The River Tree (Neteyam x Metkayina OC)

Chapter 25: The Kid

I really hate it when it's quiet. God it sucks. I want them to scream at me. I'd rather a swift pinch to my arm. A quick slap on my hand. A tug on my ear. A nip. Something.

It's when they don't say anything when I know I'm in deep shit.

The last time I saw my mom's ears flare, a clear indication of her fury, was when she caught me taking Lo'ak and Kiri out in the middle of the night last year. They had begged me to take them after mother banned them from flying for a week due to the sky people attacks doubling in severity. I knew that fact well. I had seen the portions of the forest where we used to play being burned to ash and the lakes we'd swim in change from their opaque teal hue to a black singed coated hole. But I also know flying was all Kiri and Lo'ak really had anymore. They couldn't leave high camp. We weren't allowed. The clan moving out of the trees and into the rocky crevices of the flying mountains meant the pivotal growing and warrior building forest was denied to all the youths. They wanted to leave the cave. That was all.

Who was I to tell them no?

No questions asked, I took them. We were gone for most of the night and had planned to return home before our parents came back from patrol. Our timing was horrendously off. Mother and Father would not soon forgive my recklessness. If anything, tensions and pressures rose even more after that. It was always thrown in my face, how I put my siblings in danger because "I wanted to rebel for the night."

That's the story I had given. It was a lie. Well, it was supposed to be. Truth be told it was a secret that I let slip to spare Kiri and Lo'ak from punishment. But it was true.

Up in the sky, in the hurling moonlight, no destination, no one else but my baby siblings canonballing through clouds as careless as wind. It was the first time they truly saw the sky for themselves. They wouldn't be allowed to fly through this portion of the sky for another month considering their age.

It was a rebellion of sorts. Kiri and Lo'ak seeing the sky before they were scheduled to. And me floating in it for the first time. Not following orders, on my own. All three of us, slacking off

Like kids. That was the last time I was a kid or so I thought.

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A couple steps away from the mauri, I wondered weather this would be a silent reprimand , closed off with a dreadful silent treatment.

But I knew my mother.

The swift clicking of her shell hair cuffs clinking against eachother gave warning to her head snapping back to face me and her signature piercing scowling face. Ears flattened as her breathed hitched and mine stopped.

"You may have the oloektan fooled but you cannot fool me." She hissed. Instinctively, I flattened my ears and bowed my head.

"Ney'tiri." Father begun, evidently aware of the incoming rage. But I knew my mother, to me it appeared as though she was not particularly angry. It was something else.

"I don't understand what's gotten into to you! Running off after your brother without telling anyone, starting a fight with the people here and now running off with a girl by yourself?! Do you know how bad that looks?" Mother drew closer to me, I dared not take any self preserving steps backwards "You were needed here!"

My heart sank.

"The web transit with high camp! With Your grandmother! You knew that was happening! Was that not important?!" Mother stomped her foot, perhaps to cover the sound of her voice breaking.

"Yes...yes, Mother. I knew." I apologetically said "I thought...I..." I had nothing to say for myself. I had forgotten.

I had forgotten to come back to my family.