A little gift for you buddy. I hope you feel better soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khelgar stands at the doorway of the Knight-Captain’s chambers, each hand grasping a mug of ale. He pauses, looking at his friend lying in their bed. They had been this way for a long time.
Days or weeks? It didn’t matter. It seemed like nothing could rouse them from their stupor.
All accurate words for describing his leader.
Some in the Keep had chosen to hide the Knight-Captain’s condition while trying to maintain the illusion of continuous leadership. Others had left the Keep, convinced their leader’s malaise would never abate. Still others had fallen into despair, losing hope of surviving the Shadow War without their leader.
Khelgar ignored them all. He did not know what the Knight-Captain was experiencing, but he didn’t care.
His leader would return to themself in time.
Khelgar did not hope. He knew. Just as when he knew that he would strike true upon swinging his ancestral weapon at an attacking zombie or he knew that Duncan would loudly exclaim his frustration when the dwarf would consume an entire barrel of ale, he knew the Knight-Captain would recover in time.
Courageous. Intelligent. Persistent.
Also accurate words to describe his leader. His friend.
The Shadow War would be long. There would be many battles with frequent losses and tragedy. But there would also be victory and triumph.
And Khelgar knew the Knight-Captain would recover and lead them to victory.
Khelgar takes a deep breath and walks into the room. He places the second mug beside the bed and take a seat nearby.
“Take as long as ye need. We’ll still be here when yer ready.”
He takes a drink from his mug and looks out the window upon the Keep’s courtyard.
The silence stretches out from the afternoon into the late evening, but Khelgar stays by his friend’s side. He has the time. He has all the time in the world.