Bearclaw Valley pack and forth

Ico watched him carefully, white ears lowering slowly in a show of quiet submission, for often he did fear Merrick and his unpredictable nature. The youth wished very much not to insult the pack or its ways, but... most of all he wished for peace.

He listened carefully, and understood the logic in words that were otherwise so wild and unyielding. But dare he tell Merrick that there had been far less violence in Walnut Grove, where Ico had been born? No, he didn't dare. Partly because he respected the red-eyed wildling too much to contract him, and partly because he appreciated that to do so would be borderline irrelevant to the point the dark bear was making.

The unexpected reveal that he could leave without consequence alleviated some of the guilt in Ico's weary mind, but he knew he would not leave —

You're the only ones who wanted me.

Merrick... he began softly, knowing himself incapable of embracing violence or being able to defend himself; do you think I will be killed?