KIRI'S JOURNEY - AVATAR 3

Chapter Three

I look down at the overnight bag I packed with food and wrap a blanket around it. My heart is pounding hard against my chest just thinking about what I'm about to do. If Neteyam were here he'd say I'm acting crazy and he'd talk me out of doing this let alone even think about it. Crazy and unpredictable is Lo'ak's thing, not mine. 

"You're leaving?" Nearly jumping out of my skin I spin around and see Rotxo.

When I don't think of an excuse fast enough he just shrugs in question. "Why?"

"Please don't tell my parents. I just need to see my friend. I don't want him to feel like we've abandoned him and I want him to know that we didn't. That I didn't. My mom, she wouldn't.. she couldn't-" I stutter.

"Your friend?" 

 "Spider." I whisper his name but sure Rotxo heard me since he's inching closer now with an unreadable expression on his face.

He peeks around me and sees the bag I've been holding behind my back.

"Well.. will you stay until after the festival?" He tries to sound casual but his voice is in a higher pitch than before. 

"Festival?" I ask.

At this he grins. "Please tell me you've heard of a hunt festival before." 

"Of course I did. We had them all the time with the Omatikaya people. I just didn't know you hunted." I roll my eyes.

"Its a little different here but personally I don't do the hunting part." He waves his hand in the air dismissing the thought. "That's always been Aonung's thing."

I feel there's more to it than what he lets on but he doesn't elaborate.

"I just wanted you to stay for the sacred dance after the hunt." A glimmer in his eye when he says dance.

"And what if I don't stay.. will you tell on me?" I half-joke.

"If that's what it takes to see you dance then yes."

I feel myself blushing as I picture embarrassing myself by dancing in front of him. I do NOT dance.

 
He wasn't kidding when he said it was different. This is a lot different. They've been preparing for this all year long that even distant tribes travel here to attend. I ask Tsireya when I help during the hunt for the dance.

"The sacred dance is to give thanks for our meal, to bring good weather and provide bountiful food all year long." Tsireya tells me as I hand her a lantern that is supposed to float on the water surface. 

"While also celebrating our brother and sisters of course." She says with a smile.
"Speaking of sisters, how is Tuk?"

"She's okay I think, except the nightmares are more often now." Her smile on her face fades.

Hoping to change the subject I ask her now. "How is Lo'ak?"

Tsireya looking more troubled shifts her gaze down at the lantern in her hand before she speaks.

"I don't know if I should tell you this but he blames himself for Neteyam. He's been taking it really hard and when he's not beating himself up for it, he gets this look in his eye.."

Of course Lo'ak blames himself. Neteyam was always cleaning up our messes but without him there's nothing left, just a mess.

I glance at her and see her fidgeting with the lantern. "What kind of look?"