Silvertip Mountain loss of breath

asperas slithered away from the fray she had created, lunging away on gangly nightmare legs for the tall and proud secrecy of ursus.
merrick felt as though she would go to her mother. the land felt as though it might crumble beneath his paws. why had the bear put such a shard in asperas so early? 
but the witch was not to question.
he would hurry to her after. the madwolf thought only that she had stormed away in anger, and felt relief that this conflict should be over.
he turned back to avicus, somehow irritated that she continued only to speak of this boy. but their reunion had been ugly. she was not to blame for that. 
merrick finally caught sight of ashlar, and saw the way his daughter's eyes fell upon the bard. 
"i see that i cannot stop you."
but he would not help. he had given enough to avicus this hour, and now he must mend his bond with the snake-child. 
"i gave him a place among us. he returned and i gave him another. now he has gone. he chooses no part of ursus."
"who harmed you?" merrick demanded suddenly.
the blaze of his eye fell to ashlar for a moment.