To Know You Again | Neteyam x OC

Chapter 5: Doubt No More

***

Leylani watched, alarmed, as Naia disappeared out through the entry flaps of the tsahìk's hut again, tearing away through the stronghold. The basket of clean linen lay haphazardly on its side on the floor, some of its contents spilling out of its tilted form. She called out in a half-shout, very mindful of the newborn asleep in her arms, "Manaia! What's wrong? Manaia!"

Her friend had looked a fright. Naia's eyes had been wide and frantic, as though she had just witnessed something terrible. Her expression had turned even more stricken when she had met Leylani's gaze, and her face had crumpled before she had snatched her belongings and fled. Something was wrong.

Lithely pushing off the backs of her feet to stand up, Leylani quickly padded back around the wooden partition to return Amiria to her napping mother with a hurried apology. Gathering her long tresses and winding it all atop her head in a knot, she lanced a couple of long hairpins through the updo to make it stay and prepared to run after Naia. Leylani strapped her hunting knife to her hip and was about to step out of the hut when the flaps parted to admit an apprehensive looking Kikuna.

"Did Manaia come back this way?" Kikuna asked, her forehead creased with worry.

Immediately connecting the appearance of this young woman with the disappearance of the other, Leylani remarked in return, "Yes, why?"

Kikuna shifted anxiously on her feet and wrung her hands, "A few of us were chatting by the washing grove. She overheard and looked upset when she left us."

Clearing her throat and folding her arms impatiently across her bosom, Leylani eyed the young woman acutely, foot tapping tetchily on the floormats, "Well? What happened?"

Kikuna and her gaggle of friends were insipid and notorious gossips. Leylani did not even want to guess what unpleasant comments had been said that had not been meant for Naia's ears. Likely some distasteful comment about Naia's plain appearance... or her bland fashion sense... The former of which was untrue, and the latter meant nothing at all in the grand scheme of things, when you considered what a generous and beautiful soul Naia was, even if her tongue was sharp.

"Tupou told me this morning that Neteyam has reclaimed his role as successor." Kikuna began carefully, "I'm sorry Leylani, I know it's meant to be all hush-hush still, but everyone is already talking about it. We were just talking amongst ourselves about it. You'd make a strong pair, you and Neteyam."

Kikuna's last sentence was delivered with a beseeching smile towards Leylani, as if the compliment would somehow atone for the inappropriate nattering she and her friends had engaged in. The realisation of what Naia had overheard and what she would have surmised was like a dowsing of frigid water over Leylani. Naia would have assumed the worst and worse still, her assumption would have been incorrect based off the gossip.

This was not at all how events were supposed to unfold... Naia was not supposed to find out until Neteyam spoke to her tonight... By Eywa, no one in the wider clan was supposed to know anything yet.

*** FLASHBACK TO EARLIER THAT MORNING ***

"Neteyam, wait!" Leylani speared through the draping flaps of the council shelter, hastening after Neteyam as he strode away. Reaching out, she grasped hold of his wrist and he turned to face her. The disappointment was plain on his face, but the unwavering resolution that reinforced his decision still remained.

"You can't convince me to change my mind, Leylani. My decision is made."

"I know, brother. But-" Leylani breathed with an exhalation. However, Neteyam interrupted her before she could continue.