Duskfire Glacier Nukak

That is exactly why I didn't tell them, he answered. I was afraid they would try to make me stay. He had grown up knowing that he was special to his family—he was the only living member of his litter. He had also grown up wondering why he had been the one to survive. They had all been sick, but why had he gotten better while his littermates all died? It had given him a heavy sense of responsibility. He felt he owed the universe to lead some grand life, which was why he often wandered; sometimes, he felt lost, and being alone was the only way he could properly collect his thoughts. 

They knew I was considering it, at least. But I worried I would stay out of guilt. He had also been afraid to say goodbye, but he'd keep that part to himself.