[A/N - I will probably delete this AN later, but YES I AM NOT DEAD!]

The reason I put this story on hiatus was because I was editing Book 1 MAJORLY (new lore, DOUBLE word count, some changes, better style, ...), and for all of you who have read it prior to something like a week ago, I URGE you to go back and read it again! It is like a whole different book now, basically :)

Anyway, have fun with book 1 (possibly), and look forward to regular updates on this one now! I am planning around 36 chapters in total atm, and I WILL FINISH IT. Pinky promise (if you still do that haha).

"You both know what you must do, right?"

Henry watched Kismet... Whitespur from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smile at the newly found confidence in her voice as she addressed Splintleg and Lapblood.

"We do", Lapblood responded and Sixclaw stepped forth. "Me too", he announced, gazing up at Whitespur. "I will do my part also, I promise!"

For a moment Henry thought he spotted something like tenderness in Whitespur's gaze before she nodded. "I am certain of that."

Lapblood with Sixclaw and Splintleg threw a last gaze around the assembly of questers, nodding at Twitchtip, then at Luxa, before disappearing in opposite directions. Their departure was followed by a moment of silence that Howard finally broke – "I suppose it is time for us to leave too, then."

Henry and Howard proceeded to mount Nike again and Aurora claimed she was fit to fly again as they would need the space on Thanatos' back for Twitchtip. Henry's bond promised to stay at her side to be there should she tire and they were in the air only seconds later.

Whitespur confidently led the way through the unfamiliar tunnels and Henry couldn't help but find the silence unnerving. For a second he considered whether he should ask Howard if he had seen anyone take his dagger, but decided that would hardly be the case. It had still not emerged and Henry had not bothered asking around for it as he doubted it would amount to anything. Besides, it wasn't like he direly needed it anyway.

He clearly perceived Thanatos' shape ahead and found his thoughts clustering around the conversation he had heard last night – what it entailed and where it left him. Henry angrily closed his fist around one of his belts, this could not be happening, not again. How had he allowed himself to be so selfish?

Then again, Henry sighed, what was the alternative? He shut his eye tightly. There was no alternative for himself. There was no place for him with them. He had wanted to be part of them so badly he had denied the truth for so long, yet he couldn't afford to do that anymore.

He had no place with them. No place in their city, in their civilization. They had reminded him of that often enough.

His perception locked on Luxa – and what if she does pardon me, it shot through his head. Nike took a turn to follow Thanatos out of the mound of the tunnel into a cave lined with bubbling and smoking miniature volcanos and Henry caught his first actual glimpse at her.

He allowed his gaze to linger on her, to give it a conscious thought. What would happen? Would she offer him his place in their midst back, would he... accept?

Henry gritted his teeth. It was meaningless, he realized. What Luxa said or thought of him was meaningless. It was not her disdain he found unbearable – or more so, not only hers. Were he to go back, he would find himself among a civilization of people who had written him off as a traitor. No matter what he did or said or what Luxa did or said, there would always be those pointing fingers, those whispering, disapproving.

Henry narrowed his eye. No, he thought bitterly. No he would not go back. Not into a city that would not want him anyway.

Dalia has done it, a voice in his head suddenly whispered and Henry's head jerked up. I want you to take me back.

No, he cried internally, he could not think of Dalia now. Dalia... his own unwillingness to fulfill her wish came to mind and he shuddered. Dalia did not go back to live among the people she had betrayed, he realized, Dalia went back to... die.

"How is... Dalia, actually", Henry muttered, only half-aware he was speaking the words aloud.

Howard behind him hummed in surprise. "Dalia? Oh, she is well enough. She can not leave the residence unaccompanied, but she hardly wishes to do so. She is fully occupied with Stellovet."

"They actually get along now?"

Luxa's cousin gave a short laugh. "Believe it or not, they do. I have never seen Stellovet so considerate before. It is like she has realized what she's had all along only by almost losing it. I guess there is something to that saying after all..."

"You can say that again", Henry mumbled, nearly breaking into sarcastic laughter at how many times he had felt the searing truth of that saying for himself. Over the course of the last two years he had lost, or nearly lost, everything he had ever taken for granted – and that had been about everything. His safety and sheltered life in Regalia, his family and friends, both his bonds, and so much else he refused to count it.

Howard remained silent, presumably realizing Henry must have experience with loss, and he found himself grateful he didn't bring up what else Henry had in common with Dalia.

What would she have done, Henry suddenly asked himself as he stared into Nike's striped fur. In this situation, what would Dalia have done?

As soon as the thought had manifested he reprehended himself. Why would he care what Dalia would have done? Dalia was not Henry, and it was great that way. He could only ever do what made him happy, he thought. He could not allow his own happiness to suffer at the expense of others.

Then again... the exiled prince let out an exasperated groan. Could he let others suffer for his happiness?

Henry had no idea how long they flew, all he registered was that eventually, Whitespur below them stopped and ducked, the fliers instantly lost altitude and landed beside her.

Before anyone could ask what had happened, she crept forward until she cowered in the exit of the tunnel they had been traversing. Henry registered all fliers had pointed their ears and he focused his own hearing, stepping at Whitespur's side, only to freeze in horror.

In front of them stretched a vast cave, maybe two hundred feet in diameter, and below them, some hundred feet down, squirmed and shifted the shapes of countless rats.

"We found them, looks like it."

Whitespur nodded and Henry faintly registered the shape of Thanatos at his other side. Before any of them could speak, a voice the exiled prince thought he would never forget anymore sounded beneath them – "WHAT?!"

Every member of their party winced, even Luxa now pushed forward, despite not being able to see in the dark. Henry inevitably drew back as her shoulder brushed his arm.

He kneeled in the exit and focused his echolocation downward, though he could understand the Bane's screeching voice without his enhanced hearing perfectly well.

"I am so very sorry, Your Majesty", Henry's eye narrowed at the submissive voice he recognized as Bonebreak's, "but our scouts report the prisoners have escaped. They... all. Including... Splintleg."

The Bane gave something like a livid shriek and Henry perceived his looming body over Bonebreak, who was only around half his size. "HOW DARE HE!", he cried, beginning to chase his own tail on the spot, "How dare he, how dare he, how –"

"– Now, now, we must not lose our heads over this, Your Majesty."

Henry had never heard that particular voice before, yet he instantly tensed up as it created a certain mental image in his head instantly. Silvery fur, he thought, and blue eyes. Blue, pleasant, and oh so deceitful eyes.

"Is it her?", Thanatos beside him whispered and Whitespur confirmed – "Twirltongue. None of you have engaged her yet, have you?"

The party shook their heads and Whitespur shifted. "You do know her mother Tonguetwist though, right?"

Henry tilted his head and perceived Luxa and Howard exchanged glances. They had only briefly met her, in Longclaw's arena, and the exiled prince thought it was better this way.

"I promised her", he mumbled, and had all eyes on him in an instant, "With my dagger in her throat I promised Tonguetwist I'd greet her daughter should I see her. Preferably the same way I greeted her mother."

"All in due time, boy", Whitespur had a hand on his shoulder and Henry scoffed. "I know."

"They were of no use to us anyway", sounded Twirltongue's voice from below again, "they were not worthy of your time. And what harm can they even do, by only themselves? Besides, even if they should somehow reach Regalia before us, what information could they possibly pass on? That we are marching on the city? The humans will discover that soon enough anyway. Our own informant is much more knowledgeable."

There it was, Henry gritted his teeth and felt the tension of his party so intensely he found himself wondering why he could not see physical electric discharge. The confirmation. The confirmation there was indeed another traitor in their midst. And a knowledgeable one too, apparently.

To their all surprise her speech indeed soothed the Bane and he soon sat upright, still glaring down at Bonebreak. "I don't care", he called, pointing a paw at the general accusingly. "You will rectify your mistake. You will go and recapture them, and if you fail, you will take their place!"

Bonebreak inched back, bowing submissively. "O... of course, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint!"

"Hold on", Twirltongue jumped from her spot on the Bane's back and fearlessly approached the much taller Bonebreak, "Maybe that can wait until after the attack. We could use his strength in the upcoming battle." Henry perceived her tail briefly brush Bonebreak's shoulder.

"Ohhh!", the Bane called, falling back to all fours, "fine, fine. Your task is suspended until after the battle. But then you will find them, and you will do so fast, for your own sake!", he yelled, before rising up again. "We MARCH ON!"

Twirltongue niftily leaped back onto the Bane's shoulder as he strolled forward through the rows of his army, knocking those over who didn't move out of the way fast enough. A lot of them had been sleeping, Henry realized, this must have been their camp for the night.

"We must follow them", Luxa's voice had him jump. "We must wait until they are out of sight, and then follow them. Then we can intercept them at Regalia."

They all drew back before exchanging glances. "So we shall do", Howard finally concurred, and nobody objected.

Henry almost anxiously stared at the carving equipment in his lap. He was stalling. Again.

His gaze rose to meet the soundly sleeping party, they had pursued the rats for an entire day at this point and watched them make camp some half a mile ahead, before retreating into this more secluded side tunnel to spend the night.

Why was he stalling? Henry narrowed his eye, their surroundings barely illuminated by the river the rats had followed. Henry went over what he remembered of his map and thought it must end in the Spout eventually.

So, why was he stalling?

He felt the familiar sensation of Mys' blade against the ivory and his knuckled whitened from how tightly he gripped it. He knew why he was stalling. He was stalling to make a decision.

The sharp blade cut into the soft material, forcing into the shape Henry envisioned, leaving him to sit in the refuse from the carving.

Thanatos was his bond.

Henry inevitably raised his gaze to focus on him and Nike, lying so close by each other he could almost not keep them apart without seeing colors.

It were strange emotions that flooded him at their sight, strange, intangible, and almost contradictory. He recognized happiness at the thought of his flier happy, yet to his own shame, he also felt a sting of jealousy. He had no doubt the flier loved him as ever, his affection for Nike was clearly of a different kind than his affection for Henry, yet as of recently, he had spent nearly all his time only with her.

What if I need you too, he thought, what if I need to talk to you, like before? Kismet's words from back at the pincher camp came to mind - He has the decency to allow you time with others you care about... people you can't always see.

Henry pressed his lips together in shame. Of course Thanatos would spend all his time with Nike now, for he would soon leave her, to never see her again. He had to restrain himself to not throw Mys at the wall in a wave of anger at himself. Never see her, or them all, again, because, because... because of Henry.

His gaze burned on the peacefully sleeping fliers and he sensed the truth long before he had the will to consciously think it. The truth, the only right path forward.

The half-finished figurine slipped from his fingers at last when it sank in, Henry barely registered tears had now risen in his eyes, though he was much too taken up by combatting the searing pain in his chest even thinking it brought with itself. It... what he had to do. It seemed so foreign, so surreal he barely forced himself to imagine it, to formulate words to say it, if he could even ever bring himself to.

But he had to. He had to, it rang in his head over and over as he blinked the tears away and stood up. He needed to move away, to somewhere he could think without the others around. He would not cry, Henry thought, most certainly not. He... had to think.

"Will you go already?"

Thanatos' head jerked around to gaze at Nike from the corner of his eye. "I will... what?"

She gave a silent laugh, he more felt than heard it, like a timid vibration running through her body. "You know, for how smart you are, you can be quite the moron", she nudged him. "Do you not see he needs you more than I do, right now? Your bond?"

Thanatos glanced up for the first time. He felt a surge of guilt as he realized he had not even thought of Henry, these last couple hours. Or... at all, at least not much, ever since...

He tensed up and rose a little. "You..."

"I know you wish to spend our time together before you leave, but you will be gone soon, regardless. I have to... get used to it, I guess..."

Thanatos hesitated. Never before had he felt so conflicted, it was like he had found himself in the middle of a violent tug of war. He pressed his face into Nike's. He loved her. For how long had he denied it? Kept up his stern demeanor when faced with her endless admiration, her floods of questions, of tales, of remarks, or whatever else she was going on about? He smiled. She was always going on about something. He normally found himself drained after so much social interaction, yet strangely enough, never with her.

It was a little like back with the girl... with Arya. It was... Arya, he thought, attempting to keep the name in his grasp. She had often babbled on for hours in a similar manner, and he had been contented listening. Only his affection for Arya had been a different kind.

If only he had admitted to it sooner. Then they would have had more time, then they would...

"Thanatos!"

Her call pierced his thoughts and he rose back up reluctantly. "I do not want to chose", he mumbled and Nike glanced up, her eyes harboring a kind of affection he had long given up on seeing in anyone's eyes ever again.

"I know", she hummed. "Yet it is the only right choice you can make. To stay with him, I mean. And who knows, maybe our goodbye won't be forever, after all? Think of all the stories we will tell each other if we reunite in the future!"

Thanatos could not keep the warmth from rising in his chest, as always at her endless positivity. She always saw the bright side, he smiled. Always. There was no darkness in her, not a single drop of it, while he himself often felt like he consisted of nothing but darkness anymore. "They will be glorious", he smiled. "The tales."

Thanatos nearly fell as she nudged him. "Will you go at last? I will be here tomorrow, still. But I can sleep well on my own tonight." She curled up tighter, "I might be talking utter nonsense as I never had a bond before, but you have committed yourself to him, have you not? I can not and will never attempt to stand between you."

Thanatos felt the need to squeeze his eyes shut at the warmth oozing from her words. A part of him still found it hard to comprehend, that she would... that anyone would... feel this way about him, but all he had to do was look at her to be reminded.

And the boy... Thanatos threw a glance at the short tunnel leading to the riverbank, where he had disappeared to, the boy was his bond. The one he had committed to, as she said. Yet he had once more made this decision... alone. Had he even considered the predicament he had inevitably put Thanatos in by just declaring it like this? Had he considered how it had felt to learn of it from Nike?

"I doubt I'll be long", he mumbled, yet Nike had already closed her eyes to sleep.

To not disturb any of the others he lifted off and flew above their heads a couple feet before dipping into the tunnel. Nike was right, he thought. He had neglected Henry, regardless of whether he would never see Nike again after all this was over. The boy was his bond, and he had promised to not doubt him, not ever again. Yet the boy had also promised to... "Henry?"

Thanatos touched down directly at the riverbank and stared at the figure of the boy, sitting across him with his back on the wall, legs pulled to his chest. All that separated them was the lazily streaming, glowing water, and as he saw him now, the flier felt all his doubt evaporate. Before he could ask for his condition, let alone move closer, the boy raised his head.

The flier instantly winced back as he saw the expression in his eye, his expression... that... expression. His mind flashed back to the only time he had ever seen it and a shiver ran down his spine. "Henry..."

The boy averted his gaze instantly, unlike back in the tankard when he had steadily held his gaze before... before asking him to leave him to death. Now he only tightened the grip on his own legs. "What are you doing here..." His voice was so quiet Thanatos barely understood him.

But before the flier could speak, Henry continued – "You should be in there, with her –", he flailed his arm towards the main cave, towards Nike, "You should –", he was interrupted by something that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Henry, you..."

"I heard you, okay?" Now he was definitely sobbing. Thanatos could only watch him shakily stand, supporting himself on the wall. "I heard you talk with her last night. I didn't mean to, but I... I..." He let out a strained breath, "I'm... I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I am doing this to you, that I'm... I didn't even, I...", he raised his gaze at the flier for the first time, "I should not have... decided that without asking you."

His words hit the flier like a bucket of cold water. Before he could dwell on the guilt that instantly overcame him for doubting Henry, the boy took a firm stance. He strived to appear confident, yet Thanatos saw his knees shaking.

"I don't want to do this to you."

Henry could not hold his gaze, not longer than for a couple seconds. The words burned in his mind like fire, and he desperately searched for the strength to utter them, but he found nothing.

"I –", he placed his other hand on the wall as well, turning from Thanatos entirely. "It's... remember what you told me, all the way back?" He was squeezing his eye shut so hard it almost hurt. "You told me, you told me I was all you had left to live for. That I had hope, while you were lost. That I had a future, and that you had none."

Thanatos could not move, only listen with growing dread.

"You told me all that, and I told you it wasn't true. That we... that our lives were one, that we were one."

"And... we are", the flier at last managed to mumble, but Henry cut him off. "No. We are not."

Thanatos winced like in shock. He was left with no time to wonder how the boy had meant what he had said though.

"You... don't you GET IT?!" Henry at last spun around again, glaring defiantly to suppress the tears with anger, yet couldn't prevent the first from streaming down his cheek. "DON'T YOU GET IT?!", he nearly screamed again, banging his fists on the stone. "It is... it has... reversed."

Thanatos' eyes widened, but Henry spoke on – "You! YOU! Look at you! They would... would take you back any day. You weren't exiled, you ran away. They would celebrate you a legend, they would... would love you. She would love you." He consciously prevented himself from biting his lip, "She loves you. Don't you get it?"

Thanatos could only stare, still, and Henry averted his gaze to the floor finally. "It is you... who has hope. Who has a...", he swallowed, "a life now. A future. With...", his teeth rattled so much he found it hard to speak. "... with them. With her. And it is me who is... lost. Who can never go back, never be part of it all anymore."

"What... are you getting at?" Thanatos' voice was so quiet Henry barely heard him, even with his enhanced hearing.

"You... you know what..."

The flier's head was spinning, it was all one confusing mess, screaming at Henry to not say it, yet of course, he did not hear.

"I am GETTING AT", he finally yelled, the flier saw his cheeks glisten from tears, "at how YOU have to GO and LIVE THAT LIFE!" His body was almost violently shaking with sobs. "I... I... don't... don't... DON'T go and WASTE this chance on ME! Please don't, please, just... just... JUST GO!"

The flier was not prepared for it when Henry reeled away from the wall and began flailing his arms at his face, "GO! Go and BE WITH HER! Go and LIVE your life, you won't get another chance like this, don't waste it because of me, don't...", he began sobbing so hard he could not form another coherent word, finally stumbling into the river and collapsing, the stream wetting his legs and the outskirts of his shirt. He was shaking so hard the flier thought he would not be able to hold himself up for much longer.

It was... a dream, he meekly thought, staring at the boy at his feet, the boy who had selfishly taken him for granted, the boy he had once accused of never truly caring about him in the first place. That very same boy... going back on his own request.

All I ask is that you never, ever leave me, his words rang in Thanatos' mind. Even if I happen to beg you to leave me... don't.

He could not look up anymore, Henry could barely keep himself in a sitting position. He had often said things that had been so uncharacteristic for him he had felt like a passive bystander, only now, now when he had somehow uttered the most foreign-feeling request he could imagine, he remained right there, in his own skin, tough every fiber of his body wished he wouldn't have to.

If only Thanatos would at last go, he thought. If only he wouldn't make this even harder than it already was. I don't have the right to, he meekly thought, watching the water lazily stream around his legs, I don't have the right to ask of him to give up this chance for me. "It's not worth it", he whispered. "I'm... not worth it."

Thanatos remained silent for so long Henry was tempted to attempt to stand and actually begin hitting him again, when he finally spoke. His words seemed carefully chosen, and shook Henry to his core –

"You... you also once told me something. It was a very long time ago, and back then it greatly impressed me, made me jealous, even, for I thought I would never be able to say it back. It seems like... I was wrong in that regard, though." He audibly took a deep breath, "I... I may not need your company anymore, not to survive", he hesitated, "but I find I very much want it."

Henry's head shot up as his thoughts reeled back to when he – "You...", but this time it was the flier who undauntedly spoke on. "Henry, you... you are right when you say in some regard, the roles have reversed. Though I've never thought of it that way. You... it was you who taught me to live again, I never really acknowledged that before, which I should have. But had it not been for you, I would not have any of what I have now."

Only from the corner of his eye Henry registered the flier cowered down. "It is true you are not my whole world anymore, as you were for a long time, yet please do never forget you... you are a huge ass part of it, okay? A part that... that if it were missing, would make the life you tell me to embrace not worth it anyway."

Henry could not prevent his jaw from dropping open, yet not a single sound escaped his mouth.

"It is true that I love Nike, yet I also love you – in a very different way, but still. And not for her, not for anyone, I would ever just... abandon you. We are bonds... moron. I thought you finally understood what that entailed."

Fresh tears swelled in Henry's eye and made their way down his cheek. "Y... you... YOU..."

"SHUSH, okay?" The flier had crossed the river in a heartbeat and as Henry stretched his hands out, locked him in a tight embrace. "Just shut the hell up. I... I can not express how much joy it brings me you... you were so considerate as to offer this, but SHUSH."

Between sobs Henry actually managed a quiet giggle. His arms wrapped so tightly around Thanatos' neck he loosened them in fear to suffocate the flier.

"We are..." Henry's voice was barely inaudible as he pressed his face into Thanatos' fur. "We are family, moron baby brother, okay?", the flier cut him off, "and if you want me off your back, you'll have to kill me. It's as easy as that. We'll find our way out here, or wherever, really. I do wish you would have consulted with me first, but there was never any doubt about who I would chose. Not after... after all we've been through."

The flier shuddered at the inevitable mental image of the boy, the future of the boy, were he to leave him now. He would end up like... like me, before I met him. Thanatos instantly chased it and wrapped his wings tighter around the boy. "It'll be like it always was. I promise. Just anyone try and stop me."

It was as it always was. It was a bond, he thought as they lied nestled together for who knew how long, and no matter what the rest of the world did or thought – it was the last coherent thought he could form before sleep took him over – as long as they had each other the rest of the world could do whatever, he wouldn't give a single shit.