#dragonsprincesseselves

[hirokiro]

pt 9 Princesses, Dragons, and Elves oh my!

~*

Basically the same argument broke out all over again. Gill listened to Lana try to reason with Glen and she seemed to do marginally better. Women had such a way with words when it came to pulling on the heart-strings. If Glen had a heart.

“Let me put it this way,” Lana was pacing around at this point, back and forth in front of Gill as if protecting him instinctually, “You would hate to lose me and Gill, right? If I died it would be terrible to you, right?”

Glen complained, “This isn’t the-”

“It’s exactly the same.” Lana pushed, “Glen, think about other people’s feelings besides your own. You worried about Gill when you caused that panic attack and when he passed out. You told me yourself when he wasn’t talking to us you wanted to ask him if he was okay. You were worried. Now imagine someone else feeling that same worry, only they’re worried their daughter has been eaten or worse, and they want her back and safe. Just like you wanted Gill well again, right?”

“Mmmguess so…” Glen reluctantly yielded a little, “He was scaring me.”

Gill wanted to find some humor in the situation but he was busy fighting panic and trying not to let the distressing continuation of his and Glen’s argument feed into the struggle to calm down.

“So you see. And I know you see,” Lana reiterated, “I have to go see my family. And honestly, right now, I’m really missing them, Glen. I need to see them.”

Glen raked the ground a couple times, “But would you come back?” he challenged, clearly not believing it, “Once you’ve told them and grieved and all that?”

Lana didn’t reply immediately, looking away sadly, “I would, Glen. I would if it were up to me. But I don’t know if it would be possible. This is an unusual situation.”

“See? Exactly!” Glen grumbled, “You would go away and not come back! I bet even if you promised, you wouldn’t! They’d all stop you and you’d make excuses!”

Lana didn’t reply. She and Gill knew why it might be impossible for her to come back even if they tried to negotiate with the king, find some middle ground. It might happen but it also might not. Lana knew her father better than he did. There was no explaining to Glen that he would have to accept whatever the outcome and quit being selfish.

Glen rumbled irritably, the ground trembling as Gill got control of himself, feeling small and exposed after this second panicky moment. It was less severe but as always it left him feeling like a cowardly idiot who was a pathetic excuse of a person.

“... I… I’d come back.” he managed to speak up faintly.

“Mm?” Glen stopped the rumbling and lowered his head, “What was that?”

Gill took another shaky breath, willing himself to repeat it more loudly, “I’d come back, Glen. Or even… If… if you don’t trust my word then just… put me somewhere I can’t escape and after you take Lana back, if you do, I’ll still be here for you.”

~*

The dragon blinked, and he felt a funny stirring in his stomach. That was kind of strange how Gill put it. But the elf was yet again trying to compromise with him, and he didn’t think he liked it as much as the arguing. When they argued he knew he was in the right, and seeing Gill angry was funny. When this little elf gave in and tried to appease him, he felt sort of bad about it. Fighters like Gill were usually very proud. Proud of their strength like a dragon was proud of theirs. The elf’s humility was just so… so… eef! It made Glen so uncomfortabllllllle!

Gill was weird. He was a weird, unnatural little man and Glen only wanted him all the more and now he was feeling bad for not trusting this little elf who was trying so hard to win this fight in any way other than by tooth and sword.

Mmmmmmgh… he knew if he asked it of Gill, the elf would agree to dying in order for Lana to go home. He knew it deep down that the elf was sincere. Desperate enough to do anything.

“Hmmmff…” he looked up and away, tail thrashing irritably as he contemplated and mulled things over. Everything Gill had gone through to get here. Risking his life in the swamps, even weathering an attack that left him wounded enough that he said he was unlikely to put up much of a fight anyway if it came to it. Practically dead on his feet from lack of sleep. And still he had approached the dragon rather than wait to recover at least. Anything to get to Lana sooner and find out if she was alright.

They were… probably right. It just wasn’t fair! Having to go back to sleepless nights when he thought of Lana as his, and a friend who cared! The first person who got along with him and he didn’t feel the need to make her fear him. Someone different and special to him.

“Mmm…” Nostrils flared as more smoke burst from them, “Fine… Fine. After everything you’ve gone through, Gill, and this hard news about your brother, Lana… It’s only right. This is… bigger than my needs.”

He looked down to see Lana had brightened up, smiling, “Thank you Glen!” she exclaimed gratefully, relief and happiness on her face as she clasped her hands.

But Gill still sat, head bowed where Glen couldn’t see his face, know what he was thinking. His hand was still clutching his shirt, he was still breathing laboriously. It had to have cost a lot to speak up.

Hnnnnnn, guilt!

“Let’s just… give it a little time and figure out how to do this.” Glen added, “I know Gill, you said you wanted to be there to break the news and be with them, and all that. It would’ve been easiest to fly you both in but I can’t do that.”

To his surprise Gill did look up, a confused expression on his face.

“You mean.. You’d let me go back?” Gill asked, eyes searching.

“Well. I-” On the spot, Glen scratched the side of his head, looking to one side. He hadn’t meant to talk about that possibility yet. “Well. I guess I would.” he admitted in the end, “Just, you know. Test your honesty, you know. I could find you anyway if you didn’t come back.”

Not really the truth, and he was pretty sure Gill thought the same. Gill was a survivalist, he would know how to disappear where Glen couldn’t find him.

“I appreciate the faith,” Gill replied, “Truly. It means a lot.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Glen added, trying to save face, not seem like a softy, “It’s not like I trust you or anything. But I won’t know your worth until you’ve proven it to me.”

Gill chuckled a little, “That’s true. But really, you are truly magnanimous to let us go. I know this is very hard for you, and I can’t begin to show my gratitude.”

“Hmmm…” Glen wasn’t exactly certain what that meant but it must be related to Magnificent. And he liked that, “Flattery will get you nowhere.” he tried to look aloof.

But Gill only laughed weakly and stood, slowly, “Alright, well, I’m going to now go walk like I meant to, and we’ll come back to things. I have to clear my head and… yeah…”

Glen raked at the ground nervously, “Should you be walking around so soon?”

He didn’t like how Gill waved him off.

“I’ll be alright. It’ll help me calm down. And… like before,” Gill hesitated, not meeting anyone’s eyes, “Let’s just pretend it never happened and not dwell on it or anything. I don’t want to think about it and I don’t… really want to see sympathy. Just pretend it never happened, please.”

“Pretend what never happened?” Lana asked with an innocent expression.

Gill snapped his fingers and pointed at her, “Exactly.” he said with a little more cheer before taking off.

“Oh, but– alright…” Glen watched him go, feeling the want to nab him and bring him close. He didn’t want Gill out of sight right after another one of those panic things happened. Oooh that boy was so fragile! He needed to stay right here!

This was going to be hard, letting them go. Gill had been trying to protect Lana all this time but who would protect him? What if something hap-?

“So,” Lana looked back up, hands on her hips, “Got some kind of plan for how we get back? Round up some horses?” she joked.

“Mnnnn… Not really. And they’d probably die of fright,” Glen sighed, “It wouldn’t work to just fly you and make Gill go the long way back. It kind of… well, doesn’t seem like a point in letting him go if he has to take all that time and you’ve already told everyone and he just… Is he okay?”

Lana blinked, “I… I don’t know, Glen,” she replied doubtfully, “I heard you guys shouting and then all of sudden you were apologizing… and Gill was sitting there. I don’t know. It’s… were you going to fly?”

“I really wasn’t.” Glen assured her, “I just wanted to shake him a little. A little.” he reiterated, “I was being careful in that regard. I didn’t realize he might think I would just because I was angry…”

Lana sighed and began to walk stiffly about. She noted the Elf’s pack.

“He said he left some stuff for you to eat,” Glen commented helpfully.

“Oh, that was kind of him,” she didn’t immediately look, “Glen…” she glanced back up, “You don’t think… You know… He might actually… also be afraid of dragons. You think? Similar to his flying problem?”

Glen shrugged, “No, I think the opposite. He’s not all that afraid. He told me he’s used to dragons, and probably too bold around them. He’s not afraid. He was just afraid of my anger in the moment. Not me as a creature. Not like that. Cautious and all that. Healthy amount of respect for the danger.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced and Glen snorted a little, annoyed, “He said he had some good experiences too, so it's not like all he’s known is trouble with us as a species. There’s just been some very unfortunate coincidences going on over time.”

“It certainly seems that way.”

(And been stuck again. Been uploading in inconsistent bursts even with already having this as far as it is, and dunno. Might redo the last few paragraphs, rework. Am tired.)