Whitefish River a thousand times good night

it was the girl who addressed merrick first, rounding on him with a bit of ferocity. he liked it immensely, and would have indulged a situation in which she could truly show him her teeth, were it not for the watchful eye of the woman behind her. 
”i’m notch,” the boy lied easily, ”and that was gonna be my dinner. been a while,” he embellished, punctuating it with a rueful laugh.
”i’m not too close, am i?” merrick inquired, glancing warily between the pair.
this close, he could see the flint of the girl’s stare, catch a whiff of what was definitely The Boy’s scent. and the hunter. was this where he had taken his family to recover? was this one any relation to them? 
merrick need only bide his time.