He'd had his strength and maturity stripped from him by poison joke. He'd been pursued as prey by the ceocú and had struck it down in the end, despite his weakened state. He'd unknowingly eaten driftaway berries. And yet, even as their poison had been eating away at him, making him more and more exhausted as his efforts caused it to flow ever faster through his body he'd fought every step of the way  (literally as well as figuratively) to reach her, only die in front her. He'd lost his strength, his dignity, and finally his life just for her.