The atmosphere was grin the Sacaean hut that afternoon. Both Rath and Yarne were on opposite ends of the space, facing away from each other. The taguel was gathering up his belongings in a satchel Rath had crafted him on his return home. Whatever forces had brought the taguel into Elibe now called for him to return back to Ylisse the following day as spring rolled in. Neither of them had said much since discovering the outrealm gate.

Rath took a glance over at the taguel who was too engrossed in his things to pay attention to anything else. He glossed over a few pieces of parchment, no doubt the ones they had used for the ink paintings during their earlier time spent together. There was the hair band Rath had woven for Yarne during the winter.

"Do you think you'll ever return?" he asked quietly as he turned away to act as though he was tending to the fire pit.

Yarne's attention shot to Rath the moment he heard his voice, though he didn't turn around to face him. He just kept making sure everything was in order for tomorrow's departure. Finding the right answer was hard for him. Since winter almost all the cards had been laid out on the table. They both knew Yarne couldn't stay with the current state of his world, and more importantly the fate of the taguel kind. He had told Rath he had a duty to fulfil and that couldn't be accomplished if he stayed or if Rath returned with him. The taguel wanted to uphold the name as best he could.

"I'm…not sure," he forced out. His throat felt as though rocks were choking him. "I'm sure there's a way to control the outrealms s-so I-I'll try to, alright?"

The nomad remained silent as he glanced back at his and nodded.

There wasn't much else to do now but let time pass.

As night shrouded over them they had hardly said much else. The once welcome scent of stew and the warmth of the fire now felt heavy, knowing it'd be their last meal together. Yarne kept playing, spinning his fingers around the few beads in his hair that Rath had given him for his birthday and hardly touching his food. He glanced over at Rath's face, slightly fogged from the smoke coming from the fire between them. They were still avoiding eye contact.

"Rath…are you happy here in Elibe?"

The nomad looked at Yarne with a hopeful glow in his eye that quickly faded. He stared back at the stone bowl and spoon in his hand, gathering his thoughts.

"I am quite used to it," he answered. "No doubt after tomorrow I will continue living as I had prior to our meeting; hunting same as usually and continue my work with the Marquise of Ostian. I hear he is expecting a child soon. No doubt they will be looking to strength their private guard."

"Oh…." Yarne didn't really have a response. His whiskers twitched as he kept toying with his hair as though it would bring him any correct answer for them both to be happy. "Why don't you go back to your tribe? Don't you…ever miss them?" Normally the taguel wouldn't have asked such a personal question seeing as Rath never liked talking about his past at all. It was a sensitive subject.

Rath shook his head.

"I don't feel the need. Though the prophecy fulfilled, I am still considered an outcast by the Sacae. Even if I wanted to there is little chance I'd be allowed to return. I've grown used to living in isolation." He was trying to bait Yarne, and he knew it. A hunter never gave up on his prey. He peered across the smoke screen to gauge the rabbit's reaction, studying his moments carefully. Rath immediately took note of how much Yarne was touching the beads he had given him, and how he kept curling his toes. The red coloring of the beast's eyes were all too easy to track, darting about. Yarne was nervous and confused now.

"What if you…" Yarne stopped himself, swallowing the rest of his sentence before choosing his words carefully. "What if…you just came with me? You could start over in Ylisse. I'm sure Lucina and Chrom would be happy to give you work and a place to stay! Everyone is accepting and you could meet my mo-" he stopped himself again.

Rath just blinked at Yarne's continuous slips. He knew what the other man wanted to say, but kept avoiding it. His face remained stern as he continued his thoughts. They were both trying to pick their words carefully as if they were locked in combat, trying to read their opponent's next move. Even after so many months together, Yarne still couldn't bring himself to be upfront and honest with him about his feelings, but then again neither could he to begin with.

"We both know that wouldn't be best," he said. There was another paused as he took a bite of his food. "Yarne…do you want me to return with you?"

The taguel was caught off guard by Rath's forwards question. It felt as though the weight on his shoulders had suddenly tripled, and giving the wrong answer would cause everything to fall apart. His heart was beating so hard in his chest that he could feel the blood flushing through his body. Yarne gulped before opening his mouth as though he was about to say something but nothing came to him. He was at a loss for words until Rath interrupted him.

"You…have nothing to fear of me," he said like he had many times before. It rang sweetly in the taguel's ears, bringing him back to their first meeting or the time they were snowed in during the winter. It was embedded in him as a term of endearment and comfort…and it worked. After a deep sigh Yarne started up again.

"I do," he finally confessed. The rabbit could feel his hair stand up on the back of his neck as the truth left him. Then, like flooded waters, everything started to surface and overflow from him, unable to hold back anymore. "I don't want you to be alone, Rath. I…I want to stay with you so just come with me, tomorrow, okay!" Yarne's voice was shaking and loud. His arms started to trembled as Rath just watched him from across the fire pit. "I…I know what it'll mean for me and…f-for my race but th-that's okay!" It was a struggle to admit it, but he was being just as selfish as Rath, now. "I want to stay with you. It's my life and I want to decided what happens in it - and my mother…my mother…" he trailed off as her image clouded his mind.

Would she really approve of this? He couldn't say for certain. Yarne hardly knew her even though they were family.

Rath could sense Yarne's timid nature cornering himself in his thoughts again. The nomad had gotten his what he wanted to hear; what he needed to hear from his companion for now. While Yarne continued to wrestle with himself, Rath set down his empty stone bowl and moved across the pit so that he was beside the other man.

"That is something we shall handle when the time comes," he declared as he placed a hand on Yarne's shoulder. His voice remained stern, but calm and sincere. "You're too hard on yourself over situations with unknown outcomes. We can't control what will happen, but we can face it together."

He sat down and took one of Yarne's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. Rath brought their hands up to his face to kiss the underside of his lover's wrist sweetly.

"Yarne…I want to go with you. If you'll have me then come tomorrow, I'll follow you into the outrealms and start over with you in your country. We'll ride on my horse together! So please…let me come with you."

Yarne brought his one free hand up to hover in front of his face as if to protect himself as Rath spoke. He was stuttering and face pink, embarrassed.

"I…I guess you're right," he finally spat out in response to Rath's accusation about him. "I worry about a lot but…believe it or not I have gotten better about that since you've been with me. I…I don't want to be afraid anymore, not of other's thoughts about more, or the world's after I die. I just…" Yarne turned his head to look at Rath directly. "I want to be with you. So please…please come with me, tomorrow!" Before he knew what he was doing, the taguel had sealed their promise with a kiss. They had decided their future.

They didn't need a blanket, especially with how warm Yarne's body felt thanks to all his fur. Rath nerves tingled every time he felt his partner lick along the side of his face or his neck. He moaned out passionately from underneath the taguel and brought Yarne back into a kiss as he continued to run his fingers through the other's hair. Beads clicked like charms every time they disrupted his flow.

"Yarne…" he whispered sweetly when they had parted. Hands began to wander down Yarne's naked body, petting him at every chance he could when he ran over a tuft of fur. "Go ahead…." His breath was hot and heavy, grunting all while he felt Yarne poking at him.

Yarne nodded and gave the nomad one last kiss before prodding at Rath's entrance. Salves had made this far less painful for them in the past and this was no exception. He pressed forward and felt Rath's asshole being stretched open around his head as he made his intrusion. The taguel moaned softly as he watched Rath clench his face from the sting and burning sensation inside him. His actions were rough and wild, but not uncaring. The further Yarne pushed in the slower he went. A low, throaty growl escaped him as he started moving back and forth, delivering only tiny pokes.

"That's it," Rath sighed as he reached down and started to stroke himself in tune to Yarne's movement. It didn't take long for his partner to start picking up speed and force. Pokes shifted into thrusts and pain disintegrated into enjoyment soon enough. Both of their bodies were in a sweat, decorated in passion and lust for each other. He continued pulling Yarne's hair to force him into kisses every few moments.

It must have been mating season for taguel-kind, because after so long Yarne was moving a lot faster than he ever had during their previous acts of love-making. The hut was filled with heat and conjoined gasps and moans from the two men. Teeth and claws dug along Rath's body, leaving scratch and bite along his sides, back, and shoulders.

"Rath…" he growled before slamming into him again. Yarne's eyes burned red with fire as he kept up speed. Hearing each cry from his lover sent shivers and pleasure through his body. He arched his back as his cock began to twitch inside the other and in a flash he had expunged his seed into Rath, howling all while he continued penetration until he collapsed over his partner.

Sweat and cum stained both of them as they collected themselves together in a mess of love and tiredness. Even while huddled together, Yarne was still planting small pecks and kisses along Rath's head, unable to bring himself to stop just yet. "You…make me really happy, Rath," he breathed out while holding onto the hunter as tight as his weakened body was able. Yarne opened eyes for a moment to see that Rath and become motionless and stiff after passing out from such an intense session. He grinned and placed a final kiss on Rath's lips, picking up the taste of salt from sweat.

The sun was bright, thou not harsh in the slightest. Birds were tweeting, fluttering about their business. Everything had been taken care of. The two had bathed in their usual river, hair braided, and the hut and been cleared of anything they'd both need for their new lives together.

They sat on Rath's gray horse, packs loaded on all sides, standing before the gate which remained open for them.

"Are you sure about this?" Rath asked in confidence and a cocky grin as he looked over his shoulder. "You know there might not be a chance to change our minds after this. Once we go through then I might not ever be able to come back," he reminded Yarne as he tightened his grip on reins, ready to take off.

Yarne nodded his head.

"Exactly, that's why you should be asking yourself all this. I've made my decision, already! When we get there I'm going to be a different taguel than I was a few months ago. I want to be brave and true to myself, no matter what the world will think of my race after I'm gone. I'm not going to be afraid anymore!" His arms held tighter around Rath's waist as he leaned forward to rest against his back. "So let's get going, then!"

With a single nod, Rath turned his attention around back towards the gate and dug his heels into his horse's sides. They began their stride, and with another kick they dashed ahead. Hearts were racing as they made their way past the stone doorway into the beacon of the unknown. The light was blinding yet there was no fear from either them. Stone doors collided as the passageway behind them began to close, thou they couldn't see it; it didn't feel like they were anywhere now, floating in an abyss of white.

Just like that, they were gone.