Bearclaw Valley Parents sometimes show love through velocity

I believe that Ashlar is a failure within Ursus, said Aventus, unabashed to speak his mind, but he must rise, or he must go. There was no room for weakness in Ursus. Aventus meant to force Ashlar to show his teeth and show his worth to those who fed and protected him. The boy suspected Ashlar only remained because he was terrified of the alternative.

He will either prove himself a man of Ursus, or prove a distraction for the rest of us to get away if it goes wrong, he decided. Perhaps it was callous of him to dismiss Ashlar so easily, but he had yet to see anything of merit in the other wolf. A soft man, with none of the steel required to run with bears.

Except... He wished me to fight him, right after Avicus... Aventus didn't finish the thought, twisting his face into a pained grimace instead. But he cowered when I commanded him to. He fell silent, contemplating Merrick's suggestions.

Surya. He had forgotten about that one, and resolved to keep him in mind from now on.