taltos blinked in surprise. he had not expected peregrine to warm so soon, and though he did not need the warning toward cautionary behavior, he admired the panther all the more for his own discretion. such liaisons were not the bother of the entire pack; indeed, lasher would take pains to ensure that his intentions were not easily found out.
having been granted the proverbial permission, taltos relaxed, murkwater eyes holding those of the dark leader for a moment. he said nothing for a long span of time; then presently a grin curved his jaws. i will tell you a poem from my own tongue and my own lands. i would like to begin with this, he explained softly, before a breath swelled his chest and lasher let the syllables of the soft native lilt spill forth:
shíl mé croí Tógann an leagan
ar scrín dhó Eros ';
shíl mé ghoid sé dod chroí amach,
agus chuir sé in aice le mianach.
chonaic mé dod chroí tús a leá
cosúil oighear roimh an ghrian;
go dti an dá bhíoma bhraith taitneamhach,
agus measctha i amháin!
he fell silent then, the echoes of the familiar words reverberating in his tongue, his skull, his very heart, and watched peregrine for the sheer pleasure of the vision.