Promise me

8 • a Thanks to you

"You must pull the seaweed under as the other is over, it's similar to braiding I guess." Tsireya explained to me. Trying to teach me how to make a basket.

"I am sorry, I'm a little slow." I say.

"It is alright, just try to follow my lead." Reya says.

I nod and closely watch her, watching everything she does and how smoothly she crosses under and over. I try to concentrate when Rotxo comes up behind me.

"Reya, Aonung wants to speak with you." He says, holding his hands together and fidgeting with them nervously.

"Oh alright, I'll be right back Ralu." Tsireya says. Putting a hand on mine as I nod in understatement.

"Rotxo.. explain how you do this please?" I asked him, looking up.

"Alright well.." Rotxo then takes my hands into he movements and explains what to do as well. As we finish Taireya comes in with a smile on her face, a very big one.

"I am sorry, my brother had to speak to me. It was important... did rotxo explain it?" She asks then.

"Oh yes, you both were helpful thank you." I say. Getting up and taking my basket with a very proud face to the hut to show the family what I've done.

"Neytiri Jake?" I ask walking in.

"They're not here.. need something?" Neteyam asked, standing up and walking towards me.

"Oh, do you like my basket?" I ask him.

"Of course, I love it." He says putting his hands on my shoulders.

"I'll put it by moms mat"

I watch him set it down as he walks back towards me.

"Would you like to go for a swim?" He asks.

"Could we make bracelets? I wouldn't to make one for the metkayina kids.. thanking them for the help." I ask.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Neteyam says.

"Let's go find the supplies." He adds.

I jump excitedly to use my very useful skills to make the metkayina a bracelet that matches all of their personalities.

We step into the beach and I instantly start looking down.

"I'm going into the water.. Tsireya is pink, rotxo is orange and Aonung is blue.. got it?" I say to Neteyam as he looks at me, I slowly back into the water.

"Got it.. we got threads in the pod too." He says and starts looking.

I smile as I walk fully into the water.. the coldness seeps around my body perfectly as I drop my head, opening my eyes to the beautiful fish swimming around me.

There was beautiful colors of pink and red and yellow, making me think of the sun. I swim deeper looking at the coral. The anemone moves around as fish play with eachother.

I see a very bright orange shell, matches rotxo perfectly. I grab it, making it the main bead as I see a akula tooth. Over in these areas? Then I realize it's a full necklace. It has a rope wrapped around it and it looks so familiar.

I put it in my side bag as I keep looking around. I swim into some coral, as it scratches my eye. I back away from it feeling a cut down it, I feel a think liquid as well.

Of course it is bleeding. I shake it off and continue finding all of the shells I need. I then swim back up meeting neteyams eyes.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I ran into coral." I say.

I then see Kiri walking up with rotxo, they're holding hands.

"Looks like a new hot couple came to town" I say.

Kiri was always annoyed when I used my human slang but it made Neteyam laugh.

"Haha very funny, we're just walking." Then they walked away as I waved them good bye. I chuckled as I sat beside Neteyam dumping all of the shells out until something caught neteyams eye.

"A necklace??" He asked.

"It looks familiar but I don't know from where." I say

I put the necklace around my neck to resemble my adventures I have around the ocean and the memories I made.

We sit down together and separate the charms and shells we found by colors. Neteyam heads off to the pod to grab the threads for the bracelet

I hear footsteps coming up behind me thinking they're tuks.

"Hey Tuk ho-"

"Not Tuk." I heard Aonung say.

I turn around and look up. "I am so sorry I thought you were Tuk." I say.

"It's okay, I was seeing what you were doing." He says sitting down next to me.

"Just making bracelets, you came just in time. Here." I say handing him the very blue beads.

"What's this?" He asks.

"A bracelet, I made them for yall. Yours is blue, tsireyas is pink and Rotxos is orange." I say handing him his as I smile at him.

He takes it and puts it in his hand, studying every bead, every detail, every color.

"What's it for?" He asks.

"It's a thank you for letting me stay here and teaching me your ways." I say.

"You don't need to thank us, although I'll take it" he says laughing.

I slap his in the rib cage, he grunts in pain. "Ouch" he says.

"You deserved it" I say.

"Alright I'm back." Neteyam says sitting on the other side of me.

He hands me the threads as I start browsing them. The boys watching on either side of me. They examine every move, every bead I braid. I feel their warmth and presence on each side warming me up.

"And done!" I say finished with all of them.

"They look amazing" Neteyam comments.

"Wow didn't know you were this good." Aonung says

I face Aonung and grab his hand as I slip the bracelet onto his wrist.

"I love it, I should be thanking you for this" Aonung says.

"You're welcome" I say.

I then see his eyes drift to the necklace that I put on. I can only hear Neteyam walk away and say something. But I didn't understand him.

Aonungs eyes only focus on the necklace for a minute, I then get concerned.

"Is everything alright?" I ask

"You're wearing my necklace.. you found my necklace?" He asks as his eyes meet mine.

"I am so sorry. I found it and I wondered why it looked so familiar. I didn't know it was yours." I say as I start to take it off.

"Don't take it off, it looks good on you." He says

I smile at him as I take my hands and place them into his hands.

"Thank you, I love it anyways" our eyes met when we lean in closer, I could feel his breath on my lips.

"RALU!! AONUNG" I hear Tuk yell.

We jump back in surprise to see her.

"Tsireya is taking us to the spirit tree!!"