The chill that had begun to creep over the land was unmistakable. Luckily for the wolves that lived on this side of the continent, the winter was fairly mild - especially at the beginning of the season. Diarmuid had dealt with far harsher conditions and he had no doubt that he could survive another winter on his own. He'd decided that this was a decent place to settle down for awhile, and an even better one for some of the Xanilovs to call home - and he'd likely remain here until something pulled him away. The lake, in particular, was a decent place to get familiar with. Obvious reasons aside, prey seemed drawn to the water's edge and it was close enough to Celestial for his comfort. Today was little different than the days that had come before it. Diarmuid lingered near the edge of the water for a long while, taking a brief dip in the lake once the sun neared its peak in the sky. After that he lounged in a patch of grass - well, it was mostly dead now, but was still grass despite its color - and dried off. After that he took some time to scout out the border closest to Celestial, making careful note of the scents he encountered. He was wary about those that lingered close to their claimed territories that weren't part of the pack already; he hoped if there was any hint of future trouble for the pack that he could at least alert them of it ahead of time. There was nothing wrong with being watchful and prepared, even if it left him feeling strangely restless most of the time as of late. A silent sigh fell from his lips as he trudged on, diverting his path slightly toward the lake again and to one of the spots that he'd claimed as his own. A large oak, leaning slightly to the side, with a wide curved base that made for the perfect resting spot. He sniffed at the dirt there before carefully flopping onto his side and stretching out against the tree's base.

This season was a difficult one for her, the season she had lost her beloved Lanse in. It had been easier at first, being away from the places she had spent so much time with him in, in surroundings familiar from her childhood. But all that meant was that it was able to sneak up and hit her all at once, the Sudden bleak knowledge that he was GONE, forever, and all this was just her, alone, waiting in solitude for the day when she would pass from this world and join Lanse again. She had woken up this morning feeling perfectly ordinary, stepped outside of her den into the chill of an early winter morning... and it had struck her so hard it took her breath away. That ache in her chest, the constant feeling that she was missing a part of her. A leg, or her tail... or her heart.

She had struck out blindly away from Celestial's lands, not feeling at all capable of interacting with any of her packmates today. It wasn't a side of her any of them had seen, or needed to ever see. She was a competent, practical wolf, not this creature consumed by the past and her own depression. Even if right now she felt like this was all she was and ever would be capable of being.

For a time she simply wandered, head low and paws restless despite her inability to drag herself from her apathy enough to actually do something productive. Hunt, or patrol, or... something. No, she simply wandered uncaring.

Something made her lift her head and gaze, though the only sounds that had reached her for some time had been the monotonous crunch of dead grass beneath her paws. The oak tree naturally drew the eye, but it was the form beneath it that had been what caught her attention. A scarred male wolf, his exterior as battered by the years as her heart felt, and for a moment she hesitated between wanting to reject interaction and the feeling of being drawn to a kindred spirit. In the end it was her own polite nature that drove her forward, because the hesitation made it far too late to pretend she had not seen him and continue on her way. Instead she approached him, with an empty shadow of her friendly demeanor. "Hello," she greeted him with simplicity, head tilted slightly as she waited to see if he responded in kind or if he didn't want to company at all. His scent was vaguely familiar, and after a moment she placed it as one she had scented on her patrols along the borders. He must have been living in the area around Celestial for some time, then, and despite her apathy she felt a stirring of curiosity about his reasons for doing so.

For a long while, Diarmuid was lost in his own thoughts. Existing so plainly had never settled well with him, not when he was accustomed to having a task or a clear goal. What he liked to do was to work - not to lounge around and wait for someone to happen. He'd grown more restless than he was used to since reuniting with the Xanilov children and realizing most of them were well, and simply trying to forge paths for themselves here. Largely without him, though he hoped they knew his aid was available if it was so required. He'd yet to really find a way to fit in to all of that, no matter how hard he tried. To say he felt depressed over it might be a bit of a stretch. He wasn't the sort to get too lost in his own emotions - down in the dumps might be a more accurate phrasing. He'd learned long ago to protect himself from such extremes, and the rare moments that he did have negative emotions, well.. he did everything he could to hide them. He mostly felt bored lately, without a sense of purpose, without the strong pull of determination that usually fueled his days. And right now, he looked more peaceful than he felt, lounging with little care against the curved base of the oak tree. Only when he heard the crunching of leaves underpaw did he stiffen, just slightly, letting his gaze lift to follow the source of the sound as the stranger rounded the tree. Diarmuid noted her hesitation - it looked like she was tempted to turn around altogether, but she decided to greet him simply instead. He wouldn't have cared much either way, and the sole reason his interest was picqued was her scent. She was another Celestial wolf, it seemed. "Afternoon," he returned her one-word greeting with a gruff one of his own, his head tilting to examine her further. "What brings you so far from home?"

He responded gruffly, but not in a way that would be unwelcoming, so Gwenevere took a few steps closer and examined him more closely. "Not so very far," she retorted with a half-smile. "Sometimes it can do a lot of good to travel further than the borders that you know. Sometimes you can learn more about yourself by learning more about the world beyond what you're used to." The words had a playful sort of philosophical bent to them but there was a hint of the bleakness that hid behind that politely friendly mask. The ache that clutched at her chest despite the smile that touched her muzzle. "And you? You spend an unusual amount of time near a pack's borders for a rogue," she observed. The tone was curiosity, not accusation, and to further cement her benign intentions she carefully lowered herself to her belly to put herself on his level - below it, in fact, for he was quite a bit taller than she was. "Maybe we're both looking for something we don't have," she added whimsically.

Something like amusement fluttered in his chest at the easy way she responded, though his face concealed it through his steady, even stare. "I suppose it's not that far," Diarmuid responded plainly, shrugging his wide shoulders. Her words were not without wisdom, though. "Personally, I've seen enough of the world for my lifetime. But if traveling suits you, be my guest."  He'd been made to leave the lands of his family when he was young, but only when he was asked to see Valeriya's children to Boreas had he ever gone so far from lands familiar to him.. and he had little interest in seeing much more beyond the places he'd been here, unless he had to. This stranger seemed friendly enough, politely pleasant.. though her words were a bit odd. A bit more philosophical than he tended to get - but he'd been in far worse company and he wasn't inclined to chase her off quite yet. And her observation brought a slight smirk to his lips. "Been keeping an eye on me, have you?" He raised a brow, his expression fading after a moment as she settled down a small distance from him. She was a pretty one, he'd give her that, and a sight for sore eyes after being a bit isolated as of late. His head tilted as he watched her speak. Her words were uncomfortably close to the truth, and he nearly frowned, but refrained himself from letting her see that she was even slightly close in her observations.  "Perhaps," he said simply, falling silent for a moment. "Am I what you've been looking for? A scarred old wolf lying against a tree? Or perhaps the lake was what you've been longing for?" His words seem playful, despite his tone being relatively even and betraying little emotion.

She returned his smile automatically when he asked if she'd been keeping an eye on him. "Oh, it's my job I suppose. I'm one of Celestial's warriors, so I am on the borders more often than not. I take note of whose scents show up most often, in case they have bad intentions. Do you have bad intentions?" she added teasingly, though her smile faded around the edges. What was she looking for out here? There was no more for her outside of the pack than there was inside the pack. Lanse was gone, she was alone. It didn't matter where she was, she couldn't escape that. "Maybe you are exactly what I was looking for." The words should have come out teasingly, playfully, an extension of polite friendly banter, but they just came out low and faintly huskily, the pain of grief held hidden but for the distance in her crystalline gaze, as though she were seeing something different than what could be found before her. Seeing what had been, not what was. Oh, if only she could, for just a little while, forget what she had lost, forget the pain and the grief and the loneliness. Pretend that none of it had ever happened, lose herself in distraction. Her breath puffed out in a quiet, soft sigh of words that echoed her thoughts. "A distraction, I suppose. A way to forget."

So she was a fighter, and guarding the borders was her duty, which was why she'd been keeping an eye on him - or so she claimed. Her question, about whether or not he had bad intentions, earned a soft grumble. "Depends who you're asking, I suppose," he admitted without hesitation. "Though considering Regulus knows I'm around, and has given me permission to enter Celestial's lands so long as I announce my presence, you're free to make a judgment call on my intentions." He wasn't being abrasive, just honest without divulging too much unnecessary information. He couldn't help but be reminded of something painfully familiar in her expression, though he couldn't quite place the regretful and mildly vacant demeanor that suddenly overtook her. He had long since learned to ignore his own more extreme feelings, to push them deep down until he could hardly even recall them - it was easier that way, he'd decided. But her words earned a rare, hearty laugh from him. "Maybe, but I highly doubt that." Diarmuid couldn't quite shake the feeling of uselessness that had wracked him for so long now. He had a purpose, in the big scheme of things, but he had nothing of importance to do in the present. That bothered him more than he dared let on. Her wistful words caught him off guard. "I can't imagine many things in life worth forgetting," he retorted gently, shrugging his shoulders. Pain was something that helped build the spirits of wolves rather than break them down - nothing, in his opinion, was worth forgetting. "Though I suppose distractions can sometimes be pleasant. Tell me, woman who wants to forget, what's your name?" It seemed wolves in these lands were more apt to chatting, something he'd never been all that good at, though he leaned back against the base of the tree and peered at her curiously anyway.