Through The Valley • Ao'nung

Chapter XXXXXXVII

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̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ 　Born as       ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  

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The boulder beneath her feet was cold and sharp. The skimwing swimming round around it like a shark taunting its prey, or growing insane themselves. At'anau only waited, eyes on the horizon. The quietness giving her all the time in the word to think. All the time she tried not to. 

Trapped in her thoughts she only prepared herself for what needed to be done. When the man would be brought up, one of the boys would carry him. Most likely the one she did her dreamhunt with. And she determined that that was the end. She'd let him take him. Have a proper burial. One all fallen Metkayina soldiers deserved. And after that try to forget about it. 

That was the end. She'd go back, face the family she'd lost, the friends she can't keep. The feelings that continue hurting while fading away at the same time. 

She shouldn't have let Ao'nung go down. Not with a head injury like his. He never should have come. She never should have let anyone come along. She should have been doing this alone. The man died for her and she couldn't even do as much as retrieve him. 

It had only been a couple of days, the girl didn't know how much time was needed for much change to the body to happen. She didn't want to know. She just wanted to go home. 

home.

"He's not on the ship!" 

At'anau's skin ran cold at the startle as the boy almost jumped out of the water and landed on the same rocky land as her. 

"he's not on the ship." This time At'anau understood, and if it weren't for her already sitting down she would have dropped to do so. Ao'nung and Rotxo joined them almost immediately. Visibly trying to calm the other boy down. 

At'anau's head pounded, her stomach turned and a flicker almost went out in her chest. Yet all she could do is hold her head. It couldn't be. What happened? Did the current? Did animals? No, it shouldn't. They were supposed to get him, mourn and try to live along. 

"How is he not on the ship?" The boy's loud voice alarmed, not having any answer as he was the only one able to express his distress. 

Ao'nung and Rotxo stayed with a frown on their face. Genuine confusion on their face and shock as they tried coming up for a reason that would not fuel any ounce of hope to any of them. 

At'anau knew she wasn't allowed to, and she bit on her tongue as punishment for thinking so, but Ateyo could not be alive. It was impossible. He had evaded Death once, he couldn't have possibly be granted another chance. Not when her brother didn't get a single one. 

"Hey!" At'anau once again was shaken out of her thoughts, but didn't look up from the pair of legs that walked towards her "You were with him last, right?" 

At'anau closed her eyes, her hands finding her ears as they unconsciously cupped them. 

"I don't know." Her low voice rasped out. The other boy's head turning in distaste.

"What do you m- You don't know?" He stepped closer, Ao'nung nudging his shoulder back just an inch he would eventually double towards her again "Where is he, hm?" 

At'anau didn't know where the hostility in his voice was coming from, and to be completely transparent she did not care. His frustration was none of her concern, if he decided to lash it out on her she would let her be the punching bag for she had endured worse. "Why isn't he on the ship?"