A/N: I've actually had this written for... about 2 weeks I think... ; I still have mixed feelings about it. I like the concept behind it, but I'm feeling kinda bleh about how I went about writing it. I dunno. I'll let you guys be the judges.

Also, title changed for the last time. I know Kirihana will know where I got it from, but for the rest of you: Shtiya is the Inuit word for "My Strength".

"Hakoda, we need to talk."

I turned to face Miksa as he entered the room. Aside from Bato, Miksa was my closest companion and, to an extent, my war advisor. His face which had been masked in war paint less than twenty-four hours ago, was now cloaked in an emotion I could best describe as being worry and anxiety. This was going to be bad news. I know I must not look much better as I hadn't slept since I carried Bato here and the nuns had begun to care for him. I had to send the fretting Kato away several hours ago as he had been making me nervous with his blabbering and pacing. I let out a sigh, "What is it?"

"Let's talk outside; you look like you could use some fresh air." He comments idly, as though it were going to be easy to peel me away from my best friend's side. Bato had yet to reawaken since losing consciousness moments before arrival at the abbey. That was part of the reason I wanted to refuse to leave the room: I wanted to be there when he woke up; I wanted to be the first thing he saw. Not a nun (spirits bless them), not the bandages, not an empty room. Me.

Another sigh escapes my lips and I slowly stand, following the man out of the room. I barely step out of the doorframe before leaning against the cold stone wall, staring at the ground because I already know what he was going to say. And I don't want to listen to it. I don't want to even think about it. Not while the man who had always been my side since childhood was lying in the room behind me, suffering from a horrible burn that I could do nothing about.

"We can't stay at the abbey for very long. We have to keep moving if we're to reach the Eastern Earth Kingdom before the weather changes."

"I know that but…" I glance at the door to catch a glance at Bato as I trail off.

"I know why you want to stay, Hakoda. None of us want to leave him here either. But we don't know how long it will take him to heal-"

"Then we'll take him with us!" I blurt out, already knowing that it wasn't a possibility. Miksa rests a hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"You know we can't do that. None of the men know how to take care of a burn wound that is as bad as the one Bato has. Not to mention the danger he'll be in if we were ambushed during our travels. He'd be a a much higher risk of further injury, even death, if we don't let him heal here where it's safe."

"But…" A soft thud finishes my thoughts as I punch the wall with the side of my fist. "How… how long can we stay? I want to at least be here when he wakes up… I don't want him to think we just abandoned him…"

"Of course not. We'll wait at least three days. He'll be awake before then."

I give him a nod and walk back into Bato's room without another word. As far as I was concerned, our discussion was over and I needed to be back by my best friend's side. Grey-blue eyes met mine, catching me off-guard. After recovering from my initial shock at seeing him awake, I offer him a smile. "It's about time you woke up. You had me worried."

He just frowns and goes back to staring at the ceiling. "You leave in a few days…"

"Bato, you know I don't want to leave you here." I state as I approach his cot and kneel beside it.

"You're still leaving me." Like a child throwing a tantrum, he refuses to look at me. I remedy this by leaning over him and look him in the eye. The hurt is very clear in his eyes. I hate seeing it there. Spirits do I ever hate doing anything that causes him pain.

"I promise you that we are not abandoning you. I am not abandoning you. I will send correspondence every time we stop and you can rejoin us as soon as the nuns say it is alright for you to do so." He still refuses to look at me even though I can feel his demeanor lifting a bit. I lean down further and place a chaste kiss on his lips, noting the way the corner of said lips twitched upwards with a smile of my own. "I want you back by my side as soon as possible, Bato... so believe me when I tell you that this isn't forever."