“I was an i***t—naïve and angry at just— AHHH! EVERYONE! Aldor, it was so selfish and stupid! I had this insane notion that I had to save the world, that my efforts in the army would actually make a difference! How could I just leave them like that? How? My parents, Jasper, my sister, Ace… I loved them, and I just left! Ace even wanted to come! She wanted to help, and I left! I left them all behind!”
Dale was more than crying, his body twitching with convulsive sobs. His chin trembled like a small child's, his body curling in a shriveled, insignificant position. Aldor didn't really know what to do. Raw emotions finally erupted from the huntsman, ones he'd been burying deep for too long.
“The world needed you.”
Dale's face was a storm of pain, guilt, and misery. His voice shook, and his
