for
@Dante and/or
@Blue Willow. u guys can set this whenever works for your timelines.
he departed the caldera with a heavy heart, and it was not forseeable that it should ever lift. a caul of shame veiling his face, taltos meandered upon the road less traveled in the direction of the plateau, for once his steps unsure.
but his soul held the surety of his decision; he would be needed among the wolves who still followed dante and the willow. rain swept the flatlands as he traveled through them; taltos arrived upon the borders drenched in skytears and his own saltwater.
he strode into the packlands with a decisive step, but his confidence waned quickly, and in the next moment he called desperately for them both, a ragged bloom caught in a deluge, unmoored and drowning.
I'm gonna go ahead and set this for after the meeting / Dante claiming leadership that will be posted tonight (man I picked a bad weekend for a trip lol)
Dante's heart leapt a bit as he heard a call, a voice he had not expected to hear for a long while. Peregrine and Fox's departure had shaken him, but his subsequent claim meant that he was in charge of keeping everything together. He could not afford to become complacent. He had sought a little time alone , though, still trying to organize the chaos in his mind
Immediately he made for the call , wondering as to the nature of the visit . As soon as he saw the look on Lasher's face, though, he knew that it was not a visit after all. The man was obviously shattered, but despite him feeling for the man and the obvious hard decision that had led him here, he could not say that he was sorry to see him. The opposite really.
Wordlessly Dante stepped forward, pressing his head against te other wolf's ruff in a seldom seen gesture of affection and support. He would allow lasher to gather himself before speaking.
danni, feel free to throw willow in here anytime!
dante arrived, and his physical gesture of affection sparked a fresh outpouring of tears; he clung to the gentle beta as sobs racked him. he could not speak, but surely the man knew this was also part of love, that the sorrow sometimes lurked beneath the valentine veneer.
at length lasher extricated himself and glanced at dante with a look of apology for flinging himself upon the man in his throes of grief. "this is my home." he spoke the words in a quiet tone, but one that resonated firmly.
Blue was not surprised to see the Lover of Peregrine, though her heart hurt so very badly for him. He had left his love behind, and she knew it must hurt like a curse word. Blue strode forward slightly keeping to the back as Lasher cried and she nodded when he spoke.
Yes Lasher this is your home for as long as you would like it. She grew quiet then and simply fell to her haunches and curled her tail around her paws. Her patience would be good in this aspect. She would simply wait for him to feel a little bit better, and she would not ply him with a ton of questions.
Dante stood still as Lasher sobbed against him, and despite his happiness that the male had returned to them his heart broke for him. He had seen the closeness that lay between Peregrine and he and had not expected anything to be able to sever that bond. It seemed he hadn't counted on Fox's influence.
"And your home is very glad to have you," Dante added to Blue Willow's affirmation, complete sincerity in his tone. True, they had lost Peregrine, Fox, and those who had followed... but they still had so much.
the sound of the willow's voice following on the heels of dante's more masculine tone soothed lasher further. proffering a soft nudge to the gunmetal beta, taltos sank down alongside blue willow to preen her ruff. "i know peregrine came to inform you that he and fox were departing the plateau permanently," he murmured. "and i know some will follow, but i am also faithful in the majority's dedication to you, blue willow, and you, dante."
he was quiet then, glancing between the two of them; he would have liked to know what had transpired at the meeting, but was too heartbroken to ask. the memory of his body entwined with peregrine's one last time was almost too much to bear, and he drew a shuddering sigh as he fought for composure.
Blue smiled softly at his preening, a comfort from him to her and she returned the favor where she could reach. Gently preening his ruff and soothing him as best she could. He was her own dear friend, he was not her best friend as Peregrine was, but he was a dear one. And she would always hold him dear, for his offer to father her children. She kept that to herself and safe in the back of her mind.
Blue heard the unspoken question and answered him softly It was a bad meeting Lasher just bad. Peregrine came and informed us he was leaving, he had no time for goodbyes because Fox was injured and that we would figure out who would lead. There were a lot of hurt feelings on all sides and some left with him, and I do not know if they will return or even if they still hold us in their hearts. Peregrine has stated we shall be a sister pack, but I do not know if Fox will allow that. then she grew silent and a small whine let loose, she was still hurting. She knew her hurt was nothing near the dark male beside her, but it was enough.
Lasher's loyalty it them came as a surprise to Dante, though a happy one. Lasher was his closest friend in the pack, though Blue was close as well, but he wouldn't have thought he compared with Peregrine in his friend's loyalties. Fox's presence likely tipped the balance. While he hated the pain the chocolate hessian was feeling, Peregrines loss was definitely the Plateau's gain.
Dante was still seething over the way things had been handled and he knew it showed as Willow spoke. He was glad he did, for she was much kinder than he would be in the telling and he did not wish to speak ill of Peregrine with Lasher so obviously distraught. Thus, he kept his mouth shut.
he listened sadly, body deflating in whatever iota of confidence he had retained. he had come, his panther, had come here, to the plateau. he had thrown his faithful into turmoil and thrown aside the loyalty of his fellow leaders.
but though he heard, taltos could not relinquish his love for peregrine. hot bile arose in his throat as fox's arrogant face flashed before his eyes, and he got restlessly to his paws. "a sister pack."
he gave a mirthless chuckle; he did not find the situation amusing, but rather the proverbial bone peregrine had thrown to his former followers. "a brother does not hurt his sister in such a way," he snarled, a rare show of an emotion he hardly ever felt: rage.
Blue watched as the dark male seemed to sink within himself, and Blue was angry all over again. She could take the pain dealt to her, she could take the pain dealt to the pack. But for Peregrine to hurt the man who had loved him, had given so selflessly, why that was far too much for the healer. She did not get angry often, but when she did she was furious. She snorted softly, but she chose to keep her mouth shut. She did not wish to add anymore pain to the already heartbroken male.
Blue nodded No he doesn't I should know I have two. However, in his defense when you love someone, and pair that with the impending breeding season. Everyone goes a little crazy. It does not give him an excuse, and his actions are rather deplorable, okay very deplorable, but it does give him slight wiggle room very slight.
"No he doesn't," Dante agreed softly, but it weighed heavily on his mind. In his anger he'd half a mind to say screw it to the offer and cut ties with the runaway pair completely. They obviously no longer cared enough about the state of the Plateau to inform them of their departure, so why should they be allowed any part in their future? But he knew that such a decision would be rash and regrettable. One mistake shouldn't be enough to sever the bonds that had been built over the long history shared and all the good that Peregrine had done the pack. And Dante knew that Perry loved the Plateau, much as it didn't appear that way now. He just loved Fox more. Perhaps one day Dante would understand, but currently, he couldn't fathom how one could throw a family away like that.
anger still boiled beneath the usually soft veneer taltos wore; it was not a sensation he liked. he feared such strong emotion, for it was what had killed deborah, had killed suzanne. tail lashing in agitation, he paused to listen to what blue willow spoke. with them he did not agree, but he did not voice this. the movement of nature upon fox did not divest peregrine of his duties to their plateau; it did not render him deserving of any leeway, at least to taltos, who still thrummed with hurt.
dante's voice held assent, the willow's logic — the epsilon sank down upon his haunches and gave a great sigh. "what will you now do?" he asked of them softly, though his murkwater eyes were fixed upon the ground.
Blue studied Lasher and she shifted her weight and ghosted forward and sat beside him and curled her tail around her paws. She nudged his shoulder and spoke softly I don't know about Dante, but right now I am just going to sit here with you and help make your bad day a little better. After that, we will just move on with our duties and do our best by those in our family. She offered him a small smile, Dante would lead as Alpha, she would be his right paw man or well woman in her case. She tilted her head and waited silently, breathing softly.
Dante wasn't sure if Lasher wanted to be alone right now. "If you would like, I have nowhere I'd rather be, though I understand if you do not want company." Dante himself preferred isolation when he was truly upset. Others, though, sought comfort of friends. And he was close enough a friend to Lasher to wish to offer that, should the man choose to accept it.
awww these two. we can fade here <3
as blue willow spoke, lasher sighed, and laid his cheek against her shoulder. supported by the two of them, he would mend, and in turn, he hoped that they too would heal. he smiled against the pain in his heart at dante, and for a single moment, happiness began to rear its head inside his soul once more.
here was where he belonged, for all time.