Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XXIV

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̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ 　Understandings    »̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  

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The next morning the twins waited until their parents had left the pod and Tsireya collected their sisters. At'anau looked through her father stuff in search of fabrics she could create different less damaging reins from, but was left empty handed. 

Her brother had asked her a couple of times what she was looking for, but was hushed and given the answer that it'll spoil it. Neteyam watched the turmoils in her head grind before the glint in her eyes returned and she exited the tent. 

A shack close to the station were the ilu were often collectively called at had an armoury filled with different riding gear. At'anau gave her brother the mission to distract the Metkayina girl who barraged the entrance of the door and without a question but a singular raised brow he did, asking the girl about different materials and slowly but steadily brought her away from the view of his sister. 

The girl confidently walked in, looking like she was at her supposed destination and watched saddles hang from hooks on the wall and onto lines outside. 

She couldn't walk out with the whole object, so detached only the hand-pieces swiftly and walked back out the hut in her brother's view. 

The boy thanked the girl, excused himself and walked after his sister whose pace towards the edge of the path increased as she swung the rope on her shoulder and clapped her hands, calling out for her ilu who emerged from the waters not many seconds later, her brother copying and jumping on his animal as her sister. 

The girl looked behind her to ensure the boy could keep up and watched her with a questioned look but a smile on his face whatsoever as he observed her sister's infrequent excitement in the waters. 

Seb screeched in the air, calling out for the ilu behind them and got a response in return which the kids could not translate, but At'anau sensed the animal's enhancing speed. She looked around her to see if they were being visualised by any of the peers or elders, but the closer they went towards the border, the more uncrowded the waters became. 

She motioned for her brother to move quicker towards her and dived down in the water. The other ilu following close behind as the big boulder on the east of the island was still an end from their location. 

Neteyam hoped his sister wouldn't be bringing him beyond the reef as he could keep quiet from their parents for her, but not lie of doing the forbidden. 

It took a while before they made it to the boulder that hid against other rocks and Neteyam followed his sister who made her way to the large object quickly. 

She resurfaced above water and waited for her brother to do so as well "big breath" she told him before he could question her. The girl filled her chest and dove down, led by the ilu down the dark tunnels deep under and resurfaced once her eyes danced around the purple glowing plants. 

The girl swam around in the pond and threw the reins she was borrowing on the sandpit bordering the still waters. 

Neteyam resurfaced with a big breathe and took in his surroundings immediately. The girl watched her brother take in the sight in awe and silence before looking at her sister who was searching around in the water from the sand she had transferred to.