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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.