Bearclaw Valley pack and forth

Ico silently consented to being scanned, searched, awaiting his fate... and then there it was. The expected yet unexpected yes. His heart leaped into his throat at this, and a little tremour went through his body; but he didn't flee, for Merrick wasn't announcing his imminent execution. He was merely doubling down on the violent nature of Ursus.

But he also doubled down on something else: nobody at Ursus was keeping him here. If Ico was discontent, he could leave. But such flights of fancy were possibilities for the likes of Merrick and most others in Ursus; Ico, on the other hand, was weak, modest, uncertain. He'd only survived his brief stint as a lone wolf thanks to pure luck. Ico had convinced himself that he was more likely to die out there than in Bearclaw Valley.

He would not point out that nobody else would have him. Merrick didn't need to hear that. But perhaps he needed to hear something else —

Thank you. Thank you for saying that.