where is a fish in orbit? trouter space

the caldera. lasher rocked back onto his haunches and closed his eyes with a slow hum of resignation upon his breath. "you know saena, of course. she is my niece through my mate, blue willow, who is peregrine's law-sister. when peregrine abandoned us suddenly to found the caldera with fox, his older children felt shoved aside. osprey junior, saena's sister, seemed to be struck the hardest. she fell into self-destruction and depression."

"when saena departed here to begin her pack, she was eventually joined by junior. peregrine visited the plateau for blue willow, and even myself, but had never sought out any of the children he abandoned so churlishly. i believe this contributed to the madness that provoked junior into visiting the caldera. i am sure peregrine did not expect her to attack one of his new brood, but she did, and the redhawk wolves slaughtered her. i do not know even where she is buried, or if she was discarded as so much offal."

the tears that had risen in lasher's voice now stung his eyes but he did not turn away from its telling, forcing the words past the constriction of his throat. "i know that young ones must be defended, but i heard of her death from peregrine himself, and there was no remorse in him for it. only blame for the poor child who had suffered from the loss of her father."

"add to that the fact that saena had previously visited and been invited back; fox threw peregrine into the rank of omega and stripped him of whatever influence he could have exerted over the attack on saena when she went to visit her half-siblings. fox nearly killed saena for her sister's actions."

"the two attacks sickened and worried me; there is no rein upon fox, it seems, and what was to stop her from coming here and waging a mad war? that is the threat they posed," taltos finished lamely, lowering his muzzle to wipe the salted droplets of grief from his cheek before meeting luke's eyes again.