Redhawk Caldera if i die young

He headed to the grave site out of a sense of paternal duty and guilt, and not because he actually missed his son. It was a strange and horrible realization, yet also a blessing in its way. He hadn't even been used to "Derp's" presence in his life and, in the grand scheme of things, it would only be a blip. It was a tragedy and a shame, yet he wasn't torn apart by the boy's absence and that was a relief. Had this happened even a few weeks later, when "Derp" had opened his eyes and ears, begun to talk and begun growing a personality, all of this could have been so much more devastating.

As he made the trek to the clearing, another thought occurred to him: They won't even remember him. Nightjar, Wildfire and Raven wouldn't even realize their older brother was missing. Not until they were older and he and Fox could tell them about "Derp" would they even know he'd ever been there. Even then, they would never truly know him (just as he and Fox hadn't), nor could they miss him. It was a sad thought, yet it was probably a good thing for the children. They would not know the pain of "Derp's" loss.

When he arrived, Peregrine quickly realized he was not alone. He saw Jaws lingering near the grave. Despite his ambivalent emotions, Peregrine bristled and moved stiffly toward the freshly churned soil. He stood over "Derp's" final resting place, giving Jaws a shrewd look. He then calmed, realizing that surely the dark hybrid meant no harm. He was probably curious. Peregrine felt his guts clench when he realized he would have to explain.

"We lost our eldest," he said softly. "He didn't have a name, though we called him 'Derp.'" His lips twitched into a sad smile. "It happened the other day. We're not sure what happened. Fox woke up from a nap and he was... already gone." Peregrine did not speculate aloud about the causes. Perhaps his mate had rolled on "Derp" in her sleep, smothering him. Or maybe there had been something wrong with the boy and he'd just passed away in his sleep. There was really no use conjecturing at this point.