“Does it matter?”
I was annoyed at that. It felt like he was playing a game. “Of course it does. It didn’t belong to them.”
“And what would you have done had you found it instead of me?”
“I would have taken it back.”
“As I have done. What else?”
I scowled at him. “What are you asking?”
He looked relaxed, fingers steepled in front of him as if he had all the time in the world. “Simply what I asked. If you came upon the person who had in their possession Gary’s horn, what would you have done?”
“I would have asked for it back.”
“And if they refused?”
“I would have taken it.”
“By force.”
“If necessary.”
“And if they fought you for it, what then?”
“I would have stopped them.”
“How?”
“By any means necessary.”
“Why?”
“Because they had something that didn’t belong to them. Look. I get what you’re doing.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. You knew me as Sam of Wilds. Who I was. You’re trying to see who I am now as Sam of Dragons. What kind of wizard I’ve become. What I’m willing to do for those I love.”
“And what are you willing to do for those you love?”
I looked him in the eye. “Everything.”
He nodded slowly as if he’d been expecting that answer. “Sam of Dragons.”
I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, it wasn’t my choice. GW kind of forced it upon me.”
“GW? Who—ah. I see. It’s fitting, I think.”
“You only like it because it used to be yours.”
He smiled a little at that. “Why, I would never.”
“Lie.”
“Maybe a little. It’s like you were named after me.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “I wanted to be Sam the Awesomely Amazing or Sam the Best Wizard Ever, but GW said they were stupid and that I would be Sam of Dragons, or he would eat me.”