Aldor knew that Dale was debating on whether to tell the truth. “I’m a huntsman,” he finally replied. “But as I said, you need someone the king trusts.”
Aldor shook his head. “I need survivors. There’s no one else here that even comes close to being as good a shot as you. You’re a huntsman. You can provide, shoot, fight… You’re the first person I’ve asked. Please… Think about it.”
As Aldor got up to leave, Dale grabbed his wrist. “Listen, I want to go with you, I really do. But I have a brother. He’s the only thing keeping me back.”
“So?”
“So,” continued Dale, “if he says no, you’ll probably never see me again. If he says yes, we’ll both come.”
“How old is he? Your brother?”
Dale hesitated. “Fourteen.”
Aldor stared. He couldn’t let a child come along. “Out of the question. It’s a su
