Worlds Apart: Volume I

The During: Tag Team

Tuk sat between Ney'ite's legs as she braided her younger sister's hair. Neyetam was sharpening his knife while Kiri and Lo'ak muttered amongst themselves. Ney'ite braided some beads into her sister's hair as she let her mind run wild. They had been at the reefs for sixteen days. It had been eight days since her first walk with Aunong. She wondered if he would met her again tonight. Ney'ite was glad that their training ended early today. This was the first time the siblings had been able to hang out like this.

"Don't forget to braid in the red beads, Ney'ite," Tuk said as she tried to turn her head around.

"Keep looking ahead," Ney'ite said as she turned her sister's head back around. "You gave it to me, so I'm going to braid it in." Her eyes flicked up to Kiri and Lo'ak. "What are the two of you talking about?"

"We're just wondering if Spider is okay," Kiri said.

"He's been surviving in the forest for years just like us," Ney'ite did her best to comfort her siblings. "He'll survive the Sky People."

"Besides, he's their best chance at finding us," Neyetam said. "They're not going to do anything that will hurt him."

"You don't know that," Lo'ak threw a small piece of wood in the sand.

"Don't do that," Ney'ite said. "Don't make yourself think of the worst case scenario. Spider is fine. I bet he's already escaped the Sky People."

"Let's not focus on that," Neyetam said as he turned the conversation away from worry about their friend. He sheathed his knife. "We can't do anything about it anyways."

"Okay," Ney'ite said as she looked over her work. "You're all done, Tuk-Tuk." Tuk ran to the water to see how she looked in its reflection. She looked at her other siblings. "Do any of you want me to do your hair?"

"We can do our own hair," Lo'ak spit at Ney'ite. Ney'ite gritted her teeth as she heard the irritation in her brother's voice. He wasn't being fair to any of them.

"Stop taking your anger about our situation out on us," Kiri snapped at their brother. "Maybe I wanted Ney'ite to do my hair."

"Why you..." Lo'ak got up and tried to push Kiri. Kiri got up and tried to push back.

Neyetam and Ney'ite both instantly got up. Neyetam stood in front of Lo'ak while Ney'ite grabbed Kiri from behind and dug her heels into the sand. Ney'ite watched as Lo'ak tried to get around Neyetam.

"Both of you stop it," Neyetam scolded both of them. "You are both better than this. If the two of you want to fight in our home, fine, but you are not going to do it on the middle of the beach."

"Why are you guys being so loud?" Tuk asked as she walked back up to her siblings. "Are you guys made at each other again?"

"It's fine," Lo'ak sighed as he stepped away from Neyetam.

"Yeah," Kiri said as she took Ney'ite's arms off of her. "We're completely fine."

"Good," Tuk smiled at her siblings.

Ney'ite walked up to Neyetam. She raised her brows at him. Neyetam just shook his head and sighed. They were both glad that they were able to get their siblings' behaviors under control, but it was never good to see their siblings upset.

"Hello," Tsireya's voice came from behind them.

Ney'ite turned and saw the girl walking up to them. She had a beautiful flower in behind her ear. Ney'ite glanced at Lo'ak and saw that his eyes were pretty much locked onto Tsireya.

"Tsireya," Tuk said as she run up and hugged her.

"Hey," Lo'ak said.

"What are you guys doing?" Tsireya asked.