It had come so suddenly and attacked so violently that Halcyon could do little more than just hang on and hope he could live through it. The sickness racked his body, sending pain down his spine with each cough. Food refused to stay in his stomach. Aster continued to bring him fresh meat, but it was all he could do to swallow it. His weight depleted fast, his fur turned from a fine gloss to a mess of tangled clumps. Viserys used what medicine he could to keep his brother alive, and after several weeks, it finally started working. However, the road to recovery was going to be much slower.

Much of his time had been spent in the den. Unable to move more than a few feet without exhausting himself, the alpha male hadn't left his hole in a long time. While he listened to news of the packs from Aster, the fog in his brain made it difficult for him to comprehend the words. The most he could grasp was Pine and Orion had some kind of disagreement and were now enemies. Which put Asteraia in a predicament. They were allies to both, but Aster and Halcyon were good friends with Pine. Thinking about pack politics made his head hurt from over thinking. He would just have to trust Aster and let her guide the pack.

At some point, Halcyon had drifted into a dreamless nap. Waking up with a bit of a start, he yawned heavily and gazed at the entrance of the den. The sun was beginning to set, sending an orange glow through the hole. Slowly, he stood and wobbled his way through the hole and into the crisp autumn dusk. He felt pathetic. Just that small amount of movement had taken all of his energy. All but collapsing outside the den, Halcyon watched the sun continue it's decent.

What must his pack think of him now. The once strong alpha had succumbed to weakness and could barely stand, let alone lead them. The sickness was beginning to fade, leaving him half the wolf he used to be, but it wasn't happening fast enough. Winter was just around the corner and he didn't know if he could manage. Only just the other day was he finally able to keep down an entire pheasant. Winter would ensure that there was little food to go around.

Feeling awful and lonely, Halcyon continued to stay outside even as the sun sank below the horizon, casting the world into a bitter chill. It was too late for him to move back inside on his own. What little energy he had was being used to send his body into a violent fit of shivers. Gasps left his mouth in white plums. How very pathetic he was.