Changes

With the return of the Fool, Fitz begins in earnest to think about returning to life at Buckkeep. Nighteyes tries to withdraw as much from their bond as he can to hide his frequent great pain. One day Nighteyes chokes on a fish and his heart stops. In panic and grief, Fitz uses both the Wit and the Skill to force him to return him to life, although it takes the Fool to complete the intervention and stop halt Nighteyes' death. Infuriated with Fitz's meddling in what Nighteyes feels intuits to be the natural order of things, Nighteyes withdraws his Wit contact from Fitz.

By the time they return to Buckkeep, Nighteyes has forgiven Fitz as much as he is able to and they head out in pursuit of the runaway - or possibly kidnapped - Prince [[Dutiful]] and the splinter [[Old Blood]] faction known as the [[Piebalds]]who are suspected of possessing him. It is during these adventures that Nighteyes begins to truly show his age, failing to keep up easily with Fitz and the Fool as they pursue the prince and catching only able to catch up infrequently. Nevertheless, he provides what help he can before being left behind again.