Meddling in Foreign Affairs

Chapter 5: The Hospital

Dyomahai took Dismas further down into the mountain, much to his surprise. It had seemed that the further down they went, the more important things were, and Dismas assumed that the King's Hall should be the most important thing. Dyomahai laughed when Dismas asked about it.

"Otetsu Gora is important, young man. That is why his living quarters and study are the deepest in the mountain. Our homes are valued more than our meeting places, especially the ones most likely to see outsiders."

"Okay, so where're you taking me?"

"The hospital. That is the furthest down those who are not dwarves are permitted. We must first pass the guest quarters, but we will be there shortly."

Dismas decided that he did not much like the dwarven city. With it being underground, there were no separate buildings, just doors in the walls. There weren't very many good hiding places, which made him profoundly uncomfortable. If he managed to sneak out before his grand adventure began, he would most likely be caught. And he highly doubted he would be able to get such a lenient punishment a second time.

The door to the hospital was green. It was green metal. Dismas didn't understand how that even happened, but the dwarves did have spectacular metal-working capabilities, so he hadn't really expected to understand how their architecture worked. Inside was a large room that had a few cots set up in rows through the middle of it, with a few doors leading off to the left and right. "We have a few private rooms, but this is where we treat patients when those are all full. Luckily for you, you will have your own room, seeing as we are currently not involved in any wars."

"I thought that you were at war with the elves?"

Dyomahai laughed. "No, young man. We are always at odds with the elves. For as long as any of us remember, the elves have been our enemies, but we are currently not engaged in any battles. However, if your mission is unsuccessful we may face one of the worst wars that we have had with them in centuries. I hope that knowing that will properly motivate you to complete your task."

Dismas laughed nervously in response. "Oh, don't you worry, Mr. Dyomahai, sir. I think the threat of death is motivation enough."

"Good, as long as you are motivated in some way. Follow me, and I will show you your room so that you may recover before you must leave."

The room Dyomahai brought Dismas into was small, but it had a comfortable bed and that's all he really needed. He was given a small jar of the weird green paste.

"You should probably change the bandages and medicine at least every other day. I am sorry to inform you that you will likely have a scar and strange marks from the poison arrow, but there is no longer any threat to your life from this wound. The elves may be the race that is known for its medicinal abilities, but the Dyomahai clan has always been on par with them. But, that is enough of me talking, I am sure your time in the King's throne room exhausted you, in addition to the awful treatment you have received. I will leave you to rest if there is nothing else you require."

"There is one thing I was wondering about. Do the clan names change whenever a new dwarf is placed in charge? Because you're the leader of the Dyomahai clan but your name is also Dyomahai."

Dyomahai chuckled under his breath. "I am not sure what I expected you to ask for, young man, but that certainly was not it. Humans are an interesting race, always changing and unpredictable. It is refreshing to see such curiosity in another culture. It may seem a bit old fashioned, but each of the clan leaders is called the name of the first leader of that clan. When you lead the clan, you must put the clan's needs and our people's needs before your own, and so you forgo your individual name. At least, that is what the original intention was. Now it helps prevent confusion between clans that are not always in close communication with each other. And to others still, having the name of the clan as your own is a way of asserting your authority."

"Well, that's just strange. You'd think it actually cause more confusion, ya know? I can just imagine it: 'oh, remember that thing Dyomahai said?' 'Which Dyomahai? The current one, or the one before him, or the one before him?' 'No, no, no, the one four Dyomahais ago!' 'That Dyomahai, of course!'" Dismas made funny faces and altered his voice for the different characters in his little scenario, which made Dyomahai actually laugh, instead of just chuckling.

"Dwarves live longer than humans, see? So it does not cause nearly as much confusion as you might think. Now, we can continue our conversation later if you wish to, but I believe that it is time you get some rest. And I am sure that you already know this, but attempting to leave without me knowing would be an even stupider idea than the one that led you to becoming involved in the conflict between dwarves and elves. You wait here, and I will return momentarily with hot food and a medicine that will speed your recovery significantly."

At only the mention of food, Dismas' stomach began to protest its emptiness. He scratched the back of his head, only a little bit embarrassed. "Food sounds good, I think."

Dyomahai smiled and walked out the door, closing it firmly behind him. Dismas just stared at the door for a minute, before his stomach started growling again and he decided that it would probably be best for him to make his escape after Dyomahai had brought him food. He flopped down on the bed dramatically, just because he felt like it. He was poking at his partially numbed shoulder when the door opened again.

"I really would advise against that, young man," Dyomahai reprimanded.

Dismas sat up and quite happily accepted the plate of meat and potatoes that Dyomahai was holding out to him. "Everything you do reaffirms your spot as my most favorite dwarf," he commented as he ate the food as quickly as he could. When he finished, Dyomahai handed him a cup full of a dark greyish liquid. "What's this for?"

"It is a mixture I invented. It has proven in the past to effectively neutralize the poison that was on the arrows that Stryel and his crew shot you with, but it also will make you drowsy. I would suggest drinking it and sleeping for as long as your body requires to heal. I will be in the main room if you need me. When you awaken we shall deal with the issue of your personal supplies, considering that everything you came with must remain here as evidence against you until this situation is resolved. And I do believe a shirt with an arrow hole and blood all over it is not optimal. Now, drink up."

Dismas swirled the drink around in the cup, trying to come up with a valid reason to not drink it. After coming up with nothing, he downed it one go. And it tasted awful. He started coughing uncontrollably, and Dyomahai only laughed at his reaction. "Why'd you not warn me 'bout that?!" he managed to gasp out.

"I could not give you any excuse to not drink it." He took the plate and the cup from Dismas and walked over to the door. "I would lay down if I were you. It is impossible to guess how sleepy this will make you, considering the constitution of humans is relatively low. Goodnight." Dyomahai blew out the lamp and closed the door behind him, leaving Dismas sitting in the dark. His brain started feeling fuzzy and he cursed to himself. Even he wasn't stupid enough to try to escape when he wasn't in his right mind, especially since he couldn't remember where he was anymore. But the bed he was sitting on was amazingly soft and inviting. He bundled himself up in the blankets almost without thinking, and fell asleep immediately.