Nate hesitated at the gates.

Sing.
Sing like the Red Bird, and bring back the joy of Sun. His throat tightened. He felt the burden of his ancestors.

Fight.
Fight monsters, fight for land, for family, for freedom. He'd been sold that lie before. But he'd been good at soldiering. Maybe this time it would be different... maybe it would matter. Maybe it would be his end, but maybe that would be worth it.

Judge.
Nate swallowed.

All this time, and it was only another man. Lost and alone and hurting... and... it felt strange, to give Nate, or anyone else, a say in what the consequence should be for losing hope.

But he had to choose. The only route beyond consideration was to do nothing at all.

It could matter, to simply lift his voice in song.

Hadn't he given enough, already? Would he ever?

Others would take the harder roads. Bear the weight of responsibility.

...But what if no one did? What if he kept his peace, and the silence of a single man meant hatred won, instead? Or what if his voice still wasn't enough to turn the tide?

He looked back at the first door, again.

Then — turned into the third.

---

Grimacing through the uncomfortable tingle of magic on his fur, Nate shivered, blinking through a sudden bright blue. Then stared in awe at the battle underway between crumbled stone. Sorrow turned to violent rage bled from every wound across the captive stranger. Nate ached.

This was an enemy.

They were dangerous.

But wasn't everyone? Nate knew what grief did to the helpless. And this one, he'd waited... all this time, for a rescue, never faltering. How many others could claim that dedication? It seemed the shock, the sudden pain of having everything you hoped and believed in ripped away, ruled this captive now.

Which meant they must have a way back.

Nate had to believe there was a way back.

The right thing and the smart thing weren't always the same. In Nate's case, he was still waiting for the day they'd both align. But he'd still made the choice, in an instant.

He's not the enemy! Nate called out, ears pinning at the violent accusation of a calico she-wolf dressed in gold who had come in just before.

He's been trapped here, just like the rest of us! And lunged after her, then, set upon the task of putting himself between the captive and his attackers, to give the rest time to free him.

We're not like the others! We can be better, we have to be! Nate snarled. Let him go!

---