Blacktail Deer Plateau coming for to carry you home

@Peregrine if you want hawkeye and atticus in this thread I can tag them too.

Blue held the little bundle in her maw tear tracks staining her face fur. She lay it at her feet and stood still looking down at it, her heart shattered somewhere in the vicinity of her front paws. She lifted her muzzle to the sky and let out one long broken howl, the sound catching in her throat as the lump grew bigger. She couldn't hold the note and she cut it off prematurely.

She flopped to the ground exhausted and sorrowful and sniffed softly. There was so much more she could have done, it drove her crazy. maybe if she had stayed near more or taught more she could have saved them all from this ever happening. It shook her to her very core and she began to weep.

I asked Kat for permission to post, but I've got 15 minutes now so I wanted to get a reply in which I can delete if Pura's presence is not OK! :D I read that the skull still had ears in the other thread, but I can change that too if I got the wrong end of the stick.

The sound of Blue's tortured howl cut into Pura's ears like a vicious animal, flattening them like blades of grass in a hurricane. Normally, the spectrum of emotion was incomprehensibly vast and impossibly varied that he didn't have a hope in hell of deciphering what was going on, but the alpha's voice teetered on the extreme edge of 'not good'. Even with his mild social handicap, Kisu's boy knew that something had changed for the worse.

He was first at the scene. Blue Willow's face was wet with tears, but Pura's attention was on the mangled bundle at her feet. He crept forward like a stalking panther, silent, metallic gaze locked on the salvaged corpse. I had ears, he noticed. Large, black ears - just like Junior's, and it smelled vaguely of silt. He wondered when the feisty pup would return home, and what she would make of this dead thing's likeness to her.

The thoughts floated into the endlessness of his mind like flecks of dead ash, never crossing, never connecting.

I don't mind at all. Anyone's welcome to make an appearance, as Perry's going to rally them to pay their last respects... :'(

Peregrine woke up from a fitful sleep with a sense of impending doom clasping his heart, which was even worse than the previous week's chronic misery and heartache. He pushed himself to his feet and began the slow shuffle toward the plateau's edge, where he would stand watch and wait for the search parties to return. It would be dark in a few hours and he expected them home by nightfall. They had yet to bring home any news (he struggled to decide if that was a good or bad thing), yet he sensed that today would be different.

He didn't dare hope, though, and when Blue Willow came creeping into his field of vision, Peregrine was glad he hadn't allowed himself that luxury. In her mouth, the Healer carried a bundle. His heart hammered and then leaped into his throat. She stopped, gently lowered her precious cargo, then howled for him. By the time her voice broke and tapered away, he was scurrying down the slope to meet her, mindless of his broken paw.

"What...?" escaped his lips. He was marginally aware that he wasn't the only one to react to Blue Willow's summons. He blinked absently at Pura, then lowered his eyes to the bundle. Swallowing against the saliva filling his mouth, Peregrine nosed forward and nudged it. It didn't smell like Osprey Jr., which caused relief to flood him, but then its contents took shape and he realized he was looking at the remains of a small corpse. He would've argued that there was no way this could be his little girl (it was too decayed) but then he saw the ears and looked away suddenly as if struck in the face, his breath hissing out of him in a ragged gasp.

For several moments, Peregrine crouched that way, the reality of the situation washing over him in wave after incredibly painful wave. Junior's gone. She's dead. A low, strangled cry spilled from his lips. He knew that many parents lost pups, particularly in their first year, and that it was only nature taking its course. Still, the fact that he could have prevented this would forever plague his soul. If only he'd exerted his will over his headstrong daughter, she would be here, alive, awake and enthusiastic.

There was a sense of finality and closure. Peregrine would forever reminisce on this moment, trying to decide if it was worse to know or, if Blue Willow hadn't returned with such incontrovertible evidence, it would have been better to hold out hope. For now, the sight of young Osprey's corpse caused him unbearable pain and still he looked away from it. Slowly, however, he turned back and stared at what was left of his offspring.

"We will bury her near Pied," he said quietly, his voice threatening to crack and break. He took a steadying, sobbing breath. His eyes met Blue Willow's and Pura's, albeit a little vacantly. "Let's pay our last respects to our Osprey Jr..." he proposed before slowly lifting his head and bawling toward the heavens a note of agony and grief borne from a loving father whose little girl would never come home.

[size=xx-small][size=x-small]I have a feeling that if/when Junior is found again this is going to bite Blue pretty hard in the butt ....sorry for the shortness of my post last night, it was on my phone, but I wanted to get it up.[/size][/size]

Blue Willow saw Pura, but she didn't see him. She forced herself out of the grief stricken mind she had and looked at him and spoke quietly forcing herself to regain a semblance of normalcy if she could. Hello Pura She feared she would never be normal again, nor would the plateau. She still hoped deep down that this little bundle was not Junior, but what was she to do.

She had seen Perry coming down the slope and for a minute she felt like reminding him of his paw, but then she realized that was trivial in light of things. There was so much more paramount things going on, than a broken paw.

Blue opened her mouth to tell him that it was possible it could be something else, that it might not be Junior. But she couldn't force the words out of her maw, the lump in her throat was far too big. She couldn't tell him where she found the bones either. She herself had warred as she had walked if she should have just left it there, and continued looking, would it have made a difference? She shook her head there was no use dwelling on the choices or the thought, though she would always feel a little at fault for bringing the grief home. Maybe she really should have left her bundle there, she sighed and looked down again. No she couldn't forget that this may very well and probably was Junior, after all it had been sitting in the water, where the flow was fast and strong. That would contribute to the quickness of the decay.

Blue lifted her nose to the sky and joined Peregrine in his cry of grief, her own voice broken and sorrowful.

Peregrine wasn't far behind. A tsunami of emotion rolled over the three wolves, pressing down on the two black alphas like the weight of a thousand planets. Pura dropped to his rear, unaffected, and watched in silence as the shell-shocked father prodded at the furry little costume on the ground that used to contain his daughter.

Pura was the only one who openly stared at what everyone else assumed to be the remains of Osprey Jr, amused by the two intact ears and fascinated by the extent of the decay. He fought the near irresistable urge to gnaw on the exposed bones, rising several times during the age it took Peregrine to process what he was seeing, but the tangible uneasiness of the two adults kept him from acting on that desire.

"We will bury her near Pied."

Pura turned his face up to Peregrine's blank, turquoise eyes. He didn't know what a Pied was, and waited quietly for further instruction.

"Let's pay our last respects to our Osprey Jr..."

That didn't make much sense either, but before Pura's mild frown could be joined by an irate demand for clarification, both adults raised their heads to the sky and howled. A wildly out-of-place grin split Pura's maw, and he quickly offered his own, lighter voice up to the heavens. The clear, unbroken note wound its way around the dark and sorrowful wraiths like a wicked little nymph.

If this is not appropriate, please let me know and I'll change it. <3

Kaskara was returning from a long day's search at Swiftcurrent Creek with her brother, Scimitar. She had been overjoyed at seeing him here, but that joy had been tinged with a bitterness at the thought of Osprey's continued absence and her own inability to find her. The dark thoughts that had begun nearly a week ago had filtered into every waking moment, tingeing any hopeful moment with a thread of blame.

She was climbing the last remaining slopes toward the plateau when she heard Blue Willow's call followed moments later by Peregrine's. They were both heavy with grief. Kaskara knew the worst had happened; they had found Osprey and not in the state they had hoped. She picked up her exhausted pace and ran toward them, toward the scene she would never forget: Peregrine and Blue Willow standing over a small corpse, black ears and all, with Pura standing silent nearby. Her heart shattered. Kas felt that everything good and just in the world had disappeared with the light and life of that little girl. Everything they had worked for this last week had been for nothing.

Her two-toned eyes drunk in the scene, but after a moment she tore them away from the small body and locked onto Blue Willow, the woman Kaskara felt was responsible for this situation. As the Caregiver, she was in charge of the puppies when the parents weren't around. Peregrine was injured and that left her in charge, both as the Caregiver and the Alpha! She was the alpha female! She was responsible for every member of this pack, including the pups!

Hatred boiled inside her, hatred a sensible part of her knew was uncalled for, but a hatred so strong she could barely look at her anymore. "This is your fault, alpha female," she spat the words like venom, lowering her head and raising her hackles into a fighting stance. She began to circle the woman, anger building inside, blinding her to the delicate situation at hand. "You should have been protecting the pups, you should have known where they were. You are the alpha while Peregrine is injured, you are in charge. The blame lies with you." Each sentence was punctuated with a deep, guttural growl from within her chest, a menacing sound from years of practice with her warlord father.

samesies <3

he and the willow had searched, but osprey they had not found. exhausted, and covered in silt and in mud from the day before, the delta roused himself from his fitful sleep, paws carrying him toward the border, as he intended to continue searching. a low note of agony carried skyward, and taltos wrenched himself toward it, heart thudding in his chest. it could not be ...

but alas it was, a small, forlorn bundle of silted bones, unrecognizable except for the characteristic ears of peregrine's daughter. tears filled his eyes; the pain here was palpable, and he glanced toward his lover, toward the devil, to see if he would hold beneath the pain. pura also was given a fleeting look, and the willow.

he did not notice the one called kaskara until she spoke venom-tipped words toward blue willow that forced his ears backward in consternation. slipping forward, lasher regarded the seething girl with pity. now is not the time for this, came his gentle voice. we are all grieving. it is not the right moment for words of blame. he had moved to blue willow's side, and sought to offer her a gentle nuzzle of support, though his attention continued to return to peregrine.

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Howling was cathartic, if only for the few seconds before his breath gave way and the sound faded into the distance. When Peregrine's head dropped and his eyes reopened, he saw that two more had joined them: Kaskara and Lasher. He did nothing to acknowledge the former, though he found himself slipping toward the ocher male, eyes brimming forlornly.

Before he could reach Lasher, a feminine voice cut through the terrible, sad silence that hung over the group. Peregrine turned, stupefied, as Kaskara proceeded to verbally lash out at Blue Willow. His ears rang as the subordinate female hurled accusations at the Healer. The utter lack of respect both for the Alpha female and the bereaved family appalled Peregrine. And if anybody was to blame, it was him.

He didn't bother speaking. He veered from Lasher and lunged for Kaskara, head and tail arched severely and jaws flung open to pierce her flesh. He growled savagely, his ears pressing forward as he lunged at the side of her neck. He hoped he hurt her, though his real intent was to force her to submit and apologize for her galling behavior. Peregrine would then promptly tell her to leave; this uncivilized bitch was no longer one of theirs.

Sorry for the crappy quality. I have to leave like…now but I didn't want to miss the chance to be a part of this thread.

Atticus was beyond exhausted. He had forgone sleep and food in favor of searching relentlessly for the plateau's missing princess to the point that it was beginning to impact his health and his mental state. He avoided packmates, with the exception of his brother and Blue Willow, of course, and shirked his duties as Beta, as the hunt for Osprey Junior took priority over anything else.

He was trudging through a muddy section of their packlands, his movements slow and weary, when he heard Peregrine's anguished voice rend the air. And suddenly, he knew. The brave little girl he had come to love so much was no more. That was the only thing in the world that could make Peregrine cry like that. Cold, sinister adrenaline flowed through his veins and suddenly he was overcome with grief and anger. It was so unfair. How in the hell could Fate or the gods or whatever force of nature lorded over them see fit to take the life of a child? He would have gladly given his own life to preserve hers, or that of any of the other kids in their pack.

He moved toward his brother's howl at a run fueled purely by his anger, and when he neared the small congregation of wolves, he found a perfect outlet for it -- the lower-ranked Kaskara was spitting venomous words of accusation at Blue Willow, laying the blame for Junior's death solely at the Alpha female's feet. Her shockingly cruel remarks brought an immediate response from Peregrine, who lunged at her with white-hot fury in his eyes, clearly intending to hurt her or drive her away. Atticus was only just arriving when he witnessed this, and the large Beta didn't stop -- he immediately joined his brother in lunging for the offending female, teeth bared and ready to thoroughly correct her for her disrespect.

Lasher, the other brown wolf of their bunch, came forward and attempted to soothe her. She didn't know him other than his name, but she didn't blame him for trying. This wasn't the time or place, she knew that, but the heartbreak and anger that roiled inside her refused to let her be rational. She didn't lunge toward Blue Willow, however, didn't make a single threatening move until Peregrine lashed out at her. He lunged at her, jaws flung open to tear at her flesh, but she was smaller, faster, and uninjured.

Atticus joined him, moving against her to make her pay for what she had said. Snarling, she stepped out of his way before he could touch her, and continued to take a few steps back out of everyone's reach, her teeth bared in anger and frustration. But that was all it took to clear her head. She understood what she had done and what she had now sacrificed for her inability to control her temper. Breathing heavily, she took another step back and relaxed her entire body, letting her lips fall limply over her fangs.

She had sacrificed as much as everyone else in this pack searching for the missing girl, and they were going to repay her with this? With dread in her heart, she fell to her stomach and nearly groveled for his forgiveness. "Peregrine, I have no excuse for what I have done. Exhaustion, hunger, and my short temper have given rise to words that I do not truly mean. It is no one's fault but nature's that your daughter is fallen. I do not expect mercy." She took a breath, keeping her eyes carefully averted from him and Blue Willow, before she continued. "I cannot take back the words I have spoken. I can only beg for your forgiveness, knowing my grief is not as great as yours, though I do grieve for this pack and for your family. Osprey Junior was the first wolf I met after you accepted me, and she made me feel welcome, like I could be part of this pack."

She didn't feel it necessary to continue. She was exhausted. Her voice was tired, strained, and she could barely keep herself from falling over. Instead of fighting it, she let herself roll onto her back, exposing her tender belly to the three dark leaders, her tail curled up against her privates, wondering if they'd kill her, wondering in the delirious parts of her mind if her father would be ashamed of her if he could see her now.

Exit Pura; if this thread goes on to bury Junior, you can assume he followed but faffed around in a corner.

Others flocked to them, but they didn't join in the symphony. Pura was the last to stop, and had already drawn breath for a second round when Kaskara started spitting venom at Blue. Appalled by this affront and the interruption - the sweet-tempered alpha was one of his top-ranked favourites - the boy took a step towards the offending subordinate, but Peregrine beat him to it. Atticus joined him, and it wasn't long before Kaskara submitted without help from Pura, who dropped back onto his haunches to watch the fallout.

Osprey, Osprey, Osprey. Everyone seemed to be talking about Junior. Where was that delightful pest of a girl? Distracted from the goings-on above his head by thoughts of the adventures she might be on, Pura lowered is head to the ground and began to follow the subtle, minuscule trails that wound around the clearing like a thousand tiny waltzes. Soon, the world around him faded, and there was only smell.

Sorry heading out the door for work, but wanted to get this up

Blue froze as the words were hurled at her and her heart froze, and she felt every single word like a nail in her soul. She bared her teeth, for a moment and then stopped.What was the point in even doing anything about it, but she was furious. Peregrine and Atticus all too soon jumped to her defense, but she was a little angry.

She strode forward and spoke quietly over top of the she wolf YOU listen and you listen good, I have hoped and prayed that this was not Junior and in a way I still hope it isn't, there is no way to tell. But if you ever and I mean ever attempt to treat me or anyone else this way when there is a death and we are all grief stricken I will rip your throat out and feed it to you! do you understand me, you insolent little puppy dog. Blue was not one to become angry and she was not one to say such terrible things, but she was grief stricken and she was berefit and her best friend had lost his daughter. How could she not react so badly.

She bent down and looked her square in the eye, I hope we understand each other pup. Now get out of my sight. And with that, Blue looked at both Peregrine and Atticus and bowed her head, I'm sorry you two, forgive me, I imagine that some of the fault does lay with me. However, there is a time and a place for such things. She gave Kaskara a cold look and walked a bit away and sat down to her haunches upset and grief stricken.

As soon as the double threat of Peregrine and Atticus came down on her, Kaskara began singing a whole new tune. Although the show of absolute submission stayed his teeth, the Alpha male stood over her and leered, ears thrust forward and tail stiffening over his back. He exchanged a livid glance with his brother, then turned to Blue Willow. He and the Beta male could and would defend her unto the ends of the earth, yet Peregrine wanted to give the Healer a chance to speak for herself.

Usually so sweet-tempered, Blue Willow rebuked Kaskara sharply for her disrespect and insubordination. Although it was terribly difficult for Peregrine to draw even a thread of pleasure from this situation, he felt some satisfaction at seeing his Alpha female put the mouthy bitch in her place. He complemented her fierce words with a nod.

She dismissed Kaskara and then turned to her two co-leaders. Peregrine's heart tore when Blue Willow shouldered some of the blame. "You have nothing to apologize for, Willow, least of all putting this bitch in her place." His eyes flicked to Kaskara and he clarified his Alpha female's dismissal by saying, "Get the fuck out. You are not forgiven. Your grief is nothing compared to ours. You are not one of us." His teeth came together with a sharp click.

He turned away, knowing Atticus would handle her if she didn't immediately make herself scarce. His eyes fell upon the bundle previously known as Osprey Jr., then padded slowly to join Blue Willow in mourning. Soon, they would bury the little girl, yet they needed a moment to recover from Kaskara's flagrant show of impudence.

lasher should not have been surprised when peregrine burst into furious action, but he flinched nevertheless, moving closer to willow though a vaguely paternal, worried expression fell upon pura. perhaps it was important for the boy to see the violent click of his alpha's teeth, the flaring bristle of atticus' hackles. growls filled the clearing, emanating even from blue willow, who stood forth to deliver her own tongue-lashing to the unwise female.

he felt no pity for kaskara's plight, though could see that her heart was broken doubly. with a heavy heart, lasher regarded the plateau wolves gathered, settling his haunches to the ground with a sudden exhaustion stealing into his mind. he would be there for peregrine, to do what was needed of him — his life, his breath, his body were for the panther to command.

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Kaskara responded with snarls and indignance, but she was not a stupid wolf. Quickly she realized that she could not take on both angry males and she backed down, swiftly submitting and begging forgiveness. From behind him, Atticus heard Blue Willow's voice cut through the air. She was normally so gentle, sweet-natured, and low-key, and her rebuke was all the more chilling because of that. Atticus felt a tremor run up his spine; she was speaking not as Blue Willow, not as his friend, but as his Alpha female, and he felt a visceral and instinctive response to her words even though they were not directed at him.

He caught Peregrine's angry glance, and he felt the same heat simmering in his own eyes. This situation was bad enough without the flagrant disrespect and lack of consideration shown by a wolf who claimed to be one of them. Peregrine's voice was laced with wrath as he refused Kaskara the forgiveness she asked and banished her from the pack right there on the spot. Later, Atticus would feel a great deal of regret for the loss of a packmate, but right now, there was only his anger. His cold gaze lingered ominously on the crumpled she-wolf as he awaited her response to all of this, prepared as his Alphas' enforcer to deal with her further if necessary.

She said she did not expect mercy, and mercy she was not given. Blue Willow dismissed her first, flinging words at her as if they would hurt, calling her puppy dog. Kaskara held in a laugh at that pathetic excuse for an insult. Kaskara wasn't afraid of Blue Willow. Her words were childish and petty as she tried to save face against her own venomous words. Kaskara did regret the moment she chose to voice her concerns; it was clear now was not the time. But then, Kaskara had never been very good with timing.

Then Peregrine told her, in no uncertain terms, to leave and never return. She took her opportunity when he walked away from her, slipping to her feet and slinking back the way she came. When she was many yards away from the group, she paused to look back, sorrow and pain in her eyes. This was a place she had hoped to become her home, her family, but she had ruined it with her short temper and quick tongue. She vowed never to let her emotions get the better of her again.

From a great distance, her howl of grief could be heard nearly half an hour later. In it she sung of her sadness, of her sorrow, of her deep regret at losing a potential new home.

Fireblaze raced to Blues howl, a few minutes late. She gasped when she arrived with them. Decaying remains of a wolf pup were laying at Blue's feet (Sorry if I powerplayed that). "No..." was all that escaped her mouth. Osprey was dead, laying in front of her. (Oh, by the way, a characteristic not mentioned of Fireblaze is that she has an excellent sense of smell.

Walking forwards, she reached Perry, and nuzzled him lightly on his shoulder. "I'm sorry...." Was what she could muster at this point. Bending over, she sniffed the carcass. Taking a deep breath in, she noticed something. (Sorry if this is too early. I can edit this post if it is.)

"This... doesn't smell like Osprey.I just... It looks too much like her for it to not be her..... I'm so sorry Perry. This can't be Osprey. It just can't. I just hope........"

Sighing, she said "Osprey has to be out there, she just has to."

(Hope you don't mind that I do this.) Fireblaze lifted her eyes away from the remains, and gazed at the stars. She lifted her head and howled a long, mournful howl. It was a song she had learned from her father. It went like this:

If blood is shed over kin or friend,
Love must not be lost.
Spirits live on and on, nothing comes to an end
Live life as we know it now.
May her spirit stay in place,
Flourishing beyond.
Time is lost, never found
Now we must stay and wait.

The two Alphas sat in silence for several moments when Fireblaze's appearance on the scene caused Peregrine to jerk his head in her direction. He watched almost vacantly as she ascertained the situation, then began to deny that the remains belonged to his daughter. Although Peregrine wanted to hold out hope that they were wrong, deep down he knew the evidence was irrefutable. He would recognize those ears anywhere. How many times had he kissed the soft, fuzzy spot between them, after all?

His eyes squeezed shut as a fresh wave of pain wrenched through him. He wanted to tell Fireblaze to shut her yapping, though he couldn't quite force the words. When she began to howl, he took a deep breath. It bothered him that she seemed so deliriously hopeful about Osprey's fate with her corpse lying right there at her feet. Though her song was objectively beautiful, it began to grate on his raw nerves and he almost snapped at her to hush when her voice trailed away naturally.

Taking another breath, Peregrine turned and met Lasher's gaze. "Taltos, can you please find Hawkeye? She needs to know and she needs to be there when we put our little girl in the ground." He rose slowly as he spoke, feeling like he was a thousand years old. His body didn't seem to work right anymore. Peregrine knew he was broken. He wondered if he would be that way forever.

"Willow, thanks for carrying her this far. I'll carry her now," Peregrine said gently before ducking down and clasping the bundle with his teeth. Careful not to swing it, he began to walk toward the rear of the territory, his slow, shuffling gait making for a perfect funeral march. As he hobbled toward Pied's grave, he closed his eyes and could almost imagine he was carrying baby Osprey by her scruff and taking her home to bed, rather than taking her home to be laid permanently to rest.

Blue had already begun to regret the harsh words she had spoken, and there were much worse insults, but she wasn’t about to sit by, while some young upstart thought she was big and bad, and completely railroaded a family that was grieving. She didn’t even care that she blamed her, but she had chosen the wrong time and the wrong place to do so. Blue had seen the girl fighting not to laugh, she really did hate her, and she had no idea what she had done to deserve such fury, she would definitely be watching her back when in the wilds and if that girl tried, she’d rip her skin from her back. She hated violence, but she would protect herself and her family if it was needed, and she was not a terrible fighter, her father had taught her after all.

Fireblaze the poor girl had come at entirely the wrong time, and would not cease and desist. She knew that the girl was just upset, but even Blue was having a hard time controlling herself, from telling the girl to hush now.

Blue watched as Peregrine stood to his feet, and her heart broke all over again. She hated to see her best friend a broken man, and Atticus gods above her heart hurt for him too, she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She nodded at Perry and slowly stepped into step behind him, her head bowed and tears tracing down her face.

last post for me <3

kaskara was summarily exiled and lasher watched the rest of those who had gathered silently, though he rose immediately to his feet as peregrine's request came to haunt his ears. he nodded, and turned to leave, to find the girl's mother — his heart sank at the prospect of breaking her own — but a last glance over earthen shoulder brought to him the painful sight of peregrine carrying osprey junior away.

and at last he wept, moving into the shadows cast by the watching woodland; he would find hawkeye, and sought to compose himself even as he moved inexorably toward the rendezvous site where she surely comforted what was left of her progeny.

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Last one from me too.

Atticus relaxed somewhat when it was clear there would be no further conflict. As Beta, he considered himself his brother's and Blue Willow's enforcer and guardian, and he would've attacked and fought the brash and outspoken female for as long as was necessary to either shut her up or make her leave. He was glad that it wasn't needed, though, and he watched her slink away unceremoniously.

Peregrine went to Willow and lifted the stiff remains of what had once been his vibrant, fiery, raging hellion of a daughter. Collectively the group began to move to where she would be buried, but Atticus couldn't do it. He couldn't deal with this right now. He was beginning to shut down inside, and his grief threatened to overwhelm and smother him. "I'm going to follow Kaskara…make sure she leaves," he said in a choked voice to his brother, his eyes brimming with tears of pain and rage. As he trotted away from the group into the solitude and privacy of the woods, he hoped that Peregrine would understand.

I'm going to fade to black...

Peregrine was peripherally aware of those that came and went during the long funeral march. Yet he paid no attention to anybody else now. He considered only the bundle in his jaws. For a long time, he focused on the fantasy wherein he carried a younger and decidedly more alive puppy. The effort gave him a headache before drifting away shortly before they arrived at Pied's burial site. As reality came washing in like a dirty tide, he felt as if the grief would crush him.

He barely looked around to see who was in attendance. He gently set his precious cargo on the ground and began to dig a tragically small grave for his daughter's earthly remains. He did not toil alone, he knew, but Peregrine couldn't even manage to figure out who assisted him. The task did not take very long and when it was finished, the father finally stepped back, bowed his head and stood there for what could have been minutes, hours, days, years... a timelessly eternal span of sorrow.