Porcupine Ridge auntblood

He understood these words on a bone-deep level, even if his kneejerk reaction was to disagree, and to tell Chakliux that he had worth outside of his wives and his son. What did such worth matter to a man? It was a thing that existed outside himself, and outside his own happiness. Something that mattered to Dutch far more than it mattered to Chakliux. And even now, Dutch knew that he could not go back to his roving lifestyle. Ariadne and the other Moonsingers were not his, exactly, not in the same way — but it was better than nothing. And if he had nothing, he knew it would be difficult not to be nothing. Even reuniting with Valiant would not be enough.

"Yes," he said quietly, and he did not say, I hunt this man for Chakliux.

But it was in his eyes.

Now, he found the grace and wherewithal to look away.