It was nice to be out in the sun again, away from that... cave? crypt? Portal to the underworld? Whatever it was, I was happy to be out. I was not a wolf that was too fond of the dark, or if anything that...desolate. The wind was unrelenting on the plains that I had traversed over; my head had been bowed low and my tail tucked as I tried to move as swiftly as possible. Thankfully, a grove had trees had popped up, and I was not going to pass up the opportunity to rest. The orchard was a pungent place, to say the least; rows and rows of unattended fruit trees had shed their spoils in the autumn, which were now well rotting and decaying, no doubt maggots were happily feasting away at the last of the moldy fruits that remained before the frost truly set in. Nose wrinkled slightly as I picked my way through the shade of the trees; it was colder out of the direct light of the sun, but the wind was much less boisterous. It was a trade that I was more than content with. The ground was thick and rough with roots and seeds, but I soon found a small flat patch of earth at the base of a thick-trunked tree with low branches, offering me some level of camouflage and safety, albeit, not much. I settled in and curled into a tight ball; it's funny, really, how you never really realize how tired you are until you actually get a chance to sit down. My hips here aching, the joints were stiff and my muscles thick with knots. A long sigh escaped my lungs, and I curled my tail around to that it obscured the view of my hind legs so that a passer-by might not immediately notice anything peculiar about me. I didn't really expect to see anyone, since it seemed that I was totally alone, but I could never be too careful with that. "SPEAK"

Finding Domari again had given some sense of purpose. It was nice to not feel so hopeless, so.. without a goal. Now, at least, he could stay close to the young Xanilov and seek out the rest of his family. He moved along his current route, not far from where he'd been sleeping the night before, with a face that spoke of his determination. His eyes set ahead, searching for anything of interest, when he found the Orchard in the distance. He wasn't sure why he felt drawn to this place. Perhaps because he was tired of such dreary places, though the swamp was where he'd found Domari. His paws carried him toward the clearing, slowly but surely, where the trees grew in straight lines. Despite this place being full of wildlife - the air carried the stench of rotten sweet fruit - it seemed oddly unnatural, at the same time. Trees didn't grow in such straight patterns. Diarmuid's nose twitched as he tasted the scents that a light breeze brought to him. It was a bit odd, such a sweet scent mixed with the smell of decay, but it wasn't abhorrent enough to keep him away. Who knew what he could find here? Cautiously he moved, though his posture showed nothing but collected confidence. Only when the scent of a strangler reached him, mingled among that of rotting fruit, did he grow more wary. He'd redirect himself, aiming to head towards them - and failing to see the male lying among the vegetation. "Talk" "You" Think