She was enjoying taking time to herself. This great big world they were in was really something. Once she'd come to grips with her narcolepsy and gotten it mostly under control, it was no time at all before she learned something spectacular: it wasn't really so scary out here at all. In fact, the world was filled with beauty and wonder! Winter had nipped at her ears and toes, harrying her onwards to find a place to rest. Each new land she explored offered something special, and this place was no different. Strange dilapidated fences and structures could be seen in the distance, as well as trees spaced neatly in rows. What kind of creature could create a place like this? Trees didn't need to be so orderly. Siobhan found it almost unnerving. Ducking her head against another gust of freezing wind, she grit her teeth so they wouldn't chatter. Some perfect glittering globes hung from the branches overhead, fruit that had been so surprised by winter's early arrival it had frozen completely in place. Siobhan stopped for a second to stare. Incredible.

The largest structure loomed closer now, its entrance a ragged, open mouth. Inside it was quite dark, and though the wind whistled through the spaces in the walls, it provided a wonderful ballast against the worst of the cold. Shivering, Siobhan curled in a corner and stared out of the door as a fresh coat of snow began to fall from the sky. There would be time to explore more after her toes stopped icing up and sticking together.

Lachlan still wasn’t certain in what he wished to do with his freedom. It seemed for a while he was finished with pack life, he was going his own way and taking care of himself. There was a thought in his mind that continued to grow the more time he spent with Tyrian. The man had put on quite the show even with such short notice of Lachlan’s presence and if the boy hadn’t already been falling for the handsome king he certainly was now. Swoon was never a word he expected to use, but that was exactly what happened. He felt special when he was with Tyrian, like he really meant something to the saber fanged man.

He’d stayed close to Fireside, uncertain of his future but loathe to go very far from the wolf that wove so skillfully into his heart. He wandered the orchard, amazed at the ice that clung to the fruit still on the branches. It was like the whole forest was covered in a layer of ice. Bright blue eyes wondered at his surroundings before a familiar scent washed over him. Curious and eager Lachlan trotted forward. ”Sio?” He called out curiously as he searched for his sister’s gray form.

"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly, her eyelids fluttering open as she heard a familiar voice. She'd been so ready to almost drop off into a pleasant nap when Lachlan's call roused her. Probably for the best not to fall asleep in the cold before she'd gotten her bearings. Siobhan sprung to her feet and shook off the light dusting of snow that had settled on her back. An inquisitive nose poked out from the door of the abandoned barn, twitching with excitement. Soon the rest of her followed, bracing against the cold once more. Snow continued to fall through the spidery, bare branches of the trees around them, making it difficult to pick out her brother for just a moment until she caught his handsome red face, standing out stark against the white of winter. "Lachlan!" She bubbled with excitement, closing the distance between them quickly. There was a queer, quivery feeling in her gut that made her a bit unsteady on her paws, but she wasn't at risk of an episode. Siobhan leaned against her brother's shoulder and smiled into his thick fur.

He heard her shuffling around before he saw her, and rust red ears perked as he followed them to the shelter she’d found. It reminded him of the barn Tyrian showed him the other night and he stifled another giddy feeling followed by a blush. Thankfully it was cold and windy for an excuse. The snow whipped into his eyes but he could make out the movement of his sister’s form and slowly they’d find their way to one another.

Lachlan had spent time and seen Aryn much more recently than her twin Siobhan, and it felt good to be in her presence again. The young Valentine moved to wrap his front paws around her shoulders in a tight embrace. ”Sio,” he wasn’t sure that he’d even seen her since everyone went their own way at Valhalla. ”You look so good, I’ve missed you.” He whined softly, curious what she’d been up to. She didn’t smell like she was still with their mother and father.

She nuzzled her head into his chest, sighing happily at the scent of something familiar in a strange place. The rows of trees and branches arched above their heads. Some were close enough to almost intertwine, creating a kind of temporary shelter. It slowed the fall of the snow but it still fell heavily. "I haven't been up to much - just exploring," she murmured, smiling into his warm fur. "You look well taken care of," she chuckled, pulling away briefly to inspect him. It wasn't easy for a wolf to make their way through winter alone. Luckily she was young and savvy, but she was still quite a bit leaner than she was in any other season. Lachlan, while not smelling like a pack, certainly looked like someone or something was helping him get by. "Have you heard from or seen anyone else lately - family, I mean?" Part of her longed for news of her twin. They'd never quite reconnected as she'd hoped after she was isolated as a child.

Lachlan felt like home as she accepted and leaned into his embrace, so much time had passed since the last time they were all together. Maybe it was time to gather his siblings and make a return to see their family. Torin especially would enjoy that he was sure. He always worried about them so much, and now that he no longer held any authority over them… he wondered if anyone had seen him since they lost Lirim. What she’d been up to sounded a whole lot like what he’d been up to. Exploring with little to no structure. Except perhaps the continuing habit of returning to the sight of Fireside’s borders.

”...well taken care of.” He tried not to blush, there was no way she could know about the dinner he had with Tyrian. ”The animals around here are plump because of all the fruit.” He explained, figuring that was the cause of his good body condition more than anything. ”No, I haven’t seen anyone. I keep thinking I’ve picked up Aryn’s trail but.. I haven’t caught her yet.” He sighed softly, having Sio beside him he could more clearly feel how much he missed his family.

She stood side-by-side with him among the slowly falling snow. There was something about winter that made everything just a shade quieter than any other time of year. Siobhan closed her eyes and let the softness of it all settle over them. It almost made her want to whisper, but that would be ridiculous. "I imagine they do stay fat. All that sugar, left to ferment," she licked her lips and eyed the glittering globes. Most of the apples were frozen solid, shriveled little things. Anything they could scavenge up now would be black and inedible. It was too bad. "I feel like I've been Aryn's heels as well... you'd think I'd be better at knowing where she is, but twintuition seems like it's all but lost now. I miss her," she murmured, her ears folding back in a moment of sadness. They had been so close when they were young before her condition kept her apart from them all until she'd better learned to manage it. "I feel like I have so much to make up for, you know? Lost time."