Bearclaw Valley dolce

"he was our first great healer."
merrick's voice was a reverie. stryx kept herself so well-oiled that he did not know the internal conflict which marked the brusque healer.
perhaps if he had looked into her eyes —
"i loved him. he had a bad leg and a blind eye and — i loved everything about him."
merrick's breath shuddered.
"the bear chose him. through aventus — evien was the price paid for my son to be recognized as heir."
merrick closed his single eye, turning the plateau of his face into torn darkness.
"anyway," gaze still shuttered as he tasted salt upon his lips, "he chose arielle. you should speak with him too."