Duskfire Glacier the phoenix

The sound of her child parroting her words-- why did it always have to be the most inappropriate part?-- elicited a long, weary sigh from Lane, followed by a meaning exchange of glances with Meerkat. See? This is what you're signing up for.

It was Lane's initial intention to just ignore Wayfarer's outburst, especially since she looked so cute staring up from between her mother's paws and grinning. But then said it again, loudly, directly in Lane's face this time. Lane reacted with a quick, reprimanding nip at the child's ruff. If Wayfarer was old enough to use swear words, then she was old enough to learn that she couldn't yell them in people's faces.

The entrance of the attention-seeking child would likely spell death for the adults' conversation, so Lane requested the final missing piece. "What's the message? I'll take it as soon as I can get away." She bent down to mouth playfully at Wayfarer, hoping to distract the child from piping up with questions about anything she had just overheard.