his introduction to dante had gone pleasantly; the handsome creature seemed to have risen swiftly beneath the favor of blue willow and peregrine, and lasher was content to roost beneath him in the plateau's ranks. he continued to stock the caches nearest the rendezvous site, intending each kill specifically for the injured devil.

since the pack meeting, he had not drawn close to peregrine, but now his eyes spotted the familiar form of the lithe panther, reclined in the spread of sycamore shade. from his post across the way, where he had been traveling in search of his own shadowed spot, taltos gave a low chuff and crossed into peregrine's presence, lowering himself swiftly a few feet away as not to keep his head higher than that of the pack's virile patriarch. true to his nature, lasher said nothing, but a brief movement of his tail behind his haunches bespoke his pleasure at seeing the man again.

peregrine's greeting was summarily followed by the charming crudeness that lasher had come to associate with the panther. laughter! he exclaimed, the emerald of his dancing eyes catching the sunlight. perhaps another wolf would have taken offense, but taltos was intrigued.

unfortunately, my offer has only been extended once, and rebuffed, taltos bemoaned mockingly, lips curved in a smile. why? is the plateau known for good dicks? was the man's next rejoinder, and his gaze shone with the amusement of a pleasing joke, though there lurked the remaining undertone of attraction for peregrine, a tint to the eye he no longer attempted to veil.

hmm, taltos lilted, but i daresay atticus is not as pleasing to the eye. he touched the unseen line betwixt them, and danced back; peregrine has eased himself into jokes, but overt flattery was to flirt with shadows. for a moment, the delta let his eyes alight upon the panther's pleasing features.

none. i am a lover of beauty, in all forms, in both the fairer and the stronger sex, but there are only certain forms of loveliness which cause my eyes to linger. he left the undercurrent of words unspoken, for there was no need, and dark ears preened forward for the devil's response.

it seemed his leader was warming to the chosen topic, and taltos watched him with a mixture of amusement and interest, his smile broadening at the lap of lashes against smooth dark cheek. their words had taken a turn down a trail with which taltos was familiar, and he laid out his forelegs closer toward peregrine under the vague pretense of a stretch.

indeed, he responded, eyes glowing. that i should be doing. but it is customary to first ask permission before beginning to woo someone, peregrine, lasher softly informed the devil, a glimmer of desire flustering his words somewhat. he did not ask this of the panther, not yet, wanting to see first how he would respond.

taltos blinked in surprise. he had not expected peregrine to warm so soon, and though he did not need the warning toward cautionary behavior, he admired the panther all the more for his own discretion. such liaisons were not the bother of the entire pack; indeed, lasher would take pains to ensure that his intentions were not easily found out.

having been granted the proverbial permission, taltos relaxed, murkwater eyes holding those of the dark leader for a moment. he said nothing for a long span of time; then presently a grin curved his jaws. i will tell you a poem from my own tongue and my own lands. i would like to begin with this, he explained softly, before a breath swelled his chest and lasher let the syllables of the soft native lilt spill forth:

shíl mé croí Tógann an leagan
ar scrín dhó Eros ';
shíl mé ghoid sé dod chroí amach,
agus chuir sé in aice le mianach.

chonaic mé dod chroí tús a leá
cosúil oighear roimh an ghrian;
go dti an dá bhíoma bhraith taitneamhach,
agus measctha i amháin!

he fell silent then, the echoes of the familiar words reverberating in his tongue, his skull, his very heart, and watched peregrine for the sheer pleasure of the vision.

he gave a gentle curve of his lips. love and burning hearts, taltos explained. a poem; 'twas one he had recited to deirdre when she lay with empty eyes upon the very threshold of her home. but he had envisioned it into words for the sable panther spun on gossamer intention.

peregrine continued to surprise him; lasher's eyelids fell to half-mast and he leant openly into the other's brief touch, fire tracing behind the devil's lips. when the beautiful eyes sought his own, taltos watched peregrine for a long moment, desire welling from the depths of his gaze, and at length he reached out toward the leader in turn.

he mimicked peregrine's soft gesture, containing himself to a few scant presses of his lips against the other's throat, his jawline, taking his scent but keeping himself aware of the small boundary that separated them yet, that had not yet been crossed. pulling back somewhat, he found peregrine's eyes with his own, silently waiting, inviting.

alas, but it was over before it had begun, the budding heat of mutual desire. taltos was not irked by peregrine's words, the slow rise of his leader to four paws; truly, he appreciated the explanation, and gave a gentle nod, though his heart had yet to calm itself from the pounding reverberation that the devil had brought unto it.

take all the time that is needed, peregrine, lasher murmured softly, for while he too had missed the intimate touch of another, the familiarity, his entire body yearning for it, he was not so selfish that he did not fully comprehend the leap that the jet panther was intending for himself. his own affections were timeless, ageless — the mortal concept of minute and hour made no difference unto him, and taltos was content to happily grant peregrine whatever he so desired.