Dorn sighed as he paused outside the room with the 'Saplings', the name given to the children within the Order. Too young to Squire, but in need of a home, in need of protection. He had carried many of the saplings past and present, to the Monastery.
Theirs was the future he fought so hard to secure, to give them the peace that Fillack and countless others had given his generation. They had once been many, but the greed of man, of the Blightlands, had battered their numbers to the greatest lows since the days of the first Galvanhad.
He exhaled slowly and opened the door and already the room was loud. Toddlers of all races zipped around the room playing odd games. "Arselings." He would say as he cleared his throat and immediately there was silence. Two dozen sets of little eyes focused on the old knight.
"Wroooaahh!" A tiny Minotaur bellowed out a challenge from the corner and lowered his head as he charged the Battlemaster. It was an impressive attempt. So when he collided with Dorn's leg, he would drop to a knee and curse dramatically.
"Good, Vugronn.. Good. One day the Order will need that strength." Dorn mused as he pat the young Minotaur on the head. Vugronn would offer a rather contented looking smile at the praise.
"Mister Dorn! Mister Dorn!" Vyumash, the young Dragonborn would bounce about the old knight. "Are you going to tell us a story?!"
Dorn sighed, he could feel the tinge of a blood vessel in his head threatening to pop. "Gronn, push a chair over for me and then all of you lie down in bed."
The "saplings" would cheer briefly before all but the Minotaur raced for their beds and climbed under the covers. The bugbear twins
, Dak and Thun would help each other clamber into their shared bed and soon every set of eyes were set in wonder on the Battlemaster. Gronn would slide a chair until it bumped against Dorn, signaling his moment to sit and the final member of the bunch scrambled for their bed.
As Dorn settled in his chair, he would hear the door that led to where the Squires slept open as additional sets of eyes focused on him for the story.
"You all heard the story frilly side of this story, the side that claimed Meepo.." at the mere mention of the Kobolds name all mouths dropped.. the Godslayer.. ".. a knighthood. But this is the tale of how Galvanhad and I gained Pursuant..."
Theirs was the future he fought so hard to secure, to give them the peace that Fillack and countless others had given his generation. They had once been many, but the greed of man, of the Blightlands, had battered their numbers to the greatest lows since the days of the first Galvanhad.
He exhaled slowly and opened the door and already the room was loud. Toddlers of all races zipped around the room playing odd games. "Arselings." He would say as he cleared his throat and immediately there was silence. Two dozen sets of little eyes focused on the old knight.
"Wroooaahh!" A tiny Minotaur bellowed out a challenge from the corner and lowered his head as he charged the Battlemaster. It was an impressive attempt. So when he collided with Dorn's leg, he would drop to a knee and curse dramatically."Good, Vugronn.. Good. One day the Order will need that strength." Dorn mused as he pat the young Minotaur on the head. Vugronn would offer a rather contented looking smile at the praise.
"Mister Dorn! Mister Dorn!" Vyumash, the young Dragonborn would bounce about the old knight. "Are you going to tell us a story?!"Dorn sighed, he could feel the tinge of a blood vessel in his head threatening to pop. "Gronn, push a chair over for me and then all of you lie down in bed."
The "saplings" would cheer briefly before all but the Minotaur raced for their beds and climbed under the covers. The bugbear twins
, Dak and Thun would help each other clamber into their shared bed and soon every set of eyes were set in wonder on the Battlemaster. Gronn would slide a chair until it bumped against Dorn, signaling his moment to sit and the final member of the bunch scrambled for their bed.As Dorn settled in his chair, he would hear the door that led to where the Squires slept open as additional sets of eyes focused on him for the story.
"You all heard the story frilly side of this story, the side that claimed Meepo.." at the mere mention of the Kobolds name all mouths dropped.. the Godslayer.. ".. a knighthood. But this is the tale of how Galvanhad and I gained Pursuant..."
