Blacktail Deer Plateau So long, lonesome

When Blue Willow said she could take a hike, he looked at her sharply. "No, no," he assured her, mechanically nudging a third bite of food into his brother's slack jaw. "Chew," he reminded the catatonic male, though Atticus took another few seconds before he began to work his jaw. Only then did Peregrine's eyes return to the Healer's face. "Atticus can't speak for himself so I have to speak for him. I'm pretty confident both of us like having you here. Right, Atti?"

Naturally, Atticus didn't respond, so Peregrine cleared his throat and made an attempt to more fully engage the Healer in conversation. "So... you and Fox switched spots." He knew about it, of course, but he hadn't yet had a chance to speak to Blue Willow about her decision. "You didn't have to do that," he told her, though he knew she knew that. "Do you feel... confident in your decision? Fox will need guidance from both of us. She was an Alpha and she's very skilled but she's young too. I know she's as fiery as her fur indicates sometimes." His lips twitched fondly as he spoke of his redheaded mate.