Varden

Varden is everything a leader should be- kind and wise, gentle and protective of his clan. But things weren’t always this way. Prior to starting this clan, when he was younger, Varden had been quite the lady’s dragon; unfortunately, one of the ladies he had pursued was the mate of a nearby, ruthless clan’s leader, who did not hesitate to wipe out Varden’s entire family for his mistake. Varden never forgave himself, and vowed to be a better dragon- one his family would be proud of, and one others could look to as a strong, responsible leader. Varden’s harshness towards his former self often lends itself to extremely low self-esteem, and restless nights filled with nightmares. On nights like these, Varden will stand at the edge of his territory, looking to the stars and imagining his family looking back down at him. The other members of his new clan know nothing of Varden’s past, and he plans to keep it this way; but that doesn’t stop him from steering other dragons away from the path he took, and keeping them in line with a strict but gentle push. Varden values his clan and their safety too much to watch them make his mistakes, especially now that he has children of his own and has taken on the role of leader. At even the smallest hint of danger, Varden does not hesitate to protect and defend his clan, his kind smile and sound advice replaced with a warning, earth-shaking roar and a furious warrior. His fellow clan members have so much respect for their fearless leader, and even if they knew of his past, they would still follow their leader no matter what. But that’s a risk Varden isn’t willing to take, and so for now, he will keep his secret locked behind his stony façade and hard-learned maturity.
(written for Lyfe by Panakaatthedisco)