Disclaimer: don't own

Now we have Thatz's full view on the situation, poor Thatz, I feel really sorry for him you know, I mean, loosing the one you love and then having this little kid dumped on you who everyone… well, you'll see. They're being to think aren't they.

Chapter 3

The day itself had started off horribly, and as far as Thatz was concerned it would just keep getting worse. It had begun as any morning would, when he woke up. He had of course fallen asleep beside his lover, even if they fought Thatz would not leave their bed, or make Rath leave, though they usual faced away from each other and didn't touch. But Thatz could not stand the bed to be empty, and always, no matter what, they would always end up curled round each other, and he always woke-because he was always the first awake, to Rath's peaceful face, with just the hint of a smile. Even in sleep Rath was smug about something.

But this morning Thatz had not woken to Rath's face, but another, younger, childlike face, framed by beautiful blond curls. It had taken him a moment, as his mind shifted through thoughts of the past, images of waking up beside Rune, before he finally realised just what was in the bed, snuggled happily between he and Rath. With an angry cry he had pushed himself out of the bed, glaring at the little boy, who was blinking sleepy blue eyes open. Rath was sitting up in an instant, looking at Thatz in askance.

"What is that thing doing in our bed!" Thatz demanded angrily.

Rath had looked at the child, his face softening into a smile. "He was scared all by himself Thatz." He said softly. "He came in here to ask if he could sleep with us."

"And you let him?" Thatz demanded, frightening the child. "You let that little thief into our bed?"

Rath levelled a cold stared at him. "You are one to talk Thatz. The child hasn't stolen anything. He hasn't done anything wrong. Have you Rune?" He asked the child, pulling him into a hug, to quiet the tears that were already beginning to flow. Seeing the tenderness had made Thatz angry, but the use of the name, the use of that scared name, being given to that child. That was the last straw.

And Thatz cracked. "DON'T CALL HIM THAT! HE ISN'T RUNE, HE NEVER WILL BE!" H e yelled, waking everyone in their wing of the castle up. "How dare you use his name like that-and give it to this disgusting little thing. Rune isn't dead, he can't be dead Rath, and yet you've given up on him, you've passed him over in favour of a child. How could you dishonour him like that? How could you?"

Rath had looked at him then, his eyes filled with deep rooted sorrow. "Stop it Thatz, you're scaring Rune." That was a stab, such a horrible bloody stab at everything he held dear. He had thought Rath understood, had thought he felt the same. Rath and Rune meant everything to him. They had been his whole life, and now Rath was taking it away. Was taking away everything he had ever loved.

A knock at the door broke the thread of Thatz's thoughts, and Ruwalk poked his head round the door. "Emm, Lord Rath?" he said nervously, his eyes flicking to Thatz. He had obviously realised where the child had disappeared off too after Thatz's explosion. Rath looked over, nodded.

"You go with Ruwalk, he'll look after you. I'll come and find you later, all right." He told the child.

Thatz felt his temper flare again. The child scrambled off the bed and over to Ruwalk, who scooped him up and closed the door before Thatz burst into another furious bout of yelling. The argument had been one of the worst the two had ever had, one to rival when Rath had stopped the searches. The whole castle was reduced to silence, as the yells and curses flew thick and fast. No one wanted to go anywhere near the East wing of the castle, no one dared.

Finally Thatz had stormed out, making his way to the gardens to sit and think. But his day was about to get shortly worse. Even in the quietest part of the garden all he heard about was that damned child. A group of maids walking somewhere close by talked about how 'cute' and 'how adorable' the little child was. The little Dragon Knight. How dare they. Only Rune was the Water Dragon Knight. This child was just. Just… He jerked himself to his feet and stormed back into the castle, to the library, not intending to read, but wanting the solace the place offered him.

What he found when he reached the library however was anything but solace. He had barely had the door opened before a tiny voice could be heard.

"Look Mr. Waf, Mr. Wuwalk is showed me how to wite my name. Look, it says Wune." The child giggled, obviously very proud of itself for its wonderful accomplishment.

"Oh Really?" He heard Rath say, a smile evident in his voice. "Can you write anything else?"

"I dnt know. I try to wite Mr. Waf, and Mr. Wuwalk, and Mr. Fatz."

Thatz spun on his heel and stormed back to the room he shared with Rath.

X

"Thatz, would you like to come into the city to the market? Myself and Ruwalk are taking Rune down?" Rath said softly, leaning against the doorjamb, taking in his lover's hunched form. He could do nothing to ease the pain. He knew Thatz had spent the morning remembering.

"Go away Rath." Thatz said dully.

Rath sighed and straightened. "Alright Thatz." He left.

When he was gone Thatz looked back outside, at the child as it played with Ruwalk, as it mocked him and everything he cherished. He turned away angrily when Rath appeared, swinging the child up in his arms.

He sat there, his mind wandering down dark paths, time passed him. He didn't notice that the day had faded into evening until there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." he called.

The door opened and the child entered, carrying a box. Thatz wanted to tell him to leave, but something stopped him. And he waited. The child came up to him, blue eyes shining, the curly blond hair catching the evening sun and turning to burnished copper-just like Rune's had once done.

Thatz's expression hardened at the thought.

"I bought you a pweasent back fwom da mawket." The child had, holding the box out with a smile that would have melted the hardest heart. Thatz however, remained unmoved.

"You 'bought' it did you?" Thatz said. "I don't want it, go away."

The child's smile faltered slightly, and with a somewhat perplexed expression on his face he opened the box and pulled one of the cookies inside out and held it out to him. "But it's youw favowite." He said uncertainty.

Thatz's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know what my favourite cookie is?"

The child looked at him in confusion. "But it is." He said.

"Get out." Thatz ordered.

The child just kept looking at him in confusion, like it didn't know what it had done. Losing all patience Thatz yelled. "GET OUT!" startling the child into turning and leaving the room, tears shining in his eyes.

"That wasn't very nice." Rath said quietly after a few moments of silence.

"I don't care." Thatz said bitterly, turning away.

"They were your favourite by the way-and he chose them himself. All I did was pay the vender Thatz. Think on that." With that he turned away leaving Thatz alone with his thoughts once more.

X

"Rune?" Rath said softly, opening the door to the child's room.

Rune looked up, rubbing at his teary eyes. "Yes mister Waf?" he asked.

Rath went to the bed and pulled the boy into a hug. "Don't cry little one. It's not your fault Thatz is in a bad mood. He just had a stressful day today."

Nodding thought he had no idea what the word 'stressful' meant, Rune crawled onto Raths lap, snuggling close. "But theys was his favowite cookies-wasn't they mister Waf?"

Rath nodded. "They were."

Silence held the room for a while.

"Until Thatz has stopped being in a bad mood I think you should stay away from him, ok. He won't always be in a bad mood, I promise."

"Ok mister Waf." Rune answered softly.

Rath put the child to bed, watching over him for a while before making his way back to the oppressive silence that awaited him in his room.

Um, yeah-so I'm back, and here's chappie three, hope you all enjoyed and everyone must review. Oh, and as for the whole tinlet thing-it shalt be explained in the next chappie, Okie dokie!