Mysteries Live in the Mountains

𝒳𝐼𝒳

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"Child do you know what you did?"

I hung my head low as the Sully parents began to lecture me for my actions. Their children were ease dropping. I could hear their almost silent movements from the entrance of the Sully tent.

"Erzawi is the son of a great warrior who sacrificed his life in the war against the sky people."

Tsu'tey is what Neteyam had called him. The great warrior. The Olo'eyktan before Jake.

"You have brought shame to your parents Santanhí."

The words struck like knives. Wounds that could not be healed. I could feel myself shaking, but I refused to speak.

"We took you and your sister in. We expect peace from you. You have shown a sign of ungratefulness and disrespect. You must pull your weight and do what is expected of you if you want to live here."

After a few moments of silence I was prepared to apologize and promise to be better, but I was interrupted.

"Do you even know what he said to her? It is not fair to blame her. She was only protecting herself."

I spun around in surprise as Lo'ak stormed in. This boy really doesn't know how to control himself.

"Lo'ak."

His mother spoke with a warning in her voice.

"He called her a freak! He told her to go back where she belongs! I do not care whose son he is! She did not do anything wrong!"

I sighed as the boy argued with his parents.

"Lo'ak it is okay..."

I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him shaking my head at him as he looked back at me.

"I am sorry for my actions. I-I will never disrespect you or your people again. I am nothing but thankful for what you have done for me and my sister. I am sorry."

With that I bowed my head and left the tent. Lo'ak looked back in surprise, and the siblings that had been hiding and listening to the scolding held pity in their eyes. Every one of them knew that me and my sister were doing our best to fit in. They knew the grief and hardship held in our past. There was no reason to reason to believe that we weren't respecting or grateful.

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I sat in our given tent alone once again. This is now where I reside in the night time. Away from the Sully family. Away from my sister.

I found myself fidgeting with the hair wraps that had not been redone in almost two months. They were something that required to be retouched as my hair grew out, so I occupied myself with this activity for a while.

I raked through my hair that had become more and more tangled overtime. I understood why the Omatikaya commonly braided their hair, it kept it protected and in order. After not taking down my hair for a couple of days, it had become a knotted mess.

"Let me help you..."

I jumped at the sudden voice. Neteyam stood at the entrance of the tent rather hesitantly. It seemed as if he had contemplated coming in at all.