Bearclaw Valley A life of pain is the pain of life, and you can never escape it

He said it wasn't his choice, but he had answered the call. He'd fought her back, Ashlar had seen it. There was a reason for that. She betrayed family. He wished he could ask her, but she'd left. Ashlar was rocked again by the loss in that; she'd been his only friend here, and since he'd felt like less and less.

Ashlar couldn't leave until he understood what he needed to. He couldn't explain it, but something in Ursus tugged at spaces in him he did not know but needed to. No matter how badly they saw him, he would become something to them. He needed to.

And now, an impulsive idea came to him. He could feel the familiar anxiety curling up and encouraging him to let the words die, but he forced them out before he could be prevented. Then fight me. If words couldn't explain it, then maybe he needed to see it. And maybe an answered challenge was the only way to do so. His voice was bold, but it barely made up for the slight tremble in his legs as he stood ready.