Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XXX

At'anau looked at the dark waters in front of her before back at the island, double taking once more and cursing under her breath before steadying herself on the skimwing. 

Crossing the barrier, the girl stayed above the surface, keeping up most of her body as the mysterious waters underneath her ran her blood cold. "Lo'ak!"

she kept calling out for her brother, the animal beneath her joining and waiting for a response. The familiar name echoed behind her by the clan and warriors who had started looking for the boy in the reef as well. 

She hoped they'd find him in a corner she missed, but doubted it and the chances of her brother being in the wild seas instead augmented. 

"Lo'ak!" her throat began feeling soar over the silent waves. The quietness becoming eerie and darkness alluring. The girl almost lost sight of the island behind her until the rippling of water breaking in a distinct manner sounded not too far from her and her sharp ears twitched in its direction. 

The girl startled, turning her head its way and squinting her eyes, her bioluminescent dots granting her that much illumination. she called out for the brother again, turning the animal towards the rocks she heard commotion. 

A sea of conclusions drowned her without her needing to jump in them and the hairs on her skin jumped up as there still was no response to her callings. 

Once again she screamed over the tides for her brother and waited, swearing she caught a distinct voice calling her name. 

It was just around the corner until the cause of the sounds would be exposed. "Lo'ak?" the girl's tone changed as she kept her distant. Silence filled instead and she wondered if her mind had tricked her. 

She took in her surroundings once again, searching if there were other clan members around but she found herself alone still. 

Needing to be sure the girl investigated the other side of the boulder and looked through the crevices until, on the flat surface of the tall boulder, a silhouette sat with its arms around a knee and ears flat to his head. 

The boy looked up, squinted his eyes at the girl until they widened in realisation. "At'i?" 

The girl sighed, filling her lungs with air and releasing it in relief as she jumped off the animal on the rock. 

The boy stood up with the help of her sister who gasped at the temperature of her brother's hands. She pulled him against her, wrapping her arms around his cold shoulders before pushing him by them away from her to inspect his face. 

"Are you okay?" she asked as he mumbled with his head in her hands "are you okay?!" he stated multiple times he was indeed fine before the girl engulfed him again, apologising repeatedly for not noticing his absence earlier before calling the animal to come closer. 

She assisted the boy on the skimwing as he needed time processing what exactly it was he was getting on. "Is this yours?" he asked her in awe as the girl nodded in a hurry. "amazing" he breathed lowly but the girl caught it, patting a hand on his head for recognition before telling him to hold on to her. 

While they made it back inside the reef At'anau watched the men with torches inflamed search for the boy. When gained the attention as the girl riding the animal meant for skilled hunters she turned the attention to the boy's retrieval. 

"The boy has been found!" Soon the message was shared from person to person until it reached the land. 

"The Sully boy, they found him!" soon the land's horn was blown, alerting the news and calling everyone on the water's back. All skimwings retrieved to the land from the air, but At'anau kept a calm pace with her brother behind her and an upbringing lecture in her front waiting on them both. 

When reached the foundation of the marui pods the siblings shared a look before Lo'ak stepped off the animal first, walking on an anchored boat with At'anau following not too long after. 

She ignored the eyes and whispers about the forest kid riding a Tsurak as her only attention was on her brother who had been missing the entire day by the hands of the boy she had spent that time with ignorantly. 

At'anau stood behind her brother who looked up at the people surrounding them. The Sully's and chief's family being in the front line. 

An afflicted Ao'nung holding his head low once he caught both of their glares. 

Lo'ak was about to step on the leather paths as he tilted his head, knowing he had a load to say to his peer, but was halted by his father who levelled down with him. "Hey," he stopped him, holding his arms before he could take another step "let's have a look at you." 

But Lo'ak didn't take a second off of Ao'nung who shrunk besides his father. 

"He's fine, he's fine," Jake tried lifting the tension in the air without success "just a few scratches," he tried reasoning, with himself and the people around him as his son had had a high chance of being dead. 

"Lo'ak!" The people separated, making a way for the mother who ran through towards her son, scanning him before she scowled "I pray for the strength that I will not rip the eyeballs out of my youngest son." She hissed, reaching for his face as the boy dodged the gesture, but the chief intruded "No," he gained the attention "my son knows better than to take him outside the reef" he put his hands on the boy's shoulder and forced him on a knee "the blame is his."

At'anau took the sight in as the boy sat on eye height with them now, but cold only look at him for so long as the urge to scratch his eyes out became bigger. 

Jake looked up at the commander before nodding, sufficed with the embarrassment he must be putting his son through, but not wanting to do so any further as it stays the chief's son. "okay," he nodded leading his son to leave, but Lo'ak stood straight needing to speak for himself. 

"No," he caught the attention of everyone around and the girl awaited a speech filled with hatred but was caught of guard instead "It wasn't Ao'nung's fault." 

Neteyam watched the girl fight her emotions as she worked on keeping her facial features neutral. "It was my idea," from behind him the sister watched the parents demeanour change to hostility towards their son and At'anau couldn't do anything but question why he was lying. "Ao'nung tried to talk me out of it." 

If she was allowed she would be throwing a fit, on both her brother and the boy he seemingly so desperately wanted to befriend. Knowing lying was not known between Na'vi, she was confident the people would not consider it a possibility and if one of them would teach them it would only  remind the clan of their 'demon blood'. 

Tonowari looked at his wife warily who tilted her head, showing the man who displayed a sign of doubt at the words but was quickly persuaded. 

Tonowari was ready to dismiss the family, but caught his wife's eyes double take on a sight she obviously didn't favour. 

"Who taught this child the warrior's way on a tsurak?"

The clan's people attention shifted to the girl who collected the makeshift gear of the animal in the water. At'anau swore at how these people knew it belonged to her but reminded herself these were there fauna and they could read their behaviour like a book. 

She lifted her head up, aware of the eyes turned to her but not daring to meet her parents'. 

"I did, ma'am," she looked at the Tsahik "by myself." maybe they would acknowledge her talent and take her intentions as she meant them, but by the look Tonowari tried to hide in his eyes that would not be the case. 

"We shall talk about this lack of respect in the morning." The chiefs voice sent chills down her spine as she remember he had an other image of her and she looked up to the man. Wanting anything but disappoint him as a skilled hunter or as the Olo'eyktan of the clan. 

Ao'nung between the adults who was still on his knee watched the girl's indifference and admired how a character like that was bottled in such a person like her. 

Lo'ak accepted the dismissal and didn't hesitate lifting himself up on the path toward the marui pods as her sister followed by the assistance of her father's hand around the back of her neck. 

The boy watched the girl pass him and knew by her behaviour she understood the truth on what happened by his hands.