Glaurung had never been so stressed before. His life had been fairly easy, now that he thought about it. Fairly carefree. He had a good family, and a mother and sister who took care of him. Protected him. He wondered if that shelter they provided actually harmed him now that he was here. He did not really know what he was going to do now that he had to be on his own. If he spoke to anyone, Tailung had told him, he would get himself killed. Or worse. The things Tailung said he was capable of, and more than willing to do to the lion, made him feel sick.

He did not sleep the night before.

Exhausted, he padded his way to find some food to bring back to Tailung. He had to go to the market for reserves, and brought his herb collection with him if he needed to barter for it.. It made him miserable, thinking he would have to give up something he had worked so hard to build over the last few days, had only just started on, because he had someone keeping him hostage in his own den. What he really wanted to do was find a soldier and tell him there was an interloper in the lands and get the leopard thrown out or into the ravine.

But there was no telling if he would be good on his word, and come back to hurt Glaurung… or his family. He could not bear the idea of putting them in danger as well, so he had to do what he could to heal Tailung and hope he left once he was better.

And he hoped the leopard was a fast healer.

“What are you doing here?” Ghalati asked, surprising the poor druid out of his thoughts. He looked up miserably and realized how bad it might look to a Toka. He was skulking around. It was early morning. He probably looked a mess from his bad night. He had a strange pouch around his neck, possibly full of poisons. He looked at the soldier as he approached, swallowing hard. Ghalati was not a tall lion, but he was thickly built and most of it seemed to be muscle, save his stomach. It was a little round, but it would probably be foolish to think Ghalati was helpless. He was a very well trained soldier under the King, and a respected knight. The lion watched the druid keenly, though his expression was impossible to read.

Mostly because there was no expression.

Ghalati had a reputation for being hard to impress, to say the least. He was passive and calm, even tempered to the point of seeming bored. His patience was unfathomable, yet he was often seen sighing and grumbling about the things he had to do. He always did them, however, no matter how heavily he was complaining. There was no question about his loyalty to the pride, or to the lioness he served to protect. He watched Glaurung with passing interest, in that it passed out of his eyes almost as soon as it lighted there.

“I… I…”

“Are you looking for something?” he asked again, wanting to prompt an actual response out of the dragon marked lion, and not just babbling. Ghalati was not too used to others being honestly intimidated by him, as his reputation was as quiet as he was and only applied to those that cared to know it. He watched and waited, as if he had all the time in the world, while managing to look incredibly bored and disinterested at the same time. It made Glaurung want to spit out an answer just to keep from being stared at some more.

“I just… I wanted to get some food at the market…”

“It is unlikely the vendors are awake yet,” Ghalati said matter of factly. Glaurung nodded his head and looked at the floor intently. “If you are hungry, perhaps you should hunt. You can go to the rogue lands for your own food. The vendors serve those who cannot hunt for themselves a bit better.”

“I know I just… I can’t really… I guess I could go hunt something…” he looked unsure. He did not want to be dragging giant dead things back to his den for a squatter he was not supposed to be housing. If anyone saw him doing it he could get in trouble for many different reasons, and housing a leopard not the least of all. He would certainly earn his reputation as a Druid, breaking all the rules. He did not want to be that kind of a creature: he wanted to belong here, and prove that he was as much a Toka as anyone else. A Tokakinji. But no.

There was always something to make that endeavor seem impossible.

Ghalati was still staring at him.

“Do you wish for some assistance hunting?” he asked, not sounding like he was particularly keen on the idea, but offering anyway. Glaurung shook his head furiously, not wanting to have Ghalati or any other soldier anywhere near his den at the moment, in case they happened to peer inside and saw the injured, deadly leopard inside. What if Tailung hauled off and killed someone? Glaurung could not even fathom it, and did not want to risk something like that going so wrong. He shuddered and shook his head a few too many times.

“N-no, I’m alright! I can manage I was just being lazy but thank you for the offer and I hope you have a good day okay bye.” He hurried off, all his words tripping over each other with no pauses whatsoever. He turned on his heels and took off back toward his den, and Ghalati watched him as he went until he turned and disappeared from view. That was a strong kid, and it made Ghalati wonder, but he did not further his pursuit. At least, not right now. He had his ways of keeping his eye on strange things, and that did not include chasing.

But he was very interested in this young Druid. Even if he did not show it. Which he didn’t. Ever.

(Word Count: 1,034 in Word)