Neteyam

Push

Viryn was carefully adding beads to her shawl with a bone needle. They were small beads that hung at the hem of the garment to weigh it down just a little but they also were decorative. They were seated next to the fire since the evenings were beginning to arrive sooner than later.

She licked the ends of her fingers and pressed the end of the string so that was shaped into a point. "You're quiet." Merq'ena was sitting next to her carving her bow. The body already being formed from the branch. There were shavings surrounding her which she promptly kicked into the fire. Viryn stayed focused on her loom, her nimble fingers skilfully weaving the threads into a neat hem. Beyt was pressed to her side with half lidded eyes. "Something happen with the Tsahik?" Another pair of children were were wrestling behind them, the small squeals and grunts seemingly out of place in the otherwise quiet evening. "No." Viryn's voice was quiet.

"Nothing happened with the Tsahik." Beyt pressed her chubby cheek against her upper arm and yawned. "Try and stay awake Beyt, dinner is soon." "Uhuuuuuhhh." Beyt rolled over onto her other side by pushing against Viryn. The little girl began to pat at the twitching tail of Viryn. Giggling lightly when the tail moved away from her. "Something did happen though, right?"

Viryn's fingers halted but her eyes were still lowered onto her loom. "It's nothing." She pursed her lips before continuing her work. Merq'ena narrowed her eyes at the slight way Viryn's ears lowered. "Guys, private meeting." The toddlers present stopped what they were doing and looked to Merq'ena. "Now." The pair of toddlers that were wrestling stood up without complaint and went to their tents but Beyt was more reluctant. "But I want to stayyyy." She was sleepy which made most of the younger kids whiny.

The little girl clung onto Viryn's elbow and pressed her knees against her forearm. "You'll see her at dinner. Go play." Beyt jutted her lower lip out and rolled a distance away. She then achingly lifted her torso from the ground like a seal. "Beyt." Viryn chastised at the dramatic slowness. The girl whined but still stood up and sauntered away. The two teen girls watched and waited until the little girl was out of sight.

"Did you find something?" Merq'ena looked at her friend's side profile. The slight purple colouring around her cheeks and neck telling her that it was not nothing. "No." Viryn tightened and loosened the grip she had on the shawl. A quiet crunch from the bunching felt nice in Viryn's hand. "It's about Neteyam." Merq'ena tilted her head. "I'm so stupid." Viryn put her head in her hands. "Whoa whoa." Merq'ena dropped her carving knife and her bow to move next to Viryn. A hand already on her back to steady the shorter girl. "I'm such an idiot Merq'ena."

Viryn's voiced was muffled due to her face being covered by her hands. "You are not an idiot." Her friend scowled. "What happened?" Viryn sucked in a shaky breath. "He said that he wished for me." "What?" Merq'ena's eyes widened with a slight gasp. "He asked me if I went to the tree of souls often, a-and I said sometimes." Viryn finally looked at Merq'ena to show her her wet eyes. "And then I asked h-him if he went often because it would be weird to stray from the topic and then when he said that he didn't I asked if he didn't have any wishes because everyone has wishes. That's what you pray to Eywa for." Viryn took in a gaping breath like when a child who cries too hard and forgets to breath. "A-and the. he said that all his wishes were granted so of course I asked what he had wished for because I thought it would be s-something like small like a bracelet but then he said that he wished for meeeeee." She wailed quietly.

"What did you say?" Viryn kept opening and closing her mouth as a series of words tried to be coherent. She gripped Merq'ena's shoulders and shook her. "Someone contain me!" Merq'ena gripped onto Viryn's hands that stopped violently shaking after a few seconds. "You didn't say anything?" Viryn shook her head.

"He was looking at me with his eyes and they were so sweet and I just couldn't pick what to say." Viryn gripped her hair at their roots and pulled her head back. "So, what did you do?" Merq'ena was trying not to laugh. "I just." It looked painful to say. "I just walked to the ikran." "And?" "And left." Merq'ena guffawed. "It's not funny!" "It's a little funny." "In an hour or two, not now." Viryn held her face in her hands again. Her ears were lowered as the flush became more vibrant. "Eywa should should just take me now." "That's a little dramatic." Merq'ena rubbed Viryn's back.