"And the tears come streaming down your face,

When you lose something you can't replace,

When you love someone but it goes to waste,

What could be worse?

Lights will guide you home,

And ignite your bones,

And I will try, to fix you" –Coldplay

--

It had taken all of Torak's strength – all his soul – to defeat the Soul Eaters.

And in breaking them, he had broken himself.

She'd caught him, once, a few days after that fateful day, standing at the very edge of the Raven camp where the trees met the clearing, just...staring.

She came a little closer and noticed that he was not wearing his jerkin. His muscled shoulders were shaking and his head bent down as he succumbed to his sobs, dropping to his knees.

Silently, she crouched beside him and enveloped him in her arms, shielding him from the strange looks of the clan members, shielding him from the world, because he had been hurt enough already.

His hot tears were dripping down her collar so she held him closer, feeling their wet warmth on her cheek as she threaded her fingers through his dark hair, her other hand rubbing circles on his back. He did not return the hug, but hung as limp as a rag doll in her arms, his knees barely supporting him, his whole being shaking with anguished cries that had been suppressed for too long.

There was nothing passionate about the embrace; their bond was closer than friends, more intimate than family and stronger than clan could ever be. And Renn knew that there was no one she'd rather live the rest of her days out alongside. They were bound together by the heart.

His arms slipped around her as his sobs became quieter, giving her an unspoken thank you for her comfort. She kissed him softly on the head. She longed to make it all better; as if the simple action of her lips pressing against his temple could erase the pain of the last few years and bring all that he had lost back into being.

And he had lost so much. Much more than any boy of fifteen summers should loose.

And he was broken, because defeating the Soul Eaters had cost him and others a great price.

As his crying subsided and the strength began to flow back into his bones, Renn held her broken best friend tight, and made him a promise:

She would not let go until she had fixed him.