Wolf RPG

AW but tagging @Peregrine ...;)

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the birth of his children did not bind lasher more closely to the plateau, but drove him from it physically. while he adored the scent and feel of their small velveteen bodies, and the languid nights spent curled alongside blue willow, taltos had become restless. with no witch to guide him, and no true lover to anchor him, he felt himself adrift.

and yet each day he foraged far for small trinkets and baubles, for the babes' eyes to enjoy when they were older. feathers, odd pebbles, even shells gleaned from the cold sands. and now he found himself in the heavy darkness of a thick forest, nares flared for the pungent scent of small mushrooms with which he would pair a squirrel, and deliver unto blue willow.

Not for the first nor the last time, Peregrine's hunting duties took him well beyond the caldera's borders. He wandered The Heartwood presently, tracking a herd of deer that had passed by the outskirts of the pack's territory and proceeded northwest. The master Gamekeeper was almost certain he would catch up to them somewhere in these trees, though he forgot his hunting entirely when he came across a scent that threw him back in time.

Wetting his lips with his tongue, Peregrine paused and deliberated whether to go looking for Lasher. It was his recent encounter with Osprey that prompted him to pursue his old flame rather than turn around and go home. He and his sister had managed to catch up without bringing pack politics into it; couldn't he and his former lover do the same? And the swarthy Alpha also felt confident that he wouldn't have trouble with any lingering feelings either. Somewhere over the past months, he had gotten over his lover and could think of Lasher with fondness rather than longing.

Curiosity drove him to hunt down the new father also. "Taltos," he said quietly when he came upon the ocher male rooting around on the forest floor. "What're you doing all the way out here?" He approached, a tentative smile on his face and a wiggle in the tip of his tail. He didn't know how he would be received after all this time and distance. Just because he was in a good place with everything did not necessarily mean Lasher had reached that place too.

likewise had lasher forged ahead when it came to peregrine. he would always love the man, and the panther had left a rift in his soul, but it was something comforted through focus upon other things. peregrine loved fox, and surely the spitfire carried his children now. he intended that they live happily.

he turned with a surprised look in his throat, but tail flagged happily behind him at the caldera leader's step. peregrine, taltos purled. it is a pleasure to see you. approaching softly, he paused a few feet from the raven male. murkwater eyes passed lightly over peregrine's handsome features; the presence of his familiar masculinity was enough to bring a higher beat to his heart briefly. how have you fared?

Lasher seemed receptive to his presence, so Peregrine moved a bit closer and even stretched out his neck to brush the other male's shoulder with his nose. He didn't answer Peregrine's question directly—no matter, it was more a pleasantry than anything—but expressed delight at their reunion. The swarthy Alpha smiled to show that he felt the same way.

"I'm doing really well," he answered. "How about you? I heard the news." He paused, seeking Lasher's gaze. There was a warmth that passed between them and Peregrine's heart, too, skipped a beat. But this love felt familial and lacked any sexual heat on his end. He was grateful. "Congratulations to you and Willow. Tell me about them," he implored softly, seating himself.

he smiled softly, returning the gesture. they are beautiful. two sons, twins, one large and one delicate. both boys. and one radiantly pale daughter. constantine, casmir, and eilidh, respectively. they had become the center of his world and his eyes glowed with the contented love of a new parent. and what of you? he asked in his softly accented voice. fox — will she bear your children in the spring?

they would undoubtedly be beautiful children, with peregrine's stamp upon them, and his heart also yearned to ask after finley, wild bearhunter that she was. perhaps her time at the caldera had tempered her feral heart. ashton, too, was a source of interest for the man, but for quiet reasons best not mentioned to his former lover.

"Congratulations," Peregrine repeated when Lasher named his three children, twin sons and a little daughter. "How is their mother?" he questioned. He missed Blue Willow like hell and he didn't think he would see her anytime soon. She would be restricted to the plateau for a while and Peregrine simply wouldn't be going anywhere near there. One day, though, he supposed he did hope to see her again, despite what he'd said at their last meeting. He tried not to dwell on that now.

"Yep," he confirmed simply. "The cannon's loaded and she'll fire away sometime near the end of winter, I think. We conceived when the days were shortest," he added thoughtfully. Mentioning the winter solstice (if not by name) made him suddenly think of one of his first trysts with Lasher, beneath the queer light of a solar eclipse. He blinked hard and the memory was gone.

"I've asked about the mother and her babies. But what about the father? What's going on with you, Taltos?" He'd already asked that in a general sense, so he added, "I mean, tell me what you're up to these days... aside from making babies, of course." Once, he had said that name (Taltos) with such lust and fervor. Now it sprang off his tongue like the name of an old and dear friend, which he supposed was what Lasher was to him now, if his former flame would allow it.

she is radiant. motherhood becomes her. despite the exhaustion that besotted all new mothers, blue willow had taken the struggle in stride, weaving her life through those of the children almost effortlessly. lasher could not say that he worked as ceaselessly in the same manner as she; he was content to relieve her of the duty when she wished to stretch her legs or walk outside of the birthing den, and whatever choice morsels there were he brought unto her, to enrich her milk and bring the gloss back to her sable pelt.

a smile appeared on his lips; he had not forgotten peregrine's charmingly vulgar way of speaking. and he too thought of the solstice, and what they had done beneath the eldritch light, and he met the caldera leader's eyes with a knowing glance. i am beta male alongside blue willow, taltos murmured softly. my days are spent in service to the plateau. i also give counsel when dante's tasks take him elsewhere.

and yourself? the caldera is beautiful. a lovely milieu for lovely individuals. aside from her fiery aesthetics, fox was not included in this number; silently of course.

"Oh? Congratulations," Peregrine said with a soft smile. He felt like a broken record but the sentiment was genuine and Lasher deserved acknowledgement of his accomplishments. He wondered if the two of them had ever reconsidered the idea of marrying for convenience, though it wasn't his business and so he did not delve into it.

His jade eyes twinkled at Lasher's pretty words. He seized upon the topic of individuals. "I really can't complain. Life's good at the caldera. We've managed to build a tight-knit pack from the ground up. You know Fin; she's one of our Betas. The other is a guy I recruited myself. He's young but he's already a firm favorite. Then there's Somnia, our trusty Gamma and hopefully first in line to babysit when the time comes. Duty's still here, getting ready to settle down with a pretty lady by the name of Raissa. I could see them going off on their own someday, like Fox and I did, yet for now they're a tight part of the weave.

Then there's Ashton," he continued, unaware that Lasher had not only met but developed an attraction to the golden-hearted hippie. "He's quite a character. He's an incredibly knowledgeable Healer, almost as good as the Willow herself." Peregrine winked. "There's a few other, newer members who I hope will stick around a while, though I don't know them quite as well. And soon we'll have the pups to add to the mix."

The swarthy Redleaf-DiSarinno wondered if Lasher found all of that rather boring, since he presumably didn't know any of his wolves, save for Fox and Finley. Oh, well, he'd asked and Peregrine was more than happy to proudly blather about his new family, even while keeping a space firmly reserved in his heart for the old one as well.

Reflecting back on his previous passing thought about Blue Willow, Peregrine hesitated for about ten seconds before deciding it should be okay to ask, "So... how's the life love? We can talk about that comfortably now, right?" He licked his lips and gave Lasher an apprehensive look, in case the topic wasn't welcome. "Tell me to fuck off and mind my own business if you don't want to talk about it with me," he added.

he listened, inventorying the names as peregrine spoke them. he was pleased to find that finley seemed to be well, and the mention of ashton charmed his mouth into a private, brief smile. the caldera was thriving, but he had expected no less, what with fox's ambition and peregrine's steady hand upon the reins. he was a bit surprised to hear that the panther seemed to be welcoming the departure of a mated pair; while he understood it was the nature of their kind, the breaking of a family went against his own creed.

may your pack continue to prosper, he murmured softly, genuinely meaning his words.

we can, lasher rejoined to peregrine, settling into a more comfortable position. i have two male prospects before me, and a female, though she seems unremarked by my advances. blue willow is dearest to my heart, however; we have built a nest from which i shall not stray far. in time, i do hope she takes a lover, a mate, one to fulfill her traditional heart.

he did not ask after peregrine's love affairs, assuming that fox would disallow the wanton spread of her husband's seed.

He needn't have worried. Lasher didn't seem to hesitate in the least and soon regaled Peregrine with news of three prospective lovers, two of them male and one of them an (apparently disinterested) female. He felt the tiniest stab of jealousy, though it quickly passed. In its place grew an intense curiosity.

"Will you tell me about them?" he pressed gently. Lasher had answered his unspoken question and, returning the favor, Peregrine added, "I haven't had any lovers since you. I've barely thought about it. Fox and the caldera have kept me occupied. But she and I talked about the subject recently. She evidently has a girl crush of her own," he revealed with a chuckle, which deepened when he recollected their conversation about butt stuff.

lasher blinked, rather shocked by this betrayal of fox's blatantly traditional nature. does she, now? he breathed, a grin curtailing his momentary surprise. it was quite an interesting thought, and he wondered if the ruby would go through with a pursuit of this crush.

peregrine spoke, and lasher nodded. will you take another, do you think? he asked softly, before a soft blush rose to his cheeks, hidden of course by his dark fur; it was odd to speak of present lovers with one who had so recently delighted in his body. the woman, she is a witch from the cult of females newly sprung up along the coastline. ankyra sound, i believe they are called. she is its ruler. the two men are vastly different from one another, one calm and placid, the other jovial and playful. thus far, i have told none of my intentions, and here he grinned. i am waiting for the proper moment.

"Yeah, though she's silly. Her crush is the aforementioned Raissa: Duty's woman," Peregrine said, shaking his head and laughing lightly at his petite mate's unexpected whimsies. "I'm not sure she'll ever really pursue it... not with Raissa, I mean, just in general. I don't think Fox knows how to lesbian."

When Lasher spoke poetically of his triad of prospects, Peregrine groaned. "Taltos, you gotta give me names and tell me how hot they are," he joked. "But seriously, do I know either of the dudes? I definitely don't know the chick... don't they frown on dudes there?"

On that note... "Wait, you're doing the long distance thing?" Despite the calm camaraderie up until this point, Peregrine felt suddenly a bit bothered. Hadn't the distance been the reason behind the demise of their own relationship? He knew Fox had factored into it too... but, in Peregrine's subjective recollections, the geographical distance had been the real nail in the coffin. Yet evidently it wasn't a problem for Lasher's current host of lovers.

He swallowed thickly, expression suddenly distracted as he tried to process his feelings and not spoil this encounter.

a shadow passed over peregrine's face, and while he could see that the panther struggled to stay affable, given their last meeting, lasher felt the welling of annoyance within him. the distance would have not affected his relationship with peregrine, had he been made welcome by the flame with which the panther was entangled. she had done no such thing; in his eyes, fox had trodden out of her path to assert herself above him and demand fealty, and he disliked her for it. she did not treat him with the affection he had intended for her.

you are upset, he mused softly. it would be best if he did not speak the names, especially as the sunshine-kissed redhawk healer was one of his intended paramours. straightening his spine, lasher regarded peregrine quietly. for a moment he had believed that the pair of them had moved past the obstacle in their way, but it was now apparent that the panther had not, and in some small way, neither had taltos, for he still found resentment toward the ruby in his heart. why?

Did it really matter why it had ended? Was he about to argue with Lasher about his reasons for calling things off? Would it make a damn bit of difference anyhow? No, Peregrine decided. It did make him feel weird (and, let's be honest, sad), yet he wasn't going to let it ruin the mood, not when everything had been going so well between them. His moodiness had caused problems in the past; he wasn't going to let history repeat itself. For once in his life, he exercised restraint.

"No, I just... I'm sorry, Taltos, it's just gas," the swarthy male said. He sounded pretty convincing to his own ears. It would be just like him to let bodily functions disrupt others' lives. "Sorry, dude. So, you were saying... seriously, aren't those ladies on the coast supposed to hate men? Is one of them just really bad at it... or are you just that good?" Any traces of discomfort disappeared from his face as he joked.

lasher's nostrils flared slightly; while it was quite like peregrine to be preoccupied by bodily functions, the smallest niggling worm of suspicion remained. yet he shook out his ruff and darted a charming smile at the panther. they are said to sacrifice men! but it has been so long since i had a witch in my daily life; it is important to be so bound to the earth.

he thought of the rawboned waif, her dainty limbs belying the malicious fire of her eyes, and his heart thrust itself higher with its beats. a moment paused and he regarded peregrine warmly. lifting his muzzle, taltos cleared his throat. it is time that i made amends with fox. she is to be the mother of your children, babes that i love already, for they are a part of you.

while the words remained a struggle for him to speak, the earthen servant continued. if you think it wise, of course, for me to approach in a few days' time. i will bring a gift for herself, and for your children. ears cupped forward to hear peregrine's words; he was somewhat apprehensive.

"Oh boy..." Peregrine said, rolling his eyes. "I can see why you like them." He shook his head. "Did you know that's where Junior ran off to? I'm glad she didn't end up staying there. No offense to your witch or whatever, of course..." He trailed off for a moment, then parted his lips to ask after the identities of the two males again.

But then Lasher's declaration took Peregrine by surprise, scattering his thoughts. It seemed so out of the blue. He wanted to point out that Fox had always been destined to be the mother of his children but, like pressing Lasher for the particulars of their breakup, speaking up didn't seem like a constructive thing to do. If his former flame wanted to make up with his current one, well, he was all for it.

"I don't see how it could hurt, as long as you don't trespass or anything. I know you don't need to be told that," he added. "A gift of meat would go over well, I think. She's getting pretty hungry these days. I think she'd appreciate the gesture too, even if the two of you won't ever be the best of friends." Peregrine's eyes glimmered as he remembered the days when he'd hoped the three of them would form an unbreakable triad. It hadn't been meant to be, though everything had worked out in the end.

he nodded. my interest was piqued when i traveled there to search for her, was all he said upon the matter, before peregrine's surprise became palpable. he too shared the panther's nostalgia for what had never been, but he was soon removed from the emotion. i shall bring something for her, then.

a glance skyward brought a heavy sigh from the man, but he turned a wry smile to peregrine, seeming vaguely conspiratorial. i bear interest in dante, he murmured, burning again beneath the fur of his cheeks. to whom i must soon return. himself, and blue willow, who will be expecting me.

Somehow, the confession seemed to come out of the blue, leaving Peregrine blinking at Lasher. His lips parted. Slowly, though, his eyes narrowed and the corners of his lips twitched upward. Dante? That was kind of funny because...

"When I first found myself attracted to you, I had a little spark with him too," he admitted. "Then we were on fire and I had no time to think of mere sparks," he quipped with a sort of crooked grin. "Dante probably still thinks I hate his guts and who knows what he thinks of me," he mused, then realized he needn't involve Lasher in all those politics. "Well... good for you, man. Let me know how that works out."

Completely forgetting to ask about the other guy, Peregrine nodded. "It was nice to see you. Really." He paused, catching Lasher's gaze and holding it. "Please tell Willow I said 'hi.' The babies too. See you soon, maybe? If not, take care." With that misshapen smile still on his lips, he gave his former lover an amiable nudge, then turned, leaving Lasher to make his trip back to his family while he resumed his earlier hunting for his own.

<3

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he, too, smiled at the remembrance of their passionate time together, the moments stolen and possessed by fierce exploration of one another. it was heartening to know that peregrine no longer hated dante, and the beta saw fit to one day pass along the information, based on his interpretation of the panther's words.

the pleasure was mine, lasher murmured gently, gazing into the green gems that had so smitten him in the beginning. returning the caldera wolf's gesture, he too turned to rejoin blue willow in their new nest.

Lasher

Peregrine Redhawk

Lasher

Peregrine Redhawk

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Peregrine Redhawk

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Peregrine Redhawk

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