Fools, Children, and Messages

Getting to the shelter is an adventure in the wind and snow, but inside presents an even less pretty picture. No light or warmth floods the room from the carefully banked hearth, and in the dimness, crumpled on the stone, is an unconscious figure. Still in armor, covered in mud and blood, Seldan is sprawled. The armor itself is clean, but literally nothing else is, and a sluggishly bleeding cut just above the edge of the right gauntlet is mostly stopped, but not entirely. The right arm near the elbow is badly broken in multiple places, and he is unresponsive to an immediate query.

The door opens, offering a sliver of light as Zeke trudges into the home he shares with Seldan. He doesn't immediately see the other man, and he closes the door only to finally spot Seldan. "Kin?" He inquires with a worried warble and then hastens to the man's side. The bleeding draws his attention first, but the armor hides much of Seldan's form and...

He tries again, but with how pallid Seldan's features are he's almost certain that waking the poor man would be a bad idea. Worse, he's cool to the touch. The sith shakes his head and quickly prioritizes. Seldan's bleeding is (outwardly) not bad enough to be a life-threatening risk. So the fire is started. Then off comes the warriors armor.

GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20: (9): 9

There's a stir from the floor as Zeke begins the process of removing armor, but Seldan only murmurs, and offers neither resistance nor assistance to the procedure. There is no greeting, and his eyelids, while they flutter, do not fully open.

Zeke takes his time somewhat with the armor, not wanting to wake Seldan, nor does he want to make any of the man's injuries worse. Off goes the armor then, followed by padding and eventually Seldan is stripped down to his clothes. Then his injuries are checked out. Despite the quickly warming room Doan is still cold to the touch, and still slightly damp though there's little that Zeke can do about that, and the man's injuries take precedence to wetness. "Ssstay asssleep kin."

The low murmur of his voice is not enough to waken Seldan, and so he continues, starting with resetting Seldan's broken arm into the correct position and splinting it. If that doesn't wake Seldan nothing else he does will, and it is one of the worst of the injuries. From the prospect of healing in any case.

_That_ wakes Seldan, who had been about half-conscious and mostly cooperative. Warmth begins to flood him, and he is gradually aware of familiar clawed and crystal limbs. His back arches at the setting, though, his screams echoing off of the stone walls, and Zeke will need to pin him down, or gain his cooperation, to continue.

The blue-scale does a bit of both really. He doesn't want Seldan to injure himself worse, so he holds the man by his shoulder to keep him in place. One hand on either shoulder in fact. "Ssseldan! You are in our home. You mussst remain ssstill ssso that thisss one can heal you." He keeps his voice calm, but there's real worry in him about how badly wounded Seldan is to be in this condition. "Ssseldan. Kin, it isss Zeke."

Seldan does not move for some minutes, clearly forcing his breathing to slow and his head to clear. "The message was swift," he breathes carefully, forcing himself to slow and to still. "Do as you must. I would ask your forgiveness for the confusion." That, at least, seems to have cleared his head enough to secure his cooperation, although something is still clearly wrong, and he is quite obviously in a great deal of pain.

"You were unconssciouss." Zeke states, uncertain of how much time Seldan has spent so, and wounded in the room. "Thisss one isss uncertain if you are bleeding inssside or not. Your arm isss badly broken." He explains the injuries as is his usual method. The healer part of him can not be denied or waylaid. Not even by his kin being the injured one.

Thus he begins by casting a spell that restore Seldan's injured organs and the bone in his body to its natural state. It doesn't provide healing beyond that, so Seldan undoubtedly is still in pain, but its only a start.

GAME: Zeke casts Regenerate. Caster Level: 16 DC: 22

It does, at least, seem to help some. The pallor, the confusion, gradually melts away, leaving a man who is quite clearly still bruised and battered, but this time in no real danger. He murmurs a formulaic phrase of thanks to Daeus, but it is a half-hearted thing, a formula that is more habit than heartfelt. "It is quite likely so," he murmurs, his breathing growing at least a little easier. Still he makes no attempt to move. "He hits harder than before, and is harder to catch. It is in my mind that the Veil's gift is the reason I yet live. Truly does She hold me in Her hand this night."

Zeke shakes his head lightly. "Ssshe nearly wasss not able to carry you home thisss time." Zeke is not chiding Eluna, but rather remarking upon how badly wounded Seldan was - is. Thisss part issss going to be... A lot." Zeke begins another prayer to Daeus, this one intended to restore muscle and flesh to their natural state. It is his most powerful spell of that nature, and perhaps a touch more than is actually required for this instance, but Seldan is frightfully pale and more wounded than Zeke has ever seen him save once.

GAME: Zeke casts Heal. Caster Level: 16 DC: 21

The second spell helps more, flooding across him a burst of sunlight, leaving his color much improved and the bruising knitted and melted away. It is a great deal of power, and yet seems to have been well-called for. While Zeke has seen him in worse straits, it is not often, and when it is done, Seldan remains exactly where he is, flooded through with exhaustion and afterglow. "You have my thanks for that, as does the Draco Solis for His grace. I - had not intended to do battle, merely to learn," he says wearily, making no move to stir. He knows better.

Zeke sighs a brief sigh of relief and relaxation as the second spell takes hold and does what he intends for it to do. Admittedly, Seldan looks a bit like a peeled crustation. His armor laying around him somewhat haphazardly, but Zeke doesn't move to fix their abode yet. Instead he gives Seldan a second once-over for any further injuries, and a few sniffs for good measure. "No thankssss needed kin, though perhapsss a sssharing of wordss?"

With Seldan taken care of Zeke begins to rise to his own feet, clearly intending to attend to the armor and perhaps even some tea.

"As you will. You moved swiftly," Seldan says with a ghost of a smile, and after a few moments starts to sit up a touch, experimentally. That proves to be a _terrible_ idea, and there is a howl of protest from his right arm, among other places. "Did you receive the message?" he asks, lying back down rather quickly. "I - learned much of import."

"Come at convenience sssayss kin." Zeke says as he gets to his feet. "Protect your patient." Zeke picks up a piece of armor and looks at it. He hefts a sigh and begins to put the armor to the side where Seldan can more properly tend to it when he is better.

"Thisss one wasssted much time ensssuring that thisss onesss patient wasss even more protected. Thisss one wasss sslow on the road becaussse of weather. If thisss one had known of your injuriesss... You sssaid that you drove Kol off, but thisss one expected..." He sets about making tea with Seldan's armor set aside.

Seldan remains where he is, letting the spells settle in and finish their work, although he is quite clearly uncomfortable on the hard stone floor. "That did I mean with all gravity, Zeke. Kol actively seeks him. He desires naught else and none other, claims to need him, even. He even asked me to please say where he was. That did I not do, and would not, did I know where he lay. He sounded - lovesick, in the most chilling of ways," he adds, a touch sadly. "It both is and is not the Kol that I remember, for naught does he know of me."

Zeke settles to the kettle, which is whistling merrily now. Having been sitting over the fire this whole time. The blue-scale pours the water into the tea pot and lets the water steep as he wanders around the house gathering pillows to bring to Seldan. He brings them back to the paladin and tries to make him more comfortable with them. "Why... Why isss he ssso consssumed with thisss particular perssson?" He asks Seldan somewhat without expecting an answer. "There mussst be sssome reassson. You ssssay he doess not remember you, but he remembersss hisss passst. It iss a sstrange thing that he would remember one and not the other."

Making Seldan more comfortable is readily enough done, and between the heat of the fire and time, he is even very nearly dried off by the time the tea is steeping. He's not moving yet beyond that, although he is able to help Zeke position pillows well enough and get something between him and the stone floor. "That can I not say. This much can I say - Kol is a puppet, a minion, to someone. He was told to withdraw, and the voice said they would part ways, did he not. It is in my mind that he is watched, and used, much as Salina did."

Ice-blue eyes blink in the light of the fire, as he turns his gaze towards the ceiling. "It is also in my mind that he desires to serve, in the end, for he stated that he sought Salina, and she refused him."

Zeke waits patiently for the tea to steep while sitting at Seldan's side where he can easily see the other man. "Thisss one doess not know." The mention of Salina has him shuddering lightly, his eyes shadowed. He can not chase the hardness in his heart toward that particular being. "Perhapsss though, thisss too can be usssed againsst him."

The thoughtfulness grows. "If he isss obsssesssed with thisss onesss patient asss you sssay. Perhapsss that one might be able to command him..."

"Of that obsession, there can be no doubt." Seldan's attention turns back to Zeke. "Your patient may have the answers that you seek, for who has spent more time in Kol's presence than he? Or, his betrothed might know more. It is in my mind that the Mourner is not prepared to face Kol, and thus do I counsel against seeking her aid. Too, does she not wed soon? Even less would I burden her now."

"What of Malik?" Zeke asks, noticing that that personage had been left off the list of people that Seldan was talking about. "Where isss your cihuaa? Doess he not know of your injury and plan?" He tilts his head at Seldan.

"He -" At that, Seldan falters, letting out a breath. "I fear to ask him to face Kol," he admits wearily, shifting a little. "Indeed, I told none of my intent in this. I sought Wilderness Pointe, to learn what I might of him and his intentions, and his nature now. Intending only to speak, not to fight, and yet when I barred his way was I swiftly challenged." His lips tug up in the ghost of a gently rueful smile that reads, _I should have known better._

"Other puzzles there are, ones of magical anomalies, that capture his attention and sate his desire, without testing his will as Kol oft does. I wished to have none for Kol to turn upon me."

"Thissss one isss worried that you did sssuch alone. When thisss one asssked for your aid, thiss one did not intend that you sshould fight the vampire with-out alliesss." Zeke rumbles quietly. "Though you have little desssire for alliesss to be turned againssst you - with good reassson - it may not be posssible to defeat him alone."

Warm, self-deprecating laughter glints in Seldan's ice-blue eyes and tugs at his lips. "Fear me not, Zeke. I shall not so err again. It is not possible to take him alone. I shall need allies for this, and indeed did I have one unbidden. Your messenger was of great aid. Nay, Zeke. I was a fool, but is it not said that the gods look after children and fools? And - it is in my mind that you have some time, for I was doubtless seen. The Nightmare's minions do not challenge me lightly."

"You are no fool Ssseldan, but Eluna doesss ssseem to love you jussst the ssame." There's a mischievous light in his eyes a moment before Zeke continues. "Perhapsss ssshe ssseesss you ass a child. If you were watched during your fight with Kol, then the wolvesss will doubtlesss be more cautiousss. They may keep a more sssstrict eye on the vampire for a time, to prevent him from drawing your gaze to their caussse. A sstrike againssst them then ssoon would be wisse."

"It is in my mind that he was being watched, and that I was seen." Seldan's own rueful amusement joins Zeke's mischief. "Would that I could deny you, but there can be no doubt that She is my shield. Shall I then speak with Sunguard Andelena, as soon as I may, that she be warned?" He shifts, slowly, in the way that suggests that he would like to sit up. "I fear that my news and my warning cannot wait."

Zeke offers his claw to Seldan, and readies to shift some of the pillows so that Seldan can sit up a little. "No. Thisss one will return your messsage for you. You need ressst, and to remain hidden. Allow thisss one to do what thisss one can." Implied heavily in those words is regret that he can not do more than play messenger.

Moving the splinted arm is the trickiest part of the matter. While Seldan does accept the claw to sit up a little, it seems to be more out of steadiness and weariness than true inability. When he has re-settled, sitting up enough to drink some tea with assistance, he sighs. "As always, it is as you say. The message is this - that Kol is under the control of another, and actively seeks her betrothed in what seems a lovesick obsession. He is, and is not, as he was when last our swords crossed, but he is a dangerous foe. Why he is obsessed as he is is unclear, but may be a thing that can be used against him, if we can but understand. Her betrothed may have more insight."

The blue-scale nods to the words. Memorizing them with diligence and then returning his attention to Seldan's condition. Which is much improved but still not the best. "Thisss one will sstay with you until you have ressted and recovered sssome-what, or at leasst until your cihuaa returnsss. Unlesss you think the message more urgent than that?" He is loathe to leave Seldan alone in his condition, and doubts that the vampire will attack the temple of Daeus so readily - not knowing that Dolan is there - but Seldan is more knowledgeable than is he.

Seldan considers that for a couple of minutes. "It can wait," he opines finally. "I would not have you venture back out in such weather, not when flight is so difficult. Do we find ourselves pinned, I can send by magic, though - I do not wish to do so, at present." Zeke will be easily able to read those words as _I'm not up to magic right this second_. Such an admission is itself a commentary.

Indeed, it is a commentary that worries Zeke, and he presses more tea on Seldan. Not that the tea in of itself is helpful, but the calming mixture might help Seldan find the rest that he so sorely needs. "If it can wait, then you ssshould ressst. Thisss one will watch over you." Protect him. Because he knows that warriors do not always rest easy when they do not have someone at their back to make sure the enemy does not come upon them unawares.

Especially not Seldan. In the end, tea and quiet take their toll, and it is not long before flickering firelight dances over the form of the sleeping paladin, leaving Zeke to keep watch, tend fire, tea, and eventually the food that Seldan is sure to want when he wakes. The weather may howl outside as it will.

-End