Ma Tompawll

Chapter One

"Watch it, Dia!" Kanu raises her arm to block the ilu's splashing. She's sat at the edge of her marui, feet dipping into the warm water below with a playful ilu trying to coax her into it.

"No, we just got out." She tells him sternly, wavering at the animal's sad chirps.

"I know you want company but you will just have to wait for Tsireya to get back with your brother." She pets the creature who doesn't seem happy with her response. She laughs when he tugs at her loincloth to pull her in the water.

"Just go with him." Ao'nung sets his crossbow down as he and Rotxo walk up to her home with their catch for the morning.

"Can you not tell? Do not be fooled we just got back." He sits next to her and looks at the moping ilu before taking in her wet hair while her brother carries the fish inside.

"Tough luck my friend." The animal flips water at him with it's tail causing the girl to stifle her laughter when she's glared at.

"How was your hunt boys?" She huffs when the animal does the same with her again making Rotxo chuckle at both of them.

"We caught some of mom and your favourite." Rotxo sits with them, crossing his legs as he tells her about their morning.

"Make sure to tell your mom I caught the biggest one." Ao'nung boasts, leaning back on his elbows to squint at the sun. He loved when her parents praised him.

"Huh?! No I did?" Rotxo's head snaps to him with a confused look, pouting when his stomach growled loudly.

"Okay that is enough out of both of you, how about we cook the fish you both caught?" She stands, petting the animal one more time before ruffling their heads and entering the Marui, leaving the boys outside to their petty argument.

After eating a hot lunch, she splits from the two, off to her weaving lesson for the younger children, basket of dried seaweed and seedlings in hand.

She walks through the pathway onto the beach where children were already gathered and running around chasing each other.

"Nu!" A child who was sat twisting some seaweed runs up to her, attacking her legs in a hug.

Not thrown off by the force, she holds the basket with one arm and ruffles the boy's hair, smiling brightly down at him.

"Hello to you too, Ezra." He hangs onto her leg as she continues walking to the excited children and a few Na'vi her age to teach their assigned ones, usually sibling pairs.

"I am going to make mama a band!" He tells her as they settle on the sand.

"I will make her a neckpiece!" Their sister, Zuri boasts, tugging at her hand. She places the basket down in the center.

"I am sure she will love both. Come now, settle down please!" She claps her hands to get all the children's attention. They sit around baskets and she shares out the material, teaching them new weaving patterns for practice.

"Like this?" Zuri shows her the unevenly braided material with a hopeful look.

"This is good for your first try." Kanu praises her with a hand on her head making the little girl grin.

"What about me?!" Ezra shoves his similar unevenly braided one to her for praise.

She lets out a sigh, shaking her head.
"Still good for your first try." She tells the two to unravel them and start over as they work in silence. Other groups are sat weaving around them, all equally as eager to learn new techniques from the older ones.