Blacktail Deer Plateau So long, lonesome

Perry's feelin' ~creepy~ now. :P

On the coattails of that train of thought came another, no less weird to consider: what if Blue Willow used a donor? What if he was that donor, considering his relationship to Atticus? He didn't really want to think these thoughts, yet he found them filling his brain. Maybe if he and Fox really had a dozen, they could spare a few for the Healer...

Clearing his throat, Peregrine gave the Healer a guilty look, even though he hadn't so much as voiced a hint of his thoughts. He then said something unrelated to his innermost musings. "When we thought Osprey Jr. was gone, Atticus kept trying to tell me to keep my chin up and hope for the best. I told him I couldn't because if it turned out Junior was dead, it would be all the more crushing... I think I feel the same way about this. I can't hope that he'll come around, else I'll always be hoping and waiting, in the back of my mind. And if it never happens, if Atti never comes back to us after all... I'm sorry, Willow," was all he could manage.