In the middle of the night

The sudden movements of Ganymede getting up brought his attention snapping back to the youth. He watched as the boy lifted his bed skin and stalked off. It felt like a hammer in his chest as he watched the sway of those spotted hips disappear into the darkness beyond their fire.

He promised. He promised he would let the boy leave as he wished but he couldn't help how one of his paws dug into the earth like kneading dough. The muscles in his cheek clenched as his firey gaze pierced through the gloom as if he could will the boy back. Ultyr had upset him, and suddenly he remembered that this was not some meeting with delegates playing kick the conversation under his will.

He drew in a slow breath, then huffed it out forcefully as he hopped onto the scouting rock he had been on before. His muscles aching from their exertion over the day. He hopped over the rock and into the darkness, attempting to circle their little campsite and ensure there wasn't anyone or anything else stalking in the shadows. He crossed Ganymede's trail and he paused, savoring the scent. Clenching his jaw again, running a claw over the footprint. He promised. Would Gany come back? Why was he so offended? Why did Ultyr care this much about it?

Another huff as he swung his head back to his task. Lumbering like a massive bear until he found himself back inside the circle of stones. Lailah was fast asleep.

He looked back to where Gany had disappeared then carefully and silently rifled through Lailah's pack. Fishing out her sketchbook. It wasn't the first time he had pulled it out and perused it for himself. The notes she would take and the doodles she did were her ways of communicating. He lingered on the one-sided conversation on one of the more recent pages. He had to keep himself from snorting out loud when he came across her description of her duties for his father. But then his brows furrow as the words continue. His paw brushes over the words, "lost love" then "He can be sweet and caring..." Was he sweet? Caring? His father had thrown Ultyr out because he had shown too much affection for his slave lover. Toting him everywhere, including him in important military conversations, turning to him like he was an advisor on occasion. Parading his lover like a trophy through the ballroom as the delegates pleaded for mercy with biting words and hidden meanings.

They had not found hide nor hair of his lover. Not since they landed here. A Morningstar or two, but not his Angel. He had to consider him dead.

He put the book away and looked over Lailah. The poor thing was riddled with scars, fragile and petite. He shouldn't have laughed when she called herself a cumbucket and punching bag even if it had been the truth. Her progeny would not be fit for valor, unfortunately. A farmer's daughter, more fit for... Oh... Was that made Gany so cross? Hm... What was a farmer's daughter to a prince in this land that knew them not? Where the prince held no holdings and no army?

He sighed then, and settled behind her, wrapping his large back legs around her minuscule body, tucking her protectively in his limbs before he laid his head down to sleep.