Bearclaw Valley one who is already beyond life himself

"i know that you won't," merrick smiled, and truly in all his heart he felt it.
none had ascended so far into his esteem as evien; to fall from this height was to court death at the hand of the very man who had favoured you. 
it was a very good thing, then, that merrick trusted the doctor not to misstep. 
"i think you will do well for us. maybe we need a ... different sort of eye on things," the prince chuckled, thinking of how alike he and the blackbird were even in their distance. "i should go find her. tell her. or," merrick grew thoughtful. "she might like to hear it from you."