"You were," he allowed, "You have a harshness to you, perhaps. But when you had an opportunity to do Good in another way - to hear Ata tell it, you plead her case to your Lictor. And not just because she is very charming."

"I - told myself it was all her."

"I did too, once."

"My family will disown me. Breaks our century and more of history."

"Many Hellknights?"

"Most of them of the Pike, too. My uncles, great-aunt, great-great-grandfather and his sister... there's a row of armor in the family crypt. If I'm there at all, it will be as a shattered set of Pike Vicarius plate, left nameless."

"Unless your deeds here outweigh it."

"Well, they might forgive it. The Pike won't. Ever. I will be on a list of shame, maybe twenty names since its founding, and they mark each one as a failing of every Lictor and Paralictor personally."

"Is that worse?"

"Of cou-- Wait. Hmm."

He just waited.

"They are - were - my brothers. United in the cause, of our forefathers, fighting beside each other. That's - a big void. But."

"You don't sound daunted by it."

"No. I have you. And our Ata. And two hundred really very impressive warriors who've learned to hold a line against the horrors of the Abyss."

"A fine bunch to be united with in a new cause."

"Or the old one. From another angle."

"And one we're happy to be in ourselves. As are our recruits. Have you heard how they talk about you?"

"I've been too busy-"

"-No. I haven't."

"The warrior-witch of the south, who puts steel in their souls."

"So 'The Forge' does mean me, doesn't it?"

"You hadn't guessed?"

"I wasn't sure. Too busy to think." On purpose. Gods, has she been doing a lot of not-thinking.

"What will you do now?"

"Tell Ata. Figure out how I resign. Make longer-term plans..."

"...Live."