Rest and Renewal

[Mai the High Paladin]

Mai stood in the Hall's medical branch. Beds lined the walls, and she sighed at how much care was taken of Kadaj's men. As she turned, the door to the room opened and closed as Kadaj and a dwarf entered. Mai quickly turned away.

"I had been told you had entered a great battle," she said, sounding worried, which she was though others wouldn't expect it- others besides Kadaj, that is.

"Well you heard right," Kadaj said, leading Gleadrith to a bed, ordering him to lie down. Kadaj walked up to Mai. "So the rumors were true... you HAVE turned from darkness, haven't you?" Mai blushed. Why would Kadaj remember something specifically recent about her?

Mai turned to Kadaj. "I would like to re-join the Council." She stated clearly. Kadaj seemed very slightly shocked. Then he sighed.

"I think I can find a place for you..." he said slowly. "as High Paladin?" Mai took this as an extreme shock. She didn't know what to say. Be in the one position right under the Knight Lord himself?

"I would be honored," Mai said, smiling.

[Gleadrith Goldhammer]

Gleadrith did what he was told and lay on his back. The bed felt soft, and welcoming, but his mind wasn't very keen on resting at the time. He blinked and looked at the female talking to Kadaj, not moving his head one bit.

Hmm.. She looks familer...

He folded his hands on his chest, staring up at the ceiling. He was a bit tired, but like I have said before, he didn't really feeling like slumbering.

[Mai the High Paladin]

Kadaj ordered a knight placed on guard to bring in the High Paladin's armor. The knight was off in an instant, thinking, Wow! There hasn't been a High Paladin in... like, DECADES! Kadaj looked at Gleadrith. "Your wounds healed well, right? Did my magic succeed?" Mai peered from behind over Kadaj's shoulder at the dwarf.

She was confused. The only dwarves she had ever seen had been those she had killed long ago. "Why, hello there," she said, a bit absent mindedly.

[Gleadrith Goldhammer]

Gleadrith nodded, wishing the Knight Lord would allow him to get up."Aye, I'm as good as new," he replied happily. He blinked as he turned to Mai. She seemed..... Different. Very different."Um......... Greetings, stranger.........." He stopped for a moment, not sure of what to say. Then he pointed something out,"hmm... not to sound like a nusence(sp?), but you seem to look familar....."

[Kadaj the Knight Lord]

Mai was somewhat confused, as she had never seen this dwarf before, if any dwarf.

"I don't know how I would," Mai said, placing a finger on her lips.

Then Kadaj noticed Mai's missing arm. "I'm sorry about that, Mai," he said, rubbing his hands together. "But I think there's something I can do about it." In a few minutes Mai was down on a bed and Kadaj had many, many herbs and other plants wrapped upon his arms. "No pain. It'll be done quickly."

Kadaj placed his hands firmly on the end of Mai's shortened arm. A holy glow came from it, and Mai squinted with a slight hiss. Kadaj let his hand slide off as if along the rest of an arm, the holy light veiling below his hands. When he took his hands away, the glow stopped, and Mai's arm had been restored. She stood up and clenched a fist, making sure it worked. She turned to Kadaj.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

"No problem." Kadaj said, and he walked to Gleadrith. "You've lost blood, and that's about all that's wrong with you right now." He placed his hands over Gleadrith's heart area, and pressed hard for about a second, a flash of holy light glinting across the room. Now Gleadrith's heart was set to restore correct blood amount. "Okay, then," Kadaj said. "Now just waiting for that armor."

[Gleadrith Goldhammer]

Gleadrith blinked and watched from his bed. He couldn't see to very well, for Kadaj had blocked his view. But when Mai got up, and he saw her arm had been..... Bought back to normal, he gaped in astonishment.

Healing severed arms? By the gods....

When Kadaj walked back over to him, he closed his mouth and resumed his 'resting.' When the Knight Lord placed his hands upon his heart, and looked up at him questioningly, but soon, the look vanished from his face when he felt his strength returned. He got up and stretched."Thanks." He climbed out of bed and stood next to the two humans."What armor?" Then he suddenly reached for Demolisher, making sure the warhammer was still buckled to his belt. The dwarf heaved in relief when he saw it was still there.

[Kadaj the Knight Lord]

"Have you been here for the past while or not, dwarf?" Kadaj questioned, turning back to his companion. Just in time. The knight on duty from before slid in with a large glass case, the silver-and-blue High Paladin inside. "The name of the armor is to match the title of the wearer," Kadaj said.

Kadaj had the armor out in seconds. Mai slipped right into it from her tattered plain clothes, of course behind the privacy of a curtain. When she came out she looked more beautiful than she had for around a hundred years. Kadaj was astonished.

"You look... great." This was all he could mutter. But Mai still took this light compliment, and smiled back at him. She walked toward the door.

"I'll be going now," she said as she left.

"Right, then. Bye." Kadaj barely managed to say, waving to her as she slid from view. Then the sudden thought came to his mind. He wasn't on very good terms with his dragon.

"Hey, Kidero?" There was a moment of silence in his mind.

Yes, Kadaj? The voice that came to Kadaj's mind seemed irritated and lonely.

"Meet me outside the southern gate of Fenrir in a few minutes."

Let me guess... more official business?

"No. I just want to talk to you, get to know you again. It's no fun otherwise." Kadaj looked at Gleadrith was the conversation in his mind ended.

"Well, then," he said. "I think you're in shape enough to leave. I've got an appointment with my dragon."


Kadaj left the site and walked the long stretch to the southern gate. The gates had been blown away from the inside not long after the purge of the city, so they couldn't really be called gates. But it was a way to mark the place.

By the time Kadaj got out of the city Kidero was already a large golden form in sight half way up the next hill. Kadaj went up to him.

"Hello there, my friend." Kadaj said, waving at him. "At least, I hope we are still friends." Kidero said nothing. "Well, then... what's been going on with you?"

"Battles, routines, operations... all serious business, coming from you." Kidero said, a hint of anger in the dragon's voice.

"Oh..." Kadaj said, a wave of regret coming over him. "I'm sorry." He looked up at his dragon. "Well, things are calming down a bit... I think. Maybe things can go back to the way they used to be?" He looked at the dragon, who was smiling at him.

Yes. Let us discuss this further, somewhere else. A smile had come to Kidero's face, and Kadaj's mouth curved up into a smile following it. Kadaj mounted up and the Dragon and Rider set off due west.