To those of you reading this, you've come very far, and waiting even longer. Thank you.

Eliwood didn't dare believe his eyes, but he wanted to very badly. Glimpses of stonework were visible in the distance and it was either a noble's palace or the border, and no one dared to speak that possibility aloud. They had been on the road for a week, traveling in split groups to avoid suspicion. Lethe and Skrimir kept to the woods with Nasir. They had originally been determined to spend the entire trip under the cover of forest, but the need to heal the laguz and Lyn had driven them from hiding on the second day. Even so, it wasn't much better. Lyn was on the edge of consciousness most of the time and had to be carried; Nasir could hardly walk by himself, and rode Skrimir most of the time. Eliwood wasn't sure, but he got the feeling it was a great affront to one of the two laguz's dignity. Perhaps both. Now though, if he wasn't wrong, it might be coming to an end. The border was tight, but not impossible.

"Hold it," Hector said, coming to a stop.

"What?" Eliwood asked, looking for Mia's white headband in the nearby trees. She had taken to leaving it out whenever Ike's group had gotten off the road and wanted to talk.

"There," Hector said, nodded to the gentle hill which blocked most of the border from view. A dust cloud was visible, raised by someone coming up the other side, and a moment later Ike came over the top. If he wasn't running already, then the way he looked over his shoulder after cresting the hill said they would be soon.

"What's going on?" Eliwood asked as the two groups came together.

"Border patrol, I recognize some of them, and I know they'll recognize me. In fact, they might have already; they probably took a closer look when we got within twenty paces then turned right back around.

Hector cursed, and Eliwood suppressed the urge to. They were so close.

"Don't suppose you're in favor of just crashing it," Hector said.

"No," Ike answered, "not a good idea. Especially now that we don't have surprise with us. We'll have to go around, cross in the forests."

Hector frowned, and Eliwood understood his friend's displeasure. It would take a long time to cross in the forests and time was something they lacked. Unfortunately Ike was right, so there was little else to do but get on with it.

"We don't seem to have much of a choice in that case," Eliwood said, "so the sooner the better. Go on ahead, we'll follow in a bit."

Without a word Ike headed off into the woods, Mia darting ahead to take lead, and Hector set Lyn down by a small ash tree. She was asleep, like she had been for most of the trip, and part of Eliwood was afraid her eyes might not open one these mornings. They needed to get home quickly if they were going to save her.

"Ready?" he asked.

Hector twisted, his back cracking loudly, and then bent to pick Lyn back up, "Yeah."

The four of them pressed into the woods, Guy in the lead to scout and Eliwood in back. Occasionally they found a broken branch or peeled bark purposefully left to point the way, but other than that they saw no signs of anyone else.

"Eliwood," Hector said, his voice drifting back from over his shoulder, "what happened?"

Eliwood knew what he meant, and it was the first any of them had spoken of it. It was nothing they wanted to talk about, that day on the hill when they should have died. Some of them still might.

Eliwood glanced down at Durandal, wrapped in pieces of Hector's torn, bloodstained shirt. "I don't know, Hector," he answered. "To be honest, I don't think I'll ever care to."

"We might have to," Hector replied, "if there's a way to stop a gate from being used once opened…we might need that knowledge, Eliwood."

Eliwood was taken aback, Hector rarely showed such forethought, but he was right. Before he could say so, though, the foliage ahead of them rustled and Ike burst through. Soren and Mia were on his heels and Soren looked to be limping, blood staining his light breeches.

"Run!"

It was the only word Eliwood caught before Ike cut away, back into the woods. And Eliwood ran, surging forward to keep them in sight, Hector followed doggedly behind him.

Ike turned, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the others were following before turning back around and putting on more speed. The laguz could take care of themselves and he needed to put as much distance between them and the soldiers as possible before hiding Soren. He resisted the urge to look back again, to get a better look at the mage's crossbow wound. There was no way he could run very far with it. Stopping suddenly he gestured for Mia to go on and pulled Soren into a ditch covered with roots and dead leaves, hurriedly throwing them over the man before he could object.

"Stay here," he breathed, getting to his feet. He stopped as Soren's hand snagged his wrist.

"Ike, I'm not staying here and letting you get killed, otherwise I wouldn't have pushed you out of the way in the first place," he said. "They circled around, they were expecting us. They know who you are."

Ike turned, his eyes locked on his friend's, "I'm not going to die, Soren. I'll be back, I promise, just like I promised Mist I would see her again."

"They're just words Ike."

"And we give them power, right?" Ike said, pulling away. "I'll be back."

Soren didn't object, and in an instant Ike was gone. A second later Eliwood, Hector, and Guy ran by, not even noticing him. He could only hope the soldiers wouldn't either. Despite himself he held his breath as footfalls became audible and he stared at the leaves covering him as a retinue of soldiers ran by. He hadn't been concerned they would find him really, it was how Ike would fair alone that worried him.

"There's poison in there."

He whipped around at the voice behind him, hand sliding into a sleeve for his tomes, and he stopped just as quickly when he saw the owner. A young boy with odd, teal colored hair and red eyes. He wore short breeches, well above the knee, and carried a flute in one hand with a short belt knife at his hip. He smiled down at Soren and squatted next to him. The boy looked familiar, or at least seemed so.

"Who are you?" Soren asked, pulling back slightly as the boy leaned closer.

"Me?" the boy asked, "No one important. I've been watching you though, all of you. You look like you need some help."

"And why would you do that?" Soren asked.

"Family ties," the boy answered, his smile growing wider.

Soren's frown deepened, his brows coming together as he replied, "Elaborate. Who are you, where are you from?"

"I'm from…" the boy paused, as if to think, "Ilia, although it's been a long time since I was home. I've been on a journey, a long one. I've only just arrived in Bern seven days ago."

"Why are you here, talking to me right now?"

"Like I said, you look like you need help. There's poison in there, however little," he said, gesturing toward the wound with his flute.

"So you said…all because of 'family ties'."

"Yes."

Soren sat up. "Leave. There may be more soldiers at any time, and if you think I will be as charitable as you seem to be, you are wrong."

The boy's smile took on an amused cast and he shook his head. "No more soldiers, we're safe for now. You may want to consider my offer," he said, getting to his feet, "I'm a bard, and bards are useful to have around."

"I've heard…"Soren replied.

"Not the first time I've said that, people have to be reminded," the boy said. A moment of silence passed before he brought the flute to his lips, breathed lightly, and a high, lilting tune suddenly surrounded Soren. A minute later he was on his feet. His leg still hurt, but he felt as if he could walk the earth.

"Like a galdr," he muttered, looking down at the boy now that he was standing.

"Is it?" the boy asked, "I would love to know what that is."

Soren paused for a moment before speaking, "I know you. Or know people who know you; they said you left. There are many things going on here now, more than you can know."

The boy's face saddened, "So it would seem. It's why I returned, if only for a time. You can't tell anyone."

"And why not?"

"Because you can't. I'm not staying, I'm not here to see anyone. I'm here to help you, more than I already have anyway," he answered.

"You barred the way," Soren said, realization flooding his features, "it was you at the gate."

The boy shrugged a shoulder, his flute back at his lips again.

After a moment Soren spoke again, "Not even Ninian?"

The boy stopped playing, and gave Soren a look over his flute. "Especially Ninian."

Soren relented. He had never been so off guard. "Fair enough. How are you helping us?"

"I'm leading you home," he smiled over his flute, "all of you. Make sure you're there…I have to seal it after."

"Explain."

"You're half dragon Soren. I don't have to explain, just follow me. Even if you can't hear the music, you should be able to feel the way. Anyway, Ike's coming back. Remember, you can't tell," he said, melting back into the foliage.

"Nasir will know what's going on," Soren said, feeling slightly foolish speaking to limbs and branches.

"No he won't."

Soren contemplated calling out again, but rejected the idea as rustling became audible in the undergrowth. Ike emerged, sword in hand, and his face lit up when he found Soren on his feet.

"How serious?" he asked, gesturing to his knee.

"I've had worse," Soren said, "I can walk."

"Good. We lost most of them, had to fight one or two. We should be safe though, able to cross the border soon. Come on."

The two set off at a slow meander through the trees, Ike clearing the way for his friend. The truth was they had fought more than a few, but everyone had gotten out of it with nothing more than scrapes and bruises, which really amounted to nothing at all.

"You can go faster Ike," Soren said, "we may not have much time."

"Why?" Ike asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Soren considered his leg, the poison inside, and decided some things were better left unsaid.

"The soldiers who escaped will be back with reinforcements soon, if they're not on the way already," he said.

Ike's face relaxed, as if he had been expecting something worse. "There won't be any reinforcements. We can take our time," he replied.

Soren didn't answer. He knew what that meant, but if Ike had decided that it wasn't worth telling then he would decide it wasn't worth uncovering. A few moments later they walked into a small clearing of trampled plants. Mia was squatting on her heels, shaking her head over a long gash on Hector's arm, but otherwise everyone look entirely intact.

"Leave it alone," Hector growled, "it's shallow enough, just wrap it like I said."

Mia sighed and followed the order. Hector pulled the arm away before she was finished, tucking in the end of the makeshift bandage himself, and picking Lyn up from her place against a moss covered stone.

"Let's move it," he said, "we can still make it across the border before nightfall."

No one said anything, and no one moved to split back up into groups as they went. It wouldn't really matter if anyone found them now; there was nothing ambiguous about stumbling through the forest toward the border. An hour later Eliwood stopped and pressed a hand to his ear absentmindedly as he looked to the south.

"We have to be across the border by this point, we should start making for the road," he said, continuing to fidget with his ear.

"Something wrong?" Hector asked, nodding toward his friend.

"What?" he asked, then took his hand away, "Oh, no."

Soren blinked then, as he suddenly became aware of a quiet melody floating on the breeze. It was high, too high, almost like it wasn't even there. But he heard it.

"We should go this way," he said, pointing back into the woods. Towards the music.

"Why?" Hector asked. "I like the sound of the road. I like the sound of not tripping every other step."

"There's a village this way," Soren said, "I saw it on a map in Bern's war room once, when I was still a general. It should be close. It was on land close to Bern, but still within Lycia. If we're across the border it should be near."

He began to move and before Hector could protest Ike was following, then Eliwood and the rest. Hector growled under his breath, but fell in behind the others. Soren hadn't led them astray yet.

"But now would be a hell of a time to start," he muttered, his gaze going down to Lyn's sleeping face.

"You say something?" Guy asked, looking up at the taller man.

"Nothing. Keep on."

OoOoO

An hour later the seven were at the outskirts of a village. Relief decorated everyone's features; Soren's most of all, but for different reasons. He had begun to doubt himself just minutes ago, and it had been made worse by Hector's silence the entire trek.

"Looks safe to me boss," Mia said. Hand on her hips she stood out in the open, not even trying to hide. Not that there was much to hide from, probably.

"I second that," Guy said, "let's go. Maybe they have an inn."

Before they could move though, three figures appeared at the village's tiny gates, which were more of a fence. Two were swathed in cloaks, but the third, dressed in a dark orange, was a dead giveaway.

"Mist," Ike smiled, moving toward the gates. The others surged forward, the familiar face a welcome sight.

As they drew close the other two became clear as Volke and Jaffar, flanking Mist like an honor guard. Ike thrust Ragnell into the earth as the two groups met, picking Mist up in a hug. She didn't hug back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, setting her down.

Her face was a mask, and she had eyes for Hector alone. They were close to shedding tears. She drew breath, on the very edge of speech, and then exhaled slowly, the words coming out in a whisper.

"Matthew's dead."

It hit like hammer blow, her words, complete with a ringing in their ears. The evening seemed to slow, time to warp, and then Hector was on his knees. Lyn rested in the crook of one arm, his other hand holding his head.

"What happened?" he asked, staring at the dirt beneath Mist's boots.

"He just went. What he'd been through, it was too much, Hector…we could see it coming," she said, voice low and quiet. She felt the loss of everyone, but especially those she cared for. It was the curse of every healer, Ike knew.

"Did he say anything?"

Mist really did cry now, but she kept it from her voice. "Yes. He was coherent at the…the end. He said…he looked at me, and told me to tell you the job was done, and he was going to see her."

Hector was silent. Matthew had always kept Leila's death inside, and it had taken his own for it to finally come out.

"When?" he asked.

"This morning, before sunrise."

"Then we can bury him at home," he said, getting to his feet, "Let's go, today has seen enough of death."

The group turned together and headed back into the village, to a small thatch-roofed house near the gates. Inside they found Oswin, sitting silently next to the bed on which Matthew lay. The spy's hands were clasped one hand around the other, a pendant bearing the crest of House Ostia balanced atop.

Hector stopped, looking down on the man, and gently handed Lyn to Oswin.

"You've done it proper, Oswin," he said, "but you've done it wrong."

Bending he opened Matthew's hands, placing the crest within them, and then pressed a dagger hilt into his palm over the small emblem. He closed them again and threaded the crest's gold chain through Matthew's fingers, finally placing it around his neck.

"I had hoped so, Lord Hector," Oswin said. "He died a noble."

Hector nodded, "Goodness know he lorded over me often enough."

The two stood in silent reflection, considering the man they had known and trusted. They looked at each other, and both turned away. There weren't words enough to be say what they felt about him, but in time it would come.

"Mist," Hector said, "I know you've had a hard day, but Lyn needs seeing to…I'm afraid something is wrong."

The young woman nodded, eyes sad but understanding. From its place in a corner she retrieved her staff and bent to kneel over Lyn on the floor. No one even suggested moving Matthew from where he lay.

"It's bad, but not deadly, at least not now," Mist said, running her staff over Lyn's body. "Although…"

"What?" Hector asked, quickly. His eyes went from Mist to Lyn and back again.

"Nothing, I thought I felt something," she said, a shallow smile on her face. It didn't reach her eyes. The crystal at the end of her staff pulsed and a soft blue light poured out, washing out the room. A moment later she sat back on her heels and sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"She'll be fine, now," she said softly. Her eyes remained on the place where Lyn had been even after Hector lifted her, and Ike knew she was seeing Matthew. From experience he also knew there was nothing he could do, so he didn't.

"Nasir will be here soon," he said, softly touching her shoulder, "he needs healing too. He's not as bad as Lyn."

"Okay."

Ike considered her for another moment, letting his fingers linger on her shoulder, then turned away. For the first time he looked at the old woman who had been standing in the corner since their arrival. She hadn't said a word. Before he could Eliwood stepped forward.

"Good woman," he said, "I apologize for the intrusion, and thank you for sheltering our friends. We won't be staying long, you have our gratitude."

The woman's dark eyes regarded him solemnly and she moved away without a word, leaving them alone in the room. The others filed out, looking for a place to let Lyn rest. As Soren was about to leave he stopped, Mist's voice in his ears.

"Wait."

He turned, looking down at a small girl he had known since his own youth, and then she was the young woman of today once more.

"He talked to you, didn't he?" she asked. She looked up at him, her eyes seeking, imploring.

Soren considered lying, and rejected the ugly thought. He had said to tell no one, but she clearly already knew.

"Yes. You too, then," he said.

She nodded, her voice becoming even more miserable, "He found us in the woods, told us where to go. He said he would bring you here. He…he did something. Something like Reyson. I thought it would help, but in the end…"

All at once Soren understood, his eyes shifting from Mist to Matthew. She had given up on Matthew long ago. But then…there were few things worse than a hope lost. One of them was a hope falsely returned.

"Sometimes things happen for a reason Mist," he said. "But most often, they happen for no reason at all. And that is always what will hurt the most."

In his own way it was all the comfort he could give, and she understood. She didn't protest when he left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

OoOoO

Ike frowned, looking over the group gathered around the village gates. He didn't like what they were about to do, but they wouldn't have another opportunity like it.

"You're sure you'll be okay?" he asked for the third time, looking at Eliwood.

"Yes," he answered, "we're in Caelin, it's almost a straight shot to Pherae. We'll make it just fine Ike, especially now that Lyn is stable."

Ike shook his head, but he wouldn't press it any further. Now that the laguz had joined them and Mist had tended Nasir there was nothing keeping them here, but when Soren had said he could relocate the gate they had used to come here in the first place…it was too sudden for Ike's liking. He didn't like just up and leaving friends before a job was done.

"You're sure you can find it?" he asked.

Soren almost sighed, but held it back, "Yes, Ike. I told you, we were in Caelin when Kent and Sain found us, we're in Caelin now, and I feel like I know where the gate is."

"Which I still don't understand," Nasir said, from his place against a fence post. His burns were as healed as they could be, but he would forever bear scars where Mist's healing couldn't touch. One covered the entire left side of his face, and his shirt hid more on his chest. They were ugly, but he had assured Mist he had lived long enough to grow beyond such superficialities.

"I can never sense them until they're almost in sight," he continued.

"We all have our gifts," Soren said.

Nasir let it drop, looking back at Ike. The man sighed, resting Ragnell on his shoulder, and resigned himself to the plan. Here was where they would say their farewells.

"Then that's that," he said. "I'm sorry we have to leave you so soon, Eliwood, but the plans seem to be making themselves now."

"And when they do," the man smiled, "it's best to follow. You've been a friend and saving grace, Ike. May Saint Elimine light your way."

"And may you know when it's best to light your own," the man replied, "take care."

The two groups split, taking separate roads away from the village while casting glances back and forth all the while. As Eliwood and the others faded from view Mia sighed.

"I'm really going to miss them. I don't know what I expected coming here, but not something I wouldn't want to leave," she said.

Skrimir grunted, "Why? This place is nothing like Tellius, no laguz anywhere. I will be glad to return."

"So people who aren't laguz aren't worth being friends with?" she asked.

Skrimir stopped and looked at her, his frown deepening. "This place has no laguz," he said, as if that settled the matter. Mia threw up her hands; there was no arguing with Skrimir, and she didn't even like fighting with words to begin with.

A few hours later, walking by the fading light of a sun now completely hidden by the horizon, they began to stumble their way through the forest. Always it was "somewhere over there," which was unusual as Soren tended to articulate everything, but even Ike felt as if the place was familiar. It even had the right bandits.

"By the goddess that was, they are everywhere," Nasir said, ducking under a low branch, his head swiveling about in search of more bandits. They had already been confronted with two groups, which might have actually been the same group, and they weren't looking to fight their way out of any more encounters.

No one said anything more as they navigated the dense undergrowth, following after Soren's darkly visible form. Only a moment later though he stopped and placed his hand on a tree; his head hung heavy, and his breath was short.

"What is it?" Mist asked, her brow furrowed with worry as she came up beside him.

"Nothing," he said. As soon as he took another step he crumpled, legs folding beneath him like switches under a stone.

"Soren!" she whispered, a harsh sound in the stillness of dusk.

"Perhaps it is something after all," he said, looking up at her. Sweat poured from his brow now, and he looked feverish.

"What's going on?" Ike asked, pushing his way up to the front from his place as the rear guard.

"Soren's sick," Mist answered. She moved to place her staff over his forehead and his hand caught it, pushing it away.

"Nothing you can do," he said, "Ike, there may have been some poison on that crossbow quarrel."

"What?" Ike asked, "And it's just hitting you now?"

"Yes," he breathed, and then heaved his stomach all over a nearby fern. Ike's eyes darted to Mist, the whole of her possessions clearly obvious. He asked anyway.

"Do you have a restore staff?"

Mist bit her under lip as she looked away, away from Soren, and shook her head. There was nothing for this, and for the second time that day she was going to have to sit back and watch as one of her friends died.

"Back at the village," Ike said, "there might be a healer there who has one. Let's go."

"No," Soren coughed, his hand going up imploringly, "no. You can't. I can feel it, the gate's a straight shot through the woods now and it's not going to be open long."

"It's open?" Nasir said, standing up straighter, his head turning in the direction Soren pointed.

"It doesn't matter," Ike said, "you can just open it tomorrow."

Soren shook his head, eyes going from one face to another. All his life he had shunned company, but now there was nothing he wanted more than to remember these people.

"No, I don't think I can Ike. Something is different this time. It's now or not at all."

"Then it's not at all-"

"Go!"

Soren's voice rang out in the new night, carrying far. Where they were it elicited silence, everyone staring down at him. Shaky and sweating he rose to his feet eyes deadlocked on Ike's.

"Go home Ike. Greil's Retreat, Crimea, Tellius…they'll need you again."

Ike eyes narrowed, looking into Soren's, searching. He knew Soren's greatest fear was being truly alone; there was no way he could say this without that fear showing. But he did, and that meant his friend thought it was finally come to an end. Death came for them all, and now it had come for him. Ike's lip curled slightly. He had spit in death's eye too many times to accept that.

"Good bye Ike," Soren said. "Give my regards to Titania."

"See you, Soren," Ike said, slowly turning about. Mist didn't look, and Mia was wide eyed as they left the mage behind. No one spoke, and they pressed on.

Soon they were breaking into an almost completely overgrown clearing, a wide stone dais at its center. True to Soren's word the gateway was open, a shining blue portal at the center of the dais. It wavered oddly, like the surface of a disturbed pond.

"Go," Ike said, stopped at the edge of the dais and nodding toward the gate.

"You say that like you aren't," Nasir said, stepping up onto the stone platform but going no further.

Ike inhaled slowly, taking in the people in front of him. Mia, Nasir, Skrimir, Lethe, Volke…Mist. He would miss them. An arrow whizzed through the darkness, kicking up dirt a foot from Ike's boot. Shouts came from the forests.

"I say it like I mean it," he said, "now go. Soren's not going to last long by himself."

"We'll wait for you, Ike."

"On the other side," Ike said, pointing to the gate.

Nasir nodded, and stepped through. Lethe and Skrimir followed, each pausing to grasp his forearm in as much of an embrace as they could give. Then they were gone, and Volke slipped through without a word. Ike turned to Mia and Mist. Mia looked over at the other woman then stepped forward.

"I'll be waiting too boss," she said, "don't make it too long."

"No promises," Ike smiled. She nodded, and ducked through the now-shrinking portal.

"No promises…" he repeated, his eyes going to his sister. Her look was sad, yet resigned; she knew what he was saying.

"Not this time Mist."

She gave him a hug, speaking quietly into his shoulder, "I'll miss you. We all will."

"I know. Me too. Keep them in line when Titania can't," he said, returning the embrace. "Keep them alive."

"Good bye, Ike."

Ike watched her go, the gate swallowing her up like a lake of liquid silver. He would never see her again. But he had kept his promises to her.

Taking up his sword he turned, shouldered aside a low hanging branch and disappeared back into the forest. He still had to keep one more.