Bearclaw Valley matthew died in this house

put out and wounded, merrick wandered the empty valley. he squinted his eyes against the scudding bits of ice that churned soundlessly with the snow; his breath burned in a pale column through the frigid air.
caiaphas.
she was everything. she was nothing.
the bear was silent as the boy began to sob hoarsely.

that noise, that terrible noise of grief, echoing through the cold air. jaylen wanted to dig a hole and curl up into it- it broke his heart to hear those sobbing cries. but instead he would search for the source. 

wind blows through brown fur as he follows the noise. frost lays upon his lashes, leathery nose sniffs at the wind as if hoping to catch a scent. but here he finds him, a dark, dark little thing. still feeling caution, hoping he would not further frighten the thing, or prompt it to violence- "what's wrong, little wolf?" comes the deep rumble of the bear's voice, as he stands a few yards back, watching it suffer.

indra tadec nunataq caiaphas no
he could not count her among that number. she had not meant to leave. she had not planned to abandon him. she would come back if she could —
but she had gone. but she had left. merrick's grief mounted; it seemed it would all but choke him to death.
the voice that came was kind, soft, and altogether alien.
sniffling, the boy turned round to see who offered solace — and turned to stone.
ruddy-brown and far larger than himself, stood a bear. its intelligent limpid eyes watched him placidly. the spirit spoke; merrick swallowed his sob and blinked.
"i've lost someone," he called hesitantly, scarcely hearing himself, scarcely breathing, scarcely believing what it was he looked upon.
a bear.
he trembled with terror and a great anticipation.

the boy tells jaylen he's lost someone, and if he wasn't already serious enough, his face becomes more solemn, eyes saddening upon the dark figure. the bear was a lighthearted and joyful one- but in nine years of life, one can lose much. he was not without his own experiences from youth- of losing friends, family, love. he had powered through his struggles, still maintaining a positive outlook on life. but there had been times that he had felt the same as merrick did now. 

as the boy trembled jaylen wondered if he had frightened him- feeling guilty for causing him further worry in a hard time. he hoped that his words would show the wolf that he did not intend to terrorize. "i'm so sorry. i understand how you feel. ive lived nine years and lost many, as well." he tried to empathize. "is there any way i can help you? in your time of grief," he adds, feeling a bit awkward and out of place, but still wanting to comfort the broken thing.

beyond merrick's wildest dreams, the bear spoke, offering hope. offering support. he could not believe what he was hearing — with an open almost-shyness that defied instinct, merrick stole closer on hesitant paws.
so very massive; so very unassuming. a bear in a valley of bears.
his mouth had gone dry.
"i want — i need —"
lips quivered. 
"— my mother."
indra caiaphas indra caiaphas; he swallowed another sob and stared up into the soft searching face of the ursine.

hesitantly, the boy comes closer to jaylen, who does not protest. he nearly wonders if he should pull the boy in for a warm hug, as he hugged aerasha... but he decided it would be best not to touch a smaller animal without their agreement. instead, round little ears twitch as he listens to the boy's response. those heart wrenching words. a boy without his mother... 

the boy's eyes look up at jaylen, who stares back with obsidian ones. his heart seizures in his chest, wishing he could help the boy. wishing he was a magic bear, wishing he could bring back the boy's mother with a single word or a snap of bearish paw. "i'm... i'm so sorry." comes the gentle whisper. dark eyes glossy, wet, a result of his overflowing empathy which tugged him to share the grief. and now jaylen sits back on his butt, and does stretch his arms out wide in each direction, as if to offer a hug. wondering whether it was a foreign concept to the wolves.

the ursine's face contorted into a savior's pain, as if reflecting all the agony upswelling and overspilling within merrick. not even astara looked at him with such open agony for his own wounds.
the bear made of himself a magdalene; without another thought for his safety, crushing instinct underfoot, merrick rushed into the heavy embrace and thrust his face into the thick winter pelage.
kill me; love me; a low croon of anguish emitted from darkened lips as his body began to warm and soften against the beautiful vessel for the wild spirit that clamoured in his chest.
merrick wept, as much for himself as to be touched by a god.