𖣘 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙖 𝘼𝙥𝙞 𖣘 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𖣘

16.

She'd come to find her bow propped up against a wall in her room, and Lahar asleep in her hammock. She smiled lightheartedly as she approached her unconscious brother, she casted her hand across his forehead.

Lahar flinched and jumped out of his sleep, propping his body up with his elbows. "I'm sorry." Lei whispered while she chortled at his dramatic reaction.

"What are you doing?" Lahar asked lazily.

"Be quiet." Lei pressed her index finger to her brother's forehead. "I will be back later."

Lahar didn't question what his sister was telling him, he was half asleep. He laid his head back down to the hammock, rolling over and returning into an unconscious state.

Lei collected her bow and quiver, she left as soon as she had arrived. While she made her way to the forest she pondered if Neteyam would somehow find her like he did previously, in a way she hoped for his arrival.

When she reached the border of the forest she stopped herself, these eclipse hunts now felt incomplete without the Omatikaya boy. She'd decide to go directly to his hut, hoping his parents and siblings were asleep.

Her hands became shaky and her nerves skyrocketed, she hated this unfamiliar feeling.
Once she approached Neteyam's hut she peaked her head inside to find Neteyam and Lo'ak asleep on man made cots. She thanked Eywa that only his younger brother was around.

Lei pressed one of her feet onto the floor inside the doorway, then silently plotting the other one in front of it.

She quietly made her way over to Neteyam's cot, she leant down and gently tapped his shoulder with her index finger.

Neteyam cracked his eyes open to find Lei crouched beside his cot, this had to be a dream. Under what circumstances did Lei have to be under to seek him out?"

"Come on." Lei whispered while she surveyed his softened features.

Neteyam furrowed his eyebrows, he seemed puzzled. "Where are we going?" He whispered, he propped himself up to lessen the space between him and Lei so she could hear him clearly.

Lei's eyes trained from his eyes to his lips while he brought himself closer. "Hunting." She muttered back to him, flustered.

"...Okay." Neteyam nodded, quietly bringing himself up. Lei lead him out of his hut and onto a bridge that trailed to the forest.

Lei anticipated for Neteyam to ask a question, he always poses questions. But strangely Neteyam kept quiet while Lei brought him into the trees.

"You can speak." Lei playfully touched his calf with her bow.

"I know." He assured her, he mustered a proud grin.

Neteyam was extremely flattered that Lei sought him out just to bring him on a hunt.

"Why're you making that face?" Lei asked him, slowing her pace down to receive a clearer picture of his expression.

"I'm glad you woke me." He said.

Lei rolled her eyes, she found Neteyam cheesy sometimes. "Why would I leave you?"

Neteyam's eyes hooded while he observed her body language, he forced himself to look away before he did anything stupid.

Lei's stomach lurched when she read the expression on his face.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Neteyam blinked rapidly.

Lei rolled her eyes, she felt the tension between the 2 of them mounting.

She assessed their faintly unfamiliar surroundings, when she spotted an old game trail.