Trial and error

After listening to Cael's account of his hunt, Father stood up from his seat. He walked to the small oak cupboard on the wall of his office, pulled a bottle of brandy out of it, poured himself two fingers, drank it in one gulp, and only then spoke.

Almost calmly. Almost.

"I knew it. I knew it, Cael!" He put the glass on the table with a loud clang. "Of course you would go somewhere dangerous, and of course you would find trouble. More of it than I can imagine."

Cael folded his hands on his chest. "I knew you would say this, Father."

Gianni met his glare with his own. "And now you are being a petulant child, Cael. Put yourself in my place! I have to go through two days of worrying for your life in a span of a second."

"But I'm fine now, Father. What's there to worry about?"