RIPTIDE - Neteyam fanfic

nine

How long Ronwin was to stay with stelle' and at their village was undecided, but tonowari had made it very clear he was welcome to stay as long as they wished. His parents, Amar and Satari had to return to their village to continue leading theyre people but left Ronwin to stay a while longer.

"Take him everywhere you go. Introduce him to your friends. Make sure he is not left out.", Tonowari had told stelle'. She recalled it as she went to pick up Ronwin from his hut just a few down from hers.

"Ready to go?", she asked.

He emerged from within his hut. His hair was down for the first time. It looked good on him. "Where are we going?"

Stelle' led him to the beach. "The sully's have another lesson today."

"And why do I have to come? I'm not a sully."

"My father is making me drag you along everywhere I go. Trust me I don't like it any more than you do."

He hummed. "Well I like it a lot actually. It will give me a chance to learn more about those strange creatures you have decided to take in."

"Sure, but please be nice. Do not stare or ask them anything weird. They are nice people."

That was of no use because as soon as they arrived on the beach and approached tsireya, announg, and the sully's the first thing Ronwin did was stare at Neteyam's tail. And not discreetly.

Neteyam immediately knew the boy who stared at him was the boy tonowari had chosen for his daughter. So maybe he was a little biased in not taking a liking to him right away.

He got a little close to Ronwin. "What are you staring at, bro? Something funny to you?"

"Actually yes." Ronwin smiled. "Your tails are thin and-"

Stelle' slapped his arm before he could continue that sentence. She narrowed his eyes at him. "Stop it.", she seethed. It had angered her seeing him talk about Neteyam in a mocking way.

Ronwin backed off defensively. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry." Neteyam eyed Ronwin's hand as he placed it on stelle's shoulder.

Tsireya noticed the tension and was desperate to cut it. "Let's start with todays lesson okay?"

It was to no avail because throughout the whole lesson, as they all made fish nets to go and hunt fish, the tension was thick in the air. Neteyam and Ronwin would exchange looks. Tsireya and stelle' would too. Kirri and Announg would shrug at each other cluelessly at what it was that was happening. Tuk was the only one actually concentrating on the net making.

Stelle' was mad. She was mad at her father. For bringing Ronwin into her life just as she was steering clear from the path of having to be with someone he chose for her. Just when she was starting to catch a liking to a certain boy who seemed to feel the same towards her. It made her furious. And she was furious at the fact that he had so much control over her life. Over how she talked and what she ate and everything. Sometimes it felt like he was nice to everyone else but her. Why was that?

She pondered that question as she wrapped knots with the fish wire. In fact she was so angry that she cut herself. Blood trickled down her hand but she didn't even notice until tuk had spotted it, having already finished her fish net.

"Stelle', you're bleeding!", she exclaimed.

It was then that Stelle' realized she had cut herself as she was working with the wire far too harshly. "Oh." Neteyam looked at her in concern, reaching out to look at her hand.

Stelle' ripped her hand away harshly. "I'm fine." She got up to look for a bandage from the local nurse. The cut was not deep or long. It had just been a small one she didn't know why there had been so much blood.

The newfound wound on her hand didn't hurt. Not as much as the one on her heart.

-

She made it back to the beach just in the time for the actual fish gathering, a useful technique for the sully' to learn if they were to ever catch any food at the village.

Thankfully her fish net had nearly been done so with a few more knots she had finished and was ready to go out with everyone else.

Tsireya walked to her sister as she neared the shore. "Sister."

Stelle' didn't turn. She didn't have to as tsireya now walked by her. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? You do not have to do this lesson if you don't wish-"

"I'm fine.", she had cut someone off again. She didn't like being cut off herself so was quick to apologize. "I'm sorry." Though she now realized she hadn't apologized to Neteyam.

She had snapped at him in the moment when he was just concerned for her well-being. It hadn't been fair. She noted apologizing to him in her head for later.

Tsireya placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "It is ok, stelle'. I understand you are under a lot of pressure right now."

She didn't actually understand but stelle' appreciated her trying. "It's fine. Let's just go get some fish, ok?" She gave her a weak smile and tsireya nodded.

They all got on their Ilus and rode off to the reef. Announg led, being the master fish gatherer of them all. This was the first lesson he was actually truly engaged in. When he stopped so did everyone else.

"Over here." Announg pointed at a school of fish underwater. He got his net. Crossbow were often used as well but nets were more efficient as they gave you more quantity. The Metkayina always made sure to make use of every single fish they caught, not letting their death go to waste.

An abundance of fish swam everywhere around them and everyone slowly sunk their nets underwater. They rode their Ilu as they held to the net swimming around and letting fish wander into their net.

This went on for a few minutes until everyone had collected a few fish and were ready to head back. Stelle' usually caught more but had been rather distracted. Her mind was on other things.

They made it back to the shore and they all dropped off their fish at the kitchens. That would be their dinner tonight.

Neteyam and Stelle' were the last ones. Stelle' took this as the perfect chance to approach him.

"Neteyam." She held onto his arm before he could walk away. "Meet me at our spot before dinner tonight?" She didn't have time to talk now and say everything she wanted to so she decided later would work better.

Neteyam nodded. "Ok."

They walked opposite ways. Both looking forward to tonight.

I'll post this and the next chapter back to back so y'all don't have to wait hehe your welcome 😉