Guldan's vision went red, his hand flew to his throat.  Feeling his hot blood flowing over his fingers, his right hand reflexively slung his sword, sparks flew as it blocked the rusted orc blade.

Attempting to keep pressure on the wound, Guldan felt his strength failing, his vision fading to a black point. 

His body shook. An earthquake?

A voice called from afar, "Guldan, GULDAN!" Urgent, insistent.  He looked for who called his name, his eyes refused to work.   

Head spinning, Guldan fought to retain consciousness....

"By the God's!," Guldan sat bolt upright in bed.   Sweat coated his body, sheets damp, beard soaked.

He twitched as Melwyr leaped from the bed to the end table and hissed at him.   Guldan shuddered and realized his hand lay on the jagged scar running from his throat to his ear.  The tissue, long healed, felt hard and rough.  

"Die again tonight did you," Melwyr asked, sitting on the night stand, chewing at his front claws.

"What? Ah, no.  I mean, yes.  I...uhhh," Guldan flopped back against his pillow, exhaling heavily.

"You were there, you know."

Silence, the only sound Melwyr's teeth against his claws.

"I know a certain beardless dwarf who should be dead if not for the greatest wizard of an age at his side," the cat's green eyes glowed in the dim light.  He blinked and went back to working on his toes.

"Faugh.  How great are you if you've been trapped as a cat for five years," Guldan shuddered, the knowledge of his death weighing heavily on him.

That night, that horrible long night, would never leave him.  He was a dead.  Not living.  Ended.  And then, he was alive, gasping for air, his neck and face throbbing in pain.  His eyes burned as blood, his blood, clouded his vision.

Melwyr paused his preening.

"I suppose the next time you find yourself in the Grey Realm you can stay then," the cat blinked then curled up in a small gray ball.

Sighing Guldan sat up in the bed, scratching the cat behind his ears.

"Sorry old friend.  That was cruel of me.   I thank you for my life, and will do whatever I can to restore you to yours."

Purring, Melwyr said nothing for moments.   

Finally, quietly, he whispered, "I understand, hubris brings us all to places we can't imagine."

He settled his chin on his paws and closed his eyes, falling asleep in moments.

Envious, Guldan gazed at the furry form, sides, slowly sweeping in and out with each breath.  Laying back on the rough homespun cloth pillow he sighed.  

It'd been five years since he died.  Four years since his friend and companion had been transformed into a cat.  He felt no closer to being truly alive than he did when he first awoke.   He was no closer to finding Melwyr a path to humanity again.   

Eyes damp, but not with tears, no, it must be the straw of the mattress, Guldan closed his eyes.  He refused to weep, but sleep was a long time in coming.