Silvertip Mountain sun in the bloodied hand

merrick pinned ashlar with a stabbing expression.
it softened measure by measure as he saw how tormented the boy was! had become!
how blood did not ally and never had been the comfort of the supplicant.
"i will not command you to kill."
"i want to know that if wolves climbed ursus tomorrow and set themselves upon us, that you would defend."
"and i want to know that you are devoted to the bears as we are."
"killing," merrick went on, "is an art for some. a need for others. a necessity for many more. where you fall here is your own knowledge."
"look at arielle. she does not kill. but she seeks to know healing. she has found a role within ursus that means she is in service to it."