Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XI:

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The family followed the girl who had offered to help them carry their stuff. The older boy didn't tag along and left when they turned their back a second too long, but Tsireya didn't seem to mind. 

The paths in Awa'atlu were made out of a leather rather than soil, and all of the kids had yet to get used to walking steadily on the elastic material. Tuk didn't seem to mind and entertained herself jumping up and down while following her father. 

At'anau looked down from beneath the hole filled floor she walked on in the water to all the creatures and people in them riding the creatures or taming them. She thought these would resemble their Ikrans and questioned she'd have to learn how to ride one as well. 

"This is for you," Her attention went to Tsireya who stood outside of the opening of a tent like figure. "your new home." At'anau noticed every home looking the same and trailed her eyes to where they were all leading to. Their homes were marui pods which were built into the roots of mangrove-like trees spanning the islands. The trees that looked a lot like the formal hometree or what remaining visual representation she had of it in her mind. 

Jake looked satisfied "yeah, this will work," he spoke under his breath before turning to his wife who had a very different feel to it than him "This is great." he said trying to convince her more than himself. the woman dropped her stuff to the floor and exhaled deeply. 

At'anau and Neteyam looked at each other, thinking both the pod appeared to look a lot more like their home only it didn't hover in mid air. 

After having immigrated all of their stuff in their new residence their father called them together "Okay, Sully's fall in." 

Neteyam turned to his brother who was slacking off with a long face outside. "Remember? family meeting." he grabbed him by the arm and sat down next to his sister pulling the younger boy down with him. 

Neytiri scolded her younger daughter who kept her disgruntled attitude visible "Kiri," and eyed for her to sit down. At'anau linked her arm with hers as they all sat down facing their parents. 

Kiri scoffed, crossing  her arms with her ears down and brows cinched. 

"Okay, I'm gonna need you kids on your best behaviour." he looked at all four of the older kids "I mean it." he emphasised and eyed At'anau "learn fast," he looked at Neteyam "pull your weight," before looking Lo'ak in his eyes "Don't cause trouble, got it?" He ended and the boy answered him. "yes, sir." to which Neteyam let out a laugh through his nose before playfully tugging at his brothers braid, receiving a snarl from him and drawing the same tug on his own out by the girl next to him who ignored his startled look. 

"I want to go home." Everyone looked at the youngest who had tears streaming down her face and her mother's filled with empathy "Oh, Tuk." 

"Tuk," Jake inched closer to the girl, approaching her gently. He formed the words in his mind prior to speaking them, knowing it wouldn't easy to accept "This is our home now." The man held the girls hand and looked at his family who clearly weren't endorsing that statement thoroughly. "We're going to get through this." he looked at his wife "we're going to get through this, if we have each other's backs." To that their mother raised her ears and looked at their sombre kids "What does your father always say?" 

For a second there was silence before they all mumbled the saying their father taught them. At'anau didn't forget about the person some of the family members presumed as a Sully that wasn't sticking with them. The sister watched her mother hold Kiri's hand, noticing the bleak look in her eyes. 

"That's right, this time with some feeling."

At'anau cringed at their father but repeated the sentence with her siblings nonetheless to satisfy him. 

The oldest girl rubbed her eyes exclaiming she was exhausted under her breath before leaning her hands on the floor behind her back with a sigh that was followed with a cry and the flashing of her brother's canines towards her as he pulled his tail from under her weight. "I'm sorry!" At'anau raised her voice pronounced every syllable bothered and offended by his brother's assertiveness and nudged his shoulder "Why are you always s-" she was interrupted by a foot nudging him off of him and she cried out above her father's calling to stop before he separated the two from each other. 

"Let's all get some rest now, okay?" 

At'anau dusted the dirt particles of Neteyam's foot off her arm and stood up, walking towards her bag in the room but not without accidentally  flicking her tail against the side of the twin's head. 

"At'i"  this time her mother scolded and she rolled her eyes but her ears revealed she was affected and put back in her place until she looked at Tuk who was holding a smile behind her fingers and the older sister smirked at the accomplishment. 

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another short one but I've got my last exam tomorrow so hopefully longer updates after that :) 

peep the pic 

credits to becominnavi on insta for that I just did some slight adjustments for personal preferences :)

smooch x