Bearclaw Valley verbena

Ico was quietly relieved at Merrick's reassurance — he wasn't ready to walk through the deathly curtain into whatever lay beyond. He knew Merrick was grounded in this reality, but the one-eyed leader was also an eccentric to say the least. He did and said things Ico did not understand.

For instance, this concept of priesthood. Ico had heard of and met spiritualists, but never a priest. He wondered if it was connected to these other things about which Merrick spoke — ghosts, science... altars. I've never seen the altar, no, he breathed, looking up at the older wolf hopefully, eager for revelation.