Two days later, Tsireya personally asked for my help to instruct the Sully kids, given that they were slow learners, and she also had personal businesses to take care of. Obviously, my answer was yes, and she gave me the list of things they already knew, or were in the process of. Unsurprisingly, the list only had two things: breathing (kind of) and swimming.
Teaching was not my specialty, as I wasn't really an expert on explaining how to do things. I could, but not many people understood what I meant. Still, I appreciated that they were trying.
I swam my way to where Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk and Neteyam were. No Aonung this time. No Rotxo. They were alone, playing some kind of game. Tuk was on Neteyam's shoulders and Kiri on Lo'ak's. When they saw me approaching, Neteyam let go of Tuk.
"Oh, shit. Sorry, Tuk. Don't tell dad," he apologized, caressing the girl's head.
Tuk stuck out her tongue and made some farting noise with it. I laughed.
"Sorry I'm late. Tsireya couldn't make it, so I'll be with you today," I said. Lo'ak lowered his eyebrows in a barely perceptible way. "From what I know, you were already taught the Way of Water. It should help with your breathing."
They all nodded, but Neteyam spoke. "Actually, I'm having some trouble with that part. Do you mind teaching me?" He had a small smile curling up his lips. "Rutxe."
"Fine, but it will have to wait. I got to teach your siblings how to ride an ilu." As I said that, some clicking noises escaped my mouth. My ilu and other two happily surrounded us. "Tam, tam, Lìtzy." She needed to stop licking me so I could ride her. "An ilu is like the water version of a pa'li. They are intelligent, sociable and the easiest creature to tame. The bond you form is not exclusive, meaning that others can ride your ilu and you can ride theirs, although that rarely happens."
"They are so pretty! Everything here is!" Tuk squealed, petting an ilu's neck.
"Yes, they are. I was only able to borrow two, so you will have to take turns."
I mounted Lìtzy, using my hand to grab my hair and pass it in front of my shoulder, so they could get a view of my posture. I sensed a pair of eyes looking at me more strongly than the rest, but I paid no mind.
I helped Lo'ak, putting one hand on his chest and the other on his back, to sit correctly.
"You know me from before, don't you?" He asked.
"I do. I'm surprised you remember. You were barely four."
"I don't have many friends. You were important in my life before, and, although there is much I don't know about you, I hope we can retake our friendship."
I smiled. "Sure. I want you to tell me everything that happened while I was away."
We spent a couple hours like that. Lo'ak and I exchanged funny stories, and Kiri would intervene from time to time to contribute with her wise insight on the matter. Most of those times, she would tell me how stupid they had been and how childish they acted.
After making sure that Tuk, Kiri and Lo'ak had the basics of ilu riding, while Neteyam just watched, getting more bored by the minute, we took off to explore the reef. Kiri rode the ilu with Tuk on her back, Lo'ak was by himself and Neteyam with me. He was all too proud of his inability to ride and ilu, happily putting his hands around my waist for a more stable hold.
I could feel his warm breath in my back and I could almost make out the smile he probably had.
It was a long trip with even longer breaks, as they constantly went up to catch their breath, or they got too distracted by the view. It brought me nostalgic memories of the first year I got to be with the Metkayina clan. I was equally, or even more, impressed by the beauties that the sea held.
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A true seer | Neteyam
Fanfiction"We once used to be friends, Neteyam and I. We were more than that. If only my family had stayed in the forest, it could have remained that way. It must have been Eywa's will that we reunited ten years later, in my home in the Metkayina clan, and th...
