Bearclaw Valley This is where I reside
Firestorm
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Ooc — Liv
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#1
All Welcome 
AW!


A little less than a week had passed since Solaria's joining. 
The fire-kissed woman prowled dutifully through the valley each day, searching for someone to get to know, other than the Bear King and his blood-draped daughter. They were fine, but she supposed she shouldn't bother them unless they came looking for her first. 
Today was no different as she made her rounds, weaving through the valley both to mark the borders and add her scent, and to find a new face to become familiar with. 
The flame-nape woman had little idea that their numbers were dwindling a bit, but that didn't deter her from trying. 
Though, how she'd make much conversation without words, she didn't know. 
Perhaps she'd find out soon enough. 
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#2
merrick prowled after the silent woman.
the snow had settled but he had not; evien's skull sat on the altar and the coywolf was undone.
the blood upon her nape glinted like blood; it caused hunger to curl in his belly.
finally he showed himself to her. "how are you settling, vesta?" merrick purred, the single eye boring into her as if he saw reason to be suspicious behind her quiet tongue.
Firestorm
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#3
Solaria perked her ears as she saw the Bear-king approach, lowering her head a bit out of respect. 
Though his suspicious gaze didn't go unnoticed as he asked how she was settling. 
Sol wasn't sure how Merrick felt about being looked at full-on, but she briefly met his gaze with her own, canting her head to the side with a soft shrug.
I'm settling in just fine, I suppose. 
Though her eyes quickly left his, once she did what she could to respond to his question. 

Though she made it apparent she wasn't sure why he was so guarded to her. Yeah, being mute wasn't a common thing, but she really had nothing to explain why she couldn't talk, though she wished she did.
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#4
merrick was used to something like silence, but this was a quiet that wrapped him uncomfortably. "your queen does not speak. she has never needed to say a word." a cruel smile decorating his lips now; he took vesta's answer with an approving, brief nod. "and she is the better of us all."
his indigo-eyed obsidian carrionbird — merrick's heart filled with love and an exquisite singular ache for her now. 
"legion is that way," the coywolf went on in a completely different vein with a gesture northeast. "and easthollow, immediately north, was our closest neighbor. until recently," and merrick believed that his pride had done it. "we aren't on speaking terms with any of them."
Firestorm
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#5
She looked at him inquisitively as he spoke, catching each word with the silence of a guardian pillar.
Her interest was visible as he mentioned the queen, a silent wolf as well. 
Sol bowed her head deeply in some semblance of a bow, a gesture expressing: I look forward to meeting her someday 
Though the interest was merely out of the desire to bond with her fellow wolves in some way, Sol knew not how Merrick would take it. 
Though she could guess the silence was awkward with a new wolf, so she tilted her head like a curious pup to ask: Are you not used to silence in anyone but the queen?
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#6
"i am used to it," merrick answered, finding that he was happy to fill the blanks of silence where vesta peered curiously at him with expressive eyes. "she saved me," merrick recalled aloud, a smile sliding in to thaw the cool reaches of his expression.
"and we built this place, and ever since — ever since, we have grown in the sight of the bear." his blessing. the single eye sharpened. "do you know the bear spirit, vesta?"
Firestorm
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#7
Solaria listened, smiling softly at the king as he recalled memories long past. She could see the fondness in his face. 
Then he spoke of a bear spirit with a sharp eye, to which she just shook her head, though with that same shake, she dipped her muzzle briefly as an earnest invitation for him to explain the bear god/s to her.
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#8
vesta was a crafty soul, was she not, allowing merrick to wax poetic for the pleasure of his own ears. 
she could not speak, so he would do enough speaking for the both of them. "back when the world was not so cold, i saw a bear die. wounded. he breathed his last and his spirit came into me."
"i was born in this valley of bears. i was called back to build ursus. i have shed a thousand drops of blood, for blood is the backbone and pleasure of ursus. it was the bear who has led me these years. it will lead you too."
Firestorm
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#9
Solaria listened with interest, taking in his words. 
His claims were not all too strange, and though with some slight hidden hesitation, she accepted it as truth. 
At his last words, it will lead you too, she dipped her head in a firm nod and swayed her tail with enthusiasm as she firmly planted both paws before him, leaving crisp paw prints in the snow: I am with you
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#10
her loyalty did not need to be spoken aloud.
merrick held his head high for a moment, and then graced vesta with a brush of his scar-torn muzzle. "you are already a good student."
in the next moment he had drawn away and gone off, dancing aside with fast steps meant to tempt the red-nape into a run.
Firestorm
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#11
Sol wagged her tail slowly, appreciatively as Merrick praised her.
At his tempt, she obliged - loping and bouncing into a run. For all she knew, he wanted to play, or even tussle, so she came bolting back and planted into a play-bow before him, bouncing a couple times side to side before bounding a little ways and stopping to look at him.

Play? Fight? Playfight?

The red-nape was game, no matter what he threw at her for pack-bonding experience.
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#12
his single eye filled with a darkening pleasure at vesta's acceptance of his invitation; the coywolf lunged for her shimmering scarlet nape with a controlled click of jaws.
spar.
he wanted to see how well she would do in the field of battle; for merrick, always filled with a thousand things and none at all, thought only of blood and how it might be taken from his enemies.
cyclops-stare thrumming, waiting for vesta to swing her teeth.
Firestorm
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#13
Interest sheened in her eyes as Merrick clicked his teeth with a clear desire - spar. 

Sol grinned as he waited for her, gaze of sunset meeting his own eye. 
With little warning, she came alive like lightning and fire, charging and arcing her jaws for his cheek fur. 
Merrick didn't seem the gentle type, so as she aimed for this spot, she wasn't sure whether or not to regret not going directly for his face.
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#14
fangs flashed, tongue slithered; merrick felt the tips of her teeth nick his flesh, and fell back with a delighted laugh.
good, burned the single eye — she would be plentifully made in the land of bears.
he dashed toward her neck, striking whip-quick toward the side of her throat;
merrick meant that they might both leave with scars today, for gentle he was not, and sensed the same in pale vesta.
Firestorm
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#15
As he praised her in silence, Solaria smiled as he lunged for the side of her throat. 
Raising on her hind paws, toward him, Vesta made to collide with him chest to chest. If she succeeded, she'd try to throw him on his side. 
But who knew?
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
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#16
he was caught off-guard; merrick slipped and came down with a chuckle of surprise. good-natured and swift; he rolled to one side before he could be pinned.
but he was at a disadvantage to attack, and so only snapped his scarred jaws up in defense, a cackle beginning to sound in his throat.
Firestorm
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#17
Sol grinned widely as Merrick went down, missing as he rolled to the side while she attempted to catch his body in a loose pin, and failed. 

Vesta then aimed her teeth for his shoulder area as Merrick swung upward with his own teeth. 
She'd sacrifice some to land some. Sometimes that was what had to happen.
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
1,610 Posts
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#18
her fangs cut into his flesh; merrick felt his own connect. he snarled and twisted, tearing a new wound across the top of his shoulder, and fell away with a signalling flash of his plume that their spar end. "you have done well. won, even," the bear-king chuckled, bemused by the sight of blood upon each of them.
Firestorm
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#19
Solaria kept coming as they collided, at least at first. But sharp eyed and observant at the flash of Merrick's tail, she backed off with a goodhearted pant, tongue lolling as her King praised her. 
A shy smile came to her lips as silent thanks. And with that, she began to prowl away, the invitation clear in her scarlet hues as she glanced to the bear monarch before continuing.

Walk with me?
this is my book
and i know how to work the spells and charms in it
i know them all
1,610 Posts
Ooc — ebony
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#20
fade & have a new one? <3

merrick nodded at once, thankful for the adrenaline ebbing in his body, for the invigoration of their spar. his single eye favoured her as he fell into step along the red-nape, happy to go where vesta might lead in ursus, and remain with her a while in their hallowed territory.