Bramblepoint Choke the chicken

he did not know that raven had feared her father -- maybe that was the reason she had hesitated to return home. and despite the vague hope of peregrine's words, taltos heard the unsurety of their undertones. if deirdre never trusted him again, it would wound the druid beyond measure -- he must work now to piece together that which had been broken, but was not sure if such a thing could be done. yet he would do all that he was able; he must, for the sake of both her soul and his own.

"yes," he rejoined. "five, now." five children -- he could scarcely believe it. "my oldest daughter is with us still, but my eldest son went to wander, and my youngest has gone to seek a new life also." perhaps it was the way of boys, though he knew it had not been so for casmir -- the boy had run away in a fit of grief and overwhelming emotion.

"blue willow misses you, peregrine," he murmured. she had been horrified to know of what had happened to junior, but lasher did not believe that she had ever hated her brother. it was not within the healer's heart to loathe a creature she had once loved so very deeply.