Kass was lost - figuratively, not literally, as he had grown up in the eastern lands and was certainly no stranger to them - was he wandered through the warming spring. He should have returned to Yfir territories long since... but instead he'd come here. To visit his brother's grave... perhaps also in the hopes that his sister would seek him out after all. She had not - but still he had remained here, trapped between what had been and what could be. He had taken over an old den that some Ebony wolf had once lived in, far enough away from the lake that the extra volume of water had not disturbed it, and spent his days doing... nothing. Walking. Sitting by the barrows Katja had erected. Going to the lake to stare down into the water. He was at the lake now. Rommel was not with him, the tall fox off hunting, and Reme was curled in a bed of moss and feathers in the den to stay dry and warm. He was contemplating the thought of being unnecessary. Except for Katja, he was tied to no one in this life. His brother dead, his sisters all vanished... Val had always been a wanderer, but losing Sindri so soon after he had gotten her and Sigmarr back... so soon after he'd lost Sigmarr... and now learning that Svetlana so thoroughly wanted nothing to do with him that she'd not only joined a different pack, but never once made the effort to tell him she was still alive. His family wanted nothing to do with him. Why would they? He had gotten Sigmarr killed. He had not been able to keep their family pack alive. He had been the one to have ended generations of tradition so thoroughly that Ebony would never be coming back. If he walked into the water right now and just sank beneath the surface forever, no one would notice. No one would care. His tongue snaked out to touch his lips nervously. No, he wasn't genuinely considering doing such a thing. Not after what he had already put his sisters through in their lives. It would be so easy... and so, so very selfish. No... his punishment was hope. To wait, always, hoping. ""

It wasn't that surprising that Epiphron had returned here. It was one of the few places that held decent memories for her. She could not freely return to the Range, for it was claimed - and last she knew, so was Vericona Plains. At the very least, she remembered a decent life here - it was where she remembered last feeling truly whole. It was far enough from home that she was sure she would not be followed, and would not be bothered. With the arrival of spring, she had thought she might feel more alive, more invigorated - but it was merely a stark reminder of her own waning mortality. She was feeling fatigued enough by the time she found the lake on the horizon, and the prospect of finding somewhere to rest was wildly appealing. The first thing that she noticed was that.. though this land was not claimed, someone had been here for some time. A familiar someone. It was not a Fiori wolf, though, and her nose wrinkled as she tasted the scent more deeply. Her paws moved to help her trail absently after it, in no great rush to discover who it might be, but simply curious as to who was here. It didn't take very long to place a face to the scent. Kassander. The young, charmingly naive Ebony alpha. She had liked him quite a bit when she'd first met, even hoping to see him again - but it seemed their paths had not been meant to cross. Not until now. It'd been a long time since Epiphron had seen Kassander, and she knew little to nothing about his life. She knew that his sister lived in Fiori now, as her daughter-in-law. She was to be the mother to her grandchildren. But what of him? She couldn't help but be curious, and her gaze would rove the lakeside, searching for him. Perhaps, if anything, a reunion might lighten her mood. She was tired.. but even more than that, she was tired of moping around and feeling sorry for herself. The woman's pace increased as she moved closer to him, seeking to close the distance that lay between them. Time had surely changed both of them, and she swore she caught a glimpse of something less than happy on Kassander's face, even from a distance. But she would nod and force a smile to her face, for the sake of politeness. She had always been taught to be Queenly - why should today be any different? "Long time no see, King Kassander," she started, a hint of playfulness jilting the edge of her words. But mostly, she was happy to see a familiar face, and the appreciation shone as she eyed him.

A familiar voice, one he had not heard in quite some time, startled him out of his contemplation of the lake's waters. He twisted around to face Epiphron, and for a moment he was caught between his melancholy, and the painfully shy young boy he'd always been in her presence. But the note of playfulness in her voice drew a nervous smile nonetheless, and with a bit of timorousness he made an attempt at returning her playfulness with a courtly bow in her direction. "M-my Queen," he stammered slightly with heat in his face, but then the smile faded, and his gaze dropped to the ground between them. "I'm not a king anymore though. I gave up my pack - gave it back to Katja Finnvi." He tried to say it neutrally, not wanting to make a big deal out of it and seem either... weak, or like he was grubbing for attention, but the unhappy memories he'd been dwelling on constricted his throat, and the words came out tinged with hoarseness, and he fell silent.

Kassander had always felt like a breath of fresh air to her, though she'd never gotten to know him well. His aura held enough innocence and naivety to notice, under all the pain she was sure he carried; for few were lucky enough to get as far in life as he had without it. His bow, though a bit hesitant, elicited a small smile from Epiphron. She accompanied her expression with a slow nod of her own, reminiscent of a bow without all the movements. "Nor am I a Queen," she would admit with a slight simper. Once it would have been an absolutely humiliating fact to admit, but she didn't sound troubled when she told him. Katja was a familiar name to her, and she'd nod gently in understanding. "Though.. Kingliness is more than just.. actually holding a title," Epiphron would offer gently, her shoulders shrugging slowly with her words. "How've you been faring, Kass?" she's ask as she slid alongside him, settling a comfortable distance away, her gaze lifting to lock with his own.