I wasn’t aware of his sleeping battles after all I didn’t dream very often and when I did I didn’t really remember them. Most the time I would shut my eyes pass out then wake up refreshed hours later with just blackness in between those two moments. But dreams or no dreams he was laying there unaware and helpless should someone come right up to him. I was his guard and Iwould watch the world around him and do a bit of cloud gazing for the time being. At every sound my black ears twitched, noting it, then deciding if it was worth my time to look at or not. It was actually a rather peaceful day today. Mostly it was just a leaf rustle or some bird in the grass. I dismissed those, that was until I saw the white paws kick out of the corner of my gold and green eyes.

That was when he screamed at me. I watch completely impassive as he freaks out for no reason, blinking slowly as he freaks out and begins to thrash around. I was about to open my mouth to talk then shut it again, when he scrambles to his feet before tripping then gathers himself again and runs right into some water. I am sure by now my face must look completely flat and unsurprised. I can’t stop him from being stupid and I am not going to chase him around when. I regard the entire situation with ambivalence, I feel it is best for the moment to let him just figure it out. I can’t protect him from being an idiot who didn’t take three seconds to see I was his guard and not someone wanting to eat him.

I continued watch him, listening to him scream again as he fights to get out of the water this time now when his eyes finally meet me and then it seemed recognition finally crossed his face. He was shaking all over when he finally asked why I did that. I am not sure what ‘that’ was though. What? Watch him and make sure he didn’t get gobbled up by some alligator or cannibal? Then he looks down at his feet and pukes all up and around his paws. He was truly pathetic, but what’s a guard to do but to help him despite being this way.

”I was guarding you while you slept, to make sure nothing that actually would hurt you would. Good reaction time though to, uhh, identifying someone was here with you when you woke up, bad reaction time to realizing the one there was the last one that would harm a single fur on your body, Prince Lazarus. Now you should probably come over here and we can go get you cleaned up somewhere.” I was pretty impassive to the whole him throwing up out of fear thing. I mean he was actually afraid the wind was going to blow him over… I am hardly surprised that he vomits when he freaks out. Gross? Yes. But he’s still the prince and I was still bound to help him for forever.

I move over to him, using one of my black paws and sweeping some of the algae from his fur. Better, but he still smells like he is some swamp ick. ”Did you at least sleep well?” I ask as I pick another piece off with my paw, flinging it back into the swamp before turning to him wondering if he was ready to go to the cleaner part of the swamps to clean up.