Bearclaw Valley king pest

one of her little birds had flown the coop, wandering --

it was not uncommon these days for the black one or the red one to speed off, only to have a shadow pulling up the rear-guard.

she was unorthodox as a mother perhaps, but she had no idea what she was doing, and everything, much like her life, was simply winged -- including how to raise ursus' princeling children.

all was fine until she saw a leviathan's shadow swoop down upon her little red dove; all was fine, until she smelled the scent of other children, and drew the most erroneous conclusion.

was this merrick's other family? had he sown his seed in some other wretch? was this the answer for why he often skulked, not quite within her proximity, and not always in her periphery?

and secondly -- who was this insensate beast, who dared threaten a child of ursus' royal blood?

astara made very few noises in her life, but today was not that day.

today, she surged towards revui like a black swan unfurling; her teeth bared, a deep boom like thunder caught between her clattering jaws.

her tail arced behind her and her hackles flared as the mother threw herself against the mountain;

she would deal with merrick's bastards later.