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the decoration of the densite he had found would be his foremost task, for in a fit of spontaneity, he had decided not to tell blue willow until he had prepared it to his satisfaction. the den was located beneath a willowtree, but lasher had wisely sought a locale far enough from the water's edge to avoid danger from springtime floods.
currently, he was placing furs carefully stripped from his latest kills across the graveled floor of the den, humming a toneless song from the glen beneath his breath.
Now the drama had died down, or maybe Finn's interest for their pathethic shows had died out.
Now, all he focused in were the busy file of ants that stretched in front of his feet. They were tiny creatures that still managed to get everything done without being interrupted by petty drama scenes every other minute. He gave a deep sigh as another of his senses were captivated by another creature not far by. His ears swiveled like the ant's antennae, hoping to find the source of the humming that echoed through the bushes and high grass.
Suddenly, his olive eyes met their target. The large brown-coloured brute that had recently ascended to Beta, and if his memory was not wrong, had once been the lover of the pack's former Alpha.
He watched him tentatively for a few minutes, in a way he behaed just like the ants. Going back and forth, minding his own buisness. While the whole separation and Caldera thing could've given him the right to act like a total bitch, he had been probably the most collected wolf on the Plateu.
Now if only some could take note of that..
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feeling eyes upon him, lasher presently lifted his gaze to meet that of his observer. 'twas finn, a silver-eyed man, and the beta chuffed lowly to his subordinate, though he had not yet gotten thoroughly acquainted with the pull of his rank. several steps carried him lazily in finn's direction.
you cannot tell anyone what you have seen here, not yet,
taltos murmured, a mischievous glint to his murkwater eyes. it is a surprise, for blue willow,
the beta added, the lowering of his voice a sure indication that the gilded man was now his co-conspirator.
These thoughts were quickly dismissed as he noticed the man had stepped aside from whatever he was working on, and was now walking towards him . Finn inmediately raised his head again, meeting Lasher with a friendly smile before the man uttered his mischevious warning. This made Finn only more curious of what it was he was hidding. The mention of the pack's Healer then lit up a lightbulb in his brain, according to what he had heard through the grapevine the two were supposed to tie the knot soon. "Cross my heart"
he answered while giving the Beta a quick dip of his nose.
Then with a flick of his tail, Finn searched the man's sky blue eyes with his own for a second, "A love nest for the willow eh?"
he barked with a smile, his eyes trailing back to the place Lasher had stood a few minutes before.
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yes,
lasher answered, delighted with the idea. she will be bringing forth our children soon, and i felt i would build her a place to rear them, as she brings patients to her own den currently.
the healer could maintain them both, he felt; he would of course help her, but her current shelter could be turned into a triage of sorts, if that was what she wished.
what do you think?
the man inquired, stepping aside to allow the soft-eyed zeta entry into the willow-overhung cave with its floor of furs and petals.
"Congratulations," he piped up as the male comfirmed what Finn had been suspecting for a while back. Puppies were vital for a pack's development, and it only made sense that the leading couple (and to his knowledge the only couple) would do the deed. Dante had not settled down yet, and honestly if you were to ask Finn, it was best for him not to have love and relatinship stress on his shoulder. It was a very disappointing weight to carry, Finn knew that well.
"It's more original than flowers, I'll give you that" he quipped jokingly while stepping forth to appreciate the man's work, "She'll love it" he barked then, his tone more serious than before. He then turned his head to look at him, a bright smile shinning on his face. "Especially the petals, you're a romanzer and chicks --- em ladies like that" he barked, struggling to stick to either his most sensitive or his careless bad boy attitude. The charm of the trick was getting old, and besides, he wanted to show Lasher what he really thought of the gift.
A gift he hoped to someday give to his own special someone.
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i hope that she does,
lasher answered, his gaze mulling over his handiwork. presently he drew his attention to finn, and appraised the boy. are you the same, my friend? a romancer of women?
having known nothing of the other's affections for finley, it remained to be seen if taltos had blundered indeed.
what would you add?
the beta asked of the silver man, again frowning somewhat at his task; it seemed incomplete, and yet well-wrought, both at once.
"Something like that"he mused while twitching the tip of his tail back and forth. Though the Ollivander was no stranger to having girls around he had never really saw it like more than a game --in which the words 'i love you' meant 'game over' and 'gotta go'.
However that had changed when he had stumbled upon his own reflection in the mirror that was Finley's gaze. But there was no time or need to speak of it now.
Again, the male turned his head around to gaze again at the entrance of the den. The opening seemed wide enough and the entrance, which was carefully decorated with petals gave it all the whole romantic look Lasher was going for. He would've poked his head into the den to see if it was spacious enough for a pregnant wolf and the pups that would come later but he abstained from even taking a step closer. He didn't feel like getting a panic attack now, besides judging from the outside alone he trusted Lasher's judgement.
"Deer skin would make a good bed for the children " he barked suddenly, feeling his brow furrow almost instantaneously as if he were in shock of the very words that had slipped from his mouth. Since when did he know about what children liked?
Maybe these cold weather was starting to get into his bone and freeze his brain..
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finn interested him; it was upon the tip of his tongue to pry into the secrets hiding behind the other's eyes, but that was not how he intended to rule. and so he thrust his ears forward and nodded at the man's suggestion of deerskin. you are right,
taltos muttered, partly unto himself.
i will fetch a fresh one!
the beta exulted, stepping away from the densite. murkwater eyes traveled to finn and he smiled. would you care to accompany me?
"I'd be more than glad" he barked. Not only did this serve as a perfect distraction for the man's troubled mind, but it would also give him a great opportunity to bond with the Beta and continue to strenghten his desires to stay at the Plateu.
The place that had welcomed him with open arms right before it all went to waste.
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delighted that finn would accompany him, lasher set for them a brisk pace through the forest, scenting the air often for deer. he knew of their resident herd; it had grown in the months past. perhaps a half-grown fawn would provide for him the velveteen skin he wished. it was the fetal deer that provided the softest pelts, but the beta doubted that a pregnant doe could be found so soon into the season, and unguarded by a jealous stag.
presently, he happened upon a little rise, and, mounting it, dropped to ecru belly to track the movement of a tiny herd; buck, two does, and a yearling. his eyes moved to finn then, wondering what the young man made of it.
Like Lasher, the young Ollivander was also delighted to have tagged along, who knew, maybe Lasher could make a nice addition to his list of friends besides Dante and Koda. During those few weeks of darkness that had ensued after the Plateau's split into those to stayed and gone, Finn had learned to value his fellow pack mates as if they were the siblings he never had.
It wasn't long before they caught up to the animals, who grazed unsuspecting of the danger lurking above them. With his ears swiveling on his head and his eyes studying each of the individual creatures in search for any injury, the aspiring Gamekeeper turned to the Beta. "I think your children would appreciate a nice blanket of soft doe skin" He barked with a smile, making a light gesture with his snout towards the herd. Even if the younger deer's skin might be softer it would also be smaller.
And if Lasher was going to go all in for Blue's surprise then he'd need the best of the best for their love nest.
(Rhyming like a boss)
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lasher nodded in agreement, lowering his body to the earth and stalking forward slowly. the doe would be more difficult than the yearling, but with the pair of them, surely the stag could be routed. murkwater gaze traveled to finn before he lengthened his stride into a lunge for the nearest doe, the smaller of the two with a darker dorsal stripe.
the animal grunted in surprise and swerved away, but taltos gave chase, using his bulk to strike heavily at her shoulder with the full force of his weight behind his teeth. occupied as he was by the prey, he could not assess the position of the buck.
Finn was quick to join the man in his attack, his own lips drawing back to reveal his sharp teeth as he tried to nip and trip the animal's back legs.
Then, by some sort of telepathy or mere instinct the silver Ollivander pulled away from the bucking animal and turned to see where its companions had run off to. The initial impact Lasher had given plus the several bites Finn himself had managed to score before turning already secured their kill, but it did not secure their complete victory.
With his eyes trying to localize the path the younger deer and the other doe had taken he almost missed the blur of brown that lingered around the crying doe: the buck.
Even if his companion was already literally dog food, the bulky animal stuck around, his bellows getting louder as Lasher continued to strike.
Though Finn knew it was unlikely for the animal to attempt anything (considering he still had the other doe and yearling to care for just ahead) he could never be too sure -- he jumped immediately towards him, his body creating a barricade between Lasher and the stag.
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he felt the silver brush of the ollivander near him, but he did not turn until the doe lay with her throat torn. then lasher whirled to show bloodied teeth to the stag, who bellowed and struck the ground with knife-edged hooves. however, the animal seemed to think better of it, and harried the living members of his small family away.
panting, taltos sank to his haunches, one paw pressed against the cooling hide of the doe. good choice, finn,
he exhorted his colleague, before hunger gnawed at his belly. take the first blood, if you will,
the beta invited, stepping back to allow finn his choice of the heart or liver, delicacies in their primal hierarchy.
He stood and watched as the figures of the deer faded into the distance before allowing himself to completely call it a success.
Then, he finally allowed himself to take pride and comfort in their triumph.
With the tip of his tail swaying slowly from one side to another, he turned to look at Lasher, meeting his eyes with his own olive orbs for a brief second before turning his attention towards the lifeless doe.He flashed a wide smile at the man as he shared some congratulating words and stepped back to let him eat first. While he had not been the one to apply the killing blow, he had contributed to the kill -- besides it would've been just rude to turn down such an offer.
"I'll take the heart if you don't mind" he barked with a brief dip of his nose accompanied with a smile. While this had not been the heart he had wanted to be taking he felt content with it. Even as a former heart breaker and collector he knew that no matter how many metaphorical or real hearts he seized for himself, none of them would erase entirely the scars he had sourly recieved during his last expedition towards Greatbear Wilderness.
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of course!
lasher murmured, giving his subordinate an encouraging nod before stepping back to allow finn the thick bloody muscle of the heart. he himself sat in the snow and lapped the life-fluid from his jaws, eyes sharp as he kept a watch about them for the intrusion of hungry lone wolves or coyotes.
when the ollivander had presumably finished, the beta fell to filling his own belly. it was not the way of the hierarchy, but then again, lasher had never quite followed the rules of his own kind, not in love. nor would he in life.
Then, with his pick tightly clutched he stepped back, now allowing his superior to take his part now. Traditionality was not something Finn strictly abided by, but it was something he valued nonetheless. There, might lie the explanation to why the announcement of the Beta male loving another man had not settled quickly into Finn's one-track (females) mind.
That however was not something he wished to discuss, just something that ocassionally passes through his mind as he laid eyes on the earthen Beta but faded as quickly as it rised. "Did you always want to have children, Lasher?" he asked suddenly after a qlashing his tongue over his bloodied muzzle.
The question was not meant as an offense and much less and accusation meant to bring up the memory of Peregrine; it was just a curious inquiry that rose of the bottom of Finn's heart.
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lasher hmmed beneath his breath, at last laying the swampwater of his gaze upon the other man. i did not.
surely finn knew the story, but lasher did not mind relating it yet again. atticus, peregrine's brother, was blue willow's betrothed. he was hurt, and his mind did not return for some time. he rallied, but disappeared soon thereafter. peregrine and i had ended our dalliance and so i offered fatherhood to blue willow.
he smiled. while they are not intended, they are no less loved, the little babes i her belly.
and he thought fondly of his dusky beloved, and his heart was warm toward her.
The last part, had been more public so to speak.
"You're right, they are no less welcome" he agreed with a quick flick of his tongue over his bloodied lips. While he had once thought that babies were made by pure lust and carnal desire, he now realized that love played an important part in the recipe.
And that was thankfully an ingredient that was not missing between Lasher and Blue's union.
Despite the fact it was not the conventional type of love that was expected of two wolves that expected puppies, it was love nonetheless.
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lust was something with which lasher was hardly familiar. the parade of pure carnality through his veins occurred less lately; he supposed it had peaked during his relationship with peregrine. he of course wanted blue willow, seemingly moreso now that she was to bear his children, and the wild seawitch of the brine intrigued him also. but gone were the days of whirlwind passion directing his steps. he felt rather aged.
are children a desire of your own?
he asked, rejoining finn in the present. i must admit, i am nervous at the idea that i shall very soon be a father.
as he spoke, he began to gather the carved meat of the kill into a pile, to be buried and distributed to the various caches.
Regardless of the fact the Ollivander had never wore or awarded such title to another being, there was a place in his heart that now remained vacant.
Like Lasher, Finn had loved and lost.
But unlike him, he didn't recover with such grace.
With his eyes suddenly widening to the size of platters Finn seeked to connect his gaze with Lasher's murky orbs. "No.. I mean not at the moment" he barked, still a bit blinsided by the retribution of his own question. While it was undeniable (let alone natural) for a young man like Finn to want to pass on his handsome genes, he had no intention of doing so anytime soon..
In the list of things he wanted children might as well be at the bottom.
"Dude, at least it isn't you who has to carry them -- that's freaky" he commented with a half-smile, not only was he voicing one of his real thoughts on the subject but also lacing it with a bit of humor that would hopefully calm the man.
"Shall we take this to a cache or just eat until we're Blue's size?" he joked innocently, now pointing his crimson tainted snout at the large leftovers of their kill. He wasn't sure if the joke seemed a bit over the line or if like Dante, the earthen hued male would enjoy his humor.
The one thing he did know, however, was that this wouldn't be the last time they crossed paths.
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he laughed. i do not know what i would do if that was i!
he gave the ollivander an affectionate look and hid a grin behind the bend of his foreleg at the other's joke, attempting to chide finn with a stern look but failing at it. eat first, then we will carry the rest,
the beta instructed.
falling to his meal, lasher began to tease finn back, reveling in their shared jests and realizing he counted the other as a friend.