the events of the past several days had left lasher reeling in proverbial chaos. he had put aside his innermost thoughts about fox to tend her in peregrine's absence -- she was never without fresh prey, even dew-flecked leaves in the dawn to cool the edge of her thirst. taltos had a limited knowledge of herbs and their healing properties, and knowing that fox scorned such remedies, he only suggested various plants to her.

because the ruby was one for whom peregrine cared deeply, lasher put himself to the back of his own consciousness and settled into a brisk, amiable camaraderie with the injured woman. it lacked the warmth he had shown her before, but it was not without its affable nature.

the days were growing colder, but the caldera -- for that was what they had decided to call their beautiful find -- would thrive beneath the panther's leadership. of this lasher had no doubt, though his eyes often turned toward the plateau's direction longingly. it was upon one such morning, with breath rising in a steam-plume from his nostrils, that taltos, with the agonized twist of a knife in his breast, so chose not to remain in the splendid lands with his lover and the ruby.

his heart broke within him; the earthen servant paused in his steps to weep openly, uncaring of the prey that crept with worried leeriness around the shattered visage of their most prominent enemy -- he was lost, lost, and to the morning's light lasher turned a face utterly wrought with grief, saltwater tracing runnels through the fur upon his cheeks.

he turned blindly toward peregrine as the devil approached, reaching blunderingly for comfort, for solace in the proud curve of the man's dark throat. his lover spoke, and a filament of shame arced painfully through his soul, that he should be so transparent.

silently he nodded, at length drawing back to seek the agony in his beloved's eyes. there was no need to affirm with words what the two of them already knew to be inevitable -- lasher could not, would not allow himself and his role in peregrine's life to be downplayed by fox's ambitions.

dante and the willow would need support as they rebuilt the plateau. while a thrumming portion of his heart would forever reverberate with the deepest flashfire of love for the devil, his soul cried for the ridge overlaid with darker trees where he had first beheld peregrine.

and in truth, taltos would rather return in tatters to the plateau than remain in the caldera, burning with silent anger and hurt as fox aptly replaced him by the ability of her body, dues paid to peregrine's love that lasher could never hope to match. it was the natural way, he supposed, but the thought of watching it was unbearable to him.

"peregrine, oh my love," he sighed in a whisper, unable to keep from nuzzling softly the dark down of the other's chin. "in my heart i shall never leave you -- but i cannot remain here." lasher begged silently that peregrine not ask why, only accept -- they were paired in their mutual understanding of why it could no longer be.

he had also dreamt of happier times, where the trio reared beautiful children in harmonic agreement -- but now he admitted to himself that it had been a romantic, foolish notion. once he had resented fox, but no longer was that emotion dominant within him -- the ruby was brash and fierce, and had not only secured for herself a wolf who was sure to be a doting, protective father, but a swath of gorgeous land where she would bear the first generation of her personal heritage.

for that, fox was to be commended. everything else had become secondary; but not this; this the scent of salt in the air between them. peregrine spoke, and lasher's mouth trembled anew at the admittance from his lover. the panther had fulfilled him in so many ways, and taltos felt he also had done the same.

"i would not have given so freely of myself if i thought you were not worth it, peregrine," he whispered against the bulb of one proud dark ear. "i would do so again in a moment." lasher had accepted their situation; now peregrine must, and he must forgive himself.

the next question gave him pause: in one way, perhaps it would be better if they saw nothing of one another, and allowed the feelings to haze into memories -- but taltos knew he would crave peregrine and the intimacy they had shared. and so for a long moment he said nothing, merely stood in embrace with his most beloved, the cadence of peregrine's heartbeat audible.

"do you think it wise?" he asked softly after some time had passed, voice free of any inflection that would inform the panther of his own thoughts on the matter; he asked simply.

he drew a shuddering breath as peregrine spoke, bracing himself for the reality of their parting. unsure of his words, the earthen man grew mute, nodding as a single tear traced its way down his cheek. he did not wish to be parted from peregrine, but taltos truly did not see any other way. fox had created a stronghold here, and there was not a place for him.

to the panther's suggestion, his plea, lasher nodded, stepping forward with alacrity to twine himself breathlessly with peregrine, bestowing kisses upon his eyes, his throat, his shoulders -- he reinvented himself by touch against the devil's sable fur, eyes closed against the threat of tears.

he murmured in the affirmative, now nipping the flesh beneath, hoping to inflame the man, to take him with white hot verve for the last time.

lasher was unable to keep himself silent as peregrine possessed his body; he vocalized his grieving passions to the skies above, breath hitching in his throat; he tasted the salt of tears upon his parted lips. this was his, was theirs -- ours -- and the ecstasy caught him quickly; he shook in peregrine's grasp.

his body responded unbidden to his lover's growled words, the press of the panther's unsated body. fervency and an overwhelming oceanic wave of deepest affection for the sable devil cascaded over lasher, immobilizing him for the scarcest of moments. here was an altar; here he would worship at the purest temple of the emotion he bore peregrine.

he was gentle but trembling with the chaotic flames of the moment; taltos could no longer sense where his body ended itself and peregrine's began. he moved in a plane otherworldly unto itself, where the only sensation was the mesh of their dark pelts, the hot molten cornerstone of their shared passions made carnal, made physical.

and he did not cease his whisperings of love, muzzle pressed securely against the side of peregrine's cheek -- words he would not remember for the heat of these moments slipped unbidden and rosy-hued with affection from his lips.

some time later -- lasher was unable to measure how long -- he let go his paramour and sank to the earth, his heart thrumming within him as his limbs trembled from their exertions. he said nothing, merely searched for peregrine's jeweled eyes with his own.

the kiss that came was gentle, trembling, at once both full of grief and cold as judas' kiss to that emphatic man upon their last night. lasher touched his lips to the corner of peregrine's mouth, not bothering to blink away the slow burn of tears that began anew as the devil turned from him. he wanted to leap to his feet, to drag peregrine into his embrace, to renege upon that which he had said and remain here, in the caldera, with the only man he had loved so very much — moreso than eismitte, than julien! — but he was rooted.

lasher mayfair, also called taltos, watched until his panther was gone from sight, and only then were the bonds about his body released; he gave a mournful cry, and it seemed the heavens listened, throwing the foliage into an ecstasy of movement as the wind whipped up from some unseen place.

"an ghleanna goideadh uaim arís," were the words upon his lips as he too departed the last scene of their love, utterly shattered beyond hope of repair.