Pandora (Neteyam)

Twenty-Three

"Look!" Tuk pointed into the pool of water in the forest, Mireya knelt down to the small girl and looked into the water. Schools of fish swam in circles and danced through the corals.

"Feel the water." Mireya dipped her hand into the clear water, the fish swimming round her fingers just as before. Tuk giggled and copied Mireya, splashing her fingers against the surface before relaxing her hand and letting the fish swim around her small hand. The fish tickled the girls hand causing her to squeal with laughter, Mireya laughed softly and not too far was Neteyam watching the them both with a small smile on his face. His tail swished calmly around him and he looked to his sister, Kiri who gestured him to follow her.

The siblings raced through the forest, playfully chasing each other until they reached a flatter location of the forest. "So what really brings you guys here? It's not obviously a vacation if mum and dad have come." Neteyam asked as he placed his hand onto one of the floras, the plant latching itself around his fingers.

"We were warned by a clan nearby the forest. They approve of you and Mireya, but there is multiple clans nearby them and us that does not approve, brother. They are hunting you both. They'll destroy and kill anyone and anything that gets in their way. They tried to kill Tonowari at the village after you guys left. They are ruthless and Dad calls them Rabid dogs." Kiri snickered but her smile dropped and looked to her brother, Neteyam scratched at his head in frustration and sat on a lone rock, his hands flopped between his legs as he stared at the river that travelled through.

"We must attack. They cannot come near us or my family. They won't listen to what we have to say. Even as Metkayina and Mireya as Omatikaya now too, they do not care. They'll keep going until we're both dead and probably Lo'ak and Tsireya too. They'll draw us out by using those two as bait." Neteyam spat, his fingers digging into the rock.

Kiri crouched down in front of Neteyam and placed a hand on his cheek. "They won't even get close to them. We will defend our family, Mum and Dad are great warriors, Mireya and you will be able to take them down easy. We just have to be smart." Neteyam nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Now, let's go see what our Skxawng of a brother is doing." Kiri laughed and Neteyam snorted and the two raced off to wherever they could find Lo'ak.

"Mama, look!" Tuk waved her hand to her mother showing off her new armband that Mireya and Tsireya had helped with making and collecting shells, and forest feathers, seeds, and leaves. Neytiri smiled and took Tuk's new armband and inspected the accessories that embraced the band. Her fingers ran along the veins of the threads of the band, to the veins of the leaves, the bones of the feathers. She then tied it around Tuk's arm and patted her skin once it was tightened.

"It's beautiful Tuk." Neytiri looked to the two older girls and mouthed a thank you. Mireya placed a soft hand above Tuk's head, the little girl looked up and gave her a toothy grin.

"Can we go to the beach?" Tuk asked as she inspected a shell hanging in the bracelet that the little girl herself had made going back several months ago now. Mireya's ears went down slightly and looked to her sister and then to Neytiri.

"We must only stay on the beach. There is no reef barrier on this island, so anything from the Black Sea can visit the shallow waters." Mireya told the child, though Tuk still nodded eagerly and grabbed ahold of Mireya's hand and and Tsireya's and raced down to where the dirt changed to sand, and the sand met the cool blue waters.

Tuk kicked the sand and grabbed all different shells she could find. Mireya kept an eye on the water but there was no sign of Tsurakina, and the water calm as it pushed up against the sand. Causing ripples of waves that softly splashed against any rocks, the strong smell of sea salt was in the breeze, the air kissed Mireya's skin. The sand was warm beneath her feet, and so was the sun.