Bearclaw Valley silkrobe doorsill

for @Arielle & @Ashlar, when/if yall have time! short posts welcome

"look look look," he clucked to them both.
merrick had spread a fish in pieces on the wind-held side of a slope, where the message would be carried to hungry bruins. he crouched back in the foliage, motioning with an excited jerk of his scarred muzzle as heavy footfalls announced their honored guest.
a young black bear, ear notched and wary as large paws began to scrape fishpaste into his squat muzzle. "we will give him homage," merrick decided, and without waiting, broke from cover to give an obeisant chuff the bear's way. "thank you for coming."

She followed closely at the shadow's side, feeling the buzz of his excitement and wanting to know what had summoned the feeling within him. There was another with them today—a wolf she did not know. She regarded him with friendly interest while they walked but she hadn't yet said anything. Arielle was usually quiet unless asked to speak or she felt she had something she needed to say. She wanted to know this boy, though, just as she wanted to know all of the pack. She thought it would be important to be on good terms with everyone if she was going to study to be their healer.

At Merrick's coaxing words, she froze, her electric gold gaze whipping to the place where she could smell food. Had he brought them there to eat? That questioned was quickly answered: a black bear came from somewhere in the trees to feast on the pieces of fish scattered along the ground. She watched him, at first with fear as her heart began to beat furiously in her chest. 

But then her leader stepped out in the open, no wariness in his features. He explained that they would give homage—whatever that was—to the beast. When she joined he had told her of their dedication to the bears that shared the valley, and she had understood the words, even agreed to follow the same beliefs. But there was something different about the large creature there, in front of her. Merrick wasn't scared, though, and she took her cue from him. 

Arielle stepped out to stand with the shadow, her gaze moving briefly to her packmate to see if he would join as well. Then she focused solely on the bear, her eyes widening in wonder. This is how we pay h-homage? she asked quietly, her tone genuinely curious. Are there any other ways we do that? Whatever the word meant, she understood the meaning behind it, at least enough to do what Merrick expected of her.

Ashlar had kept himself distant with shame since the coyote, and even moreso since Avicus' departure. He felt the eyes of the bear on him, burning him for his cowardice. He might have followed her when she left, but he would have been useless to her. She could hunt far better without him.

The boy thought his reckoning had finally come when Merrick called to him. He approached with a low bearing, but was surprised to find the king in high spirits. He was not confident enough to allow this to ease him entirely, but it did give him enough pause to notice the girl who was there as well. He had not met her yet but she seemed eager to learn. He wondered if, were she there, she'd have done what he couldn't. Probably.

Perhaps in time, she could teach him. He'd never before had cause to wonder if there was a lesson he was incapable of learning. Now he knew doubt.

little arielle, slipping out into the open after him. merrick thrilled with the trust she had placed in her bearwitch, and stood with approving eye upon the bear that paused and looked curiously toward the trio of wolves. "we let him eat anything he wants. the healer before you knew our way and was chosen fro ursus' greatest glory," he told her glibly —
oh evien why did the bear mean you where have you gone why do you no longer speak back to me
and then a ribald little laugh, "so they won't be searching for medics this time!"
merrick meant to terrify and cheer and encourage arielle, to show her that they must exist alongside their betters in a world that he meant for them all.
"mostly, only, respect," and this time he glanced at ashlar. perhaps avicus had not been the proper catalyst for his design. another approach, then, and this time with two wide-eyed skeptics.
"this valley is yours," he told the bear gently, raising his voice no further. "all we have is yours." the animal blinked, round ears cupping forward as broad nose ascertained that there was no threat from these wolves, and a low spinning vibrating chuff came from the heavy jet throat.

Her eyes widened as she peered up at Merrick. She swallowed, clearly unsettled by his implication that the previous medic had been eaten by one of these bears. 

But then he spoke to the beast, and it seemed at ease with their presence. Her heart slowed a little in her chest, and she watched with hesitant wonder. Her gaze shifted between the leader and the bear a few times. She didn't want to be eaten by one of these creatures; it didn't seem like a fast or painless process. Arielle feared that he wouldn't want to heart those words from her, and so she kept the fear locked tight in her chest. It seemed she would have no say in the matter anyway.

With wide, firelight eyes still glued to the bear, she finally repeated:Respect. She could manage that. How could one not respect such a formidable creature?

Ashlar had failed to notice the bear, even with their speaking of it, until Merrick addressed it directly. When he looked and caught sight of it, he instinctually quailed. This was not his friend - was it the bear Avicus had spoken of? The one who was angry?

He'd thought bravely that he might sing to it if he met it in an attempt to soothe its rage. Now, looking at an unfamiliar hulking form, he knew that he would not be able to make a sound at that moment. To do so would draw attention of not only the bear, but the king as well. What if he disliked that, and this meet was for another reason?

Merrick instead spoke for them all. Ashlar's ears turned back, but he managed to keep himself from dropping to the ground at least when the creature's attention turned to them. He was too afraid to notice any fear in either of the others, but his own was apparent.

All we have is yours. Why was he called here? What was he meant to do?

"the bears are what give ursus its power. we are even named for them," merrick explained to stricken, reverent arielle and fearful silent ashlar. one day, one day the boy would find his power. it irked the bearwolf that this had not yet happened.
"we honor them. in the winter they sleep. in the spring they wake. at times they speak to us. this valley belongs to us and they allow us, to live here. as long as we are holy. as long as we remember their names."
the bear lifted its head, staring now at ashlar with a look that merrick found inscrutable, and then arielle, muzzle dripping and dark body still.

She listened silently as Merrick told them more of the bears—how they allowed the pack to live here as long as they honored them and remembered their name; as long as they were holy. But she wondered how they made sure they were holy. The question bubbled up in her throat and she was about to ask it, but then the bear was staring directly at her. She didn't see any discontent in the creature's expression. Arielle was careful not to look away as she forced her muscles to relax. Her fight or flight instinct was trying to break through her outward calm and tell her she should run far away from this place; she ignored it. Merrick wasn't afraid, and so she would not be either. 

The tip of her tail wagged as she continued to hold the bear's gaze, and she dipped her head some, hoping to show her respect. She hoped it was the right thing to do. If not—she dashed the thought away; it was too scary to imagine and it would shatter the calm she worked so hard to portray to the creature and to her leader and packmate.

Ashlar was caught when the bear looked at him and he couldn't tear away. He couldn't help but remember Avicus and the coyote. He'd been frozen then too, just the same, and his legs trembled involuntarily. This bear did not speak like his friend had, but something about that stare frightened him. Not even the claws and the fangs it came with, but that it seemed to know him.

Softly, Ashlar began to hum to himself. It was a song from his youth, one his mother had taught him long ago, and it was a blanket that usually brought him the comforting warmth of her safety when he was afraid. He did not know what Merrick or Arielle would think of it, but it was something he needed. Quiet, so that he could still hear the bear king's words.

arielle dipped her head. ashlar began to hum.
merrick saw the wisdom then, of bringing them together.
the bear was still, but the madman sensed the relaxation in the heavy creature. it began to sniff for fish again, undeterred by the reverence of ursus.
he named each of the supplicants, and himself, before bending low in a bow.
"come on," he told the pair, leading them a fair distance from the bruin before turning.
"inside your mind, did you feel his voice?" pinning each of them in turn with his wanting stare.

She followed quietly as Merrick lead them away from the bear, casting a few curious glances at the beast as they moved. 

When he turned to them, she paused. She thought a few moments about his question, a frown forming on her face. No, she said softly, her shoulders sagging. I didn't hear anything. Disappointment was clear on her face. Did that mean she wasn't worthy? Had she done something wrong? There was still so much mystery surrounding the giant creatures. She felt like she would never be able to understand everything.

Ashlar didn't speak, simply shook his head. He kept his eyes on the ground, but his skin was still crawling.

He hadn't liked the way the bear's eyes caught him. And he wasn't sure he liked Merrick's mention of letting it eat where it wished.

It wasn't like he thought the bear king would sacrifice one of them, but... there was a strange, uncomfortable tension in him when Merrick said it. Like maybe, if the bear asked.... he might.

"it comes and it goes," he told arielle gently. "you will hear it too, ashlar. one day." 
merrick's spirits were not diminished. he swept his tail in a wide arc.
"did you know that there is a singer among us?" he asked of the aspiring medic. "a bard." mismatched gaze falling to ashlar now. "and she works with herbs. perhaps you two should find a way to pass the next hours together."
was any suggestion from merrick less than an order?

Merrick's words gave her some relief. She just hoped that soon she might come to know the bears as their leader did.

Her bright gaze moved to Ashlar as Merrick stated that the quiet man could sing. She didn't think she had ever heard someone sing, so of course her expression was lit with intrigue.

The suggestion that they should spend time together settled over Arielle like the veiled command it was. She gently wagged her tail and nodded her understanding, pairing the movement with a soft: Okay.

A bard.  Despite his recent revelation, Ashlar couldn't help the small flush of pride he felt when Merrick seemed to praise him for the skill he'd thought unappreciated. Maybe... maybe he wouldn't need to heal after all? But she was an herbalist, and he wished Ashlar to spend time with her. To learn from her.

Would she learn from him as well?

Despite the frustration Ashlar still felt at being shoved into a practice he found difficult (at best) and deeply unpleasant, he couldn't feel any towards Arielle. Instead a small, burgeoning hope broke through that maybe they would be friends, just as he and Avicus had been. Even if it only lasted so long... he would take all that they would give. She seemed nice enough so far and to be learning things as he did. Perhaps she could help him to understand what it was that drove the bear pack so fiercely.

He nodded, glancing her way before averting his eyes. Yeah, okay. He was still clearly nervous, but through the hesitation, there was no reluctance.

last for me! <3

merrick smiled upon their obedient little heads. "good. keep that going for a while." evien had been both, somehow. he would not expect that level of perfection from them. the former bruin-leaf had become a sort of demi-god, after all.
he blinked in the way that he did, face becoming dark and immobile for a second, before he turned away and melted into the primordial forest.

last from me!
i can start a thread for ashlar and arielle for directly after this if you're up for it!

She nodded and watched Merrick turn away, quiet for a few moments before shifting her gaze over to her packmate. Careful not to meet his gaze, she gave a small smile. I know a nice place we can go, she told Ashlar. She paused a moment and offered an uncertain shrug of her slender shoulders. If that's okay with you.

She would wait for his answer and then head that way. Whether or not he wanted to come, she was going there anyway; there were many plants she wanted to observe.

if you like! We can also have a current one if you want, and say they've met a few times? Backdating this far is a little harder for me, but I can go either way!

Since he'd already given his answer, when she asked if it was okay, Ashlar just nodded. Then, as she began to lead, he followed after.

Despite her easy nature, he would be a stuttering mess for the next while as he got used to her manner and presence. He knew this and it added to his hesitance, but he was curious too. What was this place she spoke of?