Silvertip Mountain aspersion

Aventus looked up from the cache he was digging, ears twisting to meet Merrick's howl. His breath rose from his nostrils in a sigh, curling away on a plume of steam. He glanced once at the pair of pikas he meant to bury there. The probability of some hungry coyote or raptor swooping in to snacth them while he was away was high, but it was a chance he would have to take. With the news he had to deliver, it was best not to risk Merrick's ire by taking his sweet time getting there.

With a huff, the Bruin-jaw left the cache, scraping his hind paws every ten steps or so to remind himself of the way back. When he arrived, Arielle was already there and seated. He hastened in beside her, but found he could not sit down once his eyes found the bones.

Evien's skull and the old yellow pelvic bone were familiar sights. Those would not have bothered him. What did was the second skull, still fresh and white. Aventus stared into the empty eyes and felt his jaw clench. He could swear he could still see the indigo there, swirling like a lone, wild flame in those sunken pits. He swallowed once and willed himself to look at Merrick instead. Was it desecration to do this to his mother, or was it worship?

He knew he needed to tell his father about Nyra and Moonglow, but for the time being, he could not form any words at all.