Skxawng • Neteyam

5

•••

Neteyam had been pacing around Grandmother's hut for the past hour after she'd finished. Yeriyah was still asleep, and Grandmother had said she would be sleeping for a while longer, but he couldn't deal with it. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to hug her, yell at her, or ki-

"What happened?" Tsu'tey walks, and Neteyam turns to him. Neteyam doesn't forget that Tsu'tey got told of his daughter's condition hours ago, and it is only now that he visits.

"She was trying to save my family from a Thanator attacking them. It scratched her back badly, and she fractured her wrist." Neteyam tells her father, who looks around him at Yeriyah, who is wrapped in a protective cover to reduce infection.

"When will she wake up?" That was his next question.

"Grandmother said in a few hours. Not too sure." He shrugged, and Tsu'tey walked past him and into the hut.

"You can leave now, Neteyam. I'll watch her." He said, turning to look at him. A chill slithered down his spine at the look in his eyes.

"I don't mind. I want to be there when she wakes."

"Why?" He asked in an accusatory tone.

"I wanted to thank her. She saved my brother and sister. I owe her." Neteyam told him, and he scoffed. His actions astounded him.

"You do not owe her. If anything, she caused more trouble and drama." He spits. Neteyam was so shocked he was rendered speechless and took a step back. "I'll watch her and let Mo'at know when she wakes."

He nodded but did not go far. Yeriyah was his daughter, and she almost died. Tsu'tey didn't seem to care at all. Neteyam shook his head and stepped away from the camp momentarily to get Lo'ak to stand by and watch with him.

•••

Three hours after Neteyam left, Yeriyah woke up, and the person she'd hoped had been waiting for her had turned out to be her biggest nightmare. Tsu'tey sat to her right, and he was already scowling when she looked over.

She groaned from the pain she had just now felt. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was hoarse.

"Being a father." He says it like it was the worst thing to ever happen to him. "You pulled me away from my life! I told you not to cause trouble that night I sent you away. This." He pushes on her shoulder, making her cry out. "Is trouble."

"I saved my friends." She told him. "I couldn't let them die."

"And they were so quick to let you take the fall for them." He hissed and smiled as her ears flattened. She knew they'd do the same for her...right? "You're path-"

"What's going on here?" Neteyam walks in, and Tsu'tey stands quickly from his crouched position. Yeriyah wanted to cry in relief from seeing him.

"Nothing, just checking on my daughter." Tsu'tey lies. Neteyam looks to Yeriyah for answers, but she is a stone-cold wall.

"Do you mind?" Neteyam asks and gestures to his daughter. Tsu'tey turns to her and looks down. With his back turned to Neteyam, he looked deathly at her before turning around.