Bearclaw Valley soot & violets

val flinched under the burn of that single eye; for all its lack of a companion, it did plenty to communicate the emotions behind its wielder. "i was hunting." val answered, and when he saw the glare of merrick's countenance, he knew that was not the right answer to a question which had doublefold meaning. "aventus found me." the boy began to explain, feeling as if his skin was gradually being undressed from him, layer by gristly layer until he was but vulnerable and brittle bone.

"we talked. he gave me an offer." val still wondered what it was aventus saw in him -- but, in a way, he couldn't explain what it was that drew him to aventus either. could it be that the boywolf, now man, filled a contemporary role in val's life that he had always yearned to see fulfilled? val was friendly, but he had never had friends -- only siblings and mothers and other wolves of familial tie. it seemed, in a way, aventus had shown up at the right time. or maybe it was val.

before val knew it, he was saying too much. "he said my experience with a bear made me stronger. he said i could learn to conquer my fear, and maybe be stronger." he was rambling incoherently, feeling as if he were an ant under the glaring gaze of a great piece of sunlit glass. "should i not be here? i... i can go."