maybe one day ~neteyam sully

three

Whispering woke Akina the next morning, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion as she rubbed her eyes. She glanced around the tent, finding Antu still asleep and her mother gone. She knew her mother had yet another hunting party this morning, but she didn't realize it was this early.

Her ears twitched as the whispering continued, pulling her attention to the closed entrance to the tent. Akina silently got up, walking towards the flaps to try and hear better.

"She is still asleep. You will have to come back later." The voice was kind and soothing, and Akina immediately knew it was her mothers voice.

"I would just like to drop this off, please ma'am. I swear i will be in and out."

Neteyam.

Why in Eywas name was Neteyam outside of her tent before the night was over?

Akinas ears twitched as she heard her mother sigh, silence following it.

Shit.

Akina scurried back to her bedroll as silently as she could, laying down and hiding most of her face with her blanket. She kept her face relaxed as she pretended to be asleep, keeping her ears from twitching as she heard the flaps of the tent open quietly. Soft footsteps neared her, causing her heart to race as she pretended to roll over in a deep sleep. Quiet shuffling took place right next to her head, Neteyams scent filling her nose. She tried to keep her breathing even as the shuffling went silent, almost jumping out of her skin when she felt fingertips on her ankle that was jutted out from under the blanket. Determination and confusion kept her still as she felt something on her ankle, Neteyams footsteps heading towards the entrance of the tent after a few moments. She listened carefully as his footsteps got further and further away, waiting a few minutes before suddenly sitting up.

Next to where her head was laying was a small pile of flowers. Akinas heart jumped in her chest as her eyebrows scrunched together, her fingers reaching out and touching the petals of the flora. After a moment she turned, her eyes landing on her ankle that was not under the blanket. A matching anklet to her bracelet now rested on her ankle, Akina swallowing the lump in her throat. He had done the exact same thing with the bracelet when they were younger, believing she was asleep when he tied the band around her wrist. Akina didnt really sleep for a while after her father passed, but Neteyam didnt need to know that.

Akina laid back onto her bedroll, shifting to lay on her side so she could look over the flowers by her head. Her heart ached as she allowed her mind to drift back to the memories of when her and Neteyam were attached by the hip, her eyes closing as she fell back to sleep.

~

Shouts rang throughout high camp as Akina tried to work as fast as she could. A second patrol had gone out to try and scavenge what they couldnt the day before at the train tracks, only to be met with more force than before. Blood covered Akinas arms and legs, thankfully not her own. She had to do lots of stitching, which thankfully is her area of expertise. It wasnt her favorite thing to do, digging bullets from flesh and then sewing the gaping wound closed, but it had to be done.

The young girl was on edge already due to the high demand of healers today, and it almost sent her over the edge each time she saw Neteyam standing outside the tent. He knew well enough to stay out of her way, but she supposed he was a big enough skxawng to not go further.

Akina did have to admit, the new weight around her ankle was comforting.

She paid no mind to the new anklet though, her temper getting the better of her and not allowing herself to show that she even knew it was there in front of Neteyam. The young girl decided she was going to make the boy work for it.