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It was the first few hours into a new day, the night sky still blanketed over the Broken Isles. In the peaks of Highmountain, the air was surprisingly still, with only small gusts of wind. The air and wind however, below freezing. A moonless night, and with the humidity and clouds gone, only the smear of distant stars and galaxies lit the night. The ground lit by the cosmos. To adjusted eyes, the night was magical, even otherworldly.
Baine had opted to stay in Thunder Totem after the incident that nearly claimed the denizens of Highmountain (and himself) for the Old Gods. In the morning he would travel to Orgrimmar with Highmountain’s High Chieftain, Mayla. For now, he rested amongst his distant kin, bonds reforged after millennia. While the heroes of the Horde had pledged to safeguard the mountain and her people, Baine wanted to see the recovery process himself. He would ask Mayla herself if he could stay and help (and observe). The High Chieftain of Mulgore had already had his fair share of the chaotic forces of the Void in the lands of Pandaria. His own father had dealt with the losses of many Tauren at Sithilid forces. The people of Highmountain were sturdy like his own, and he was curious at how differently they might react after such an incident. There was so much to learn from them.
He had entrusted Hamuul Runetotem to enlist druidic and shamanic help at Thunder Buff. From what he had heard from a swiftly returned reply, the cleanup had gone well. The Sunwalkers had purged any darkness that lingered and the others would heal the earth around the attack.
Yet, despite knowing his homeland was safe and in good hands, he could not sleep. He did not know if it were nerves or the unfamiliar environment that kept him awake. Such things normally did not affect a warrior like himself from earning his rest. He had slept through worse events. After watching the fireplace putter out, he wrapped a cloak around himself and stepped outside the tent he was lent for the night. The cold mountain air was very different from Mulgore, and the chill would nip at the thinner parts of his fur. Such as thing was even more noticeable at night.
A night patrol hailed Baine as they went past. The still air meant Baine could hear all manner of sounds from the mountain. The flow of water, the gentle sounds of creatures baying in the distance. From time to time a scuffle of some night owl adventurers would stir up enough sound. The view from Baine’s tent was spectacular, but standing in the entrance-way still made him even colder as he tugged at the edges of his cloak.
Too awake to try and lie down again, Baine figured a walk would do him good. If he met danger, which was a thought he dismissed quickly, he could defend himself, even armed with just his clothes and robe. The monks in Pandaria had taught him a few techniques, and coupled with his large stature he was still a force to be reckoned with, totems or not. Besides, there would be those quick to come to his aid. He was not alone in this still unfamiliar place.
Baine’s gaze trailed over the landscape as he walked the winding trail up to and past the main hub of Thunder Totem. His eyes absorbed in the night sky, ablaze with stars. After the Legion’s defeat, it felt good to look upwards again. The haunting image of the dying world of Argus had left the skyline. There was comfort knowing Azeroth had also liberated the countless worlds of countless stars, despite the great cost. Baine felt a great swell of joy and pride knowing his people had helped. In the dead of the night, the starlight illuminated figures, like him, still awake shifted around. His eyes wandered to one of the platforms looming over Thunder Totem, perched on a cliff. It was the main waterfall that seeped into the main moat below. Sitting near the edge was a tauren, holding a large totem. The Mulgore bull was unsure of who exactly it was, but the totem looked a lot like Mayla’s. Curious, Baine continued up the elevated approach and twisted toward the platform.
Nearby as he continued closer, the identity was confirmed, and it was indeed the High Chieftain of the Highmountain people: Mayla Highmountain. He stepped forward onto the chiselled wooden flooring of the platform. The sound of his hooves pressing against the timber made Mayla swing her head back quickly.
“Forgive me, Mayla. I did not mean to sneak up on you.” Baine, keeping his voice down, but still audible to the tauren in front of him.
“It’s fine. Is everything okay?” Mayla replied, her voice hinted at concern. It was unlikely anything had happened, considering she was literally watching over Thunder Totem, but it seemed unusual for Baine to appear like this.
“Yes, just I cannot sleep.” Baine stated, standing still, hands still clutching at the edges of his cape. “I did try but-”
“You and me both.” She added, her head returned to face toward the horizon again. “Come, sit with me. I could use some company.”
Baine, despite a behemoth of muscle and its weight, approached quitely, hooves gently clicking against the wooden floor. He lowered down beside Mayla’s right-hand side and adjusted himself into a sit, rearranging his cloak to sit better on his back. He had made sure he kept a comfortable distance between them, he did not wish to impede on her personal boundaries. She smiled and rested her cheek on the top of her totem, head arched toward Baine.
The smile quickly faded though, much to Baine’s woe. Her face furrowed in thought, her eyes darted away from his.
“D-Do you think I made the right choice?”
“About what?” Baine said, a pang of anxiety building in his ribs. Was she referring to her offer to join the Horde? He hoped she hadn’t changed her mind.
“I still want our people to rekindle our ties. I just..” Tears welled up in her eyes. Baine, doing his best to hide his immediate expression of disbelief, offered his hand to her shoulder. Baine had always seen Mayla at her best. She was ferocious in battle and took command easily. He wondered if she had been hiding a great deal of anguish, he had too back when his own father had died. They were both so young, thrust into leadership without much time to grieve properly. Perhaps, after the defeat of the Dark Titan, and the moment of respite after recent events had finally given a moment for Mayla to bring down her walls. He thought it was somewhat odd she had so much trust in Baine to vent like this, but perhaps she knew he understood. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep. Either way, it was part reassuring and part flattering that he could have this time.
Baine gentled patted Mayla’s shoulder with his hand for reassurance. His eyes met hers, and she tried sniffling back more tears. Shifting his hand back to his knees, Baine looked downwards for a moment. He grasped at any wisdom that would help.
“You know, I lost my father suddenly too. I’ll.. spare the details, but I think you’re doing a fine job of taking on leadership. It isn’t easy.” Baine rested his gaze on Mayla again as he spoke, and clutched at his knees tightly. He tried not to think about meeting his father’s spirit and not saying how much he missed him. Deep down though, Baine knew that his father, Cairne Bloodhoof was proud of him, even as a spirit.
Mayla replied with a sniffled whimpering smile and looked upward, the skyline painted between Baine’s horns. Just out of her gaze, Baine adjusted his cloak tight and visibly shivered. The sky was so vibrant tonight, clear of clouds, and to Baine, so cold. They both could finally enjoy the skyline without the fel rotted husk of the planet Argus in view, but the wind chill started to get to the tauren man.
As long as they drew breath, they had both sworn never to let Azeroth rot away like Argus did. It was a small comfort, a restored sky and a new friend, but enough for her to stop sniffling. She exhaled, breath forming a puff of visible steam in the cold air.
“Thank you, Baine. It has been hard, and I’m still sad but.. I should be appreciating at such a nice view tonight instead.” Mayla beamed a toothy smile out.
The bull shot raised a brow back at her, bundled up messily in his robes. Mayla Highmountain’s face quickly screwed up in face hot embarrassment.
“I-I mean the skyline! T-The clear sky tonight!” She quickly pointed behind him, near where Argus would loom during the night.
He arched his head back, as if to peer at what she was pointing at, but chuckled instead. It was genuine, hearty chuckle, and it soon turned into a roaring laugh. Mayla, still lips pursed and teeth clenched went to scold him, but she couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Forgive me Mayla!” Baine retorted, voice still rocked by laughter. “I didn’t even think of myself as a nice sight. I thought you were poking fun at me being cold.”
“You mean I just made a fool of myself out of nothing?” Mayla joked, her voice reduced to snickering again.
“Are you saying me freezing out here is nothing?” Baine teased playfully. The pair erupted in a fit of giggles. Which, after both being so diligent in their volume, their laughs carried further than they expected. An older sounding tauren in the village below yelled something out, a slurred shut up in taurahe snapped both of them into silence again. Instead they shared a dorky toothy smile at one another.
“Here,” Mayla rearranged his cloak to cover the both of them, and she shuffled herself (and totem in lap) closer. She pressed against him, andrested her side against his. “I won’t let you freeze out here. Who else would give me the Kalimdor tour?”
She lent her head gently on the side of his shoulder and yawned. For the first time that night, after trying so hard to get to sleep, they no longer wanted to sleep. Mayla was glad to have a new friend, and Baine felt the same. Both minds giddy at the thought of all the stories they could share.
Their bodies, however, did not listen neither want or promise of story. Instead, the duo fell asleep warm and upright in the soft slow rise of morning light.