Duskfire Glacier this skin is tainted by wasted days

The weight of the news he offered finally hit hard. Grief tethered itself to his heart and Reek began to feel his spirit sink like a lead balloon; slowly drifting downward to never fly again. Had it been a challenge to his lead, perhaps Reek would have left with his pride intact— to have known he fought and lost would have been closure in itself. But this, this forcible removal, felt far worse.

Reek shook his head. "No," he said. "I made a poor choice— Now I have to deal with the consequences." His answer remained vague. Reek did not wish to speak of his broken mateship and the family he was leaving behind as it would only add to his grief.