Chapter Text
December 23rd.
185 years since leaving the underdark.
185 years since losing his brother.
185 years of being a runaway coward.
18 hours before Cassian loses his mind.
The winter has been especially rough this year. Snow had nearly encapsulated the shack. By this time, Cassian has become used to the ever changing weather on the surface. He's been living on the surface for nearly as long as he was underground. But something about this year was especially rough.
The fireplace in his home was now enclosed by rocks and bricks, the heat spread evenly throughout the shack. Lanterns lit with magical wisps illuminated the area, and the boiling stew over the fire wafted scent of spices, meat, vegetables and burning wood into Cassian’s nose as he huddled close trying to secure any warmth possible while the outside froze over.
By now he really considered this shack a home for him. He had created shelves for trinkets he found on his journeys outside. Other shelves were supposed to have rations on them, different dry goods and preserved meats. But he was running short and would need to forge, or dare to show his face in the closest town over.
Cassian’s teeth chattered, his arms wrapped around him as he rubbed up and down to generate friction. His nose and ears ached from the cold despite the crude layers he wore. But soon he’d have a homemade stew to drink and be warmed by.
The stew was awful.
Cassian had never been a good cook. He never learned to be a good cook either. Even after nearly a hundred years of trying, he could never figure it out. His brother was always the home cook, and without him, every meal he had cooked himself would remind him of the hole that was left behind when his brother left this world.
Cassian decided to take his chances in the morning and travel to the closest town to his home and look for more rations.
That night Cassian slept uncomfortably, cold and restless. That night he had nightmares again.
He was back in the underdark. Running away from… something… behind him. He never dared to look back, he knew what was chasing him as he ran away after all. He's been having this dream more consistently now, reminding him of what he did, reminding him of what a coward he was.
Since Cassian didn't sleep much that night, he decided to smoke and drink by the fire.