Wanderlust

Author’s note: Yay, I get slow again, but actually I have a few more chapters of this stored up, and it’s almost completed, so be on the lookout for some more soon! It’s gonna get sad for a while :C But then happy again! I promise! Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Two days passed after the fateful day Jyota and Enoki spent together without either speaking to the other. Consequently, the two days had also gone by without the Shaman saying a word to his adoptive Grandfather as well. He was content to whittle the hours skulking about the cabin feeling remorseful and angry at the same time, casting sidelong glances at his patient caretaker and opening his mouth countless times to talk but closing it just as quickly. Words failed to describe the turmoil he was feeling, and the time never seemed right.

Meanwhile Jyota imposed on another family of Tauren for the last few nights of the battalion’s stay in respect for Inali and penitence for his actions. He felt guilty enough not only for being the one to entice Enoki out on the excursion, but for getting him in trouble, stealing his first kiss, and humiliating him all in one fell swoop. It was almost a blessed relief when morning came the day they were to leave, but he could not help but feel a little heartbroken to not see Enoki standing among the crowd of well-wishers. The old Tauren Shaman standing near the back found himself feeling much the same way as well.

Inali had been certain Enoki would at least sneak out to steal a secret goodbye out of Jyota, or Jyota would have been on the doorstep that morning to say goodbye to him. It almost made him feel a little guilty for his outburst and splitting them up when it was clear they had been immediately attracted to one another. He was ultimately Enoki’s only parent, and after everything, after the training, the wisdom, the skills, seeing his child happy and teaching him about love as well as the earth was more important than anything. That morning there was no longer regret or darkness in his heart, he understood his feelings and he knew what he had to do. Inali had never trotted home faster in his old age, hoping against hope he could make it before the soldiers left and his chance to make it up to Enoki was gone for good.

Enoki lay curled on his side still in bed, fully aware the soldiers were leaving and doing his best to keep frustrated, disappointed tears at bay. He tightened his lanky arms around himself and squeezed his eyes shut as he staunchly reminded himself of his Grandfather’s logic; he was too young, Jyota was a distraction, and there would be others once he had finished his training, but his heart and his brain continued their bloody altercation within him undeterred. No matter what he did it always came back to the lost day spent with the beautiful Hunter in the wild grasslands, his kiss, and his touch.

The Shaman moaned and rammed his head under his pillow to escape to his day dream again, but a frantic, harried knock at his door pierced his concentration and he sat bolt upright with a growl.

“De hell you want Grandda?” he barked a bit more cruelly than he intended.

Inali recoiled but his resolve remained firm and he leaned close to the closed door to speak respectfully through it.

“Forgive me for intruding Enoki but… The soldiers are about to leave and… I think we need to talk,” he replied.

Enoki’s emerald eyes glimmered sadly, his heart crumbled, and he drew his knees into his chest.

“Ain’ nothin’ tah talk about,” he muttered, “Yeh jes’ gonna tell me tah go be a good boy an’ salute an’ see off de troops dat defend me an’ blah blah bl-”

“No, I’m not actually,” the bull interjected quickly, “As a matter of fact I came here to implore you to come to say goodbye to them, to say goodbye to Jyota.”

The Troll’s ears pricked up with interest and suspicion and his heart skipped a hopeful beat.

“What…?” he breathed.

“Yes I… My boy, I’m… Sorry, for all this, this strange fight we’re having. I am not entirely innocent in the matter myself and I acknowledge that. I was unwilling to concede that you really are nearly an adult with your own mind and heart and feelings, even after I told you as much. I… Didn’t want to admit that I would have to let you go sooner or later, and Jyota merely reminded me that I will. I reacted badly, but I realized that… I really just want you to be happy, and this may be your last chance to see him for quite some time. I would hate myself forever if you missed it and resented me for causing it.”

The door cracked open a few moments after he finished speaking, and Enoki’s subdued face peered skittishly out.

“Yeh realleh mean dat Grandda…?” he asked.

“Of course I do, I mean every word. I feel awful that I’ve ruined whatever chance you might have gotten to spend with Jyota to get close, to start something,” Inali sighed, “It was so obvious from the beginning how you both felt and I just-“

He was cut off mid-sentence as a red blur darted out and a pair of long, slender arms coiled tightly around his neck.

“Yah didn’ ruin it Grandda, I did,” the Troll whimpered apologetically into his shoulder, “It was dumb a’ me tah jes’ go off like dat, I didn’ tink, I didn’ care ‘bout anytin’ but what I wanted… I-If I’d jes’ been honest…”

Enoki trailed off, and Inali returned the hug warmly.

“I’m glad to hear you say it. So, why don’t we both agree we handled this badly, forgive each other and we’ll talk more after Jyota has gone?”

The redhead nodded his agreement and pulled away with the light of joy and mischief back in his emerald eyes and long ears high with excitement.

“Yeh, yeh I tink dat be good, but… Yeh tink dey still be heah? Yeh don’ tink dey woulda gone yet right? I mean de eldahs like tah babble on fah hours an’ hours an’ I know dey gonna give’em some goin’ off ceremony or whatevah an I don’ realleh tink dey’d appreciate it if I interrupted an’ all,” he rambled and stopped only when Inali whapped him lightly atop the head.

“And since when have you cared if you interrupted the elders or not?” the Tauren chuckled and pushed him toward the door, “Go swiftly Enoki, if the Spirits decree you should see Jyota again, he will still be there.”

Enoki gave a curt, flushed and vigorous nod of agreement and turned tail out the door where paws instead of feet slapped the dirt and he sped away in a full gallop toward the road leading out of town.

Inali stayed behind with a satisfied smile on his face. Enoki could do far worse than a high ranking, trained military Hunter who walked solidly with the Spirits, he mused, drawing in a deep sigh. The simple breath suddenly caught in his chest, a wrench of white hot pain tore through him as he exhaled, and he doubled over coughing violently with his hands covering his mouth.

Inali crumpled to his knees as the uncontrollable fit of hacking wracked his entire form, wheezing for breath and straining to keep his eyes open. His world spun, vision misted over in white, and he slammed his fist to his rattling chest with the strongest healing spell he could manage to quell to agony. The attack gradually passed and once he was able to breathe again he was not shocked in the slightest to find his trembling hand covered in blood.

Back at the center of town, the lanky ghost wolf rose to the crooked form of a Troll once again at the back of the crowd and Enoki skittered hurriedly to the Tauren standing before him. He casually put his hands on two sets of shoulders and jumped to get a better view only to see the very back of the line of Orc soldiers astride a fierce pack of wolves as they rode single file out of town on the road toward Thunder Bluff. Panic washed over him and he sprinted, nearly tripping over his own feet, around the farewell gathering and reached a hand out toward the single figure perched atop a gleaming emerald raptor with a black panther in tow.

“WAIT! JYOTA! WAIT! WAIT JES’ A SEC! PLEASE!”

Jyota, who had been looking rather solemn, eyes closed and ears drooped, felt a jolt through his frame at the familiar voice and gasped, hardly believing his ears.

“Enoki?” he murmured to himself as he turned over his shoulder hopefully.

The entire battalion heard the cries of their Troll brother’s name and paused to turn and watch the young Shaman speeding toward them as well, casting the Hunter tusk filled, knowing smirks and urging him back. Jyota needed no encouragement, and he smiled radiantly down as the redhead finally reached him, gasping for breath and flushed to the tips of his ears.

“Jyota!” he panted and bent over to catch his breath for a moment, hands on his knees, “I-I was scared I mighta missed you alreadeh!”

Jyota laughed softly and a merry twinkle gleamed in his golden irises.

“Well, tah be honest I didn’ tink you was comin’. I mean, aftah all dat, uh… Yanno,” he guardedly answered behind a sheepish smile.

“Actually, it was Grandda dat told me tah come, he- We- It was jes’ some misundahstandin’ Jyota, it wasn’ no one’s fault, an’ I…” Enoki began as he looked up into Jyota’s eyes and reached up slowly to cup his cheek in his palm, “I didn’ want yeh tah leave forevah not knowin’ how I felt about you.”

Jyota closed his eyes and took Enoki’s hand in his own to press it against his cheek affectionately.

“Aw, kid I…” he began, paused, and snorted with amusement as he looked sincerely into Enoki’s eyes, “I woulda been real disappointed too.”

Enoki smiled brightly and lifted up onto his toes to twine his arms around Jyota’s strong neck and bring him craning over the saddle.

“I know yah gotta leave, but… But you gotta come back dis way sometime, doncha?” he whispered, “I mean, dis can’t be goodbye forevah right?”

Jyota hesitated to tell him what he knew was the truth of war and his rank. Something about Enoki’s eager innocence convinced him he was strangely right. He felt suddenly hopeful that he would see that wild red mane and the jungle green eyes once more and butted their tusks together slowly and majestically.

“A’course it ain’t!” the violet-haired Troll responded with confidence, “I got no doubt dat de Loa mean for us tah meet again. Mebbe someday when I gotta go tah Thundah Bluff again, or even, mebbe someday when you join us tah fight de good fight fah de Horde.”

Enoki reluctantly let go of his neck, fingers slipping through the untamed Mohawk and smiling mischievously.

“Or if I come an’ huntcha down,” he added.

“Heh, stubborn, dat good, don’ let dat part’a yah go mon!” Jyota proclaimed, Enoki’s words sparking an idea in his mind, “But uh, I don’ tink yah gonna be huntin’ anyone down wit’out a little help…”

The Shaman watched bewildered as he turned and reached a hand cryptically into the bag strapped to his raptor’s saddle. The Hunter thumbed his chin as he poked and pondered and after what seemed like eternity a wily grin spread over his lips and he gingerly withdrew the item he had been searching for. When Jyota turned back to him, clasped carefully in his weathered, three-fingered hands, was a large, gleaming leathery shelled egg.

Enoki could hardly believe his eyes as he reached out toward it and touched the speckled surface with care.

“Is dat… Is dat a…?” he began, having never actually seen what he knew in his heart the thing to be.

“Heh, yah mon, a real live raptor egg,” Jyota answered merrily, “Met a Rogue a while back wit de prettiest female mount I evah saw! She liked de look a’ my boy ovah here, an’ was nice enough tah split de eggs wit me when dey came. I was gonna see if I could make a profit wit’em while we was in Thundah Bluff, but I can’t tink of a bettah home fah one’a ‘em den here wit’ you.”

It was a gift so exquisite it was almost magical, like the legendary artifacts handed down to heroes in the tribal Tauren legends he listened to enraptured even in his teens. Enoki could barely bring himself to reach out and accept it and looked up to Jyota, torn.

“You realleh wanna be givin’ dis tah me? I can’ accept dat! Dese be worth a ton of gold!” he protested, though his emerald eyes darted back to the egg greedily.

“Enoki, I mean what I say, an’ I mean I want you tah have dis. I want you tah take care’a it, tah raise it into de swiftest mount on de plains… An’ someday I want you tah saddle it up, and ride it all ovah de world and den straight back into my arms,” Jyota whispered as he finally took Enoki by the wrist and pressed the precious egg into his palms.

Spellbound, Enoki’s hands cradled the warm shell pulsing with strong, ferocious life inside and he looked back up into the fearless golden eyes once more. Nothing more was said, nothing but an intense moment of longing consumed them both as Enoki swooped in to crush his lips firmly to the Hunter’s. Despite the cackles and jeers from the Orcs ahead of him, Jyota returned the kiss with delight, savoring and cherishing it.

“Thank you, Jyota,” Enoki finally murmured against his lips, tusks brushing smoothly.

“Don’ mention it, Sparky,” he affectionately replied.

Enoki rolled his eyes as he reluctantly pulled away and hugged his gift to his chest.

“I… I’ll nevah forget you,” he affirmed.

Jyota laughed and gave the Shaman a crooked, charming salute.

“Ain’ many people meet ol’ Jyota dat forget him mon! But duty be duty, an’ de Spirits watch ovah us both until we meet again,” he said as he took up his reins and reeled his raptor back onto the road.

“Until we meet again…” Enoki repeated.

Jyota raised a hand in casual farewell as his mount turned and trotted along the road to catch up with the others. The Orcs snickered and punched playfully at him as they fell back into their ordered rank and file, but Jyota still turned over his shoulder to gaze one last time at the fiery, redheaded Shaman watching him leave until he was but a speck on the horizon.

Enoki stayed much longer than even that, clutching his egg to keep it warm and letting the soothing plains’ winds toss his long ponytail around his stone still form. His keen eyes gazed unflinching over the vast expanse of Mulgore before him where the hills rambled on to blue eternity to touch the golden horizon on lands unknown. He had seen the horizon every day of his life, but as he looked on for the first time it beckoned him with silent seductive whispers of adventure and glory. The land spoke to him more clearly than it ever had in the spiritual way Inali had tried and failed to explain, told him scant, fleeting hints of the invisible paradise where the sun touched the earth and tugged him with enticing brushes against his flushed skin.

Against a rush of wind he was astride a swift coursing raptor riding through the wilds of a far away land. He rode through jungles and deserts, leapt over gushing streams and plowed through snow in mountains so high he could see all of Azeroth as his mind envisioned it. The blue sky was an endless canvas to Enoki’s glistening emerald eyes, a treasure map painted in rich unreal colors he had only to follow to fill the void in his chest he never even knew was there.

The heavy hand that closed firmly over his shoulder was the only thing that stopped him.

A rough squeak flew from his lips and his limbs flailed, nearly dropping the egg as he turned to the hulking form of his grandfather beside him.

“JEEZ Grandda yeh scared me half tah death!” he wheezed with a smile on his face.

Inali, looking tired and drawn but warm and loving as always, managed a weary chuckle.

“So I see. Where were you just now young one? You looked about a thousand miles away.”

Enoki looked down to the path to see a small trail of his two-toed footprints he hadn’t known he made along the road and smirked distantly.

“I dunno, I kinda think I mighta been,” he mused as he looked back to the horizon.

Inali ruffled his hair with a smile and pulled him under his heavy, protective arm to guide the Troll back home.

“Whatever for? I was beginning to get a little worried when you didn’t come home right away,” said the Tauren.

“There so much a’de world I ain’ seen Grandda,” Enoki continued as he walked, “I watched Jyota go off wit’ de troops an’ I jes got tah thinkin’ about… About where de sun was touchin’ dat I couldn’t see. An’ de jungle where my people come from, an’ de deserts an’ de mountains an’ de ocean!”

Inali had known those words were coming and he rubbed his ward’s shoulder consolingly as he let him ramble.

“I always knew you had a touch of wanderlust in you, my boy. For you were always as bright and as fleeting as the sun, and I knew you would someday long to rise on one horizon and set on another…” he mused.

Enoki’s heavy brow raised, his ears lifted, and he laughed at the flowery worded notion easily.

“De hell you talkin’ about Grandda? I ain’ goin’ nowhere! I mean yeh mebbe someday we can go see some places, travel togeddah, but I ain’ gonna go runnin’ off or nothin’!” he joked, “I gonna stay right here wit’ you. Plus look! Jyota gave me dis egg, I gonna hatch a raptor a’my own! So den I don’ gotta ride on de back’a yah kodo like a little whelp no mo’!”

The old bull was comforted by Enoki’s reassurance and charmed with his enthusiasm, but the wheels had already been set in motion and his fate irrevocably charted. It was enough for him to know his grandson loved him enough to say such kind things and to think to stay with him.

“Oh, is that what that is? What a wonderful gift!” he exclaimed as he laid a caring hand on the formidable shell, “That was extremely generous of him, but for now, the only traveling we’re going to be doing is to our tree. We’ve missed several days of training for this boondoggle and I’m terribly afraid you might already be rusting!”

Enoki’s lips curled into a vicious grin and he crouched with his hands glowing white already.

“Oh yeh think I gonna forget everyt’in in jes a couple days? I’ll show yeh Grandda! Last one dere a rotten egg!” he hollered just before his body shrank into a lean, powerful wolf and he took off like a spirit across the plain with his egg carefully cradled in his mouth.

The old Shaman master followed after him slowly, content to let old routines continue and let Enoki have his private race to their training ground. Time changed all things, that he knew with certainty, but for knowing that fact it allowed him to fully enjoy things the way they were while fate allowed it. For that day, Enoki was still his beloved grandson vanishing before his old, failing eyes, and when he arrived he would be still waiting under the boughs of the ancient, gnarled tree with his usual infectious laughter and mischief in his eyes.