Avatar = Way Of Water = Aonung Romance

=Chapter 17=

The scare Kiri gave us all quickly died down. Finding her sitting by the water one night I walked up to her. Sitting beside her I looked over her saddened expression.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" I asked.

"About what?" she huffed.

"About it all Kiri," I whispered taking her hands. 

"We always talk to each other. Those are the rules remember?" I asked with a playful smile. When we were young we made a silly rule that stated since we were both sisters we had to tell each other everything. She pondered for a moment.

"I can hear Eywa's heartbeat," she stated.

"I know that," I said moving closer to her. 

"What is it Kiri," I pushed softly.

"When I connect to the spirit tree. I-I saw my mother," Tears gathered in her eyes. Yet I smiled.

"That's amazing Kiri. What was she like?" I asked.

"Beautiful, strong. She smelt exactly like I thought she would," she whispered.

"And her voice. What did it sound like?" I asked.

"Kind," she whispered with a small smile of her own.

"I am happy for you Kiri," I said squeezing her hand.

"Father says I'm not to connect to the tree again, if I do I might die," sadness overcame her happiness in an instant.

"Oh Kiri," I whispered hearbrokenly pulling her into a tight hug. I let her cry on my shoulder, I let her spill her sorrows onto me providing a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. At that moment that was all she needed.

The next day we were rolling up our mats when a horn sounded. We all rushed out of the hut shocked to see the villagers all jumping into the water. 

"The tulkun have retuered. Everybody our brothers and sisters has returned!" Tsireya called as she swam past us. 

"Slywanin!" Aonung rode across on his ilu. Without hesitation, I jumped into the water wrapping my arms around his body as he took off. It was beautiful, hundreds of tulkun's swam into the reef. 

In their endless cycle of migration, they had come home. We dived under the water as the tulkun's danced turning and spinning in the water in joy.

It was a time for stories. Of their season apart. Of deaths and births. Of old friends.

And new love. Aonung dismounted swimming up to a great tulkun.

'This is my spirit brother. Kalo,' he signed excitedly to me before turning to the great creature.

'It's good to see you brother,' he signed.

"You as well, I see you have made a new friend?" It was amazing being able to understand the tulkun. They spoke through sounds different than our words. Aonung smiled brightly holding his hand out to me. Swimming closer I took his hand.

'This is Sylwanin. She comes from the forests,' he explained.

'My Eywa smile on our first meeting,' I signed.

"I am glad to meet you," he responded in kind. He then turned to Aonung.

"She is very beautiful," his words had me laughing and Aonung smiling bashfully. 

That night there was a great celebration. Tsireya had taken myself, Kiri, and Tuk to a separate hut to get ready. We gave into our girly sides getting ready with the other young women. On my ear sat a clip that extended the bottom length of the ear with three little dangles tasles. I had traded out my tunic for a bright blue one. Over my chest sat a coraled assortment of leather and pearls. On my arms like every other girl sat these beautiful drapes of different shades of blue. I had even taken my braids out.