Becoming serious, Anest said, "Brogan's men were outnumbered ten to one, and didn't have the advantage of the bottleneck that Dorain's elves had. The elves were also protected by standing stones that gave them some protection from the goblin arrows. Brogan and his men fought as though possessed, though, and the elves rallied themselves. In no time at all, all of the goblins had been destroyed, but at great cost. Of the men there were only three survivors, all of whom were badly injured, Brogan among them. The other two men died, but Brogan was nursed back to health by the elves. In the process, an unbreakable bond became forged between Dorain and himself which, though unwanted, shackled them to one another for good or ill.
They rode on in silence awhile. Finally, Anest concluded, "Their paths crossed often, despite their best efforts. I suppose Fate had a hand in it, if there really is such a thing. Life has been cruel to them, because by nature they should not be together."
Lily gave him an appraising look. "I'm not sure I understand."
Anest took a long breath, as though he was about to broach an uncomfortable subject. "You and I," he said, "despite everything, enjoy a degree of personal freedom that neither Dorain nor Brogan have ever known. Such is the price of a life in the military."