Oooh, this is quite intriguing, right off the bat. I love Merrik and Nikolai's interactions, and this--
He knew this agnate quite well.
--is so beautifully ominous. ^_^ And Nikolai's joke about the name made me snicker. That's wonderful. I can't wait to see what happens! ...Which is what I'm going to run off and do now. *G*