I walked into camp wet, and wondering if my eyes were looking in two different directions. I had spent an hour wandering aimlessly through the woods, trying to find camp, and fallen into five streams, possibly all the same one, and into four different briar patches, and fallen over at least ten roots. I nearly smiled at the sight of the multi colored tents, and was greeted by, no surprise, Hector.

"Eliwood! Where have you been?' His voice held relief, and a slight undercurrent of anger. I smiled weakly.

"Walking?" I suggested. Falling over my own mind, and walking into trees looking for camp. "Just walking."

"Uh-hu." Hector frowned. "I'll go find Serra now. Everyone's been looking for you."

"Everyone always seems to be doing that. I don't know why." I followed him, trying hard to keep my feet under me.

"Lord Eliwood!" Marcus came up, leading his horse with tight look on his face. "I am glad to see you well." I stopped, glad for the rest, and looked to the paladin. I had known him longer then Hector, and had been fascinated by him, and his horse when I was younger. He had a different horse then he had then, but it was still a war stallion.

"I'm not so sure I'm completely well." I answered. It was still raining. "I feel rather stretched to be truthful."

"Maybe if you would not run off without taking someone with you would not have these problems, Mi'lord." Marcus said sternly. I blinked. That was one of the closest things to a reproach Marcus had said to me since I was seven.

I worked out a reply slowly, my mind numb. "I will, in the future, take more thought to my actions." I gave a slight nod of my head, and turned to go. My feet slipped in a puddle, and I flailed around before Marcus caught me firmly.

"Be careful Lord Eliwood." Marcus advised.

"Thank you Marcus." I carefully skirted the puddle, and wandered off. I stopped, and wondered where I was going.

"Lord Eliwood!" A pink topped blur dashed up, and grabbed my arm. "Mi'lord there you are! You disappeared and worried us so! You shouldn't run off when you're not feeling well." Serra gave me a pouty look, and waved to Matthew. "Matthew! Go find Lord Hector and tell him I found Lord Eliwood!" Matthew gave an exasperated sigh, and looked sorely tempted to throw something at the cleric's head.

"He knows. He's looking for you actually." I told her.

"That's good! I'll just take you to your tent and heal those nasty burns." Serra grabbed my arm, and pulled me after her. "You have some nasty bruises on your face to." Serra had luckily grabbed my left arm. several people stared as we went by, but they shrugged, and went back to their work.

"Eliwood!" Lyndis came jogging up, a relieved look on her face. "Thank goodness, we were all starting to worry about you." She smiled, but I saw a slight moment of hesitation. She didn't know what to expect from me.

"I'm sorry." I smiled wearily back, and tripped over my own feet. Lyndis and Serra both caught me, and Serra clicked her tongue.

"Men! Honestly they think they can run all day on nothing but their own egos." Serra huffed, and then grinned brightly. "There is the tent we're looking for!"Serra trotted ahead, but Lyndis stayed to help me walk I unconsciously leaned on her, taking some of the weight off my own feet. I was tired, exhausted was more accurate though. I flopped down on the make shift bed thankfully, and got a worried look from Lyndis. It was dry in the tent at least.

"Here, let me see your hand." Serra took my right hand gently, and examined it carefully. "Yep, a quick healing spell should fix it." Serra nodded to herself, and pulled a staff out of her belt. She closed her eyes, and concentrated. A soft blue glow emanated from the staff. She torched the head to my hand, and a tingle rushed up my arm, and spread through my body. I hissed as the rash vanished, and I could feel the cuts on my arm knitting back together. The mark on my chest pulled closed as well.

I shivered as the healing spell finished, my breath faster then it had been, and my body on the edge of unconsciousness. Healing took some strength from both people involved to work. Serra looked tired as well. She yawned, and placed the staff back in its placed.

"Maybe a mending spell would have worked better. She stood up, and wavered. "You," She pointed an unsteady finger at me. "Get lots of rest. If that healing took so much out of me then you must be exhausted by now. I take leave of you, Lady Lyndis, Lord Eliwood." She curtsied neatly, and walked out of the tent without her usual bounce. Lyndis watched her go, then turned her attention back to me.

"You do look tired." She observed. "I'll leave you to get some rest." She paused. "Do you want anything to drink or eat? You were gone for over three hours."

I looked at her face carefully, and decided that she wouldn't leave me alone completely until I had eaten something. "Some broth would be nice, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Not at all." She smiled. "I'll be right back." I watched her go, and wondered why she wore a skirt that slit all the way up with leg and showed off her hip at times. I felt my cheeks grow warm, and thumped my head on my knees. Why was I concerned about how much leg Lyndis was showing anyway? I sighed, and pulled my boots off. I wouldn't sleep with any more dirt then I had to.

I found some dry clothes, and stripped off the wet ones. The actions were subconscious. I didn't mind the wet clothes. The tent flap was pushed aside, and Hector came in.

"You cause a lot of trouble." Hector grumbled. "You know that."

"I wouldn't cause any trouble if people didn't insist on taking care of me." I grabbed my dry tunic, and straightened it out.

Hector frowned, and looked at the numerous scars crisscrossing my arms, and the few on my chest. "Someone has to look after you." I paused and looked at him carefully. My hands tightened around the blue cloth. Someone had to look after, because I couldn't do it myself. I pulled my tunic over my head and spread the wet clothes out to dry.

"Really?" I pushed back my bangs, and tucked some of the longer strands behind my ears. "I'm not that much younger then you are."

Hector shrugged. "I guess not."

The tent flap was pushed aside, and Lyndis came in carrying a steaming bowl. She paused when she saw Hector, and glanced quickly between the two of us. "I brought some broth for Eliwood." She told Hector.

Hector nodded. "No doubt he needs it." I began to stand up, but my knees buckled, and I sat back down quickly.

"It would seem." Lyndis smiled warmly, and easily. She handed me the bowl with the warning that it was hot. I held it in my hands, and let the warmth sink into them.

"I'll leave you two alone know." Lyndis brushed dust off her skirts. "Make sure he drinks it all." She told Hector before slipping out of the tent. I watched her go, and frowned slightly.

"You heard her, drink it." Hector sat down on the make shift bed, and made it clear he intended to see that I drank all of the broth.

I smiled, and took a short sip. Lowen must have made it; it was good. "Do you always do as she says?" I asked with a tilted look. Hector glared at me, and I chuckled. "I see, I'm not allowed to ask questions, but you are."

Hector mouthed something, and shook his head. "No, I don't. You so need to drink that though. You should eat something to." He studied me for a moment. "Why is your face still bruised?"

"My face?" I touched my face gingerly, and winced. "I guess the healing spell wasn't enough to fix everything."

"Everything?" Hector raised and eyebrow at me. "I thought you only had the two spots." There was, whether he knew it or not, a slight threat in his tone. I took a long sip of the broth, savoring the taste while I watched Hector's expression. I looked into the broth, and found a rippling reflection looking back.

"I used to think that reflections were people other worlds, like the one the dragons were trapped in. I'd always wonder what there life was like-if they were nobles, or commoners, or how different there lives were from mine in anyway. I always wondered if they liked butterflies as well." I smiled and took another sip of broth. The reflection was no longer recognizable.

"You asked me about that once, what I thought my reflection was." Hector chuckled. "You always wondered about the oddest things."

"I did." I took a deep breath, and sighed. "Hector..."
"What?" He asked, looking at me sideways. He had slipped his boots off, and now sat cross legged. He had already discarded his armor, and looked more relaxed then I had seen him in weeks. The corners of my lips twitched, and a strangled laugh escaped me. I set the broth down, and nearly doubled over in helpless laughter. I laughed until tears streamed down my cheeks, and they ached.

"Eliwood?" I rubbed my cheek gingerly, and looked at Hector with a slight smile. I picked up the bowl of broth again, and felt the smooth surface of the bowl beneath my fingers.

"What was that about?" Hector asked, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I looked away from him, and let my gaze rest on my boots shortly. I skipped my gaze to his boots, and then to his axe, which lay in easy reach, I noted. Maybe he wasn't as relaxed as I thought. Maybe he was trying to make me relax so I would fall off guard and tell him everything. Why not? Why shouldn't I tell him what I thought? Why shouldn't he know? Why did I hold back, biting my tongue to keep any words from spilling out. Why was I still trying to hate him?

The flames of hate were dowsed with the unquenchable sorrow that had wrapped itself around my heart, and was squeezing it viciously. I refused to release me, and was intent on haunting me. The smile on my lips widened slightly. No one knows what they can't see. Smile and everyone smiles back, frown and they wonder. My eyes fell to the bowl of broth. I gripped the bowl harder. What do they wonder? What do they think about you? They think the truth... They know, everyone does. Every lie is true, and every truth is a lie. Worthless creature who can't do anything. You killed your father! You killed Ninian! A nagging voice in my head piped. I didn't! It wasn't me!

Liar, always lying, never facing the truth. You know it now, you know what is the truth, but you won't face it will you? My hands tighter around the bowl, and bit my lip. It's lies, I didn't kill them!

You hated your Father, you hated Ninian too. She was a dragon after all. My throat tightened. My mind fought to defend itself against...itself. I did not! I did not hate them! Shut up! Leave me alone! "Shut up!"

"Eliwood." Hector's hand descended onto my wrist, catching it in a steady hold as he took the bowl of broth from me. I jumped, and lashed out. He caught my other hand, and looked at me sternly. "What is wrong with you?"

I looked at him carefully, and pulled against his hold. I sighed, and relaxed. "I don't know... I don't know anymore..." My hands were shaking as I fought to feel something besides the sorrow clinging to me. The doubt raging in my mind. I clenched my hands, and watched Hector's face. It had concern splayed plainly on it. There were also questions on his face. He wanted to know something, but he was waiting, precariously holding a silence he wanted to break.

"We're going to go to Ostia before heading to Dread Isle." Hector told me carefully. "When ever you're ready to travel we'll leave."

"Then we'll go as soon as we can." I wouldn't slow them down. I would keep up. I had to. "I won't slow you down." My chest ached. Why should I have to prove myself to him? Because you want to prove you're not worthless. Did his opinion really carry that much weight with me? Why should it? I hated him... Did I? Why had I wanted his opinion about worthless things? What was wrong with me? I had to get away. I had to...

"Hey!" I stood up quickly, my vision swam, and blackened. My heart pounded, and my knees buckled. Someone grabbed my carefully by a shoulder, and looped one arm around my torso. I was lowered back to my bed, but the supporting hands did not go away.

"Idiot." Hector muttered gruffly. "Eliwood, don't you dare pass out." My head throbbed, and everything faded slightly. I didn't bother to open my eyes. The weariness finally taking me under. For one moment everything was vibrant. Hector was shaking me lightly, but seemed to have given up on my waking. Then it all dropped away into darkness.

A/N:Meh, well it's written and up. Sorry if it's confusing. Eliwood's having problem's, and arguing with himself. He was also a little bland. Sorry, sorry, but thanks for all the reviews! Jaa ne