“Very well,” Brandon said as he moved to join Cass where she sat on the bed, seating himself straight backed with feet resting on the floor. Behind him were his arms, there to hold his posture more comfortably. “Where to begin?” He wondered aloud, there was so much to tell. “We engaged the beast nearly two weeks ago, it was gigantic, like a drummond with wings and a tail. Only from this drummond spewed fire so ungodly hot that it vaporized the men it contacted.” Brandon grimaced, he did not want to make it seem that he had actually taken part in the fight, but he had seen that much. “Though I did not fire a bolt, I believe my plan did help markedly in reducing our casualties.”
“The scorpions were arrayed around the thing in a sort of half circle, mayhaps more like three fourths of one. Symond was the first to fire, he and his men connected with the Hoarfrost you had made. Sadly - that did not do so much as I had hoped - but the massed volley of the scorpions, with their unique ammunition, was enough to ground the beast. I had hoped the same would be accomplished by the Hoarfrost, but I had woefully underestimated the massive proportions of the dragon.”
Brandon shook his head slightly to clear it, his hair had grown and now hung down to the lobes of his ear. The motion of the shake surely brushed Cassana’s face with newly lengthened hair. “I apologize for that,” Brandon said abashed as he gave a small squeeze to his sister’s hand. “Anyway, the dragon was grounded and the men continued to fire volley after volley into it, in hopes that one would strike a lucky hit. Eventually, one did, but not before almost two thousand men had lost their lives, yet more perished in the forest fires that followed.”
“I ordered them there Cassana, each life that was lost is my burden to carry. What do I say to their families? Children, wives, brothers and sisters: all were left behind as those men passed from our realm in furious, unrelenting heat. How can I face the people I have allowed to face immeasurable pain - even if it was wholly necessary?”
The young lord’s eyes were watery, shimmering in that way just before tears came. He blinked hard as he peered into Cassana’s wildfire green eyes, embarrassed by his weakness though she could not see it. Idly Brandon’s thumb drew circles in her hand as he drew shallow breaths in an effort to calm himself, the weight of what he’d ordered straining his focus. “I’m sorry. It is a terrible thing: power. Too easily we forget what effect it has on those who pay for the influence we wield. Too easily we sign the death warrants of men we cannot even name.”
The bed rustled slightly as he stood, adopting a back and forth pace in lieu of the too comforting hand of his sister. I do not deserve to be comforted, he resolved. “Sadly, those were not the only death warrants I wrote.” Brandon said as he turned to look once more at Cassana, standing a stride away from her. “Mayhaps you know already: I hurled Viserion’s klutch into the sea. I think my reasons for doing so should be fairly obvious and I could not risk forestalling my decision.” Silently he wrung his hands. Would Cassana thoughts be similar to his own? “Do you think I should have kept one?”