Lion Head Mesa Dangerous objects

merrick looked at satsu. the morass of scars shifted. he knew her words to be a summons, no matter how polite. the long name she had given. queen ascendant. he knew that he was the chosen of the bears and through he and the blackbird, this lineage belonged to their children.
she was gone before he said a word. not that he had meant to say anything. "this place is pretentious," he muttered to slate. 
the older woman had warmed to the queen. merrick wondered only what the gilded blood of her servant might taste like; how it might froth upon his tongue.