as she reclined alongside the male, their pelts meshed similarly to the way they had on the first day. lasher inclined himself toward her, but made no overt moves. the weight of a question lingered in the air after a time, and he turned himself to face her, a solemn light dancing in the murkwater of his softened gaze. her ears had slid back against her skull; a low whine emitted from him, for he was apologetic, aghast with himself for causing such a reaction in her usually stalwart demeanour.
i have been taught to serve my witch, since beyond my birth, it seems, taltos intoned gently, knowing full well what aguta questioned. siku was the first to grant me a home, and her dark fury pulled the title of witch from me. i served her from then on.
typically, he was not circumlocutive, but it seemed there needed to be more said than a few simple sentences, and so he went on: and when we came here from our homeland, i grieved its passing, and we lost our witch. her daughter, for now, is a mere substitute, but she is all i have. i loved siku, and i love the issue of her womb. i am theirs to command, and i am bound to them.
and that is why i look to siku, and to tonravik; why they fill my eyes and i become unaware of all else roundabout me. it is a chain, the links of which i do not understand and cannot explain, that binds me forever to them. the green swam up momentarily from the depths of his eyes, and taltos paused. but there are times i wish it was not so.