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Koänä hid up in a tree, taking deep breaths. The girl grabbed an arrow and loaded her bow. A twig snapped below her, her ears picking up at the sound. She jumped onto a higher branch and swiftly moved farther from the noise. With her stomach pressed down into the tree and her back to the open, she looked down to see no one there.
A warrior cry came from behind her and she snapped back to see Tarsem raising his knife to her. She lifted her bow, crouching down as he swiped down on her. The knife clashed with the bow making a loud snapping sound. Koänä swiped her Chief's feet and he fell down. Koänä jumped over his body but he was too quick, grabbing her ankle and throwing her off the giant branch they were on.
Koänä's groan of rage was heard as she slid from leaf to leaf before landing on the ground, holding her bow up at the tree line. Her feet were swiped from under her and she fell on her back. Flipping over herself as another one of the clan's warriors, Na'ian, pointed her own bow at Koänä. The past Chief's daughter got into a crouch stance. She aimed just between Na'ian's feet and sent an arrow. The warrior looked between her feet confused. Koänä took the time and got up, sending her bow into Na'ian's face. The warrior fell down with a groan of pain. Koänä placed a foot on her neck and turned her body, aiming her bow at Tarsem, who was sneaking behind her.
" Good, Koänä." Tarsem smiled at her.
Koänä nodded at him, feeling a bit proud of herself. She took her foot off of Na'ian's neck, the woman gasping for breath. Tarsem helped his mate up with a chuckle.
" Defeated by a teenager. How do you both feel?" Koänä teased them. They all laughed before Tarsem gestured for them to begin walking.
" It has been an honor to teach you, young Sully." The Chief admitted with pride leaking in his tone.
They were in front of the entrance to the Tree of Souls. Koänä knew it was time for her to become an outcast. She had learned to accept the fact.
Koänä, with her mentors walking on both sides of her, walked to the front. Mo'at held back emotion from her face as she was about to let go of the last of her family. Koänä gave her a smile and kneeled down in front of Tarsem.
All of the clan were there once again to relive the scene from just a couple days ago. Mo'at began the ceremony again. Unlike her father, Koänä did not receive a swipe to the chest but instead a bead for her song chord. It was the bead you receive when you become an Omatikaya warrior.
The ceremony ended and a path was cleared for her. With a head held high, Koänä walked towards O'tekare, who had all of her things strapped onto her. Koänä made the bond with her ikran before looking one last time at her people. She sent her grandmother one last smile and a sly wink.
She let out a whoop of victory and O'tekare flew off. Once she had reached the waters, Koänä glanced back at the forest, at her home, with a bittersweet look in her eye.
" Hayalovay."
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Tuk was in the water with her siblings and six Metkayina teenagers, just embracing the water as the eclipse had slowly risen upon them. Kiri, who had been very quiet since they arrived, looked at her little sister. Tuk was squinting her eyes at something coming toward them in the distance.
" What is it, Tuk?" Kiri asked her.
All of the attention was now on Tuk. The young girl did not take her eye off of the strange figure coming toward them. The figure slowly became more transparent.
It was an ikran with its rider.
" IT'S KOÄNÄ!" Tuk yelled excitedly. The Sully siblings' head shot to the sky where indeed, Koänä was riding toward them.
" Kiri, Tuk, go get mom and dad." Neteyam ordered and the two girls ran off to find their parents.
" Who is Koyänä?" One of the teenage boys, with his hair braided and tied into a bun muttered confused to his friends and family.
" Koänä." Lo'ak harshly corrected Ao'nung. The boy rolled his eyes, raising his weird hands in surrender.
" Our older sister." Neteyam said in a more calm manner but there was still much excitement heard in his tone.
" The warrior?" A girl asked, Tsireya was her name. She was gorgeous. Both brother's nodded.
" She looks nice." A boy mentioned. He was Trítön, the older brother of Ao'nung and Tsireya.
" Eh, she's a bit of a bitch." Lo'ak honestly replied, Neteyam smacking the back of his head with a glare.
" That is our sister, who will beat your skxawang ass, you are talking about."
