Blacktail Deer Plateau The devil's den

Peregrine looked at her when she confessed her reason for being so helpful, then laughed quietly to himself. "I definitely do not regret it," he informed her in a cool tone, not wishing to coddle her but also wanting to let her know her contributions were noticeable.

Osprey Jr. was precious to him, of course, but he wondered what made her seem precious to Sabriyah. "She's a potato with legs," he murmured with fatherly affection, "and all she does is eat, sleep and shit. And you'd be amazed at the smells they make."

Sabriyah repeated her offer to help, making it abundantly clear how eager she was to serve. Peregrine appreciated it but found her enthusiasm almost over the top. He didn't say so, merely nodding quietly to acknowledge her.

"I'd ask how the Gamekeeping is coming along but I already know the answer," Peregrine said conversationally after a beat of silence. "So what are your plans for your future here in the plateau, aside from that?" He wondered if she'd want pups someday and he felt a strange resentment at the thought. It was his instincts telling him, No more pups! The pack was already at capacity for young mouths to feed.

But Sabriyah didn't mention offspring. As she regaled him with her ambitions for her future in the pack, he listened with interest (and some measure of relief), then managed to converse with her for perhaps half an hour longer before Osprey Jr. began to bawl. Recognizing the plea for mother and, more specifically, food, he excused himself and took the squalling infant indoors to be suckled.