Skxawng • Neteyam

21

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Two days had passed since Neteyam and Yeriyah became mates. The only people who knew were his parents. They'd kept the news quiet since Kiri had just woken up, and the last thing anyone wanted to do was overwhelm everyone with new information.

Yeriyah had been helping Kiri and Tuk with breakfast. Neteyam and Lo'ak had left early in the morning and hadn't returned yet. "Take this," Kiri says, handing Yeriyah her meal wrapped in leaves like a bowl. "Eat."

"I will, in a bit." Yeriyah mumbles. "You should eat."

Kiri looks over her shoulder and sneers. She'd been in incredibly low spirits since she woke up. It could be exhaustion, but Yeriyah knew the idea of being unable to return to the Spirit Tree weighed on her. Kiri had seemed empty, and Yeriyah hated seeing it.

Loud voices filled her ears, and she knew the Sully brothers were returning from wherever they ran off to this morning. Yeriyah looked over her shoulders at her mate and smiled. Neteyam found her immediately and walked over. He sat down beside her, grabbed the breakfast Kiri made for her and ate it for himself.

"Hey!" She smacked his chest playfully, making him smile. "I was going to eat that."

"Sucks." He chuckled and subtly tugged on one of her braids, making her smile grow.

"Where did you go this morning?" Yeriyah wondered and looked over at Lo'ak, who avoided eye contact with her at all times. She arched a brow in scrutiny and turned back to her mate, who gave her a sheepish look. "Neteyam." Her tone was filled with warning.

"We went...flying this morning," Neteyam tells her, and Lo'ak sighs in disappointment from behind her.

"Without me!" She yells and turns deadly eyes to her mate. It's been a few days since she's flown Zaeyli. She saw her yesterday around the eclipse to feed her some fish she'd caught but hadn't had time to fly.

"You're so weak, bro." Lo'ak shook his head at his older brother, who claimed beforehand he'd be able to keep this a secret. "You lasted one second!"

"Have you seen her eyes!" Neteyam argued. "She can see into your soul." He swears.

"You guys are mean!" Yeriyah frowns.

"Next time, MaRiyah." He whispered her name into her ear so no one else heard. A shiver ran up her spine, making all thoughts leave her head. She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment.

Suddenly, in the back, a conch sounded throughout the village. Yeriyah and Neteyam were the first to their feet to run out of the hut. Tsireya was riding by on her ilu, yelling aloud. "The tulkun have returned! Everybody, our Brothers and Sisters, have returned!"

Yeriyah and Neteyam looked at each other excitedly before running for the pod of Ilu's. Neteyam called one over and attached his queue. Yeriyah jumped on behind him, and his hand came around her thigh to hold her close as they lurked forward.

Both their eyes were wide as the Tulkun jumped from the water. A bubbling laugh emerged from her throat at the shockingly beautiful view before her. Their calls echoed in the air, and other Metkayina flew by on their Skimwing's.

Neteyam's laugh makes Yeriyah smile, and they duck under the water, where the whole pod of Tulkun meets with their Spirit Sisters or Brothers. The Tulkun's songs flowed in the water as they spun and turned. Neteyam and Yeriyah weaved through the pod, Neteyam's hand climbing Yeriyah's thigh as he held onto her.