Bearclaw Valley why the little frenchman wears his hand in a sling

her eyes roll sideways to track Merrick's approach, and then roll almost (almost) imperceptibly upward. whether her father will chasten her for the silent sass is up to him. for her part, she lets him walk alongside her, chewing on his words, his silent question.

not dead, she finally says, looking straight ahead, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. that's just a fact. Aventus had survived the assault upon him. he is alive. she would visit his body if he had perished—perhaps more out of curiosity than anything else—but he is not dead.

his care is not within her paws. she has no responsibility to him. surely Merrick could understand that?