The coldness of night began to creep over the city of Dorana, nothing but the murmur of the citizens enjoying an evening stroll accompanied by the incantations of Doranen magic.

Within the tower, in a room was where Asher laid, a candle flickered in the cold, dark room accompanied by the aroma of mustard scented water that the Ole Crow made just in case the young Olken woke up.

Sitting beside him for another night, Gar let out a heavy sigh, it has been days now since his assistant has first taken ill.

'I should have let him rest back at Westwailing' he muttered under his breath, Gar recalled the events as if it were written in a book.

Sure they fought and argued, they always did that, heck! Even Gar himself admitted that they were both in the wrong,

Still, the events that occurred back in Westwailing had opened his eyes.

Asher's father died eight months ago before their journey, left with the bruises and scars from the beating by his own brothers as a cruel reminder of what he supposedly done.

Gar felt boiling rage envelop him, grabbing his goblet from the bedside cabinet and wolfed down the contents like a thirsty dog.

He doesn't understand it, the young prince just can't understand why such cruelty could be done by one's own flesh and blood?

Who did this? he could remember the look on Asher's face, he just looked so…broken

Nobody Gar remembered the horror, the rage he felt, the burning desire to bring the men that did this to his assist-, no his friend! Deserved to be brought to justice for this act of violence against Asher.

It was hard trying to get Asher to reveal everything to him but the thing that really shocked Gar was what came next.

Your brothers did this…

This is nowt, I'm shunned Gar. Zeth and the rest of them, they banned me. No fishing boats for Asher. Not in Restharven. Not anywhere in Lur the very words that Asher spoke were like nails, being smacked and hammered into a wooden coffin taking the broken dreams that Asher had with it.

He came to Dorana to save enough money so that he would return home and buy a boat for him and his father to go fishing and now that he arrived home, the young Olken found out his father and childhood friend has long since been dead, hurt by his own family and banished from the very thing that Gar only realised that Asher was born to do.

On their way back to Dorana, Gar heard from Asher that when his mother died, he promised his father that one day they'd get a boat and name the boat after her.

Gar had the feeling, he hoped he was wrong but the way Asher spoke, the way he acted, it sounded like Asher was blaming himself for the deaths of his father and friend.

'It wasn't your fault' the prince remembered the first time they met, the first time he saw Asher calming down Ballodier when he ran in a frenzy, the moment he met the dark haired man and talked with him for the first time, Gar was attracted to the man by sparked curiosity like his sister creating Glimfire that shone in the darkness.

Before he met Asher, Gar was surrounded by people wearing masks all of them having their own secret agenda to accomplish, hoping that if they were by his side that it would give them higher standing.

Not with Asher, he never got that sense off him, sure Asher admitted point blank that he wanted to work for him to afford a boat for him and his father, it was just to meet someone like Asher was like a breath of fresh air.

Before Gar knew it, a new door opened before him, he always grew up feeling incomplete, a Doranen with no magic at his fingertips, he nearly believed he was crippled.

But when Asher came along a new door opened, he realised that he didn't need magic to be happy, he made friends not only with Asher but with so many, through all the pain and sadness they went through from the day they met he felt whole.

The prince found his mind coming back to reality once he heard the wheezing moans coming from Asher's bed.

The Olken's breathing became uneasy, a cold sweat coating his skin while the moans escaped his dry cracked lips.

A nightmare? Was the first thing that came to mind, Gar reached a hand over and placed it on Asher's forehead, trying to soothe his friend from whatever creature tormented him in his sleep.

'Da..' he could hear the whisper and agonised over those words, Gar understood the pain in away, the pain of losing someone you love, he nearly lost a father but thank Barl he was still alive.

Why…

Why is fate so cruel?

All that Asher ever wanted was to work hard, buy a boat for him and his father, he worked himself to the bone and just when that dream seemed to be within reach it was so cruelly snatched away from him.

'I'm sorry Da…I-I didn't know…'

Gar grabbed the hand that laid out on the covers, held it tight and wept tears.

'It's not your fault'

The blond knew that deep down, Asher wanted to cry, back at Westwailing, when he pushed him down, instead of tears there was laughter that's what raised Gar's alarm, it wasn't that Asher wanted to laugh, it was probably some mechanism that prevented Asher from tears.

In all the time he knew Asher, not once did he ever cry, not at Timon Spake's trial, not at Dathne breaking his heart, not then and not now. It might've been from having six brothers or living at the coast but whatever it was it made Asher a strong man however carrying everything on those shoulders takes a giant toll, not only on the body but on the mind as well.

Carrying the world on his shoulders, for Barl's sake! Gar often wonders why the fool felt the need to keep everything to himself, doesn't he know that it was okay to cry and ask for help when things get tough.

In truth he wanted to scream at Asher, to tell him that it wasn't his fault, his friend's death wasn't his fault, that his father's death wasn't his fault, everything that happened wasn't his fault!

'Stop blaming yourself'

For Barl's sake, he needed him! just as Asher needed him now more than ever it was the same in the reverse.

It could be no one else, he needed the man, he was the first true friend he ever had.

The prince found a smile form upon his lips, the feeling warmed his heart and touched his soul.

'If you won't cry then I will cry for you my friend'

There is no Gar without Asher

There is no Asher without Gar

All there is, is together…

End

Author's note

I cannot believe there is not more fan fiction of this series, I only finished the first book but I love the relationship between the two main male leads.

It's tricky but I love both Asher and Gar! XD I can't decide between the two…