Bearclaw Valley A glimpse of you, a remnant trace

well bishop had come and gone, and in the churning fights that came often to ursus, merrick had seen fit to place his energies elsewhere. but he had not forgotten the growing rogue, nor how the cold observant light seen in the eyes of the boy reminded him of 
his own, 
and it set merrick in the belief that he must ascend to kingship while aventus found his role as prince. the children left by revui would, he hoped, be gifted the primal mind and cunning strength of their father. and the size of their mother, he supposed; he had found her unremarkable and long had she been dead.
he found the darkened fledgling traveling across bearclaw, and followed him in his silent way until the boy paused or slowed. there merrick would fade in from the treeline, murmuring, "have you been to see the bones yet?"