Bearclaw Valley interim

he blinked. mouth twitched in a frown or a smile; it was all so muddled these days. merrick knew not what would feel from moment to moment. nor did he try to stop whatever impulse took him. so far, it had worked, hadn't it? they were back in his lands, the lands where he had been born. the exact valley. 
and they were thriving.
the bear roared to life in his chest, and a smirk curled up the corners of his eyes like smoke. "well it's past all that now, i think. i was content to leave them alone, at least for a while. then that boy came and," 
tongue lapped a still-oozing wound along his jaw,
"now i can't very well roll out the welcome mat, can i, evien? no." he sighed, tipped the beautiful young physician a hesitant smile. "they disrespected me. they disrespected ursus. came here and started a fight." he straightened, shook out his redcream nape. "you have been my conscience, sometimes."