Altar of Twilight You believe me like a god

Aureli was patient. This was not a decision to be rushed, though he, like Delos, had agreed to an apprenticeship with Ulysses before he'd even finished asking. The memory — and seeing it echoed here — brought another tiny smile to his face.

"We all make mistakes, Delos," he replied. "Even me. As my master liked to say: the learning, in truth, goes on forever. I would not turn you away for an honest mistake, or even for a few. There would come a point where we would have to discuss whether this is still the right path for you — but in life, there are risks that are quite unavoidable. Finding out you want or need something different than what you have is one of them."

He straightened, smiling more warmly than ever.

"Think about it," he told the boy. "I must go and visit Redhawk Caldera — and I think I ought to do that one on my own, don't you?" His eyes glimmered with the faintest trace of humor. "If you are very certain when I return that this is still what you want to do, we will go together to the next pack — and to every pack and every place thereafter."