I WANNA BE SAVED, neteyam

Ch 10: To Protect You Must Leave

Ayatney felt filthy.

Physically and emotionally.

So that morning, she took it upon herself to bathe in a nearby pond on the floating mountains. When she had returned to her tent in camp, Ayatney spotted Neteyam outside of it. She knew he was there for a reason, but she didn't know why.

Ayatney didn't know where their relationship stood. Whether they were friends or enemies, she was clueless. They used to train and hang out with each other, but a few weeks into staying in the mountains, things had changed between them.

Neteyam always had a look on his face that she couldn't figure out. Whether he was happy to see her or if he was upset with her.

He currently was playing with a beaded choker that she got as a gift from Tuk. Ayatney was annoyed that he was there, but she knew it was just the jealousy clouding her mind, it was something that couldn't be helped.

She didn't give herself the right to be jealous. Jake had saved her and excepted her into their family, so it was an emotion she didn't allow herself to feel. Not often at least.

She had to be understanding, already passing through the trials of being recognized as an adult in this clan, Ayatney didn't have the time to act childish.

Hearing footsteps nearing, Neteyam looked up at Ayatney, her hair dripping with water. He stood from his spot, poorly made choker still in hand. Moving her eyes away from his face to his hand, he followed suit.

"Where did you get this?" Neteyam asked, genuinely curious.

"I got it from Tuk." She responded, body aching with exhaustion as she ducked into the tent. "She made it for me." Neteyam walked into the tent as well, looking around at all the rolled up mats and little nick nacks from the little kids that stayed in this tent as well.

Neteyam had already looked inside when he was searching for her, finding the choker, but he hadn't really looked around. So this was really his first time in there ever since they had moved to the Hallelujah Mountains. She had never been inside his family's tent either, but that was a whole different topic it self.

Neteyam doesn't ever remember Tuk getting into making beaded things, especially chokers. Whenever he wasn't being debriefed about missions or going under any training, he was always with Tuk. Knowing how busy his parents could get, along with Lo'ak and Kiri always hanging out with Spider, Tuk had no one else to play with.

So he would do everything with her whenever he wasn't busy. But yet, it seems like he doesn't need to be with her much longer since Ayatney was around too.

Sometimes, she really took the whole big brother thing away from him. But he didn't mind, better yet, he liked seeing her with his family.

"Huh, how come I never got one?"

He was a little bit hurt. Did his little sister never even think of him when she was making this choker?

Neteyam shook his head slightly, a smile adorning his lips. The beads didn't even have a certain color coordination.

Ayatney unrolled her mat, sitting down and getting comfortable. She started drying her hair, the amount of times it got pulled yesterday messed it up. All of the beads and feathers that were once in her hair laid in front of her, using her fingers to comb out any knots and kinks.

"I don't know," Ayatney concluded, "Go ask her to make you one."

She grabbed a small section of hair, starting to braid while entangling the familiar colored beads into it, orange and green. Neteyam watched her intently, noticing the amount of bruises and cuts she had on her body.