in Lordran. She had laid motionless on a large tree limb for hours, and as the day drew to a close her patience was rewarded. In the fading light she spotted Artorias strolling casually through the field, he even stopped to pick a flower and tucked it into his pouch. Upon reaching the tree he set down his sword and shield and rolled his shoulders with a sigh. "Maybe tonight I won't have any surprise visits." He said hopefully as he removed his helm.

Ciaran remained still as she watched him remove his armor piece by piece and tossed them into the grass. He didn't stop until every inch of him was exposed, causing Ciaran to blush shamefully. She had seen him like that on many occasions but the situation was different. What she saw next made her doubt her sanity. In the blink of an eye Artorias vanished, in his place was the wolf she saw the night before. Without looking back the creature sprinted off into the trees.

Ciaran was dumbfounded, how could this be? Artorias and the wolf are one in the same! She thought as she tugged her mask off to get some air. Calming herself she was about to jump down from the tree and leave when she spied someone else in the field. Of all the people that had to arrive it had to be Ornstein!

The dragon slayer was without his armor this time, instead he wore a simple beige tunic with a brown leather vest and black pants. He held his spear in one hand and a small hunter's horn in the other. He wore a big grin on his face as he put the horn to his lips and blew loudly. The noise echoed off into the hills beyond, and surprisingly answered back by a howl. With astonishing speed and grace the wolf bolted from the woods and stopped just in front of him with a wag of his tail and a quizzical expression.

"Gough's keeping an eye on things, I came out here to spar. Getting restless and bored again." Ornstein said casually as he leaned on his spear. The wolf gave a half nod and grabbed Artorias's great sword in its teeth, adjusting it so it's blade pointed to its left. With a laugh the other knight readied himself, his spear crackled to life with electricity.

Ciaran looked on in awe as the wolf and the dragon slayer clashed. With the grace of a dancer the wolf swung, blocked, rolled, and parried. His fighting style was so familiar that she now had no doubt in her mind, that wolf really was her dear Artorias. She watched as he pulled off a spinning slash, the other barely blocked it. Ornstein smirked as he hurled a bolt of lightning, he missed and the bolt came straight for Ciaran. She didn't have enough time to get out of the way, and was hit by the blast and knocked out of the tree.

Artorias stopped mid swing as a loud thump caught his attention. Ornstein froze and followed his gaze, he spewed a string of curses as he spotted Ciaran lying on the ground. Artorias ran to her side and started nudging her, he could hear her heart beating steadily, she was out cold but alive. He looked up at Ornstein with a pleading glance. "Take her home, I'll get your things and heal her." He commanded as he strapped his spear to his back.

Artorias, with Ornstein's help, carried Ciaran on his back. Running as fast as he could it only took mere minutes for him to reach Anor Londo. With his balcony door open, he leapt up from the street below and landed in the door way. About ten minutes later the lion knight joined him, out of breath from running. He dumped his friend's armor on the floor and helped him get Ciaran on the bed. There he removed her mask and weapons then pulled out his sunlight talisman and chanted the great healing miracle.

She was healed of the damage from his lightning, but she didn't wake up. Artorias shifted on his feet nervously, whimpering as his eyes flicked between Ornstein and Ciaran. "She'll be alright, we just need to give her time to rest." He said reassuringly. "There's not much more I can do. Listen, stay here and keep an eye on her. I'm going to check on Gwyndolin and Gough, if there's trouble come to the cathedral."
Artorias jumped up onto the bed and curled around her protectively. Ornstein gave a sad glance as he set off for the cathedral.

He stopped in the dining hall for a bottle of brandy before sitting down on the steps of the inner sanctuary and taking a long sip. Alcohol was forbidden in the sanctuary, but he didn't care for the rules just then. A melancholy gloom settled over him as he drowned his stress in booze. He felt horrible that he nearly killed his subordinate and friend. Sure, he had killed many in the name of their Lord, but each death weighed on his conscious.
Fighting the dragons wasn't an issue, but for men it was different. They had hearts, souls, pasts, futures, families, hopes and dreams. With each death he told himself it was for peace in the land and for the good of all. But deep down it still felt wrong, that's why he specialized in dragon slaying, so he wouldn't have to kill men. He continued to mope and drink until he heard a strange sound. PLING-PLING-PLONG!

Eh? What was that? He thought as he stood and moved towards the annex hallway. It sounded almost like someone playing a piano, it appeared to come from the far end of the hallway. Creeping down the hall the sound of music grew louder, stopping at an open door he found Gwyndolin playing a piano. Ornstein took another sip from his bottle as he listened. The tragic tune mirrored his mood, and it tugged at his heart bringing a tear to his eyes.
After a few minutes he couldn't help but notice Gwyndolin never touched a black key during the song, only the white ones. How odd. He thought as he brushed a tear away. Not wanting to disturb him he returned to the stairs and sat back down. It's going to be a long night, he thought as the haunting melody carried on.

Chapter Text

Ciaran woke to something warming her face. The soft surface under her felt as if she was laying in a bed, cracking an eye open she found herself in Artorias's room. The morning sun was shining brightly on her through the balcony, her eyes opened wide as she remembered what had happened. As she began to stir she felt an arm around her tighten its grip. "I was starting to think you wouldn't wake up." A sleepy voice said quietly.

Rolling over Ciaran found herself in Artorias's arms. He wore nothing except a pair of linen pants, he looked tired, as if he'd been up all night. The cut on his face had faded slightly, but the sight of it made her wince. Reaching over she gently kissed him on the wound she'd left. "I'm so sorry, I should have listened to Ornstein and not followed you. If I had known.... I never would've..." She felt remorseful as tears threatened to well up. But Artorias pulled her closer and gently stroked her head. "It's not your fault. I should've been open with you, but this...ability of mine... If our Lord found out it would be the death of me. I didn't want you to possibly get hurt because of me."

Ciaran went wide eyed at his words, "Kill you?!! Why? You're one of his best knights!" She gasped. He gave a tired yawn before replying. "Did you know Alvina had an older sister?" Ciaran shook her head. "Well, she did. During the dragon wars she had fallen in love with a dragon and tried to protect him from Gwyn. Alvina's sister was the goddess of shapeshifters, and passed on the talent to those she favored. And they passed it on by blood. I inherited it from my mother's side, and sadly I never knew either of my parents. When Alvina's sister declared her love for the dragon it sent Gwyn into a rage. He declared that all shapeshifters were evil and to be executed along with those who aided the dragons. I survived because I kept my ability a secret from everyone. You and Ornstein are the only ones who know." She looked away from him with a hurt expression.

He lapsed into silence for a time as he wondered what she was thinking. Unexpectedly she reached down and pulled her wasp ring off and handed it to him. "I will not serve a Lord if it means that one day I may be sent after you." She whispered as she choked back tears. "I love you Artorias! And I will not allow any man nor god to hurt you. You are kind and compassionate, and that's what makes you so wonderful. You are not evil, and I will slay anyone who tries to say otherwise." He gently cupped her cheek and brushed away a tear with his thumb. "If you renounce your vows as a knight, then we will be separated. Gwyn may imprison you fearing for his own life. It would be best to keep this." He said as he grasped her hand and returned the ring to her finger.

"As long as we keep this quiet then all will be fine. I gained control over my abilities long ago, excluding full moons, then I change regardless of circumstances. Ornstein sends me out as an excuse, its something we both thought up." He said as he rolled onto his back.

"How did Ornstein find out?" She asked as she scooted closer to him. "We were sent out to find out why patrols kept vanishing in the boneyard where we piled the corpses of dragons we had slain. We were underprepared for the fight against several undead dragons that vomited poison. Both of us got wounded and took shelter in a cave, we used up our healing miracles, Ornstein fell ill from poison and nearly froze to death from the cold. That night was a full moon, so the best I could do was keep him warm and try to feed him purple moss. I knew what would happen if he reported me, but I couldn't leave him to die."

It was then Ciaran understood what she had heard in the library. He had risked his home, his rank, and his very life to keep watch over Ornstein and help him recover. She couldn't help but admire the courage that had taken. She was about to ask him another question when she looked over to find him fast asleep. Following suit she got comfortable and tried to rest.

The days grew warm as summer wore on. Ornstein was happy with Ciaran's swift recovery, but he did lecture her about her spying. Artorias spent his evenings with Ciaran either in the palace or in the forest. Gwyndolin and Gough became fast friends, and the young god learned of his natural talent for archery which Gough nurtured proudly. He even gifted him with a wooden bow and leather quiver full of arrows. During one of his practices he launched a volley into the air, they arced out of the range and landed on the other side of the wall. Going to retrieve them he encountered Ornstein who was holding his spear with several broken arrows around his feet. "Please mind your aim Gwyndolin." He chided gently as he bowed his head in apology.

Later that day the Lord's eldest son returned. And all that night neither him nor Ornstein could be found. When Ciaran relieved Artorias from his watch in the cathedral he left for his quarters. Sitting out on his balcony he gazed at the stars and enjoyed the peacefulness of the empty city. Across the street he heard the sound of glass breaking, looking into the bay window of Ornstein's office he saw something astonishing. The dragon slayer had his Lord laid out on top of his desk, locked in an aggressive kiss. "By the Gods!! Ornstein you devil!!" He cheered as he left to give them privacy. "I almost thought there was no hope for him." He laughed as he poured himself a drink and sat down to polish his armor.

That morning at breakfast Artorias gave his captain a grin as he tucked into his meal. "So, finish that paperwork last night?" Ornstein choked on his drink, then shot him a nasty look. "Go to hell Artorias!" Revenge is nice sometimes, he thought.