Mä'reyna sat in her hut with her mother, sharing storys of the olo'eyktan as women came in and out with different paints and outfits.
"do you remember when he taught you how to ride ikran?" the tsahìk said smiling looking at her daughter.
"oh my eywa yes! he was such a good teacher however it didnt stop me from falling off about 12 times" the girl chuckled turning towards one of the women who would apply her funeral paint.
"he was so patient and kind with you child, the reason i kept loving him" her mother spoke sofly now getting her hair rebraided.
"mother he is with us" the girl said glancing to her mother placing a hand on her heart
"ah yes i know, eywa will keep him all around us, after the funeral we should go to the spirit tree and see him" the mother spoke "just us two" the girl slightly nodded in agreement not wanting to mess up her paint.
After a few hours of preparation for the funeral Lo'ak joined reyna in her hut.
"ahh lo'ak, now i am not sure how your clan prepare there dead to go to eywa" the tsahìk said raising to her feet to talk to the boy, "the kakunan clan take our dead the volcano and bury them in the caves. now this does mean you will have to ride ikran." the woman smiled as she explained to him.
"Passing on the dead is extremely private in our clan, normally only family can attend however it is an honour for you to come with us." mä'reyna spoke getting to her feet to adress him properly
"We shall walk out and greet the people before our ikran lift the hammock he js resting in and fly with him" the tsahìk spoke placing a head peice on the boy and placing small red lines under his eyes.
"come it is eclipse mother." mä'reyna spoke now standing at the hut entrance waiting to leave and greet her people.
The three walked in sync, the tsahìk being in the middle of the two, they waved and thanked people as they walked, even comforting a few children as they passed. Soon enough they reached the ikran and her fathers resting hammock. The two women kissed the olo'eyktan for the last time on the forehead, then mounting their ikran. Lo'ak rode on the back of mä'reynas ikran holding onto her waist so he would not fall.
A horn allerted the village that the funeral process was beginning and so now the crowd sung the olo'eyktans song cord thanking eywa for his life, even if it was cut extremely short.
The ikran now flew, after about 30 minutes the trio reached the resting place of the dead. Their ikran landed and the two women took the olo'eyktan out of the hammock and placed him in the resting spot of their ansestors.Lo'ak stood behind the two as they knelt, crying and placing flowers as they said their good byes.
"all energy is borrowed, in the end it must be returned to eywa." the tsahìk spoke placing her final flower down.
"Oel ngati kameie Aluatë" both mother and daughter spoke signifing that it was now truly the end.
Silently the three rose and remounted their ikran, lo'ak placing comforting taps on mä'reynas hips. Instead of returning straight to the village the ikran rode to the cave which hid the tree of voices. Once the two women had gotten off they connected hands and made their way to the tree, whispering a prayer as they did. However lo'ak reminded on the back of the ikran, simply out of respect.
Once mä'reyna reached the tree, she quickly connected as did her mother.
mä'reynas vision:
She awoke in the middle of the forest, looking down at her hands it became clear this was a memory from when she was younger. Soon her father emerged from the bushes.
"come my child you must keep up" he said chuckling as he helped the girl to her feet.
"father?.." she spoke softly her voice breaking as tears began to fall from her eyes
"ah why do you cry my child?" he spoke lowering to her eye level and cupping her cheeks in his hands.
"just..glad you are here" she said smiling at him
"i am glad you are hear too daughter " he smiled moving his hand to ruffle her braids
Quickly the girl hugged her father tightly crying into him.
"rather emotional today arnt you mä'reyna " he said stroking her hair.
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