Blacktail Deer Plateau Take this feeling and make it grow

His gaze followed the bird as it circled upward, though it dropped eventually as Osprey's footfalls neared again. "What kind of—" he began to ask when he saw the streaks on her face and hastened to her side, swallowing that question and asking instead, "Oss, what is it? What did Atti do?"

Peregrine's hackles prickled ever so slightly as he remembered how Atticus had made him feel not so long ago. Although they'd talked and agreed that everything was good between them, that was a slightly idealized version of the truth, as the reality was that Peregrine—and likely Atticus too—was certainly not entirely over everything that had passed between them, hence his comment just moments ago.

Very gently and tenderly, Peregrine nuzzled the damp fur of his sister's cheek, then swiped his tongue over the delicate bones there. With brotherly affection, he wiped away her tears, then swung around to stand beside her, his shoulder pressing companionably into hers as he waited silently for Osprey to tell him what was the matter.