Moved from DAoC Percival for History Preservation


Predian awoke violently from his sleep, gasping for air. His lungs fought to fill with the air around him, but would not. He rolled himself over and muffled his coughs with the pillow beneath him, trying to shield his sleeping love from the noise.


He tilted his head to the left to check on her, still concealing his powerful cough. Thrennoadae did not stir, she lay peaceful sprawled on her back, half uncovered by blankets.


Unable to contain his cough he rose from the bed, sliding his feet softly to the floor, still holding the pillow to his mouth. He pushed with his legs and stood from the bed, but to his surprise the strength in his legs had gone from him and he nearly fell forward. Quickly, he supported himself with the nearest wall, and using his full body, forced himself upright.


Slowly some strength returned to his legs and he was able to make his way from the bedroom down the stairs, ever careful to not disturb Thrennoadae. He made his way outside of the house and walked toward the back of the lovely garden. Thrennoadae had done a perfect job here, and he stopped to quickly admire her work. Rylestone had become his home, but only because of Thrennoadae.


His legs ached as he walked and his body convulsed fiercely with each cough. This was the worst attack he had felt, and they were becoming more frequent. He made his way down the hill from their garden, to the river bank. He set down the pillow and allowed stopped the attempts to slow his cough. It became more and more violent, and he nearly choked as blood rushed up from his lungs. He spit it into the river, but the coughs did not stop.


Air was in short supply, unable to breathe in between coughs, Predian eventually passed out, his aching body collapsed face down at the edge of the river. He awoke an hour later, the coughing had stopped and the strength in his body had returned. He still ached. He looked around him, to make sure he had gone unnoticed. To his relief, he had. He couldn’t let her know, he thought to himself.


It hadn’t yet been a year since his love’s daughter had passed on, and Predian knew in his heart that he was suffering the same ailment. He was weakening slowly, the coughing fits grew more frequent and he was shedding more blood through illness than battle. But he could not let Thrennoadae know. He could not put her through loss again. If he could not fight through this illness, he’d have to find another way.


In fact, Predian had told no one. When coughs overtook him in the battle field he would blame it on a poorly placed enemy hammer. In moments of weakness he would claim an enemy spell. He had been careful, but it was becoming harder. Eventually someone would find out, he knew this, but he felt there was no other choice.


He rose from the river bed and made his way back to the house. He slid back in bed next to the still sleeping Thrennoadae. He had not realized he’d left his pillow behind. He curled up around her, his arm draped across her, and attempted to sleep.

How sad. You two just get remarried and now Predian is dieing?


How cruel is life.

I told you to not drink the green ale!!!

 

-----signature-----

<blinks>


<worries>

*frowns*

 

-----signature-----

I'm gonna be a sad little monkey if Predian dies

Wolfsbane was restless.


With many things on his mind lately, he decided to take a slow ride through the neighborhoods surrounding his guildhall. Not really paying attention to where he was going, he soon found himself near the house of an old friend, and now old friends.


But something was different.


As he passed the house on his black warhorse, Wolfsbane heard the sounds of coughing and movement. Quickly moving the horse to the surrounding wood, he watched as Predian collapsed into the water.

Wolfsbane lept off his horse and ran to him, but the friar had passed out. Moving quickly, Wolfsbane moved his head out of the water and pressed some whiskey into his lips. Although the friar did not wake, he subconsciously drank the alcohol.


"That should make ye feel a little better, mate.... ye know I'll always be here for ye."


Shooting the unconscious friar a puzzled look, Wolfsbane remounted his horse and continued his ride.


------------------


(ooc)

If my little addition doesn't work with your story, Pred, go ahead and say so... and we can all disregard it.

<ooc> From Pred who is at work..


This is not meant to be an open story, he's got some definite things in mind. Please PM him if you'd like to add anything or contribute.


<Smacks Wolfie's hands>


My own part coming later today.

Ok please disregard my addition.


I MEAN IT.

The morning sunlight broke through their upstairs window, and landed in a beam of light right against her closed eyes. With a groan, she flopped over, bumping her hand hard against the headboard. Wincing and muttering a soft curse, she looked for Predian but he’d already arisen. Sighing softly, she slipped from bed and pulled on a silken robe. She began to make the bed as she did every morning, but oddly, Predian’s pillow was missing.


“Well, bugger that, what did he do, eat it?” She looked under the bed, behind the headboard, even shook out every blanket, but still she could not find it. Her forehead narrowed as she was deeply puzzled. Shrugging her shoulders, she went downstairs and again sighed as Predian had left already for his morning walk. But their forge was already stoked up, perhaps Rharan had been by and crafted a bit. She smiled as she thought of their home and guildmates, already the missing pillow an afterthought.


Pulling some bread from the cupboard, she made herself a few slices of toast, then wandered outside to admire the garden. The small plants she’d so carefully planted were peeking up, soaking in the morning sun. She took a seat in the swing, and admired the sparkling river as she munched on the bread with its sweet-honey butter. A crunch of a footstep behind her, and she turned to see Kaidric approaching.

Her normal warm smile for her brother-in-law was a bit reserved, he’d been acting strangely as of late. He’d taken a new direction in his path of the Church, and sometimes Thrennoadae worried for him.


Just the other day, in the depths of Darkness Falls, the sheer glee and fire in his eyes at the power of the smite he wielded nearly frightened her. She’d watched as he trod the hand of a fallen norseman, as if it was nothing more than a beetle to be squashed. But today, he was just her brother-in-law, and a warm smile touched his lips as he saw her sitting there.


“Yer up early,” she said as he got closer.


“Never been one to sleep late, sister,” came his reply.


She’d never felt uncomfortable around him before, he’d never so much as given her one of the looks she was accustomed to from men. But today, his eyes wandered a bit down the front of her robe, where it had fallen open just slightly to reveal the swell of her breasts. She waited for the flush and the embarrassment to rise to his cheeks, but instead, a slight smile curled his lip upwards, and his gaze remained on her. Scowling softly, she pulled closed the fabric of her robe, and turned a bit back towards the river, her own cheeks blushing.


“Pred has gone on his morning walk already, iffen yer looking fer him…” she finally said, breaking the awkward silence. She turned to look at Kaidric after a moment of silence, but he was already gone.