Redhawk Caldera Every single party needs a no-show

All welcome.

By morning, the fever had passed. 

Quiet words had slipped between the two Blackthorn men days ago, and Bronco was grateful that Eljay had on hand herbs that could help make the shaking go away and cease the throbbing in his head. Little was said, though he began to truly understand the shimmer of concern that grew and grew in his uncle's eyes, accompanied by the increase in medicines. He found the herbal taste lingered more and more on his breath, though it was little more than an attempt at covering the smell of sickness.

Neither of them were good at goodbyes, and both had already said far too many of them to count so when Eljay left him in the evening with a small parcel of medicines meant to tide him through the night, they simply smiled, and said nothing. He wondered, as he watched Eljay leave, if he knew- the same way Bronco knew. He suspected as much, and appreciated that Eljay had spared him the grief of yet another farewell, though he knew he could not return the favour.

He kept his chin up, for the sake of his family, and warmed his numbing lips with smiles so they might remember him forever that way. He hid the growing coarseness of his voice with whispers of legends, stories of mythical creatures that could only truly be told in a hushed voice. He buried his nagging cough with laughter. And while he could not jump, run or play, he still insisted that each of his children play a round of bobstones with him- and not once did he go easy on them. 

He waited, to watch them fall asleep on the bed of moss lightly adorned now with springs of gold. He watched the sun set into a hot and copper sky. He sat tall, so his beloved could lean against him and remember him for the man he had been, when he had first set eyes on her. He murmured memories into her ear, just so she might hear them once more, replay only the good ones in her mind. 

By morning, the fever had passed

and the cold settled into his limbs, into his body, and into the heart that had known so much love.