Bearclaw Valley dream-land

astara's growl was enough to send merrick elsewhere; astara caught the wistfulness of that single eye, felt the pulling string of strangeness as it plucked and snapped like a cord between them.

but the child mattered more now; perhaps more than her, or her sense of pride. she lowered her jaws to the drowsy babe, her teeth gently gripping avicus' scruff. she stole one last look to merrick, before she and avicus disappeared in the gloom of the den.