Not yet. Cecil was weighing it out. Which meant Nate's answer could make all the difference in the world. He swallowed.

It was easy to recognize he didn't want them to leave. And maybe easy to say that, too. But to persuade for it...?

Yeah, guess I can't really blame you for thinking that way. Sitting on his haunches, Nate glanced to either side of the grass at his feet before finding the courage to face Cecil again head on. That spirit gave us three doors... Three choices. And I went to save the fella in chains.

Months now Cecil kept looking at Nate like he might jump into the abyss at any moment. Mostly that'd made him sad, sometimes it'd made him angry. He told himself his life didn't mean so much compared to the others, and that he didn't want to die but he wasn't afraid to if it meant helping them.

Didn't want to understand why the others couldn't just accept, sometimes to win the war you had to lose a few soldiers. Didn't want to admit the only soldier he was ever willing to lose was himself.

The journey back had given him some time to ponder since then. Didn't think what he planned to say next would be much inspiration to Cecil... but it was the truth. It was the reason he slept poor and the first step on a long trail that brought them here. You couldn't tell about the end without knowing the beginning.

Too many times I haven't been able to do any real good for anyone. Lips tugged with self-effacing chagrin, I was in the army. Translator and scout... for the 1st and 2nd Cavalry, mostly. The ones they sent to conquer.

Joined soon as I was old enough. Thought maybe I could make a difference. A scoff. Did that make it better, that he'd had good intentions? Would Cecil still call them kin, knowing? Learned a thing or two about how some men practice hate like it's a kind of profession.

Smile twisted into something sad and thorny. Learned how scared folks are, too. Realized being scared was the reason for most of the shit men do to each other. Ears clipped sideways, Wolves, too, I guess.

There was more. He hadn't answered the question yet. But maybe after hearing the start, Cecil would decide they didn't want to stay for the end. Nate's throat closed in on itself and he wrestled for his tongue back long enough it might inspire interruption.