Skxawng • Neteyam

3

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He was going to kill her, and not in a joking way he always says he would. No, this time, he really would. He'd been waiting on her the entire morning, and she still hadn't shown up. Mo'at would skin them if they didn't have the berries, and more, by the end of the day and if he didn't start soon, it wouldn't get done.

Yeriyah was not one to miss out on an order like this, but Neteyam was furious. He didn't have the time to wait anymore. Neteyam called to his ikran and was in the air a minute later. The berries only grew in specific spots in the forest, and the closest area away was not within walking distance. He flew his ikran and a few weaved buckets with him.

Once he'd gotten to the area and landed, he got to work. He hadn't realized how many berries they'd thrown until he had to pick them. Yeriyah had been the one who started it, and now he was picking up after her. His mind clouded with irritation, but after a while, he fell into a rhythm, and he'd almost forgotten that Yeriyah had ditched him.

After Neteyam filled three large weaved buckets, he considered it good enough to return. He looked into the sky and discovered it had only taken him half a day to do this without her, and after the rhythm he'd fallen into, time passed quickly. After attaching the baskets to his ikrans side, he flew back to the village.

He'd started to wonder if she were in trouble or injured somewhere, but he was too mad to go and check. If she were gone or injured, the clan would have heard about it by now. He'd seen her yesterday at dinner, eating with his sisters. Tuk loves Yeriyah, and Neteyam used to despise listening to Tuk go on and on about her. Now he just happily blocks it out. He did like Yeriyah's patience with Tuk, and Kiri does not get along well with many people. Yeriyah was one of the first people to get through to Kiri.

A little while later, he landed his ikran near the home tree. Careful to make sure Mo'at was not around to see that Riyah bailed. He would much rather be the one to yell at her for ditching him than have Grandmother do it. He unloaded the baskets in replace of the new ones and sent his ikran away.

It was nearing late afternoon, and still, there had been no sign of Yeriyah. His bitterness was slowly turning to worry, but when he'd been on his way to see Mo'at, Yeriyah stepped into his path.

"Neteyam." She started, but he was already hissing at her. Yeriyah's ears flatten at the sound.

"Where the hell we're you, hmm? Making me do that shit alone. It was your fault in the first place." Yeriyah knew she was at fault, but she didn't intend to skip it. After dinner, when she'd gone home, Tsu'tey had her things at the entrance to their tent. He didn't want her living there anymore. She spent most of the night trying to find a place to hide it so no one in the clan would ask questions.

Tsu'tey is a warrior who'd done great things in the war against the Sky People. Yeriyah had heard the stories of him and Toruk Makto, Neteyams dad. They were legendary. How could she take a warrior like that away from the clan? Who would even believe her if she tried?

"I'm so sorry, Neteyam. I didn't mean to make you do it alone." She tried, but he just shook his head, his lips pulled into a thin line. He was angry, and it was clear to see that on his face.

"That's it? You're not even going to make up an excuse. That's unbelievable. Get out of my sight. I'm going to tell Grandmother that we did this together." Neteyam told her and started to walk off, but she grabbed his arm. Her skin was so cold compared to his, and that alone had him looking at her.