Blacktail Deer Plateau the dolls

<3

in truth, lasher had been pleased by dante's acension into leadership. though at the time he had outranked the gentle creature, taltos recognized that he himself was not sorted for leadership. his role was one of a companion, a confidant, and he was content with that as his lot.

therefore, when he heard the pleasing baritone of dante's voice, and caught the beta's scent, lasher turned toward his friend with a glimmer of delight in his murkwater eyes. "dante," he rejoined, reaching out with his usual affection to brush the side of the other's neck with his muzzle, "i have not yet congratulated you."

drawing back, he regarded dante quietly, turning so that their steps would mirror one another. with the saintly man's rise to power, perhaps some of the negativity that fox had wrought could be alleviated. blue willow, though firm, was kind, and undoubtedly distracted with the albeit joyous task of nursing atticus back from the black place he had been. peregrine was fierce as ever, though he had suffered a mild injury during a failed hunt. but taltos sensed that when the spitfire ruby entered her season, his panther would be quite focused on that interlude for however long it took to impregnate her.

"what do you think of fox?" he asked suddenly, with little pleasantry beforehand. he wished to know if he was the only creature in all of the plateau who resented her, for then he would continue to chide himself for what was surely misplaced jealousy — but if he was not...