Bearclaw Valley skull aria

merrick pinned the girl with his single eye as if it were a rusted blade with which he might carve laurel out of her.
there was more than one way to do this however. merrick crossed his forelegs and set his chin upon his bony wrist. his mouth flexed, wet and mobile and mad as the rest of him.
"i don't know what you're talking about, indra."
his chest did not move with a breath; he held it.
"you've never had a mother."