'So you've finally decided to come back. How nice, but what is that thing doing with you?' asked Wolf as the man returned to the camp.

'It would not leave my side,' he answered.

'So instead of slaying it as you should have, you brought it back with you? Great! Will it have its own tent? Or maybe it should sleep with me? Honestly, what were you thinking?' asked Wolf. Meanwhile, the creature sat down beside the fire and stared into it.

'Don't be so hard on him, you angry wardog. You know as well as we do that the Hollow cannot be destroyed by the might of the sword,' another man stepped out of his tent. 'Welcome back, my friend. As I see, it was a successful hunt.'

'Not the success that I was hoping for, Scythian. Wolf's right. I went to deal with my stalker once and for all, but here it is,' the man took a seat at the trunk of a tree.

'That's right. If you want to live through this journey, you have to learn a thing or two. That's why we are here. So here's my lesson: always uphold your pride no matter what. Otherwise, people will walk over you. If you have no means or will to end the creature, at least don't let it be seen.'

The man got stuck in the middle of the sentence: "people will walk over you." He had many experiences in that. Too many. Times when he tried to help people, to be kind, only to be backstabbed and used until there was nothing left to take from him. And then, to be thrown away. Maybe if he had stuck by his pride, he would not have so many scars on his skin? Without thinking, the man touched some of them under his clothes.

'That's right. You know that too well,' said the veteran.

'I disagree,' interrupted Scythian. 'If you stick by your pride, the only thing you get is separated from other people. 'Because who are they to know better?' You'll be too caught up in your own mind and so sure that you are right in everything that you will not consider the possibility that you're wrong. Not to mention the fact that you will be so high on your horse that the mere concept of 'helping' or 'asking for forgiveness or aid' will be beneath you. If you're too prideful, you can never have long-term friendships or advice ever again. You must be humble and open to other people. How many times have you needed help and got it? Or had a much-needed talk or food to sustain you? Would it be possible to live through life all alone?'

'Hah. You contradict yourself, old man. Aren't you the one who always says to be proud of the things you do?' Wolf asked sarcastically. 'To appreciate the little achievements? How do you do that without pride? And about the getting help part: he should not need help. That's a liability. He should measure himself enough not to ask or accept it. To forget his pride is to admit that he's too weak. Too helpless to do things on his own. It is always a bigger success to achieve things alone. Besides, people are not saints. Not by a long shot. What do you think they will do when they see the creature with us?' Wolf turned to the man.

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'That will not be a problem. The only reason you see it is that you travel with me. It has been following me for a long while now, but only when I called it out did it show up physically. I don't think that it wants to be seen,' said the wanderer while looking at the creature. In his head, he was—like so many times before—measuring both arguments. Is it true that needing help is a sin against pride? He knows that sometimes he needed it in the past. To get through an obstacle, or advice on what path to follow, or to just make sure he was in the right in some cases. He needed an outside look. And how many good people had he lost from his life because of his stubbornness and pride?

While he was thinking, Scythian started to speak.

'Yes, I say that you need to be proud of what you're doing, that's true. Take pride in your work and in your achievements. But don't become so cocky that you think you are the only one who can do it right. And sometimes, yes, you need to ask for help. That does not mean you are weak, quite the opposite actually. You have to be strong and humble to do that. And for that, your pride has to die.'

'Your pride is the one thing that can give you confidence!' said Wolf growlingly. 'If you don't think that you deserve the best, no one will! And then we are back at the fact that people will step on you like a carpet!'

The man was just listening.

'Ah, but you forget: pride is a liability. What if people step on your pride? It can break like glass, and you become controlled by it. You will want to prove that you're rightful to be proud. It is not a strong alloy, and those who want to will use it against you.'

'Only if your will is weak, will your pride be broken. If it's strong, it can withstand anything! And only a fool like you would fall for manipulation like that. Those who are consistent with their pride shall not fall to attempts like that.'

'What about self-respect?' asked the man. The two arguing guides fell silent and looked at him. 'What if I am not trying to be prideful? To not to be full of myself, but have a healthy self-image. If I respect myself enough to know what I am worth and deserve, people can't use me as a means to an end. All the while that I stay humble enough to help others, but set limits to the bulk of it. And at the same time, take pride in my achievements and appreciate them.' The guides stood silent for a minute.

'There is a fine line there, lad. How can you be sure that you can keep it?' asked Scythian.

'If you're always wondering if you're on the right path, you're not going to move at all. Besides, I never really liked the extremes.'

'Hah. Always with the compromises,' laughed Wolf. 'And tell me, oh wise one. What will you do if someone tries to use you again? To take what you have for themselves?'

The man answered, while touching the handle of his blade:

'I'm gonna use this.'

Wolf smiled.

'Do what you feel is right.'

'I think it's a fine idea, but keep in mind: self-respect like that is hard to build. And even harder to balance it out, or you will soon be back at square one.' said Scythian. 'I think it's time for us to get some sleep. There's still a long journey ahead of us.'

'For once we agree, Scythian.' Wolf looked at the creature. It was watching the dancing flames, almost as if it was fascinated by them. 'So how long will this creature be with us?' he asked the man.

The wanderer had only one answer.

'I don't know.'