CHAPTER 6
"You spend so much time with that Sully child nowadays." Ronal was tying 'Kanu's hair up into a tight bun one morning.
"I spend time with all of them," 'Kanu told her.
"You should see your other friends as well," Ronal stated, finishing off her hair.
"I saw Wotxma this morning," 'Kanu grumbled, trying to tell her mother that she did spend time with her old friends as well.
The Tsahik smiled, "Wotxma is a nice boy. Don't distance yourself from him."
'Kanu nodded and turned to look at her mother. Ronal was alright with having the Sully's there, but she was still wary about her children spending so much time with them. They did teach them, but lately 'Kanu had gone out of her way to spend time with them.
"They are one of us now, mother," 'Kanu said, "They need friends. The other villagers are wary of them."
Ronal sighed and stroked her daughter's hair, "I know," she told her, "I do not wish for you to be left out because you spend time with them."
"That won't happen," 'Kanu said, "Soon the other kids will accept them."
Ronal smiled and pat her cheek, "Intelligent one." 'Kanu also smiled. It was the meaning of her name - smart, intelligent. She didn't feel like she was either of those, but her mother would often remind her that there was a reason why she'd been given the name.
The Tsahik always told her that the minute she had laid eyes on her - when 'Kanu had been brought to them - she knew she would grow up to be smart. It was why she had given the nameless child the title 'Kanu.
"'Kanu!" Aonung appeared at the opening of their home, "We are going hunting. Join us."
'Kanu glanced at her mother, who nodded. She smiled and got to her feet, grabbing her crossbow from where it leaned against the wall. She hurried outside to join her brother and their friends.
"'Kanu!"
'Kanu ran over to her friend, "Wotxma," she grinned and jumped out of the way as he attempted to yank her tail.
"I did not bring her over just so you two could make me sick," Aonung told the two.
They both laughed before following the rest of the group into the water. 'Kanu called an ilu and was swept away when she took a hold of the handle.
Hunting was always a blast for the young Metkayina. It was time they got to spend together and have fun.
When she came back to the surface to talk to her friends, she saw a familiar boy at the shore.
"Neteyam!" She waved. The others turned to look at what she was waving at.
Aonung groaned, "You won't invite him to join us, will you?"
"Why not?" 'Kanu laughed as she beckoned for Neteyam to make their acquaintance. Neteyam smiled and ran into the water. He called himself an ilu just as he had been taught, and was soon swimming toward them.
"What's up?" He asked with a smile.
'Kanu closed the distance between them, "We are going hunting. Do you want to join us?"
Neteyam grinned and nodded, "Sounds fun!" He hadn't missed the looks he was getting from the others, but he chose to not care.
"Let's go then," Aonung said monotonously, obviously not happy that the forest boy would be tagging along.
'Kanu made her ilu swim in the same pace as Aonung, and she caught up with him, "Be nice."
"I always am," Aonung laughed and 'Kanu resisted the urge to push him off his ride.
Wotxma joined them both, "You're friends with the weirdo?" he asked 'Kanu.
'Kanu frowned at him, "He isn't a weirdo. He is the son of Toruk Makto."
Wotxma nodded, "Weirdo was the wrong word," he admitted.
"But yes, I am friends with him," 'Kanu smiled at Neteyam over her shoulder. He was doing a good job at keeping up with them. He'd only recently learned how to ride an ilu, and he was doing great.
"The others too?" Wotxma asked.
'Kanu nodded, "Yes," she turned her head back to look at her friend, "Be nice to them, okay?"
"Understood," Wotxma said and swam ahead to lead the group, "This way! We will not be leaving the reef today," he told everyone, "We have a beginner among us," he added under his breath.
"Have you hunted for fish before?" 'Kanu asked as Neteyam approached her.
"Only with a bow as a child," Neteyam told her.
'Kanu held up her crossbow, "This is almost like that," she told him, "I will show you how to use it."
Neteyam smiled at her and nodded. Soon the group came to a stop and they all floated in place at the surface. "You can hold your breath, right?" 'Kanu asked as she disconnected her queue from the ilu and slid off its back.
"Yes," Neteyam confirmed as he watched her swim over to him. She had told him to remain on his ilu as she showed him how to use the crossbow.
"That's good," she said, placing a hand on his ilu to keep herself in place. "This is a crossbow," she explained as she looked up at him.
"I can see that," Neteyam laughed. He laughed even when he tried to avoid the water that 'Kanu had splashed at him in response.
"You hold it like this," 'Kanu demonstrated, holding her arm out, "And you press this after you have taken aim. It releases the arrow." She looked around and saw as her friends started diving into the water. They had gotten visual on a shoal of fish.
Neteyam took the crossbow from her. He held it exactly as she had shown him, "Like this?"
"That's right!" 'Kanu clapped her hands and swam backwards to give him room to get off the ilu. "Let's follow the others."
Neteyam nodded and slid off the back of his ilu. He dove straight into the water after 'Kanu and the both of them went after her friends.
Neteyam was not as fast as them, but 'Kanu waited patiently for him. At least he had improved - he no longer had to go up for air every fifteen seconds.
'Kanu signed for them to take cover behind a large chunk of coral - the fish would not come if they saw them there. She had forgotten that Neteyam did not master their sign language, but he got the idea when she swam behind the coral.
She held up a hand to indicate that they wait. They would all strike simultaneously to confuse the fish. They couldn't wait underwater for long - they would start running out of oxygen soon, after all. Thankfully they didn't have to return for air before a group of larger fish swam by. 'Kanu glanced to her right and saw Aonung holding up his hand. It was a sign to be ready.
She looked back at Neteyam, meeting his eyes. 'Kanu gestured that he waited as well. She would alert him when it was time to strike. The other hunters were getting ready to strike and 'Kanu jerked her head so that Neteyam would do the same.
'Kanu slowly swam a little higher so that she'd have a good spot to take aim from. She looked down at Wotxma, who nodded at her once. Then Aonung signed for them to take action, and he was the first to shoot his arrow. He hit his target and immediately the other fish were alerted - they started swimming in all directions in their panic.
'Kanu looked at Neteyam and pointed to the fish before she released her arrow. She too managed to get a fish. She saw her brother smiling proudly at her.
She watched as Neteyam took aim at one of the fish and hit. Unlike her and Aonung, he hadn't hit the head, but he managed to kill it. 'Kanu beamed and pointed upwards, wordlessly saying they should go up.
When they broke surface and had gotten their breath back, she swam right over to Neteyam and high-fived him - something she'd seen him and his brother do, "You did it, Neteyam!"
Neteyam laughed, "I got a fish!"
"Let's go get them," 'Kanu swam over to her ilu and pulled a rope from its saddle. They would use it to tie the fish together so that transporting them would be easier.
Neteyam laughed and the dove back to the ocean floor to join the others. By then the hunt was over. Their group had managed to get eight fish - not bad for their group of six. 'Kanu signed , "Well done!" To which everyone smiled at her.
'Kanu lead Neteyam to where the only two remaining fish were. They both had arrows stuck in them, though they already lay dead. Neteyam swam over to her pulled the arrow out of one of them. 'Kanu did the same and brought the two fish together, tying their tails together with the rope. She then handed them both to Neteyam as she figured he would want to take his own catch back home.
Neteyam smiled the whole way back to the village, eager to show off his catch to his brother.