Bearclaw Valley dancing with the devil

It was only fair of him to share a bit with his potential future leader. What Merrick chose to do with that information was up to him, but Evien wasn't sure he was willing to tell the black wolf the difference between the good and bad herbs just yet. 

           "I always have questions," he said with a soft huff of laughter, tail swaying more genuinely behind him. But those questions could wait - Merrick had his own, first. Demands would probably be the better word for them, but Evien didn't mind. 

          As it always did, his throat went a bit dry when he thought of his mother. He swallowed to wet it again before he could respond. "My mother poisoned me. Just enough to keep me sick, so I couldn't leave." The words were precise, to the point. No emotion attached. "Eventually, I found out and left. Couldn't stay with her after I learned the truth." 
 
        His attention flicked back to the boy before him instead of his memory, and he angled his ears forward. "You deserve my honesty if I hope to stay here," he said simply. "I hope I can receive the same from you." A beat of silence, and then: "What would you expect from me, if I were to join you?"