he lay outside their den, grooming his forelegs meticulously. inside, the children slept in a small heap, growing steadily each day. he pondered what he had spoken with peregrine of, and caiaphas, ashton, dante. and he thought of blue willow. presently, he set his gaze to search for her around the clearing, the ache in his breast reserved for her absence, and the man awaited her return attentively.

he returned her gesture happily, passing his tongue over her own muzzle and shifting so that she could groom him. for a long moment, the man contented himself with the sight of her, gaze drinking in the glow of maternal glory that had settled comfortably upon her. do you ever regret our arrangement, willow? he asked at length, eyes still fixed upon her velveteen softness.

not at all, he rejoined, rolling onto his back to regard her from an upside-down position. i have considered that perhaps we should marry for appearances' sake, but that is not something i am willing to do. our children are well-loved, and they will come to know it. i would not keep you from marrying if true love found your heart.

having spoken his piece, lasher fell silent and smiled at blue willow, wondering in what way she would choose to rejoin.

he was happy to lie still with her, overturning her words in his mind. why had she accepted this fate, comfortable as it was? their was not the burning passion blue willow had surely intended; while he loved her, and knew she felt the same for him in her own right, he doubted that the healer felt for him as she had once for atticus.

of course, he rejoined, though his heart was sore that she must ask these things of him; surely it hurt such a traditional creature as herself. does it ... will it cause you to ache, knowing that i seek others?

he nodded, thinking of the late sun spark. he had not spoken with the man, but blue willow resembled what glimpses he had caught of the wolf. he must have been great indeed, to give you such a heart, the earthen servant murmured, gazing at her with solace and love in his eyes.

a frown crossed his countenance. casmir — he seems lethargic. ill.

lasher listened as she spoke, but rolled free of her to look in on their children, feathering his lips over casmir's overly warm body. the fear and pain in blue willow's voice was palpable, and he turned back to embrace her. nothing will happen to him. you are a skilled healer. but his own heart ached at the prospect.

she asked after his visit, and he gave a long sigh. i did meet with fox. i have made amends with her. peregrine's children will be our family, after all. i would not hate their mother. presently, he craned his head to look at blue willow, to gauge her reaction to what he had done.

as was her lot, blue willow provided her lover with a bit of sound advice, and he nodded at her, taking each word to heart. neutrality was preferable to hatred, but he did not say this, for the healer knew it to be true. when you have mended, will you visit the caldera again? he asked, hoping she declined. peregrine must come, he decided, must come and visit his sister, and make his apologies. of course he could not, and would not, forbid the willow a trip there, but he did not find it satisfactory even in idea.

my willow, you are always kind, he muttered, sweeping toward her. it would not kill him to visit you, and nor do i like the idea of you going so far alone, not in this weather. while lasher was well-aware that the healer neither needed him nor his protection, he wanted to offer it all the same, for he felt strongly about her safety, and knew she would continue to give and enable the panther's selfishness simultaneously.

you are ageless, and i shall hear no more of your being old, lasher joked, planting a kiss in the center of her forehead. and if peregrine wishes to act the hind end of a donkey, then let him. he is welcome here, within reason, and this he knows. let him make the decision, and the trek. you have done enough.

with how fox felt about their own children, and their status as 'bastards' in her mind — he somehow doubted that peregrine's affection for blue willow and taltos had changed her opinion on that front — the beta did not know if they would even intermingle. nevertheless, he would make the effort.

a rendezvous site? what would that entail? he asked, not knowing the specifics, though the panther's first brood had been kept so.

he nodded, mulling over the description of a rendezvous site. i think that would work well. have you any intended sites in mind, or shall we search one out? they would need to seek a sitter for the time that they would be gone; his mind went to saena, who had showed such tenderness toward them, or finn, who seemed to love them as if they were his own.

it will be sad to leave this place. they are growing too fast! he exclaimed in a glut of paternal bliss.

i agree. we shall find a lovely place of our very own, he murmured, casting a fond eye over the babes before his attention returned to blue willow. you must rest, my love. take your sleep when they do, the beta male suggested softly. i will keep watch at the mouth of the den.

he smiled at her then, holding her eyes for a long and knowing moment, one that needed no words to convey the emotion of the seconds that passed.