he knew that dante had gone to speak with peregrine; he doubted that the silver male would escape unscathed from the temper of the panther. and so he heeded his leader's call with alacrity, arriving among those who had already gathered. junior was there, and he glanced fondly toward her, nudged blue willow's cheek, and took up residence alongside valtyr. pura was given a level, approving glance; he was happy to see that the boy had returned, but presently taltos allowed his attention to be usurped by dante.

despite the renewal of good spirits betwixt himself and peregrine, lasher could not help but feel that dante's decision had been sound, and made in good faith. their relationship, that of his own with the panther, was not the only one involved in the chaos that peregrine had wrought in his abandonment of the plateau — taltos felt that the opinions of the half-grown children mattered a great amount more.

yet, he could not help a brief sting of pain, one that flared as junior voiced her evident pleasure with the ruling, and glanced at the loam between his paws quietly.

dismissed, lasher dipped his head to dante and gestured to valtyr, inviting the boy to follow himself and blue willow back to the healer's den; he intended blue willow to rest and the child to eat. nudging the gentle woman's shoulder softly, he fell into step with her, sweeping the figures still gathered with an affectionate eye.