Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter 2

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"Come on, 'Teyam!" his sister called out from two trees farther away. The two kids snuck out in the early morning light.

"I can't see home anymore, At'anau. We're going too far!" Neteyam whisper-yelled for his sister to hear, scared to get caught by someone who would surely tell their parents about their whereabouts.

"I know the way back, brother. Just hurry before they're gone!" At'anau, on the other hand, wouldn't have minded meeting one of the people at this time.

Neteyam jumped from branch to branch, long slim limbs fitting through the split trees as he followed the rustling and the sound of his sister's voice.

Just on the treeline of the quarry, he could make out his sister jumping down to the damp moss beneath. The girl waited for her brother and signed for him to be quiet. The big leaves behind her blocked the view, but it looked like she knew what would be behind them.

At'anau peeked through the small crack of light between the leaves and pulled a big one back just a little for her brother to look through.

Just as Neteyam wanted to scold his sister for tricking him, he saw something move in the treeline on the other side of the quarry.

Just where the water met the ground stood a cub Hexapede, its long snout resting on the surface of the water, quenching its thirst.

At'anau held her head next to her brother's, nudging him a little so she could see better as well. "I saw them yesterday around Hometree's remains. Usually, they're around the wetlands environment, but look."

"You were at Hometree?" Neteyam scolded his sister before she hushed him, but it didn't go unnoticed by the animal.

The big little creature staggered back into the woods it came from. By its olfactory organ, which allowed it to sense danger quickly in swampy areas, it noticed the presence of the two kids.

At'anau sighed, pulling the leaf away a little more to see if it was really gone. "I wanted to show you it up close. Why couldn't you be quieter?"

"Dad usually hunts those," Neteyam said, ignoring his sister's disappointment.

"No, that's Mom," she corrected, eyes still on the treeline in front of her. At'anau swore she sensed steps on the other side of the quarry.

Her twitching ears were soon answered by the cub returning, now with its parent — the mother, if At'anau wasn't mistaken. "Tsmukan, nin," she called for her brother to look.

Neteyam watched his sister walk into the quarry, exposed to the animals, and move toward them carefully. She reached into the small pouch around her hip and held out some herbs and plants she had pulled from the garden around their house.

Candy for the Hexapede in front of her. The six-legged creature's ears twitched, and the cub looked at its guardian, who eyed the not-so-complete stranger but potential danger.

Patiently, the girl inched forward, not trying to scare the creature, and reached her hand out, allowing the animal's outstanding ability to pick up scents to catch hers. Her odor, along with that of the herbs she held, was enough for the creature to reciprocate the trust she offered.

At'anau crouched down, looking less like a threat, and held out the herbs. She stood in the shallow water that didn't come past her ankles and looked behind her at her brother, who had been watching her from the treeline, hidden.