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chapter four. diving. ━━━━━━━━━━━━
"Are you joining us today?" Tsireya asked.
Maleia looked up at her, two hands holding tops of seashell covered clothing.
Chosing what to wear was a hard decision.
In the water, Maleia didn't like to wear her finest clothing because she was scared of the harsh waves breaking her mother's hard work.
She would save them for celebrations, and feasts that would take place later that day.
Teaching diving would take much hard work.
And, possibly the ruining of her tops.
"Father has said so," Maleia replied shortly, placing the prettiest top down and wearing the one she wasn't scared to break.
Tsireya smiled before allowing Maleia to sit herself in front of her.
Tsireya's hand ran through Maleia's curly locks as she broke it into two sections, holding the top section back with a seashell clip that Ronal had made for them.
"I like doing your hair.. It is much easier," Tsireya announced before tapping Maleia's shoulders, letting her know she was done.
Maleia smiled as she curled her short locks between the tip of her fingers.
Many Metkayina women refused to cut their hair short, but Maleia liked to keep it tamed.
It kept her hair from her face in the water.
"But, you can style yours in so many ways!" Maleia announced, a bubbly tone to her voice.
Tsireya nodded as Ao'nung entered the pod.
"Come! They are waiting!" He said, adding a hiss to the 'they', in his sentence.
Maleia narrowed her eyes at him— pushing past his body before heading towards the new welcomers.
"Morning..." Maleia introduced the day.
Neteyam crashed his elbow into the flat of Lo'ak's stomach, watching as he stuttered on his words before turning around to see Maleia.
His face dropped, hoping she hadn't heard what he was just talking about.
"Hey," He said, again.
Maleia chuckled at that before walking into the end of the netting.
She jumped into the water, revealing herself before waving her hand to allow the others to join her— Ao'nung and Tsireya jumping in.
A couple of splashes later, the Sully children had decided to jump in.
Their eyes scanned under the water, admiring the serene scene surrounding them.
Maleia smiled as she guided some fish with her hand, letting them swim away back to their peaceful state.
"Come on!" Ao'nung signed with his hands.
Maleia rolled her eyes before swimming with the three of them.
Rotxo was a friend, an inseparable one. But, he was kind and a good diver, so neither of them minded his company.
Maleia twisted her body, finding that the Sullys had swam their way to the top.
Lo'ak dipped his head under.
"Swim together with us," Tsireya signed.
He shrugged before landing back under the water, and swimming with the four of them.
Maleia smiled as she twisted around an animal, laughing to herself which made bubbles reach the surface of the wated, after it tickled her skin.
Beneath the surface was her favourite.
It was calm and collected, also full of animals that she liked to study and play with.
"What's wrong with them?" Ao'nung asked.
Maleia furrowed her prints before watching Rotxo swim forwards, "They are bad divers."
Tsireya frowned, "Stop! They're learning."
Maleia nodded her head, smacking her brother on the head before pointing a finger at him.
"You would be the same in the forest..." She warned before deciding to swim to the top and join them.
Luckily, her hair hadn't covered her sight and she could see Lo'ak already watching her.
A gentle flush covered her cheek before feeling Ao'nung, Rotxo and Tsireya push themselves above the surface also.
"Are you all right?" Tsireya asked.
"You're too fast! Wait for us..." Tuk exclaimed as she wiped the water from her eyes.
Maleia curled her face into admiration, noticing how chest rapidly bouncing with every deep breath.
"Just breathe.. breathe," Tsireya told them.
Ao'nung sneared, "You are not good divers. Maybe good at swinging through trees."
Tsireya cut him off by slapping his head, Rotxo's chuckles soon falling to a close at the response from his friends little sister.
"C'mon, bro. We don't speak this finger talk! We don't know what you're saying," Neteyam announced as he moved his fingers to show.
Maleia nodded, adding that to her lists of things to teach them, "Then you will be taught. It is not easy being beginners."
Lo'ak looked at her after that sentence.
She understood them.
A small smile filled his lips before he turned away once noticing she had twisted her body to view him.
"Where is Kiri?" Rotxo suddenly asked.
"Who?" Ao'nung asked, earning another deadly glare from Maleia. "You skxawng!" Maleia hissed before they all began to look around, searching for Kiri in the water.
