Blacktail Deer Plateau The devil's den

In "Beyond the veil," I'm going to have Perry ask her to help him bury Pied, so I'm going to make a brief reference to that.

"Yes, yes and yes," Peregrine answered. He suddenly didn't feel much like talking, though he wasn't about to tell Sabriyah to get lost, not when she was asking perfectly reasonable questions—and not after bringing his family the kill. "Pied was our loved one," he added explanatorily, "and, now, so are her children. Hawkeye's nursing them and their father, Kisu, is staying close too."

He was glad when she asked about the pups, as he didn't feel like dwelling on the tragedy that had led to their blended family. "When their eyes open and they begin finding their legs, I s'pose. It doesn't make much sense to do it too early, seeing as they really don't do much yet." He indicated Osprey by touching his nose to the top of her head. She'd fallen fast asleep.

He wouldn't have held it against her anyway but Peregrine eyed Sabriyah gratefully when she mentioned her reason for not socializing much. "Your efforts are noticed and appreciated," he said. "I appreciate your help the other day as well." He'd been operating in a bit of a fog the day Pied had died and, truthfully, couldn't remember many details after returning to her burrow in the aftermath of her death. He was glad; he didn't want those particular memories. "It was a hard day but your help made it a little easier."

He sighed very lightly, then looked down at his slumbering child and smiled despite the somber conversation. She'd rolled onto her back, exposing the four white patches beneath her legs. "Her markings remind me of a bird, which is kind of ironic, considering," he mused aloud, glancing at his company.