Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Loss, Part 5

Rath said nothing, hiding in several sips of brandy, then staring at the glass as he rolled it back and forth in his palms.

"Why did you join the tournament, Master Rath? I've watched the tournament practically from the start and have been given detailed reports of everything that's happened since it started. All of them say you constantly show a reluctance and bafflement, until very recently. Why are you doing this if you don't want to?"

"I don't know what I want," Rath said, and as stupid as he felt saying the words, it also unknotted something in his gut, let him breathe a little easier, despite the fear and grief still twisting through him. "I joined the tournament to pay a debt, and then was never able to get out of it." He took another sip of brandy, and then told the whole story, beginning with being dragged out of bed by Friar.