Bearclaw Valley eight seconds

Aventus watched mutely as his father's rage bled out around him, confused by the display but silent. This was what Merrick had wanted, and his son had delivered, albeit via a vector. He wanted to announce this victory, but wisely held his tongue. He would seek Merrick later, when the loss was less fresh.

For that was what it was: Evien's death could be nothing but a loss, even if Merrick had ordered it. His sire had his reasons. The bear required blood.

Next time, it would be Avicus who died. The gaze he leveled on his sister was devoid of any hint of warmth, care, or respect for her. Only the paranoid belief that she would kill him if given the chance, and that his only course for survival was to hold her at arm's length, and kill her first if she tried. The chilling and emotionless declaration of not dead over his broken body had severed the bond between them, at least on his end. He saw her as an obstacle, and now that he could command the bear, he was better than she would ever be. More dangerous by far.

Yet he would not disobey his sire, to whom all his previous respect for his sister had been transferred. Wordlessly, numbly, he began to dig at the hard earth as well, losing himself in repetition and the reverberating pain in his toes and nails.