Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter 37

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[edited]

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At'anau was brought to the Tsahik's tent in the late evening by her father's arms.

"Ronal!" Jake called out for the Tsahik with his unresponsive daughter in his hold as they made it closer to the family's tent.

The chief exited their marui, looking at who had called upon them and met the panicked father before letting them in their home instinctively.

Ronal had been treating her son when Ao'nung jumped up out of his mother's hands at the sight of the limp girl.

"What has happened?" the woman asked as she and her children cleared the space for the man to lower her daughter, while the mother stayed in the corner of the tent nervously with the two youngest by her side, as Lo'ak and Neteyam stayed by the entrance inside the pod.

"She collapsed." Jake didn't know what to say, as he didn't know what had happened. He grew panicked and frightened as he couldn't control the situation and only watched the Tsahik handle his daughter.

Ao'nung had gathered pieces of cloth before jumping next to the girl's body and placing it against the back of her head before looking at the fabric. The mother looked at the son, who shook his head. "No more bleeding." To which the father frowned.

"Bleeding?" Jake questioned out loud, as there hadn't been any bleeding for there to possibly be 'more' of.

Ronal looked at the incredulous father before dragging her kit of natural products closer. "Your daughter hit her head inside the reefs."

Ao'nung's ears twisted back, flat on his head, as memories of the accident flooded like the water had in her lungs.

Jake's mouth hung slightly open in shock as words were unspoken. He looked at the mother, whose hands were covering her mouth while her eyes spoke her words clearly enough.

Ronal called her daughter by her as she was the Tsahik in learning and needed to take in everything that happened in order to help the people.

Neteyam looked at the commotion that reminded him too much of home, only for part of his family to hang on a threat beneath these people's hands, needing to leave the sight.

The healing mother rumbled in her bag, holding a stick of Juniper wood close to the girl's nose before breaking it. They waited a couple of seconds, with the only sound being their breathing, as nothing happened.

The Sullys tried reading the woman's demeanour and what certain things meant, but she was too successful in being indescribable.

The natural-smelling salts hadn't lured a reaction from the girl, so the woman smeared a minty oil on the girl's chest and lips, which was as pointless as the previous remedy.

Jake cursed at himself and at the time it had to happen, as it had become too late and too dark to call for Norm to fly down from their home, as it would risk attracting too much unwanted attention.

Ronal held the girl's head in her hands and closed her eyes, connecting with nature and listening to the Great Mother's voice explaining the recipe to this girl's awakening as she called upon Her.

The woman held back a gasp as she held her stomach, the tension troubling her and the child inside her.

"Ronal," Tonowari lowered down to his wife, "you should slow down." He grew worried for his wife and the burden she needed to bear at this hour, but he knew too well his wife was too passionate surrounding the health of her people.