Scene B
Seth sat in his hardwood chair, his brow knotted from worry. He was recounting what had happened with the failed reconnaissance exercise. His reconnaissance exercise.
"I was too late. By the time I got there, the...direwolf was..."
More than the horrific memory that assaulted him, the fact that the deaths of two of his Scout recruits was on his head sent waves of dread down his spine.
"Did you think to scout the area before you sent them out?"
Impatience tinged with sarcasm dripped from the Vice President.
"I did, but...found nothing that presented any danger. I don't..."
"And how is that possible? Are you saying the beast popped out of thin air?"
That's the thing. It certainly seems like it did.
Seth had personally made sure every nook and cranny of the course was accounted for on the day of the exercise. His reputation had been on the line. Now he worried for his neck.
"I can't think of any possible way I could have missed it. I checked the surrounding areas..."
"We will have the minor nobles breathing down our necks if YOU can't come up with a reason for these deaths!" the Vice President exploded.
The throbbing vein in the Vice President's temple came dangerously close to popping.
"If I may interject," a nasal voice sounded.
Chairs creaked as the three others in the room turned to look at the young man. The president's son puffed up like a rooster, as if gracing them with his words.
"there is that one survivor who miraculously escaped. Perhaps, we can get something out of him to solve the issue of what we should report to the public."
Another mystery. It shouldn't be possible for a recruit to escape a direwolf.
After a moment of consideration, Seth nodded.
"Yes, he may be able to recount the moment the creature appeared. He was certainly there. I only hope that the boy is awake by now."
The more Seth thought about what he had seen, the less sense it made. Something in his memory nagged at him, a thought that eluded him the more he tried to remember.
"Good. Have the nurses wheel him in here. Make sure he is handled with care." rumbled the President.