Bearclaw Valley Ladybugs will flee you, wolves run wild in you

cameo <3

drooping eye started as his son's proud howl rose from the direction of the meeting-place.
another iteration of the bear-witch might have shown himself immediately, preoccupied with thoughts of a coup.
but since his red girl had gone, and since ursus had shown them favour in the form of more children, merrick had kept himself resigned and mostly unseen, gone to ground. not with his blackbird, of course; he still wore her toothmarks in a ring around the orbit of his remaining eye, and retained a healthy worship of her. but with himself, and with his gods, an endless loop of hunting and listening and slumbering nearby.
he would let the boy alone. merrick had no doubts in aventus' piety. the bear had shown favour to their eldest. the bear-man would listen. would heed. would remember his own holiness and responsibility.
merrick settled himself again.