Swiftcurrent Creek & heaven knows i'm miserable now

And a tiny, small little charcoal-covered baby came and yelled at him, providing Frederick with quite the fright. A yelp, and a glance casted downwards only to see what looked like a mini version of one of Swiftcurrent's betas. White ring around the eye and everything. @Arric, he scorned, deep within the recesses of his mind. Your tiny clone just scared the shit out of me. A huff, then.

No, I did not, Fred said, almost trying to nudge the child away with a large, white paw. You should refrain from sneaking up on a person like that, especially while they are brooding. You shocked me. Not scared. Scared was too strong a word for this mere fur-ball. While he usually could deal with, entertain, those of youth, he was not particularly in the mood for it today, and so he would begin walking away.

But then guilt would grip him, fist made of iron, tightly welded around his form, and he would sigh. Relent. Turning back to the child, he observed the kid before sitting upon his rump. You are one of Arric's, his words were factual, almost flat. I am Frederick. And your name is..? It would be disrespectful, he thought, not to know the name of the deputies own child. Their own spawn. So he would learn it.

A breath. Though the thought of Milan was fleeting, now.