KIRI'S JOURNEY - AVATAR 3

Chapter Four

"I told you to bring more food!" I yell to Lo'ak over the wind.

He waves me off with a smile as he stuffs his face some more then slips his ikran a piece.

"You eat like an banshee." I mutter under my breath.

For someone who makes Tsireya worry so much, he seems more than fine. I have no idea how he convinced her to stall for us as long as she can but even then I don't think it will be long enough for us to go unnoticed. I still remember the look on Rotxo's face when he realized there was no stopping us. No stopping me.

"Kiri?" I look up from my ikran then Rotxo's eyes meet mine briefly before he nervously scratches the back of his neck.

"I want you to have this." He quickly takes his bracelet off his wrist and puts it around mine. The unexpected feeling of his touch temporarily puts me in a daze that all I can seem to do is stare down at it. A small oddly shaped shell that appears to be white but when you turn it a certain way it radiates a fuse of colors like a rainbow woven carefully onto string. Simple but beautiful.

"It kept me safe and I hope it will keep you safe too." he said shyly.

I look down at the bracelet now and think of him. He gave me this before I left yet I didn't have time to even thank him because Lo'ak all but dragged me off into the sky with our ikrans.

"We don't have a lot of time, Kiri! Dad might see us and stop us!" He was right but he still annoyed me.

I never get gifts from anybody except my family. Even giving gifts like this within clans is rare so why did he give me something so important to him? Is this what having friends is like? Mom would say Spider is my friend but to me I'd say like more than a brother. It's times like these where I wish my only friends weren't animals so I would atleast have something to compare it to. I lovingly stroke my ikran's head as if it heard my thoughts.

It takes four painfully long days to get back to the Omataikya clan. Our home. I'm sure mom and dad are already on their way to retrieve us. Lo'ak guesses we have a full day at least before they show up. As I knew we would, we ran out of food on the third day so as soon as we landed his priority was to find food. My priority is Spider. Suddenly I buzz with energy knowing he's not far from me anymore. He's within my grasp. I practically fly towards the biolab my Ma's in while ignoring the once familiar faces of my former clan and humans around me. I know my way around like the back of my hand that in almost a blink of an eye, I'm swinging open the door to my original happy place. That's when I see him.

"Monkey Boy!" I run up to him and wrap my arms so tight around him like I'm scared he might float away and the only thing keeping him here is me. His grip around me is just as tight, like I'm the one who might float away. I rest my cheek on his head as I find myself happy that despite all the change he still smells the same. Like home. It's only when he finally pulls away that I notice the worried expression on his face. He doesn't look happy to see me. Trying my best to sound casual instead of hurt I ask with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

He starts to open his mouth but then Max and Norm come running towards us wearing similar expressions. "Is Jake here?" Norm asks in an urgent tone.

My dad? Why would he be here? He doesn't even know Lo'ak and I left. I shake my head in a silent no and instantly see all of their shoulders deflate like they were hoping he was.

"Why? What's wrong?" I raise my voice this time and see them all exchange looks that say who's gonna tell her? I wish they wouldn't treat me like a child. Like a fragile child who can't handle the truth. Spider is older than me by only 2 years and he gets to know before I do?