Sunbeams

A few hours later, the sun is well up, all examinations, ablutions, and sustenance consumption has taken place. Sleep is not likely to be had, and Dolan is left sitting on the edge of the bed, now fully dressed and with his holy pendant around his neck.

"Can we go out to the altar?" he asks suddenly, of whoever is present at the time.

Zeke is certainly one of those present, and the blue-scaled sith-makar has just sent off the tray with the remnants of breakfast on it off. An order for more water for tea has been put in, but the report back was that the kitchen was quite busy with breakfast so it would be some time yet. The sith then is headed back to his seat when Dolan asks his question and he considers Dolan's shoulder for a moment before nodding. "Yesss. Thisss one thinksss that thisss isss a good idea." He looks at the man very seriously. "However, thiss one hasss a request. That you tell thisss one the moment that you feel tired, and ascept help if you can not walk sssome of the disstance there or back unaided."

Andelena looks up from her book with half-glazed eyes that suddenly spring to life as Dolan asks the question. She's hanging out on the bed with Dolan, because... Well, of course she is, and she nods to Zeke's words. "That sounds like a sensible request to me," she says, putting the book away in her haversack. "Let's go out. Bry, you want me to hold you up on my shoulder, or should I help you stand and hold your hand?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I want to see how much I can do myself." Carefully, Dolan turns towards Andelena. "I won't get stronger if I don't push myself some. I'll ask for help if I need it, though." Real excitement builds in his voice and in the lone brown eye, though. "Just walk with me, yeah? Be there if I need it?" He seems to think that he'll manage this just fine.

He looks over towards the corner of the room where his shoes got discarded, and starts to stand up from the bed.

Zeke nods his own agreement with Dolan's return terms. "Jussst be near him Andelena." He advises, assuming that Dolan would prefer assistance from his mate than from himself. He makes sure though that the line is clear between Dolan and his shoes and the doorway. Moving the stools out of the way as needed.

Andelena rises with Dolan with a nod. "Don't worry, babe, I've got you." There's a warmth in her voice as she goes to shadow him, standing just a couple of feet away to ensure that if he's about to topple over--she can try and play the part of dashing heroine and save him from the floor.

The dashing heroine is not required for shoes, just a seat back on the bed and a few moments. Before long, though, he rises again and looks to the other two with real gratitude written across the mobile side of his face. "Thanks. It's - been a while. When was the last time I asked for spells?" he muses, moving towards the doorway and reaching for the door.

Zeke sort of sidles around the room, trying not to be in Dolan's way while he moves around the too-small space. With him walking around in it, the room really does suddenly seem much smaller. And somehow, Zeke seems even larger. Perhaps it has something to do with how the sith has a tendency to make himself seem smaller so that you don't realize until you're right next to him how large he is. He lets Dolan get the door for himself, satisfied to let the man do as much as he can.

"I know it's been, baby," Andelena says with a small smile as she watches Dolan move. When he goes for the door, she's behind him. "I'm /excited/ for you. If we can make walks to the altar a daily thing, that'd be a pretty major milestone."

Dolan looks back at the other two as he opens the door. "Yeah. We'll try it, if I can't do it, I know you two have got me." There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of doubt there, in the firm statement.

He grins at the two paladins by the door, a cheeky thing. "Going to see about morning prayers," he explains. "I'm probably late, but - better late than never." Once he is fully out of the room, he waits for the other two, then steadies himself on Andelena's shoulder. "I hate being this damned weak," he mutters.

Zeke is the last out of the room, waiting for both Andelena and Dolan to pass before closing the door behind them all. The paladins give him a quizzical look, but he gives a subtle nod and they relax. The blue-scale waits until they pass the paladins before moving up to just behind Dolan on his other side. Keeping close enough to catch the man should he suddenly stumble, but far enough to be out of the way. "Thisss will fade."

Andelena is more than happy to let Dolan lean on her for support, looking at him with that same warm smile. "I know, babe, but this is already the furthest you've gotten since you came here," she says. "Be /proud/. You are getting stronger day by day."

The longsword training seems to be doing Dolan some good, because he seems to be okay through the paths leading upstairs towards the main parts of the Temple. He does lean on Andelena, mostly for balance, but his features - both sides - are lit with stark determination, and it's not all of his weight by any means. Stairs need to be taken slowly, but even that, he manages with the same driven determination with which he does everything else. "I don't think I've ever been through this part of the Temple."

Zeke follows along dutifully, keeping his eyes mostly on Dolan. There's not many people in this area of the temple to keep an eye out for, so his attention doesn't need division. "Thisss area isss ssset asside for the more protected itemsss. Thingsss we do not want to fall into enemy handsss." Zeke explains, his tone idle as they move along. He maintains Dolan's pace with ease, as his own is usually quite slow.

"I can't say that, before this, I ever was back here at all, either," Andelena replies, helping Dolan up along the stairs and keeping an even pace with his. "Goes to show how much I dealt with precious stuff before recent events." There's a sort of knowing look in her eyes as she looks briefly at Dolan, making sure his expression isn't pained in any way.

"I knew the Temple had stuff like that." Dolan does not say how, but although he leans on Andelena, he shows no sign of pain, only determination and concentration. A quirk of lips also acknowledges wryly that he is clearly one of the things that they want to protect. "I've really only spent much time in the outside areas. Most of my work's out in the city."

Once they approach the exit to the building, the Corona reaches for the doors and hesitates.

The doors are huge and obviously heavy, and Zeke sees the problem as they approach it. Yet he doesn't leap forward to open them. Instead he gently encourages Dolan. "Do you want to try the doors Dolan? You can make the effort, and if you can not, thisss one can do it for you. It issss up to you." There's no anticipation in his body, only patience.

"You can try it if you're up for it, Bry," Andelena tells him gently. "You can try it, and if you can't swing it, Zeke can open the doors, or I can help you open them, together." It's a simple suggestion that depends wholly on what Dolan wants to do, with not an ounce of weight in her voice that suggests a preference in any way. This is his walk; she's only here to help.

Dolan looks up at the doors, then nods and sets both hands to them, pulling and stepping backwards as if to open both to the world. He stops almost immediately, though, and though they barely move, he _swears_ colorfully. "Should not have tried both at once," he complains, releasing his hand on Andelena's shoulder to rub at his left shoulder. That was quite clearly uncomfortable, but he sets his right hand only to the doors and clearly is prepared to try again.

Zeke does move forward then, to open the other door. "They are ssset sso they only open if both are moved at the sssame time. Thisss one did not think of it before, but it iss a sssecurity meassssure." He holds the other door and motions for Dolan to open his. "One, two, three..." On the third number he moves to open the door with Dolan.

"You can do it, babe," Andelena urges warmly as Dolan lifts his hand off her shoulder. "Zeke's got it and I'm right behind you." There's a hint of excitement in her voice, like she's trying to contain her anticipation of Dolan's success so that he doesn't feel too pressured.

With the need to open both doors managed, this time when Zeke pulls the other door, they open, slowly and smoothly, allowing sunlight and warmth from the outside to flood the marble of floors and walls.

Dolan stops, holding the door for a moment, letting the sunlight fall on his face, taking a moment to just bask in its warmth and just _be_. He says nothing, does not move, but his entire expression is relaxed, open -

After a moment, a single tear trails down his left cheek.

Zeke says nothing, does nothing but to hold the door and let Dolan have his moment. This one, singular, important moment. A moment with the true face of Daeus. The light that He bares to the earth, giving it life, is finally - at last - Dolan's.

Andelena does something similar as Zeke does for a handful of moments. But finally, her hand finds his, as warm as the light, and she stands beside him. She mouths the words, "You, me, and the Knight," silently to herself, her steel-grey eyes closing as a tear also falls down her face.

There are so many things that could be said. So many things that could be done. But it is her gratitude that keeps her from speaking or doing more than to just hold his hand.

For Dolan, it's not necessary to say or do anything in that moment. Automatically, he grasps Andelena's hand, letting the light flood the three of them for just a moment more before letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and lifting his hand to wipe the tear away. "Damn, I needed that," he murmurs, then moves to continue beyond the threshold, this time alone and without assistance. "Come on." Suddenly eager, he speeds up just a little, the light seeming to have flooded him with renewed life.

Now it's Zeke that needs to pick up the pace a little to keep up with Dolan. Not that they are moving that fast, but Zeke does not usually move very quickly at all. However he easily keeps pace with Dolan, proving that it's more a choice than it is that he can't. Not that either Dolan or Andelena has reason to know much about his usual pacing.

Andelena wipes her tear, too, and she gives sort of a joyful laugh as Dolan speeds up. "I'm not letting you leave me behind in the dust," she responds playfully, walking quicker to catch up with him, although she does give a glance over to Zeke to make sure he's not being left behind, either.

"Not likely," Dolan counters, finding fairly quickly that the pace prompted by Daeus' inviting light is not one that he will be able to sustain for very long. He does glance back, towards Zeke, waiting for the old sith-makar and politely - or perhaps out of necessity - slowing his pace to match. It is not until he reaches the grass of the courtyard that he slows more than that, stops, and sinks to his knees in the grass, running a hand along the blades. "You two have already done yours, I bet," he says absently to the both of them, more focused on the feel of the grass under his hand. "Never thought I'd miss grass so much."

"Thisss one will pray with you." Zeke replies quietly, a bit of memory catching him and making his eyes go half-distant. He swishes his tail twice and looks at Dolan. "Thisss one would like to thank the Dragonfather for hisss gift." The gift of sunlight in the winter, for Dolan.

Andelena kneels with Dolan in the grass, dropping to a knee as she watches him just touching it. There's a look in her eyes like she's about to cry all over again when Zeke says he will pray--and so she closes her eyes, bowing her head in reverence for the words being said. For the gift that the Knight /has/ given.

Prayer. Right. Grass was distracting. Its feel beneath Dolan's hand is a reminder, something different - something that reminds him of Before.

After a moment, though, he resumes his knees, and a pose of prayer and meditation that is just a touch different than the ones the Sunguards use. He is silent, speaking only the open formulaic words, heedless of any around him - and there doubtless are some, wondering why he's so freaking late.

It takes a long moment for Zeke to kneel in the grass. But then, Zeke has those moments while Dolan appreciates the grass underhand. The blue-scale joins in with the same formulaic words. Not minding that his are a little bit different than Dolan's. They are words that are as familiar to him as are the scales on his body. Perhaps in some ways more so. After all, he has changed, but the words have not over the course of his life.

And so too, does Andelena. She joins in the murmuring of words that Dolan speaks. For while she is a Sunguard and Dolan is a Redeemer, they are both servants of the Knight that they both venerate, and she has heard the prayer before. He is not alone--not when there is both his healer, Zeke, and his bride, Andelena, by his side.

Focusing on the prayers and meditations takes a minute for Dolan, so long has it been, and yet with Andelena and Zeke behind him, it comes back quickly enough. At length, though, he falls silent into simple meditation, his hand in the grass at his feet, a clear departure from the spoken prayers and requests used by the Sunguards. Andelena will know this to be normal, as his spells are different in nature from hers, and more specific.

He remains that way for some time, but when he is done, nearly an hour later, he blinks. "Huh. He's given me something new," he looks up and tells the other two.

Zeke tilts his head looking at Dolan and then chuckling lightly, his tail swishing back and forth. "Thisss ssshould come asss no sssurprisse Dolan. You are much changed, the Dragonfather hasss sssshown you favor in giving you more of Hisss ssstrength. What did He in Hisss wisssdom give you?"

Andelena does look a little surprised when Dolan says he has been given something new, but the surprise is very, very short-lived. She nods to Zeke's words. "If anyone deserves more wisdom at the moment, it'd be you," she says gently. Although the look on her face quickly grows curious.

From the look on Dolan's face, he is still very much assessing what has just been imparted to him, and at length flops down on his back in the grass, eyes turned up towards the magically-controlled sunlight that floods the courtyard. He puts his hands behind his head, wincing a little at the stretch in his shoulder, but he leaves it there anyway. "I'll have to look up the exact words of the prayer I was given, but one's a counter to be used against demonic possession. No more shadows in kittens," he adds with half a grin. "The other one I think is sort of like your daylight prayer, Andie, but it's meant to hurt. It sounds like His light, used as a weapon."

Zeke nods slowly. "Thossse are wissse choicesss. They will aid you greatly in the future thisss one thinksss." The sith-makar begins the slow process of getting to his feet. It'll take him a moment. Or a few.

Andelena follows Dolan's move, laying down in the grass next to him in a manner that's about as natural as anything, flashing Dolan a nostalgic look and a grin as she props herself up on an arm. "Thank the gods," she says. "I don't want to have to deal with a demonic possession inside of a kitten so long as I live."

She looks thoughtful for a moment. "Sounds like the Knight gave you the tools you'll need for the future," she says. "He's good at that kind of thing."

"Sounds like I'd better make use of them, yeah?" He looks over at Zeke getting up. "Where are you going?" he asks Zeke, grinning. Something has changed, fallen away from him. Something dark and close, some burden seems to have just put itself aside for the moment, leaving him relaxed and jovial and everything he has not been in weeks.

It absolutely has nothing to do with the strain of getting out here. Nope. Not a bit of it.

Zeke snorts at Dolan. "To thisss onesss feet. Thiss one can not loll about in the grasss like you two." He makes it to his feet and motions to his very white vestments. "Thisss one would have no end of grasss ssstainss!"

Andelena grins from ear to ear at Zeke's comment. "That's okay, Bry and I can do enough rolling around in the grass to make up for your lack of grass stains," she says, dissolving into a fit of laughter as she rolls over to be closer to Dolan. Her steel-greys are alight in delight, and her hand goes to embrace the side of his face.

"I love you, Bry," she says. "Thank the gods. Thank the /Knight./" And she leans in for a kiss.

Fairly quickly, Dolan lets his left arm down from behind his head, and turns his head towards her, returning the kiss with a will. It's a lazy thing, though, and any attempt to move is quickly short-circuited by a lethargy that steals over him like it does a cat in a sunbeam. It isn't long before grass and breeze and sunlight combine to find the inquisitor sound asleep, right where he'd prayed.

He'll be there a while.

-End