Bearclaw Valley nails twisted in the palms of christ

tagging @Glaucos & @Astyanax for visibility!

following his excursion, merrick had come back.
along the redcrush path he had trudged, and then with diligence, deeper, toward where @Ikkalrok made her den. did she know that revui had gone? given her over as offerings, and the lives, yet worthless to merrick, that she had borne him?
the leader prowled along the edge of the foliage where he had skulked with the grey mountain once; here he stood, some distance away, and chuffed for the silent shadow who had grappled with his raven.

He was hungry. It was a new feeling and he did not like it. Sort-of felt like a burning in the back of his throat reminding him he was empty inside. Before, he could shove himself against his mother after a nap and be satisfied immediately, but it was different now.

A shape darkened the den mouth, prompting the lift of his nose to the shadow, a roll to his belly. He turtles there a moment, sprawled, and with some shimmying Glaucos moves closer to the shape.

Was it mother with food...?