Watching the Flock (Whitebrand and MasterGryph)

[MasterGryph]

"...Come on, I can't be that impressive," she responded, smiling shyly. "...I see you've had plenty of experience cooking."

[Whitebrand]

"Oh, I love it" Brand chirped proudly. "And alchemy too. Artificing. It's kind of...cooking with a twist. I even get a custom made apron."

[MasterGryph]

"Well, it's nice to hear you enjoy it so much," Brianna giggled before settling down to take the tray. "Maybe there are a few things you can teach me."

"Brand," she nervously started, "I appreciate all of this. But it's going to take time for me to adjust to such a huge change. I still feel... inadequate. Guilty even." Survivor's guilt, most likely. "I don't know that I can satisfy you. You as a... pet owner, I mean." Something inside her had balked at saying it aloud, but it was true wasn't it? Brianna was the dragon's pet now. "...But, I'll try. I'll try to make this work."

[Whitebrand]

"A...pet?" Brand repeated. "No, you're not ah...a pet? Why would...why would you say that?"

He'd never thought of it that way. Exactly what he'd thought of its was hard for him to put into words, but...pet?

"I just want you to be...you. The kind girl who knew every one of her charges by sight if not by name. The sweet young woman who was polite to everyone, even that Kane guy. I want to learn about your family and why you didn't have any friends and why your sheep loved you and...and all kinds of things. And I want to impress you and take care of your and make your life as easy for you as you deserve."

Brand was running at the mouth now, finally telling her everything he'd felt since he first saw her. How she made him feel. Like an incomplete puzzle that has found its pieces. Or peace, if one wasn't too literal.

"You deserve to be safe," he said. You deserve to have a full, long life. You're a good person, inside and out. Do you have any idea how rare that is? How cruel the world can be to...to s-someone like you?"

His voice had tightened up. If this face had been human he might have been on the edge of tears.

[MasterGryph]

It had seemed a simple analogy to one with her background. Her livelihood, short though it was, was all about one kind of creature keeping (and being kept by) others.

"Well then, in that case..." she seemed to brighten up, "My father was a metalworker. Tough but kind... He passed his trade on to an apprentice while I played at other things... like watching animals. If you'll believe it I actually remember when Old lady Cotton retired from the fields and entered politics. Unfortunately, while she's a better leader than some, the ranching industry went into a decline. Most of the best up-and-coming people gambled on getting better opportunities elsewhere..." she explained. "I do hope they made it, but I fear many of them were waylaid on the roads... or became waylayers themselves."

"...I do know. The world is a dangerous place for everyone. I... don't see a reason to be part of the problem. Though..." she slipped out from under the blankets to approach the teary dragon, "I don't know if I'm that good, but I can see you've been through a lot. Is there... something you'd like to talk about?"

[Whitebrand]

"My family's ranch was hit by raiders," Brand said. "So it's not an old story. My human family, that is. The ones who raised me. They're gone now. Just simple people who wanted to pass their land and horses on to...to their kids.

"And I wasn't strong enough," Brand said. "I'm still not...not strong enough. Those bandits...they were just like the ones from before. The first time all I could do was hidevwhile everything burned. I barely survived them this time. But one day...one day I'll be able to take on entire armies. Just to protect you. Protect people like you. The good people who make everything that's worth anything."

He found himself hugging her before he realized it.

[MasterGryph]

"I see," Brianna carefully wrapped her arms around Band, returning the hug. "Thank you for telling me. I wish... I had the strength to help you through this. The only thing I can offer you for now is my company."

"You don't need to force yourself to move on, or forget what happened..." the girl said.

[Whitebrand]

"I'm not trying to...I'm just this stupid little silver lizard...t-trying to set the world right. A place where ranches don't burn and girls aren't...aren't..."

Years of adventuring hadn't prepared him for this. The weight of everything. He had been able to hide from the screams in the desert and in the mountains and against the might of the giants and the thuggery of the orcs...but Brianna. Almost like this beloved human sister back to life. And now he had her again and this time he'd keep her safe...

"What am I doing?" He demanded of no one in particular. "What am I doing?"

[MasterGryph]

Brianna continued hugging the dragon, thinking that the answer to that question would need to be something he found himself. At least, it wasn't something she could tell him...

But there was no rush. Understanding could come with time...

[Whitebrand]

In the years ahead, Brand would become much stronger and wiser. His prediction that he would one day vanquish armies eventually came true.

Some tales held that the young dragon treated Brianna like a beloved sister for them rest of her life. Other tales held that she and her captor eventually became lovers. There is little doubt, however, that Brand held her close to this heart long after her eventual passing. He would continue to fight against slavers and bandits long after most other dragons had washed their hands of the world.

As for the colony of were-sheep...their eventual fate remained unknown...doubtless by the design of Isabelle. Their members would meet with the dragon again, but as allies, rivals, or enemies no one be certain.

[MasterGryph]

When Isabelle and the rest of her inner circle returned to their home that evening, they met Kane along the way. He had decided to take to the wilds himself, looking for power. He and the "sheep" passed each other without interacting, and he did not recognize them as his own village's sheep. This was understandable, considering how much fatter they each had become as a result of their gigantic breakfasts. Kane soon found the bandit camp, and after realizing that joining them was no longer an option, he took the opportunity to resupply and continue on. He would likely never cross paths with the young Silver, let alone gain the strength he quested for... but one never knew for sure in this chaotic world.

When they reached the shepherdess' house and the sheep barn, the flock leader gave a silent prayer for the vanished Brianna's happiness. She slipped into the slightly damaged house, shifted back to a fully human form for the first time in years, and began composing a letter. Her fingers were clumsy, but her words precise.

To the young dragon,

If you are reading this, I'm most likely unable to tell you this in person for one reason or another. Old age, sickness, another werebeast, you yourself deciding I'm unworthy of life, any number of reasons really.

Regardless, this is one thing important enough to put down for posterity: My motives regarding you and Brianna. I am not a good person, and I've never claimed to be. My twisted instincts see Sheep as more worthy of life than people, despite their relative intelligence and lifespans. And the shepherd is not only watched for value as a distraction against the wild and civilization alike, but a candidate for induction into the flock. Even so, my own standards have shifted with age. And I also see the value of having good neighbors - and Good neighbors often overlap.

When my probing remarks hit your heart, I realized that my assumptions about you were wrong in some places, distressingly right in others. I became even more concerned that snapping up Brianna by force would be a step along a tarnished path. If you uprooted her and found that she was not what you assumed she would be, what would you do next? Thus my encouragement to approach her openly and get to know her. Either you would find an incompatibility ahead of time and go elsewhere, or you would remain interested but sidestep the worst extremes of what they call 'buyer's remorse'. And for the girl's own feelings, I happened to know that she'd been hoping for a few encounters with beings from the wider world who didn't just see her as a quick snack.

I had my eyes on her as a likely addition to the flock, but again, cutting losses is an important skill for leadership. Writing this, I can only wait and see how it all turns out. It's quite possible you won't see this at all, or not for centuries. In that particular case, I hope you look back and think about how your crusade started, and where it has gone. Would Brianna be happy? Would your sister? I do hope so...


Isabelle,
Flock Leader of the Green Hills