Two Sides of the Coin we lost

Chapter 1 - The coin we have

After the failed bonding, Ven and Leif would spend time at their favorite spot near their village, the shore's cliffs, in silence. One of them, Leif, was in complete apathy. His body barely moved, his head looked downwards, his eyes lost any shine it had in the past. His partner, Ven, in turn seemed distressed, every time he looked at Leif his heart filled with dread and he had no choice but to look away as tears began to shed from his eyes. An anxiety that wouldn't stop building up as he didn't know what to do to fix the situation. He couldn't just accept it, he couldn't bear to see his friend like that as he blamed himself for the bonding going awry. He turned to Leif while taking a knee and took and covered his left hand with both of his own hands and stared at him with a determined yet saddened expression.

"I will find a way, Leif. I won't let it end like this, please wait for me. I'll be back, I promise."

Leif's expression remained empty and his head still gazing into nothingness as if he pretended to not hear Ven, who stared at him for a few more seconds wondering if his words had gotten to him at all. Ven then gently placed Leif's hand on his lap and got up, leaving for the village.

Ven went to seek the village elder. The elder held no social or political position among the race but was considered the wisest of them years before his age. Unlike humans this race had very little signs of old age. Shorter horns, clearer eyes and many times a blacked out mark. Ven found the elder behind his house on a sunny spot gazing into the horizon. He approached him and called his name preceded by his unofficial title: "Elder Bran". The elder turned his head and him and Ven greeted each other by holding both of his hands with his and then letting go. The grayed mark on the elders hand was apparent, his partner had died many years ago. His first words were harsh in a way but said with kindness.

"So we share a broken bond."

"Yes, that's why I'm here."

"Of course, you want to know how to erase it..."

"I know there must be a way."

"Of course there is!"

"Really? How?"

"It's simple, just cut off your hand."

"What?"

"You want the mark gone right? Cut off your hand and it'll be gone."

"If I could cut my hand to erase Leif's mark I would, I want a way to erase his, not mine."

The elder who was grimming now had a serious expression with both his hands behind his back standing straight.

"Young Ven, many have tried not succeeded yet a certain few have learned to live with it. I'm sure if you stick with you both can be happy.

The bond is not guaranteed happiness, it is only a feeling most judge worth having and others regret ever doing it, I'm sure you understand why."

"Do you regre.." Ven was interrupted by the elder.

"No, never. When she died It was the most horrible feeling I've ever felt. The thought of regret did for a minute cross my mind, but even with the pain I felt I could not regret all we went through. Especially the parts before we bonded"

Ven stood in silence as he stared at the elder who turned his head to the horizon once more before continuing.

"It was special before, the bond just made it more fun. Stay by Leif's side, I have no shadow of doubt this will be not but pebble in your path together" Said the elder with unshaken confidence despite its uncertainty of the truthness of his words.

"He... He won't do anything. He barely moves anymore, he doesn't eat or speak. I stay by his side all the time but it's like I'm a ghost... He resents me, he knows it was my fault."

The elder looked at Ven and approached him, putting a hand on his arm.

"It was no one's fault, sometimes bad things happen. We have to keep on living..."

"Please, I need to fix this, you must know something."

"The elder stared at Ven for a moment and then sighted."

"We are made of flesh and blood young, Ven. There are those who... understand more about our bodies than us but..." The elder was interrupted.

"Right! Of Course!" Ven said in awe and started to sprint away after thanking the Elder, who in turn called Ven's name making him stop running and look back.

"I was wrong, we don't share a broken bond after all." The elder was certain the feelings Ven had for Leif were strong and were not gone given his actions. Ven nodded his head as if he pretended to understand and started running again.