The chamber appeared empty. Kaliban had fully expected a raging tirade upon his opening the door, but the rat immediately became worried when he was reprimanded only by silence. Haltingly he entered, advancing step by step, head swerving mechanically to scan every inch of the room.
His visual search proved nothing, but KalibanÕs large ears were not so for the purpose of being deaf. They caught the slightest of a sickly moan, eminating from a corner. KalibanÕs paw flew to the hilt of his saber, but he did not draw it fully. He tiptoed instead toward the sound. And his saber clattered to the ground when he discovered the cause.
Nadal ob Insame may have been gaunt, but Kaliban had never applied the term ÒsicklyÓ to his leader before. Yet that was how Nadal appeared, tensed into a fetal position on the floor, eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared and grinding into each other.
The stereotypical hordebeast might have taken advantage of this turn of events to sieze command for himself, but Kaliban did no such thing. The stereotypical hordebeast would say out of stupidity, while the stereotypical warlord would say from intelligence, but regardless of those labels Kaliban ran from the room.
He returned several minutes later, essentially dragging Thadius Roth with him. Upon reaching the stricken Nadal again, Kaliban attempted to keep an air of command in his voice as he demanded of the fox, ÒWhatÕs wrong with Ôim?Ó
Wordlessly Thadius produced a vial heÕd barely had time to snatch before being dragged off by Kaliban. Going down on his knees, he poured the contents onto NadalÕs gritted teeth, not looking up until he saw NadalÕs tongue lick the solution down.
ÒWas it related tÕ thÕ fall Ôe took yesterday?Ó Kaliban inquired again.
Thadius stood and capped the vial. ÒHe has had gut troubles for some time now, he takes this regularly. But the fall, the stress could have caused extraneous onset, yes.Ó
Kaliban simply nodded, watching NadalÕs form with wide eyes and thin lips.
Nadal stirred, slowly and agonizingly stretching his slender form to its normal height, then dragging himself into a standing position. The ordeal was as painful to watch as it was for Nadal himself.
ÒSir,Ó Roth stated quietly.
ÒThank...you, Roth,Ó Nadal hissed quietly as well, strained both to speak and to sound grateful.
Thadius nodded curtly, and Kaliban stepped forward. ÒWeÕve summat else that might just Ôelp yer state further.Ó
ÒNo,Ó Nadal intoned. ÒI cannot let prisoners see me in this...weak...state.Ó
ÒThatÕs not what I meant,Ó Kaliban told him.
Roth held up a paw before the ratÕs face. ÒNow might not be the best time for that, either.Ó
Nadal used his own paw to press the foxÕs down. ÒI want to see this, if it is not living. I am not helpless.Ó
Thadius motioned Nadal to come, with Kaliban following along, wearing the expression of a child who gleefully fries ants with a magnifying glass. They again went down the stairs to the base of NadalÕs tower, traversed the ground between the two buildings, and climbed back up to the top of the second. Nadal periodically enlisted KalibanÕs and ThadiusÕ help in the climb, but he had already recovered a surprising amount of strength since his bout of sickness.
ÒThe idea struck me, nearly literally, when you were setting off arrows in your chamber the other day,Ó Thadius explained, crossing his arms and stepping to the side.
If the standard longbow is the height of the standard hare, then the single creature able to weild the bow on the roof would have needed to be an elephant or somebeast else of equal size. Turned on its side it spanned nearly the entire width of the tower; the circumference of the bow itself was that of a fair-sized tree, and the breadth of the string involved many thick ropes braided together. The arrow to the side was as thick as a canoe, and indeed had a seat carved into it as well. Its tip was forged steel and its shaft light wood. It had grooves carved in it for fletching, but lacked feathers as of yet.
Nadal paced back and forth, running his paw along the shaft of the mammoth arrow.
ÒI am assuming you know what is to be made of it,Ó Thadius stated. Nadal nodded. The fox continued. ÒAll that is left to be taken care of is the fletching. Then we can test it.Ó
Apparently having forgotten all traces of illness, Nadal strode confidently toward the stairs leading back into the tower. ÒI can get fletching. We will test this evening.Ó
His visual search proved nothing, but KalibanÕs large ears were not so for the purpose of being deaf. They caught the slightest of a sickly moan, eminating from a corner. KalibanÕs paw flew to the hilt of his saber, but he did not draw it fully. He tiptoed instead toward the sound. And his saber clattered to the ground when he discovered the cause.
Nadal ob Insame may have been gaunt, but Kaliban had never applied the term ÒsicklyÓ to his leader before. Yet that was how Nadal appeared, tensed into a fetal position on the floor, eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared and grinding into each other.
The stereotypical hordebeast might have taken advantage of this turn of events to sieze command for himself, but Kaliban did no such thing. The stereotypical hordebeast would say out of stupidity, while the stereotypical warlord would say from intelligence, but regardless of those labels Kaliban ran from the room.
He returned several minutes later, essentially dragging Thadius Roth with him. Upon reaching the stricken Nadal again, Kaliban attempted to keep an air of command in his voice as he demanded of the fox, ÒWhatÕs wrong with Ôim?Ó
Wordlessly Thadius produced a vial heÕd barely had time to snatch before being dragged off by Kaliban. Going down on his knees, he poured the contents onto NadalÕs gritted teeth, not looking up until he saw NadalÕs tongue lick the solution down.
ÒWas it related tÕ thÕ fall Ôe took yesterday?Ó Kaliban inquired again.
Thadius stood and capped the vial. ÒHe has had gut troubles for some time now, he takes this regularly. But the fall, the stress could have caused extraneous onset, yes.Ó
Kaliban simply nodded, watching NadalÕs form with wide eyes and thin lips.
Nadal stirred, slowly and agonizingly stretching his slender form to its normal height, then dragging himself into a standing position. The ordeal was as painful to watch as it was for Nadal himself.
ÒSir,Ó Roth stated quietly.
ÒThank...you, Roth,Ó Nadal hissed quietly as well, strained both to speak and to sound grateful.
Thadius nodded curtly, and Kaliban stepped forward. ÒWeÕve summat else that might just Ôelp yer state further.Ó
ÒNo,Ó Nadal intoned. ÒI cannot let prisoners see me in this...weak...state.Ó
ÒThatÕs not what I meant,Ó Kaliban told him.
Roth held up a paw before the ratÕs face. ÒNow might not be the best time for that, either.Ó
Nadal used his own paw to press the foxÕs down. ÒI want to see this, if it is not living. I am not helpless.Ó
Thadius motioned Nadal to come, with Kaliban following along, wearing the expression of a child who gleefully fries ants with a magnifying glass. They again went down the stairs to the base of NadalÕs tower, traversed the ground between the two buildings, and climbed back up to the top of the second. Nadal periodically enlisted KalibanÕs and ThadiusÕ help in the climb, but he had already recovered a surprising amount of strength since his bout of sickness.
ÒThe idea struck me, nearly literally, when you were setting off arrows in your chamber the other day,Ó Thadius explained, crossing his arms and stepping to the side.
If the standard longbow is the height of the standard hare, then the single creature able to weild the bow on the roof would have needed to be an elephant or somebeast else of equal size. Turned on its side it spanned nearly the entire width of the tower; the circumference of the bow itself was that of a fair-sized tree, and the breadth of the string involved many thick ropes braided together. The arrow to the side was as thick as a canoe, and indeed had a seat carved into it as well. Its tip was forged steel and its shaft light wood. It had grooves carved in it for fletching, but lacked feathers as of yet.
Nadal paced back and forth, running his paw along the shaft of the mammoth arrow.
ÒI am assuming you know what is to be made of it,Ó Thadius stated. Nadal nodded. The fox continued. ÒAll that is left to be taken care of is the fletching. Then we can test it.Ó
Apparently having forgotten all traces of illness, Nadal strode confidently toward the stairs leading back into the tower. ÒI can get fletching. We will test this evening.Ó
