Chapter 14: Someone to See You
#14 of The Mating Season 4
Chapter 14: Someone to See You
The morning after the wedding, Mora and Nyssa frantically spread the word that Enya and Theo were both missing. Theo had not shown up for patrol duty, and when Mora and Nyssa came to consol their friend, they found her new home empty. The village was bustling with the news: not one runaway but two.
Theo's father was furious but refused to go after his son when Keeno came to him with the grim news, declaring that he did not have a son at all. Keeno understood: Theo had defied his father, and as a result, had made him the laughing stock of the entire village. Sade would not go after a son that had disgraced him. But Keeno also didn't understand: how could Sade turn his back so coldly on his son? Keeno had every intention of going after Enya. And once he had her safe again, he would give her a piece of his mind.
Kilyan immediately offered to help his best friend: how could he do anything else? But the two of them would not be going after Enya alone: Yuri and Zane were adamant that they should come too. They admitted to their furious elders that it was their fault Enya had run away: in an attempt to persuade Enya to marry Theo without a fight, they had let her see them in each other's arms. Keeno had smacked Zane hard across the face when he revealed this truth, and Zaldon had proceeded to lecture Yuri to shame. But the two were allowed to come. So was Roan, who claimed he wanted to help his brother find Enya and rectify his misdeeds (though several of them seemed to guess that he was deeply concerned about Theo as well). And lastly, Zaldon volunteered to come in order to help and protect Yuri, while Kel volunteered to come for Zaldon's sake.
Loryn and Yzlo declared they would stay behind to "take care of the wives."
"Why didn't anyone see this coming?" Loryn said to Kel. The group had gathered at Kel's hut, and now everyone was dispersing to their homes in order to prepare for the journey ahead. He shook his head and watched with open lust as Kel bent over his traveling pack, his back against the wall, his bulging arms folded. "I mean, hasn't this happened before? Every five seconds a female has been taken off into the unknown, and we males all scramble to go get her. It's getting kinda redundant."
"Is that why you opted to stay home?" Kel asked, giving Loryn a smile.
Loryn grinned. "You know me so well. But seriously," he said, clapping a paw on Kel's shoulder when the latter straightened up, "bring Enya and Theo home. Enya's just a little girl, she has no business out in the big, wide world. And Theo -- let's just say a certain someone wouldn't be the same if something happened to him." Loryn jerked his head and Kel followed his gaze: Roan was following his father and brother out the curtain and looking as forlorn as they'd ever seen him.
Kilyan noticed Roan's dejection as well, and once they were out on the street, he pulled his son aside, telling Zane that he should go on home. Zane did as he was told, and Kilyan smiled when his son received an affectionate pat on the back from Keeno, who was ashamed of himself for losing his temper on a young male who was like a son to him. Zane smiled at Keeno, then started heavily up the street for home. Keeno went back inside to give Kilyan and Roan a moment alone.
"Roan," Kilyan said, facing his son, "what is going on with you? I've never seen you this way! I realize that Enya is in danger outside the village, but she's only been gone a day and she is also accompanied by a very skilled warrior. There's no reason to be this upset."
Kilyan waited, but Roan didn't think he could do it. He didn't think he could admit to his father that he was in love with Theo. He had realized not long ago that he'd been harboring feelings for Theo for years. Theo had always been so friendly and handsome, and whenever Roan found himself without Zane for his partner during training sessions, Theo had always been only too eager to volunteer. Roan could remember those times in the northern forest when they had gone camping with their elders as pups. He remembered fetching water from the spring with Theo, and while they were alone together, Theo (who was squatting over the pail) had suddenly looked up and smiled at him -- a smile so slow and sweet. Roan had felt his heart flutter: Theo had always had that breathtakingly handsome smile. And after that, he hadn't been able to stop stealing furtive glances at this gorgeous, at this dark and friendly pup who sometimes smoothed a paw over Roan's tail when no one was looking. It was common for little pups to pull each other's tails, but Theo had always done it in a gently teasing way, and when Roan would put his tail between his legs and look embarrassed, Theo would only smile at him.
Roan had thought with a sad pang on these things the day before at the wedding. He had stood behind Enya during the wedding ceremony and he and Theo had gazed miserably into each other's eyes. He had wanted to be in Enya's place as it was happening, and the moment the elder declared them husband and wife was the moment that his heart shattered. But how could he say those things to his father? He didn't think he could say it out loud. Just thinking it was painful enough.
For no one knew it, but after that first time in the northern forest, Roan had met up with Theo many times again, and each time they were together, his feelings for Theo deepened. He had never known someone as funny or as sweet and charming, and he had an acute feeling that he would never know anyone quite like Theo again. Now because of the wedding, his chance to be with Theo . . . it was gone.
But Roan need not have said anything. Kilyan stared hard at his son and it slowly dawned on him.
Seeing the realization in his father's eyes, Roan stiffened. "I swear it was only a few times, Father! And I swear I'll marry a female and settle down here in the summer village just as tradition decrees --"
Roan stopped when his father held up a paw, and he stared at his feet. He was in for it now.
"Roan," Kilyan said, and Roan felt his father's paw clap down on his shoulder. He looked up and was warmed by the tender affection in his father's green eyes as he said, "Just be yourself and I will love you. That is more than enough."
Roan's heart fluttered. He couldn't believe it! And when Kilyan ruffled his mane and told him to head on home and get packed, he did so with a light heart.
"Wish I could've said those words to Enya," said Keeno heavily, and when Kilyan turned, he found his best friend leaning in the doorway of Kel's hut, his arms folded across his chest and a sad smile on his face.
Keeno came to Kilyan's side. "If only Enya had been a boy. Males can take same sex partners and settle down here. But females? They have to do what Daddy says or they're carted off to an unhappy marriage." Keeno sighed and shook his head. "Aros was right: I let Enya become just like him."
"Keeno," Kilyan said in exasperation, "why couldn't Enya just go to the sun village? Why must she stay here?"
Keeno just stared at Kilyan, and the answer became clear: Keeno didn't want his baby daughter to go. He didn't want Enya so far from his protecting arms. She was still a child to him, she would always be his child. How does a father let go overnight? He doesn't. Not when he cares.
"I really screwed up, didn't I?" Keeno said miserably. "Maybe I should have waited, let the whole thing blow over. Me and my damn temper! She should have been able to choose a mate at her first mating season. It shouldn't have been this way . . . God, she must hate me."
Kilyan stared at his friend sympathetically. "Keeno, you did what you thought was right. You were wrong," he said, smiling at Keeno's sudden scowl, "but you did it with the best intentions. Stop beating yourself up, because if you act all brooding and bitter the entire trip, I'm staying home."
Keeno laughed and scratched the back of his ears. "Yeah, all right. Let's go get ready. Keeno and Kilyan's new excellent adventure?" He lifted his paw, and Kilyan clapped his own to it with a laugh.
"Let's go get Enya back!"
They started down the street together, but they had barely gotten a few feet when Keeno grabbed Kilyan's arm and they halted.
"Kilyan," Keeno said, peering at the sky with his mouth open, "I think someone's here to see you."
Kilyan followed Keeno's gaze. A dark shape passed over the moon. It was undoubtedly the shape of a wolf, but a wolf with wide, feathery wings.
"Roriana?" Kilyan said in confusion, remembering the shemale chieftess of so many years ago. "What the hell is she doing here?"
"Uh un," Keeno said, shaking his head. "I'd know Roriana's figure anywhere. That's someone else."
Kilyan grew very still as it dawned on him. He felt Keeno clap him hard on the back.
"You've got to stay here now," Keeno said sympathetically. "Can't skip out on guests. But, look, maybe you can ask her to help us find Enya. Just a suggestion," Keeno said when Kilyan stared at him. "Oh, and hey -- if her mother shows up, I'm dead." He clapped Kilyan on the back again and moved off up the dark street.
Kilyan stood paralyzed in the middle of the street when the winged wolf finally swooped low and landed in a crouch before him. The stranger slowly straightened up, and he dropped his spear in his shock. It was Avi. She wasn't quite as tall as her mother Roriana had been. In fact, ten years later she was still as short as before, only a little taller. Her silver fur shone in the moonlight, running smoothly over her round hips and perky breasts that were now far larger than Kilyan remembered. Her black ears stood erect in her thick, silver mane -- which was still braided here and there with the bones of her ancestors -- and that great cock that Kilyan remembered loving so much to suck hung limp above her pussy lips. She stood very calm and composed and did not smile at Kilyan. Around her neck was a necklace of teeth, and her dark, slanted eyes were fierce in their solemnity. Her glossy silver wings folded softly behind her. They, too, were small, unlike her mother's great black wings.
Kilyan felt a sad pang in his heart, remembering his little Black Ears of so many years ago and how she had fled from him with her face in her paws, how she had cried. It was something he had never been able to forget. Apparently, neither had she.
Avi gazed at him with narrowed eyes as she said coldly, "Hello, Kilyan."