Blacktail Deer Plateau For a dreamer night's the only time of day

taltos understood that dante struggled within himself over what had happened, for it exemplified his weakness and offended his masculinity. thus, when the gunmetal wolf glanced upon him, lasher met his eyes with a level gaze. "perhaps, dante. but would you step down, when so many of us are prepared to follow you unto the end? and where would you go?" 

for, while he had not wanted to be alpha, and had only been thrust into the role by peregrine's abandonment of the pack, he had done well by them. no catastrophe had befallen the blacktail wolves. and so lasher did not see dante as he saw himself; did not see him as a failure, nor as a weak creature. 

he was silent then, but his words held fast the space between them.