given peregrine's invitation, lasher departed the plateau with a gift of two freshly slain hares. despite the weather, their pelts remained soft, and would make apt bedding for the children when they were born. he arrived after midday, and gathered his confidence some feet away from the borders, apprehensive — he recalled well the last time that he had met the ruby here.

head tilted back, lasher lifted his voice into a summons for fox to join him. it was her prerogative to accept or decline; nevertheless, the hares were hers, and as he waited, he attempted to sort the muddle of emotions churning within his breast.

fox arrived in a short while, and lasher did look upon the soft budding of her sides, and how the gravidity of her form had lent her a fuller look, versus the gangly angularity of the body he had last seen. fox, he greeted. no. they are for you, and, by proxy, the children, he joked quietly, lowering muzzle to nudge the hares toward the ruby.

i wish to make amends, he said softly, not yet settling himself until the fireflame had accepted his gift. she remained unpredictable to him, though taltos entertained hopes that motherhood would add more logic to her ambitious mind.

taltos was annoyed that fox did not recall the particulars of their spat, and how deeply she had hurt him, but reined back the emotion, killing it on the spot with the levelheaded thought that she was young and ambitious, and these were characteristics she could no more change than the fiery hue of her pelt. she could be forgiven the oversight.

yes, he answered with a vague wave of his plume. i should hope we would be invited to see them, when they are ready to meet those outside the burrow. ours are yet too young for visitors.

of course, he murmured softly. tail moving slightly, he sought her eyes with a friendly expression. what do you wish for? boys? girls? some of each? determined that their mutual past be forgotten, lasher turned his eyes to the future, where the anticipated nuzzle of tiny bodies in the crook of her body might soften fox somewhat, and would bring peregrine great joy.

he nodded; he would not lie to her. perhaps in time they too will come to make amends. he thought it prudent not to tell the ruby of junior's departure; that was peregrine's lot, but once he had answered, he could seek nothing within himself of which to speak. glancing dolefully at the sky, he remembered a name that both caused him to pause and to smile, and he regarded fox in silence for an iota of time.

does finley still chase gigantic predators? lasher asked softly; now there was a subject with which the redfur was surely well-versed. finley's chaotic ways had, assumedly, not ceased though she had followed the panther and his gem to the caldera.

the beta too wondered what there was left to discuss; they had moved from amends, to children, to finley. too different were they, the ruby and the servant — he would not force conversation. she is an odd one, taltos murmured softly, the image provoking a wry smile from him.

presently, he unfurled himself and adopted a wan stance. i must return home now, but know that i wish you well upon your foray into parenthood, yourself and peregrine both. may you have an easy time in childbirth, he added, remembering how blue willow's cries had rent him so.