there was no telling how long the mission would last , ( more than a year , maybe ) and yodrens heart had tightened at the thought of being separated from gallan for so long , even though the attraction between them had never been acted upon or even openly acknowledged ; moreover , it was unthinkable to join the mission himself and leave yonfi alone , even if he was certain his brother could manage just fine without him , and gallan , until the time to leave came and he shot yodren an intense , melancholy gaze , hadnt spoken a word about their separation , either silently or aloud .