The Heartwood do you remember, how it felt when we were young

He owed them both an explanation, even he could see that. Arcturus seethed; Hydra spoke his name and went silent too, and both shadows watched him expectantly, tremulous and fighting against their doubts. Revui couldn't even look at his brother; he glanced, but felt too ashamed by the look in the other boy's eyes to hold firm with his gaze. One of the rare moments that he buckled to another's superiority — Revui would not have ever dropped his eyes from Vengeance or the other soldiers, the captors, who he vowed to slay. But his brother was a different creature altogether. He saw the hurt there, the rage, the questions, and broke.

There was little doubt in Revui's mind that they had visited the Nightwalkers. That would also mean the boy, Orochi, was alive somewhere. The plan had worked. The obvious question lay within Hydra's firm gaze: Why would he not have returned? He was free now, not beholden to anyone except himself and his own blood lust, and yet... He had remained in the lowlands. Being so near felt good to Revui but it would hurt him too, as evidenced by the way they both stared at him - imploringly.

He took a breath, and then began to explain:

There was a creature that I chased from the mountain. After, when the earth shook, I thought something must be waking up, and wanted to hunt it. But the earth raged. I.. Was afraid. Not his proudest moment, but he offered his frailty in that flight of panic as something palpable for them to cling to, maybe understand. I fled to a forest and angered the wolves there. They took me down - broke my body. Kept me captive. This they knew by now, he presumed. I am free, now. Again, this was obvious enough, he was here in the ruined forest rather than back among the Nightwalkers.

It wouldn't be enough. His weakness, his fear. Revui loathed that he had let himself be corralled in such a way, that he allow his weakness to become so powerful, and knew he did not deserve anything but the lashing of their teeth. He certainly did not deserve to return home to the mountain - he wasn't strong enough yet.