Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Return to the Feedlot

Rilian's eyes were wide as he stared up at me, a look of confusion and disbelief twisted onto his handsome face, his heavy brow furrowed as if he were trying to work out a puzzle.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Stay here," I said finally, moving to crawl through the hole. "I'll walk back towards the city and call Mordecai once the sun sets."

"Why the hell would you do that?" asked Rilian. He had reached out for me but quickly retracted his hand. I was already halfway out into the sunlight. "You could pass your proving!"

"I don't think I would have passed either way," I said sadly. "I'm a runt, Ril, even if I managed to bring you back, there was always going to be something."

"You don't know that for sure, man," Rilian said.

"You could have killed me back there, and you didn't," I said, "consider us even. "

"There is no way this makes us even," Rilian shouted after me as I dropped out to the ground in front of the cave. "ASPEN!"