the tang of coal dust permeates all five senses, stifling the gentle aromas of pasture & pine that the oldest hawthorne brother brought back from his latest venture into the forests. that molecular taste of freedom seemed to be all that kept him going as of late, steps propelled by the gentle whisper of a breeze that rather felt like a life of one's own. here remained the hum of malcontent, an occasional cough and clatter of coal buckets, a weight that always lingered; the work never stopped. gale sat now with legs agape, his knees a workbench for the sharpening of tools [an old hunting knife catches a glimmer of firelight and with gentle motion shot streaks of gold, delineating riches beyond their comprehension.] the sparks of the campfire dance upwards into the inky sky of the seam, black with eternal smoke and the district's workmanship, where the embers soon suffocate and die. silence between brothers wasn't unusual in a place such as theirs both comfortable and not worn expressions jaded by the events of the day. it put them each well beyond their years, visible lines etched the sobriety of their livings. [it bore stories of being down in the mines, faces scrunched to keep the dust from their eyes.] but today, gale feels the silence press down upon him with a weight he couldn't shake. the blade pauses it's path upon the whetstone and he sets each down against a knee, a rather thoughtful frown upon his face. ‘rory, i'm sorry if i've been tough on you lately. i just keep thinking about, y'know, what it would be like if i wasn't around. and if that ever happened, it's on you to take care of everyone. and you have to be ready. i just i need you to understand that, okay?’ his voice cradles an apology he cannot yet will into existence, for all the sharp words that he could not take back.