Bearclaw Valley your dark splendor

nostrils flared in ire as evien moved to keep merrick from leaving. head sank down between his creamrust shoulders; tongue slithered out to lap the side of his scarred muzzle.
a step, the high flare of his tail as hackles sprang to life and he thrust his ragged ears toward evien in the clear ancient demand for capitulation.
"you're a swell guy. don't do anything you're going to regret. ursus needs you," merrick bid softly, clapping the healer's shoulder with a secret dig of his fingernails.
with that the man flicked tailtip and began to curve around the doctor, intending to head for the mouth of their paw-shaped valley.