Bearclaw Valley Why is the raven like a writing desk?

merrick stood upon the stone at the entrance. he had come upon the scent of the interloper but did not follow it into the territory.
the cry of their bruin-heart was feral and delighted; it fired the bearwitch and as the fleeing intruder passed below the shadow of the rock, he jumped down, snapping for her tail;
a child, a girl-child;
if he missed or if he did not, it did not matter; he gave full chase now, thinking of blood in the wide white expanse of wapun meadow and how it would be beautiful to kill her there.