Disease spread throughout his body like venom, rapidly enveloping his fragile being until he had withered away to almost nothing. He had not strayed from his den in three weeks, only forcing himself to quench his thirst and subdue his hunger with herbs when necessary. Erani had called a meeting together a few days ago, but he had chosen to ignore her summons and remain in his den alone. He couldn't get to his own feet without a struggle, and he didn't want anyone else seeing him so ill. Especially Twig, but he doubted she cared about him anymore. She probably hated him now after what he had done. She hadn't bothered to check on him since their last meeting, and he was starting to assume there was a reason why. Had she already met someone else, or did she simply not care about him anymore? She plagued his mind daily, forcing him to not only endure the physical pain, but the emotional ache too. He didn't want to be alone, and he definitely didn't want to die alone. So despite their recent mishap he would raise his muzzle toward the dens roof, a single howl pressing through his lips as he summoned the woman to him. He needed to figure things out before it was too late, the least he could do was get some closure and not expire with questions on his mind. "Speech"

With her mind fully occupied on becoming well she had hardly spared a thought to her sweet friend Themisto. Though after he had left her to her sorrows right after Fern had died something within her had made a wall around him and their memories together. She thought he cared for her, thought maybe he even loved her. He hadn't shown her that though, when she needed his comfort so desperately he seemingly had vanished into thin air. Alpine had been there to help her pick up the pieces instead, he had been the one to show her that life really was still worth living. She had wanted Themisto and his comfort, but she was instead given Alpine's shoulder to support herself on. Still she would wonder what had happened to the bright sunny-eyed healer. Whose face had so easily brightened her day, the one who had so intrigued her at first glance. She needed to know how he fared, but was afraid to seek him out. What if he didn't want her anymore? Thought her to broken to spend his time on her.?

She would hear his call though, a sickly note meant for her. She would hesitate only a moment, surely if he asked for her it meant he hadn't forgotten her. Slate covered paws would carry her to his den, her steps delicate as she drew near. The smell of sickness was overpowering, is this what had become of her care free friend? He was wasting away within the confines of this hole in the earth and she had not even known. She noticed his absence at the meeting, and realized then what had caused his missing appearance. She would cry out before she even entered the den, so overwhelmed by sadness. "Themisto, oh.." she wouldn't wait on an invitation, letting herself slip into his home she would find the man a Skelton and shadow of his former self. "Themisto, what's happened to you." she would push her head into his neck, gently nuzzling him as she lay her form beside him.?

She would burst into the den without an invitation, his ears folding as a cry seeped from her lips. Immediately she would come to lay beside him, her head pressing gently into his neck as if nothing bad had ever happened between the two. He would welcome her embrace, his weight shifting onto his right side so he could lay on it, an invitation to bring herself even closer so she could lay against his belly. (their usual cuddling position) "Themisto, what's happened to you." He would remain silent despite her question, his forelimbs extending outward as he attempted to grab her pull her in close if she hadn't already come closer. He would aim to hold her as tightly as he could manage, his dry nose pressing gently into the back of her neck as he inhaled deeply. Her perfume would engulf his lungs instantly, and he would fall deeply into thought as he laid there with her in silence, enjoying the bittersweet bliss of holding the woman he loved tightly in his arms. A sharp gasp for air would break the silence as he began to sob, tears streaming down his cheeks like a downpour as he buried his face into the back of her neck. He had no idea how to tell her about his progressing disease, or the inevitable fate that was soon to come. The only thing he could do now was sob until he couldn't anymore. ~Themisto Mathias~

She would feel him shift, showing what little belly he had left her form would mold to his. Her legs would wind themselves around his neck as she pulled herself close. How could she had not realized he was so sick earlier? She damned the man who attacked her yet again. Had she not been recovering from the pregnancy and the awful heartache she would have sought him out. No, had she never been attacked the two of them might have joined Valhalla together. She would cringe in the silence, she didn't know what to do. She didn't know what she could do. Healing had never been taught to her, but she could hunt. Before she would offer to find food for him, tear would start falling from his eyes. Why was he crying? What was going on? Why would he not tell her? Feeling tears well up in her own eyes she would rest her head against the features he had buried in her fur. "Themisto.." she would feel a whine escape her tight throat, "What is wrong, why haven't you seen Erani?" the sounds she made were almost impossibly quiet. A cold fear had placed itself within her heart.?

Her legs would fold perfectly around his neck as she pressed herself into his stomach, and he would press his face into her plush neck and continue to sob. He would stay this way for a few minutes, quietly sniffling and trying to calm himself so he could explain the situation to her. He really didn't want to tell her, but he needed to. At least now she could start finding another lover before he passed, he'd hate to leave her completely alone. Gradually he would calm down until he had fallen completely silent, a long and lengthy sigh following his last sniffle. "Because she can't help me..." After a few moments of stillness he would speak, his words a weak whisper for she alone to hear. He would sigh again before continuing, his breathing slightly labored and his voice hoarse and shaky. "I'm dying. I wont live through this winter.... I am so sorry Twig, I... I didn't know how to tell you." ~Themisto Mathias~

She would hold him close, like he would slip away the moment she loosened her grip. She would close her eyes as Themisto pushed his features to her fur. Her own tears mixing with his as he fought for control. Twig knew something was wrong, she could feel it. And in those few moments she would enjoy his frail presence, blissfully unaware of the intense reality. Slowly his words would come, and the awful truth would come to light. Her fears realized. She would gasp, a moment of silent would follow her reaction before she pulled Themisto's frame ever closer. Finding herself immersed in the folds of his fur the she wolf would hold off her breakdown, not believing it could be true. "No." she would shake her head while still clinging to his form. "No.. No, no, no.." the soft syllables would be repeated into the side of his neck, all of her willpower focusing on making it not real. This wasn't happening. Themisto wasn't sick and certainly wasn't dying. No, she couldn't loose him now. No. "No... There has to be something I can do. Please." she would lose her words to the sobs that would overtake her. "You can't leave me too." a hoarse whisper would escape her tightened throat. No, this was not happening.?

They would remain intertwined with one another, sharing each others warmth and mixing their somber tears. She would gasp when he told her the news, and as she began to cry harder and repeat the word no, tears would stream down his cheeks. She would cling to him tighter, pulling him closer to bury her face into the plush folds of his neck to sob. His front limbs would move to wrap around her waist, and he would cling to her tightly, terrified that if he released she would be gone forever. "No... There has to be something I can do. Please. You can't leave me too." A pained whine would seep from his clenched lips as he struggled to keep a grasp on reality. How was this even real, how was this even happening to him? Why did he have to fall in love with a girl meant to thrive while he was meant to perish? It was all so confusing and overwhelming he would feel his heart tighten within his chest, making it even harder for him to breath while speaking. "Please, let me explain..." He would take a deep breath to gather his thoughts before attempting to explain the full extent of his illness, and what was to come this winter. "From a young age I felt it, an aching feeling in my hind legs that only amplified as I got older. At first it started in my tibia bone, but it spread into my ankles and my femur bone. In both legs mind you. When I was captured by Glaciem in the war, I don't know how I won my freedom- my legs were killing me that day!" He would chuckle lightheartedly between sobs, and ramble on for a moment before continuing. "Anyways, that's the bones in my legs by the way, sorry for using healer talk. This last year the disease has progressed a lot faster than the previous, and I can feel my life line is running very thin. It has spread into my hips, and will only spread further until it has consumed me entirely. Luckily for me, my body will shut down in about... four weeks. So I wont have to endure all that..." He would take a pause to allow this information to sink in before continuing again to conclude the explanation. An elder from my birth pack died the same way, and from his symptoms and the stories I have heard, I've concluded that I have the disease. It's called osteosarcoma, which is a fancy word for cancer. I'm not sure if you are familiar with it, but it is a terminal disease. We do not know why these things happen Twig, all we know is that they do, and there is always a purpose behind it." He would say softly, an attempt to not only comfort Twig, but himself. ~Themisto Mathias~