Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XXXII

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̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶          Rogue        ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  

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In the cold evening At'anau walked out towards the empty shore she had seen her brother storm to and would sometimes hide there by herself. 

She consciously attempted blinking to clear away the hot tears from rolling down her face as she searched for Lo'ak once again and narrowed her eyes when she caught him talking with the person she wanted to confront the least at that moment. 

Lo'ak had talked to Ao'nung, explained why he spoke for him and how he had a place in his heart to forgive him and how it wasn't his forgiveness he needed to yearn. With Lo'ak's explanations Ao'nung admired how the siblings who looked so different cared for each other so deeply. 

He respected how affected one was by an act of trouble towards the other and dreaded the bad image he had created to them all. He knew pestering and teasing was one way to get under their skin, but after having done what he did he knew he had crossed a line and after Lo'ak had explained the girl had the empathy of her mother, he learned a single apology would not be close to the worth of her forgiveness. 

Ao'nung wasn't sure why the subject affected him so much or why he required the girl's forgiving as it would not benefit him in a way. Yet his stomach kept feeling heavy when reminding how the girl had looked down on him as compared to the the look in her eyes as they shared stories and soared through the skies like true companions hours before. 

"Lo'ak."

The two kids turned around at the sound of the devil as At'anau stood against a palm tree with crossed arms. She tilted her head motioning it was time to go home and the boy sighed, looking out to the sea once before telling his goodbye to the boy who nodded and watched him leave. 

He saw the girl's eyes go from her brother to the ones beyond his shoulder, but was met with a demeanour he had yet to get to know from the girl. 

He watched the girl put a hand on his shoulder as the reef boy became insignificant, and Ao'nung decided he needed an exchange with the girl before night fell and he had to go to sleep with troubles and regrets ghosting his mind. 

"At'anau" he called and the girl's bones hadn't shivered by the way his name sounded foreign on his tongue, but mostly wrong. 

"Do not talk to me." she turned to him sharply, braids swinging behind her shoulder as she looked at the boy with maya blue eyes.

She often eyed the boy indifferently or aggravated, but behind these hid malice, proving the boy once again had underestimated the girl's mentality. 

He was captured under her glowing stare and swallowed as her words stole his and he kept quiet, forgetting what he had wanted to say by her demand.

She sneered, looking him up and down in disgust and ignoring her littlest brother calling her back lowly before spitting at the boy's feet. "coward." her sharp canines caught the moonlight before deciding she had noting more to say until he had the courage to come near her or her family again. 

At'anau urged her brother forward as he lingered  in his steps. Lo'ak caught Ao'nung's head hang low before he turned and made his way towards his own marui pod. 

At'anau looked at her brother's back as he walked in front of her and she broke the cold silence "I'm sorry I didn't get you any sooner." she once again apologised but Lo'ak shook his head. "It's not your fault."