night moved upon the land, and lasher stood in a quiet clearing, breath rising as steam from his nostrils. the birch trees roundabout him stood tall and silent in the velvet darkness, and the loam beneath his paws would be fringed in ice by morning. however, he paid it no need, instead drawing muted breaths. he awaited her with the same patience he showed most events, though it would have been deceptive to say that no specific anticipation edged the shadows of this particular eve.

still, he remained, and quiet, standing against the cape of midnight. if he trembled, it was not visible; if he worried, no sign of it showed upon his face. only a mere smile, wan and small, uplifted the corners of his mouth, and a yearning shone rampant in his eyes.

she drew close, and it seemed as if the night itself had given birth to her dark frame and emerald eyes, though her gaze was now presently wide with worry. lasher did not approach her, not yet, though her scent made him weak with desire's wine. it had been quite some time since he had lain with a woman, yet he had not forgotten the ageless dance that begat children, and hoped she would be pleased with his ministrations.

blue willow, taltos spoke softly into the midnight hue that surrounded them. it is not too late to withdraw your agreement to this, or wait another day. he did not wish for the qualms of doubt to surround her, for the affection he bore the healer was far greater than the want of his own body.

and so he was quiet, awaiting her words before he drew her into his embrace.

he nodded, and at her own reflective offer, he smiled. i am set in my decision, dear willow, he said softly, his own steps closing the length of space that separated the two of them. at last he stood before her, and his muzzle brushed her eartip, as it had done so many times before, but there was a necessity to it now, and a desire to the gesture that had not been there before.

lasher began slowly, with a gentle press of his lips against the side of her cheek, her throat, the join of shoulder to neck and the soft hollow therein. several times he drew back to gauge her reaction through her expression, brushing his pelt against her own before lowering his muzzle once more to continue his gentle ministrations.

he tensed as she nipped at him, finding pleasure in the press of her lips against his skin, and let his breath flicker through the fur along the side of her throat before returning the gesture with a gentle bite. passing his tongue across it to soothe the sting, lasher dipped his crown until his mouth touched her shoulder, breathing in her delectable scent, though he intended not to lose himself until the crucial moment.

he found it easy to kiss the willow, to draw her body against his own and bask in their shared warmth — he had loved her as a companion before, and what transpired on this night would not change that, only perhaps deepen it.

likewise, he did not wish to rush things; he fully intended to bring her pleasant sensations in all ways before moving into the deeper heart of things. her small sound of delight drew an answering growl from his own throat, and he surged against the willow as she folded herself against him, sweeping his tongue brazenly across her throat, dipping his muzzle to press his lips against her collarbone.

slowly the gamma moved alongside her body until he had circled 'round behind her, brushing gentle kisses along her flanks, her hips, until he thought it necessary to pause and murmur her name into the velveteen blackness of her fur.

he was intoxicated; he lost himself in the rasp of fur across his face, his lids half-closed as a low shiver climbed through his muscles. blue willow, usually a composed, conservative sort, had traded her usual composure for a carnal excitement that inflamed lasher and tested his resolve. he circled her once more, the laps of his tongue and grazes of his teeth becoming somewhat rougher, until he stood behind her once more and at last encircled her waist with his forelegs and balanced himself.

the man did not press forward, not yet; he traced the back of her neck with a slow tonguetip, attempting to alleviate any sudden fears that might have sprung up in her mind, even as he fought his baser instincts whilst her scent trailed tantalizingly about them.

she tensed, then relaxed in his embrace, and lasher kissed softly the back of one ear before he tightened his grip 'round her slim waist and allowed the old steps of the dance to come to him.

it was a length of time before they parted and taltos separated from the healer — he could have called her lover, now — and stepped to her front to lick her cheeks and seek her gaze. he hoped she had not felt much pain, though he knew the first of times was often a shock for women. curving his neck against her own, he awaited her words or the warmth of a comfortable silence, seeking to encourage and reassure blue willow after the experience.

they parted, and she thanked him. surprised as always at her polite nature. however, he smiled and said nothing of this, merely kissed gently the side of her face and joined her upon the ground.

in the days to come, they would couple countless times, and lasher intend to introduce her to new and exotic gestures of sensuality, but for now, he felt the former ardor replaced by a sense of tiredness, and yawned in the gloom.