Mune Olo'eyktan [NeteyamxAonung]

Part 5

In another part of the village, away from the commotion of the party, Spider leads Tsireya and Aonung down a short path in the dense woods around the village.

At the end of the path, there's a luminescent pond in a cove of trees and roots. As the sky darkens, with eclipse coming upon them, the cove shows its beauty.

Tsireya and her brother take in the sight with awe.

Tsireya- How beautiful.

Spider- And peaceful, since it's so secluded.

Tsireya- Can we go for a swim?

Spider- Sure, don't stay in too long though. It's beautiful at night, but it's out of sight from the village.

Tsireya- If you're worried, stay and keep watch.

Spider- Okay, but only for a little while.

She smiles and stands on her toes to peck his cheek, then wastes no time diving into the pond, followed by Aonung.

Underwater, the siblings take in the sight of the small creatures and plants lighting up their surroundings. Tsireya smiles as she swims at Aonung's side, and though he's impressed by the scenery, he's yet to show it on his face.

With a hand on his shoulder, she stops him, and speaks in their hand language, signing "Are you okay?"

He responds with a simple nod of his head, but she knows better than to just believe a plain answer from him.

"You seem upset." She presses the issue more, and he responds signing "Still a bit tired from the ride. That's all."

She observes his face a moment longer, then decides to believe him, and they continue their dive.

When they resurface, coming up for air early since they know Spider is waiting for them, Tsireya heads to the edge of the pond and pulls herself out.

With a refreshed expression, she slides her wet hair behind her, ready to return to the village.

Spider- Might wanna wring that out.

Tsireya- Oh, right.

She begins to squeeze the loose water from her hair, while Aonung remains in the pond. He's at the edge with his arms on the ground as a rest for his chin while his body remains submerged.

His sister looks down at him.

Tsireya- Come on, we've made him wait long enough.

Aonung- Can't I stay a bit longer? The way back is simple.

Spider- Not that this spot is particularly dangerous, but it's still not safe to be out here alone in the dark.

Aonung- I won't stay long.

Tsireya- He's begging, he must really want to be alone.

She looks at him accusingly, knowing he only longs to be by himself when something is bothering him.

Spider- Fine, but if you stay longer than ten minutes I'm coming back for you.

Aonung- That's fine.

He pushes off the ground, then flips backward as he re-enters the water, completely dismissing the two, which makes Tsireya sigh.

Spider- You okay?

Tsireya- Yeah, but something has him upset.

Spider- Well, he's probably just trying to adjust to sharing Neteyam with someone so close to him that he doesn't know.

Tsireya- You're probably right. He did look at that one boy strangely for wrestling Neteyam.

Spider- Don't worry about him too much, he's adaptable.

He takes her hand in his and leads her back to the village, while Aonung continues his thoughtful dive.