Blacktail Deer Plateau and thereby open wide the door

lasher struggled almost daily with his feelings toward fox, and the idea that he would not win this battle within himself was terrifying to the earthen man. blue willow's chuff came as a welcome reprieve — taltos whirled toward her, surprised out of his reverie, but with a flag of his plume toward his friend, he crossed the clearing.

"willow," he murmured, pressing his cheek against the velveteen black of her own. he knew what sort of creature she was, and understood that she would viciously blame herself for what had occurred. she had lost much in the past weeks — her father, peregrine, and now atticus.

again the hatred flared, but lasher quelled it aptly. "this was not your fault." it would make little difference, his words, but he wanted to speak them all the same.