𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

"I need to talk to you." Mo'at made direct eye contact with her, she already began to feel her body tense up, she never liked being alone with her grandmother and constantly felt the feeling of being judged. "You look tense, don't."

McKenzie cleared her throat and took in a deep breath before calming herself down. "I notice you seem to have your head in the sky a lot more, why?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, grandmother." Mo'at scoffed before chuckling to herself, which the girl found strange. "I am no fool, I have lived longer than you. Are you lonely, McKenzie? I have told you, you and Ki'lä will mate. Give the boy a chance."

This conversation again. She was so tired of having this being brought up so many times. Did she look that miserable? It wasn't possible no.

"I have no interest in him nor anyone, grandmother. I keep telling you." Mo'at sighed, already knowing where this was leading to.

They didn't have the best relationship, McKenzie already had a lot of stress due to all the responsibilities in her life and Mo'at thought that a boy would solve all of them- as if.

There are other boys. There must be someone for you. If Ki'lä wasn't bad enough, the rest were worse. They didn't care about her, none of them did. Every single one of them saw her as a pawn to become the next clan leader. "No. I'm fine."

"You can not lock your heart forever.
You have to open it. A special boy."

"I don't want to open it," She noticed some boys outside smiling at her and waving trying to flex their muscles, McKenzie got up and hissed at them-causing the boys to get back to work.
"Boys are muscle meat with no brain or heart.

"You are the chief's eldest daughter, the next Olo'eyktan. As the daughter, you have to mate with a strong warrior."

"I can lead by myself, I don't need anybody. I have too much going on.
Moat grunted and patted down next to her for McKenzie to sit back down again.
"You are exactly like your mother, I tell you. You're both stubborn." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "So I've been told." She's heard that one too many times.

Mo'at continued to go on and talk, before grabbing her granddaughter's hand and looking at her in the eyes.
"You have to let someone in, McKenzie."

"Grandmother, nobody can handle me.
They don't care, I have tried."

"Do you want to stay miserable forever? Hostile and cruel to those around you." Her ears flattened at her grandmother's words.

They hurt, a lot. Her grandmother called her cruel and hostile out of all things. McKenzie didn't mean to be the way she was to people, but she had other things to worry about.

Her people. Her sisters. Her brothers.
Her mother. Her father. She had them to worry about, and McKenzie was at the bottom of that list. Everyone else came first but her.

"I am over this conversation." She proceeded to get up and walk away.
"McKenzie!" Her grandmother called out for her. Muttering to herself in anger, she bumped into her brother. Neteyam grabbed her in concern trying to look in her eyes, "What's wrong?"

"The boy talk."

"Oh " Was all he was able to say, but he knew exactly what she was talking about. "Mother, Father, and I are going to patrol. Care to join?" She nodded repeatedly.

*⁂᯽⁂*

She rode Däve with her younger brother and her parents by her side, it was close to Eclipse. She loved riding her ikran through the sky mountains, it was relaxing and refreshing. However, McKenzie couldn't shake off that weird feeling from earlier.

She knew it wasn't from her grandmother, she was well over that but... she didn't know.

She was next to her Neteyam as her parents were ahead of her, she and her brother were talking before her father held his hand up for them to stop.

"Eagle eye, send your traffic," Jake spoke up, holding his earpiece, talking to Lo'ak, they had guessed. It wasn't that loud, but loud enough for them to hear what Lo'ak was saying.

"I got eyes on some guys, they look like Avatars but they are in full gear and are armed," Lo'ak tells him through the comm link, Jake and Ney'tiri share a look.

"Where are they?" Neteyam had asked his sister, but all she could do was shrug.
"There's six of them."

"What's your position?" Jake questions his son through the link, waiting for his reply.

"Uhm, we're at the old shack."
Neteyam and McKenzie shared a guilty look, the two had found the shack a year or two ago before they had decided to take Lo'ak there- bad idea.

"Who's we?" Jake asked in a demanding tone. It was only a couple of seconds before Lo'ak responded, "Me, Spider, Kiri... and Tuk."

Ney'tiri gasps at his words, worriedly sharing a glance with her husband.
McKenzie's heart dropped, and Tuk was with them. They must be terrified. Knowing his sister too well, Neteyam attempted to stop her from leaving. "McKenzie!"

"Son, you listen to me very carefully.
Pull back right now, do not make a sound. Get out of there."

"Yes, sir," Lo'ak replied, Jake looked back, he noticed that his eldest daughter was gone. "Where's McKenzie?!" He demanded, already losing his cool.
"She left! Come on, I know a shortcut!"

*⁂᯽⁂*