Pathfinder || OC X Neteyam

3 - The Realization

Aha'ri and Lurei said nothing else to each other as they flew back to the village, still in shock. Aha'ri watched as the sun crept out from the other side of the planet, basking Pandora with light once more.

Whenever they landed, Aha'ri grabbed Lurei by the arm as she tried to walk away. "Lurei, stop."

She stopped and slowly turned around. Her face was emotionless. Aha'ri knelt down to be eye-to-eye with her, her yellow eyes flickering with anger. "Why did you run off like that?"

Lurei didn't answer. The only thing she did was lower her eyes to the ground. She was ashamed.

The fire in Aha'ri's veins threatened to boil her blood. "I asked you a question. What about running off into a forest you're not familiar with seemed like a good idea."

"I'm sorry," Lurei said quietly to the ground.

"That's not an answer." Aha'ri knew the reason already but she wanted to hear it from her.

Lurei rolled her eyes and finally met her sister's eyes. "I said I'm sorry. I know it was stupid and I won't do it again."

Aha'ri pursed her lips and took a deep breath, trying to calm her boiling blood. "I know you think that I'm not going to let you go back down again after what happened." She paused. "I'm not our parents, but your attitude is not helping you."

At that, Lurei's eyes became glassy as she tried to look away and avoid as much eye contact as she could.

"Hey guys," Kiri called from the distance. When she saw Lurei, she paused. "Did something happen?"

Neteyam and Lo'ak followed behind Kiri. The moment Aha'ri locked eyes with Neteyam, she could no longer contain her rage.

Her tail began to whip back and forth behind her and her ears pinned. "Yes," she growled, getting to her feet. "Something did happen." Kiri glanced at Neteyam behind her and he just shrugged. As if he didn't knowingly lead them both into viperwolf territory and didn't bother to warn them.

"We went south. The forest is nice there," she mocked. Her ears pinned as she scowled. "Your brother knew it was viperwolf territory and told us to go there anyway. We could have died!"

Kiri and Lo'ak turn to him in surprise. He met their gaze and shrugged again. "What? I didn't think you were-" he paused, debating kicking them while they were already down.

But Aha'ri knew what he was going to say. "That we were what? Stupid enough to actually listen to you?" Aha'ri scoffed, "Yeah I didn't either."

"It was just a joke," his voice raised slightly. "You weren't actually supposed to go south."

Aha'ri met his energy. "Yeah, well your stupid joke almost my little sister killed. And if something like that ever happens again," she gestured to Lurei standing in silence behind her who barely holding back tears, "Great Mother help me, you will wish you never would have gotten involved." Anger and adrenaline pumped through her as her hands began to shake.

He stepped forward in challenge, painting a facade of douchebag energy, but he probably thought he looked intimidating. "Oh yeah?" He nodded toward her, "You think you're so tough? You can't even aim a bow right."

Before Aha'ri could explode in front of everyone, Kiri stepped between them, "Neteyam, that is enough." He glared at her with a frown and his ears slightly lowered. Kiri turned back to Aha'ri, lowering her voice. "What happened? How did you get away?" Kiri asked, closing the distance between them and examining both her and Lurei for injuries.

Aha'ri took in a deep breath. Admitting how unprepared she was for the attack, especially in front of Neteyam, made her stomach churn. "We couldn't fight them. I was about to distract them so that Lurei could run away. But, a hammerhead titanothere scared them away." That was all she could admit.