Bearclaw Valley my carnivore heart comes out after dark

Final post from me! Could maybe wrap this up with one more round from you guys…? Or however you three choose to do it! ^^

Following his question he listened. The albino was silent, giving the group of travellers the floor to speak as their offerings of skills were given. And as he kept from speaking he wondered if this was how it might always be from now on, with him having to stop and listen, rather than run straight on through things; the notion gave way for confusion to grow within him, unable to tell whether or not he liked the thought. Soon after he decided that it didn’t matter either way, whether or not he liked it, because it was necessary. If he wished to have his desires fulfilled and return the valley to its former glory, then he would have to change—evolve into something greater, a better version of himself. No longer were his teeth the only thing he could speak with, however tempting it was to continue on that way.

The reveal of a vulnerability had his ears erect atop his skull, listening far closer than ever before. He was struck immediately by the urge to turn him and his wives away, right then and there, for the weakness alone—but he did not. Muzzling the nagging voice in his head and refusing to give in to impulse, he continued to listen, recognising the good that stemmed from the bad. Though a worthy warrior no longer, he was not a useless creature to keep around. There were other benefits to granting him entry that outweighed the risks; Xan had to learn to accept the mind as being just as powerful as jaws, and what better way to take a step in that direction that by letting a wounded soldier join his ranks? In the long run, that would likely prove to be the better of his options, anyways.

With a nod, he showed that he had taken his words into account, but offered no hints at what his final decision might be. He instead looked towards the women as they shared their skills next, finding them just as useful—for the most part, that is. Neither being friends or nice were things that he could see a use for but he kept his mouth shut, letting only her abilities as a hunter influence his train of thought. And it was easy to ignore her more unconventional skills when Poet spoke, finding her offerings to be quite useful; he didn’t have someone within his ranks yet that could wield the medicinal properties of plants, or at least not one that he trusted.

Alexander did not wait for the third girl to speak before making his decision, as her input wouldn’t contribute much—the strengths of the others would not be outweighed by what she could not offer, so he left her to slide by on their backs. “I’ll let you join—all of you,” he said aloud then, gaze trailing across the females before settling on Wardruna. “Even with your eye, I hope I can trust you to fight, should we ever be under attack.” Trust was a difficult thing for him to put in someone, but he had no other way to put it. He wanted to trust them, as well as whoever else might follow him in the future. So, he let himself put the smallest sliver of trust in the group, silently hoping to himself that they wouldn’t let him down. It was a two-sided path, however, so he would also have to give them an opportunity to return the sentiment—which meant sharing a few extra details about their new home.

“Before any of you venture too far in and pick up on his scent, I should let you know that there’s a bear here,” he started with, figuring it was the most important thing. “He’s been here since before my parents even found this place, and he’s harmless. Just don’t get on his nerves—he likes to complain a lot.” And he would be the one to hear those complaints, just like his mother before him. “We also have neighbours—Easthollow,” he added, leaving out just how close they were; he figured this was something that they would discover on their own. “The pack is led by my sister, Desna, so you don’t have to worry about them. Just don’t outright disrespect them, I don’t want any tension between us.” Whether us meant the packs or him and his sister, he did not clarify, because he did not know. Turning, he threw his head in the direction of the valley, motioning for them to follow him inside.

“Welcome to Bearclaw Valley,” he said over his shoulder, then led them down the path. Within the valley’s walls, he bid them each farewell after pointing out the direction of the waterfall and maple woods—though the latter was near to them and easily seen—and then turned away to carry on with their days. Whilst they were left to explore, he’d return to the borders.