Dalton didn’t deny it.
“Yes.”
“And you gave it away.”
Dalton met his eyes.
“They needed it more.”
Another silence.
Heavier this time.
Then—
Something changed.
Subtle.
But real.
Nyatti straightened.
Turned slightly toward his men.
Then back to Dalton.
“There is a difference,” he said, “between a man who survives… and a man who chooses who survives.”
Dalton said nothing.
Because there was nothing to say.
Nyatti gave a small nod.
“Today,” he said, “you chose well.”
The tension broke.
Not loudly.
Not suddenly.
But enough.
The storm passed.
And Dalton realized something as the riders began to turn away, as the valley slowly returned to silence.
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