The Sentinels cemetery and sundown

blue willow. lasher shook his head, tears leaping unbidden to his eyes. "my gentle, gentle willow," he whispered hoarsely, before the words were bitten away with the quiet shut of his mouth. peregrine spoke of those who had tended him, and lasher nodded, rising to fall into step alongside the panther. "lucani and eilidh. and the time to see osprey will come again. dante is a zealous father, and there is ... enmity there, i fear."

he was silent for many moments before the dark creature spoke again, seeking the thoughts of the druid's heart; the murkwater gaze fell earthward before he glanced to the devil again. "everywhere is death. famine. i fear i have lost all hope, and so i cling to those i love. i wanted ... i wanted to beg you not to leave," taltos went on stumblingly, quite unlike the normalcy of his tones. "i am afraid, you see, that i shall never see you again, that betwixt here and the caldera you will be lost."