Stone Circle I need to find a place where my heart can go to heal.

Sorin kept his eyes riveted on Merrit as the man acknowledged his greeting. The shadow had learned long ago how to gather information from the expressions of others. Some might say gathering such information was underhanded, or that it had no value, that spoken word was far more valuable. Sorin had once believed such things, but life had taught him otherwise. So he did his best to discern what he could from Merrit's expression, while also trying to guard his own soul. 

The youth confirmed his assumptions about Valette, and Sorin simply nodded when Merrit said the leader would likely be joining them. It was only right that leaders took care of such things. He hoped Valette would be a leader worth following, that Merrit's trust was not misplaced through familial loyalty. He would certainly give Valette the benefit of the doubt; he had too, seeing as he intended to join. His guard however, would not fall entirely. 

Sorin merely flicked an ear in silent hope and agreement to Merrit's words concerning Easthollow as a place of worth. While Sorin supposed they were meant to encourage, his cautious nature simply did not allow him to trust at face value. A near imperceptible smile did flicker out however, at Merrit's comparison to family. "Family would be nice," Sorin whispered, speaking more to himself than the man in front of him. It had been so long since he had truly felt kinship among a large group. He only hoped Easthollow could provide him such comfort. 

As the youth's gaze wavered slightly, Sorin once again locked eyes with him. Merrit's expression regained its stoicness in short order, but something had gotten under his skin. Something he had said, Sorin suspected he didn't quite believe in. Lying to others was easy, lying to oneself was a different challenge. However, the youth before Sorin did not have a monopoly on broken masks tonight. For as the man issued his next statement, Sorin's mask slipped slightly, revealing the deep pain beneath. "Once, I had one," he replied. Once, his parents had cared for him, his brothers and sister had played with him. Once, he had a mentor, a guide, to teach what his parents could not after their death. But that had all been torn away, ripped from Sorin in the worst way possible. Despite priding himself on masking his expressions, Sorin could not help the pain that shone in his eyes for a heartbeat as he remembered such loss. 

He regained his composure quickly as another approached. She introduced herself as Valette, and Sorin bowed his head slightly in submission before the pack leader. She may have approached in a friendly manner, but high rank was high rank at the end of the day. And high rank deserved extra respect. "Hello," he said after a moment's pause in which he assumed Merrit might make some comment. "Its an honor to meet you, and I hope to join your ranks, if you'll have me."