Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XVIII

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̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ 　 The impossible possible      ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  

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The next day the chief had passed The Sully's pod and talked to the father, telling him to spread the invite to his daughter if she'd like to she was allowed to hunt alongside the children closer to her age, and the girl accepted the offer diligently, thinking it was a nice thought that wouldn't necessarily become reality. 

As they obtained the basic competences of a reef person the oldest Sully children found themselves less around their former mentors and only greeted or made small talks with the girl when they'd pass each other. 

At'anau didn't not like the girl or her brother, she simply didn't have the necessity to have friends beside her own brother. The girl adored being on her own, but when she needed it she knew she'd always have Neteyam by her side confidently. 

She did grow fond of the girl over time as she listened to her youngest brother talk about all the things they'do together or she'd have taught him. Watching her brother's enthusiastic behaviour when he could talk about something that wasn't passed along from both siblings and thus something he could shine the light on as the first was something she wouldn't dare to interrupt. 

Kiri was difficult to keep out of the water's as she created an obscure fascination with it and Tuk only followed her siblings who didn't seem to mind. The two oldest weren't excerpted from the role of the babysitter and often had to keep an eye on the kids by joining them. At'anau not running off only out of pity so the oldest wouldn't be completely alone. 

At'anau still hadn't learned to love the ocean fullheartedly, she counted the days they stayed in Awa'atlu subtly and often daydreamed about going back to her grandma on the back of her banshee. She missed the leafs caressing her face and the animals living around her and the dry sturdy soil. The fresh air an the whistles of birds. The taste of meat and the dreamy nights. She could write manuscript after manuscript about Omaticaya, but she knew she wouldn't have a single reader. 

The girl wondered when they would return, realising as long as they weren't, they were still a target on the Sky People's scoreboard. Her parents wouldn't answer her questions when asked about their return but just throw a different topic instead and she'd receive looks that insisted enough. 

She didn't know what else she could do for her parents to be comfortable enough to open up to her. She started thinking she was wrong for expecting her parents to do so towards her as if she deserved a different treatment from the younger siblings. The beads of her songchord and battle band she obtained after her Iknimiya considering her an adult and firm member of the clan losing its value every time she felt locked in the dark or looked down at. 

"At'i!" 

the girl looked up from the arrowheads she had been edging at an almost identical copy of her making his way towards were she was stationed. 

"C'mon, we're going fishing, take the arrows." the boy came and collected his sister who looked at him confusingly as this was the first she heard of it. Behind Neteyam she watched a handful of what seemed like teenagers her age on their Ilu turned back at the two kids and the girl could soon connect the dots that they were waiting on them, or rather her. 

"let's go, Ao'nung and the rest are waiting, take your bow!" The boy urged the girl who in a startled way went for the crossbow her former teacher had gifted her and abandoned the unfinished arrowheads.