Stone Circle juniper underground

easthollow had fallen.
merrick stood before the stones, staring at the ones that had fallen —
wind ruffled the red-cream of his hackles.
where had laurel gone?
the bear-prince walked solemnly through the land he only scarcely recalled;
snowlull still left him wandering into drifts, leaving long tracks in his wake as he searched for any trace of the wretched woman.

[narrow]Maybe Skoll was curious about where Merrick had gone. He was curious, anyway. Even more at the fact the scent of the pack that lingered here before was gone. This was the one Revui had picked a fight with, wasn't it? The pack had seemed so strong, then, so why was it gone now? Skoll remembered what Merrick told him about his family, about Easthollow. Wasn't it the man's goal to rid the lands of the pack? The pack was gone now. What was next? Was he going to hunt down every wolf that stepped foot within it? Skoll wasn't sure Merrick was that stupid. Still, sometimes the other wolf did manage to surprise him. 

"Merrick." Skoll voiced. 

It had been some time since the two spoke. Skoll followed behind, within the trail of the footsteps that crushed beneath the snow. The dark male was taller than the coywolf, still it didn't matter to Skoll himself. What was Merrick looking for? Surely not anyone from Ursus. Searching here would do no good. Skoll did recall the story, of Indra, was he looking for some kind of relation to her? She was long dead, Skoll knew. Merrick killed her. Skoll told Merrick he could trust the wolves of Ursus to be there, and he'd meant it. Even if he had no idea what Merrick could possibly be doing.

merrick.
"skoll."
his scar-torn lips tipped into a ragged curve; he would have stepped forward to sweep the tall soldier into a lingering embrace had not the man began to speak of his sister.
and when he had finished giving the missive in his usual direct way, merrick let out his breath in a long plume of white.
"ursus will not be the same without your presence, but of course, you must go."
with good thanks and gratitude he bid the beautiful man depart, and until skoll was swallowed by the blowing snow, merrick watched him go with pain thorning its way through his heart.