Moonchild | Neteyam

9

"Come on, bro," Lo'ak complained.

"We don't speak this finger talk," Neteyam lifted his hands out of the water to gesture, "We don't know what you're saying."

"I will teach you," Tsireya assured them.

"Where is Kiri?" Rotxo suddenly asked.

"Kiri?" Tuk repeated.

"Who?" Ao'nung asked.

"Kiri," Rotxo said, "Where is Kiri?"

"Did you see her?" Tsireya asked.

Everyone looked around questioningly, trying to see where she could have gone. Finally Erìhe spoke, "She always does this," she said, waving her hand in dismissal, "She's probably admiring the pretty fish or something."

Neteyam lightly hit the hand that she had raised, "What if she's drowning?" Erìhe gave him a look. He knew she wasn't drowning. He rolled his eyes, "She could be lost."

"She could not have gotten far," Erìhe assured him.

"Oh yeah?"

She was starting to get annoyed. The others were looking at them. "If you're so concerned, let's go look for her," Erìhe said to Neteyam, who rolled his eyes and nodded. The others did not know, but he truly was not worried for Kiri either - he was aware that she was probably having the time of her life, hanging out with the fish and admiring the water. Still, what Erìhe had said yesterday about him not taking care of his siblings had annoyed him and he was eager to prove her wrong.

The two quickly waved at the others before swimming away. They stayed by the surface as it was quicker for them and they would not have to waste time swimming back up to the surface for air.

After a while of swimming and no words being exchanged, Erìhe dove under the water. There she could clearly see Kiri having fun - but it made her wonder how she could stay underwater for so long. They had not seen her coming up for air at all.

Erìhe returned above water and harshly poked Neteyam. "Ow!" He complained as he ceased swimming.

Erìhe rolled her eyes, "What a baby," she mumbled before jerking her head toward the water. With a frown, Neteyam stuck his head under the water to see what she meant.

When he looked back up at her again, he merely nodded, "She's alright."

"Exactly as I said," Erìhe added.

"It's still good that we checked it out," Neteyam would not admit that she was right - especially since he had believed it from the start as well.

Erìhe sighed, "Suppose so."

Neytiri was walking down the path to their pod with Jake. When she looked out in to the water, the only ones she could see were Erìhe and Neteyam, "There are the kids," she said to Jake before calling out to them: "Erìhe! Neteyam! Come help me!"

Erìhe cupped her hands around her mouth to make her voice be heard better, "Coming!" She then smiled tauntingly at Neteyam, "I shall race you there," she told him before taking off without warning.

"How is that fair?!" Neteyam complained before swimming after her.

The two arrived by the path shortly - Erìhe in the lead. But while Neteyam lifted himself up onto the pathway easily, Erìhe was struggling to get up. Instead of doing the decent thing and helping her, he dangled his legs from the edge of the path and hung his hand as he watched her. "Too weak?" He teased.

"Oh you just wait-" Erìhe cursed him under her breath. She struggled for a moment more before just grabbing Neteyam's hand and pulling herself onto the path. Neteyam did not help her, but he did not pull away either, he only laughed.

"Took you long enough," he taunted her as he watched her stand up. Erìhe flipped her hair over her shoulder and he watched as the water landed in her shoulders, running down her arms. When he looked back up at her face, he noticed her watching him with a frown. She was wondering what he was staring at. Hurriedly, Neteyam got to his feet, "Let us see what mom needs help with."

Erìhe nodded and started walking beside him, "Probably setting up some things."

"Well, what else?" Neteyam scoffed.

"Shut up," Erìhe narrowed her eyes at him. Usually Neteyam would never do as told, but today he just smiled and looked ahead. Her surprise was obvious, but if he had noticed, he did not comment on it.

When the two arrived in the pod, Neytiri looked up at them from her crouched position by the fire. "Finally," she said, "Get this fire started - get the wood from the gatherers, please."

Neteyam nodded, "Alright." The two had entered the home just to turn right back around. When they had walked some while, he turned to Erìhe, "Any idea where we get the wood from?"

Erìhe pursed her lips and shook her head slowly, "No idea," she said. Then her eyes caught the boy who had picked on them upon their arrival, "But I bet he does."

Neteyam turned his eyes onto Ao'nung, who was sitting by the shore with a group of other boys. He remembered how the boy had pointed at their tails and made fun of them, and he realized he did not want Erìhe talking to him.

But it was too late. Erìhe had already left his side and was walking toward this group of boys. "Erìhe," Neteyam called, "Wait! Are you serious?"

-
A/n:
This is a boring chapter so I wasn't going to make you guys wait another day to read it