Артас: Возвышение короля-лича

           "Welldone,lad,welldoneindeed!"HestruggledtositupandArthaswasthere,reachingoutahandtohelphaulthedwarftohisfeet.Muradinpumpedthehandhappily."So,yewerepayin’attentionafterallwhenItaughtyemyspecialtrick."

           Relievedandpleasedwiththepraise,Arthasgrinned.SomeofwhatMuradintaughthimwouldberepeated,honed,andreinforcedinhispaladintraining.Butotherthings—well,hedidn’tthinkUthertheLightbringerwouldknowaboutfeetplantedfirmlyinthebelly,ortheratherhandytrickregardingtheefficacyofabrokenwinebottle.Therewasfightingandtherewasfighting,andMuradinBronzebeardseemeddeterminedthatArthasMenethilwouldunderstandallaspectsofit.

           Arthaswasfourteennow,andhadbeentrainingwithMuradinseveraltimesaweek,saveforwhenthedwarfwasawayondiplomaticerrands.Atfirst,ithadgoneasbothpartieshadexpected—badly.Arthasleftthefirstdozenorsosessionsbruised,bloodied,andlimping.Hehadstubbornlyrefusedanyoffersofhealing,insistingthatthepainwaspartoftheprocess.Muradinhadapproved,andhehadshownitbypressingArthasalltheharder.Arthasnevercomplained,notevenwhenhewantedto,notevenwhenMuradinscoldedhimorpressedtheattacklongafterArthaswastooexhaustedtoevenholdupashield.

           Andforthatstubbornrefusaltowhineortoquit,hewasrewardedtwofold:helearnedandlearnedwell,andhewontherespectofMuradinBronzebeard.