Blacktail Deer Plateau Closer to the sun

When Pied mentioned his father, a "tch" came from Rob's mouth as he sat and looked away at the same time. Then, it registered that the dappled step-mother before him said that they had relocated. His ears shifted backward.

"I'm sure he would love to talk to me, but he's so busy creating a new little family that I doubt he'll have time." Rob's words were strong and rude, an edge of poison clinging to them the entire time. She can never replace my mother, he thought angrily, and knew it to be true. Pied would never be his mother.