Blacktail Deer Plateau pearls and swine bereft of me

Atticus answered his brother's question—not that it had been posed as one—with another question. The knot in his stomach loosened somewhat. At least Atticus hadn't simply received this news, pointed his nose in the direction of Seahawk Valley and departed immediately. Part of Peregrine had actually expected him to do that, without so much as looking back.

Steadying himself with a breath, Peregrine replied, "No, fuckstain, I don't." For the moment, at least, he left it at that.