Redhawk Caldera Overture: JCS

She grew quiet, and so did Phox. He kicked at his paws while she ate, thinking of children: past, present, and future. He stated ahead for some time, watching the outside world that was still covered in snow and would remain that way until the spring thaw. Like last year, the thought of children was both exhilarating and exhausting, but there was a new element of sorrow in the mix. Children leaving the roost was one thing (and something he’d come to expect), but he never could have predicted what it would be like to truly lose a child until it had happened.

He glanced at Niamh as she pulled apart the rabbit, and he considered saying some word of half-hearted empathy, but he couldn’t bring the words to the surface. Instead, he curled himself up against her, facing away, and began to let his breathing set the rhythm for a restless sleep.