Moonchild | Neteyam

17

CHAPTER 17

       Eríhe would not admit it, but she had found Neteyam quite attractive when he went into the fight.

That feeling only lasted about five seconds before it turned embarrassing. All the boys were rolling around in the sand and shallow water, hitting and kicking each other as they tried to land punches.

"Stop it," Kiri called over the noise, "So stupid!"

Eríhe watched as Neteyam got punched and she nudged Kiri, "It's funny, no?"

"No!" Kiri said, "They're getting beat up!"

Erìhe rolled her eyes, "They are warriors," she laughed, "They'll be fine."

"They don't look like warriors," Kiri mumbled with her eyes glued on the boys rolling around the ground.

Eríhe had to agree. This was just about the most childish thing she had seen - and having known Lo'ak almost all her life, that said a lot.

The two girls watched as two of the Metkayina attempted dragging Lo'ak off Ao'nung by pulling on his tail. "Ow, my tail!" Lo'ak protested.

"My ear!" Ao'nung yelled as Lo'ak dragged him along by his ear. "Let go!"

Erìhe turned her attention from them to Neteyam, who sat on one of the boy's chest and landed punches one after the other on both sides of his face. Kiri turned to her, "Shouldn't we stop them?"

Erìhe sighed as she glanced back at her, "Yeah - go tell your dad."

Kiri chuckled, "Why do you seem sad about breaking up the fight?"

Erìhe waved at the scene before them. The boy had just managed to push Neteyam off him and was now the one hitting him. "Is this not entertaining?" Kiri raised a brow at her and Erìhe grinned before pushing her off toward the village, "Go get someone, I'll try to make them stop."

Kiri chuckled as she turned toward the village. Erìhe looked back at the boys and pondered what she should do. Inserting herself in the fight would not be smart, neither would be pushing one of the Metkayina - that would be taking part in the fight. She settled on moving closer to the boys and clapping her hands loudly. When that did not work, she decided to call their names, "Lo'ak! Stop that - Neteyam."

Sighing, Erìhe stepped back. "Oh? What's that?" She pointed off toward the village, "Is that the chief and Jake headed this way?" She was lying. There was no one.

But it was enough to get the boys to let go of each other and scramble up to their feet. Neteyam pushed the curly haired boy away from him as he looked in the direction she was pointing in. "There's no one," he stated as he wiped blood off his lip.

Erìhe looked back at him, "I'm aware."

Lo'ak looked at Ao'nung angrily and Erìhe could tell that he was about to resume the fight, so she stepped in front of him. "Your father is waiting to scold you."

Lo'ak looked back at her accusingly.

₊˚.༄

Erìhe was somehow dragged into the marui pod along with Lo'ak and Neteyam - as if she had been part of the fight or something. Jake led the teenagers into the home and made the two boys stand in front of him. Erìhe was glad that she at least did not have to stand next to them, and was instead allowed to stand beside Jake. This way she could avoid having to look into his disappointed eyes.

"What was the one thing I asked?" Jake asked after checking that no one was within earshot. Apparently he had a problem with scolding his kids around others. And this of course did not include Erìhe - she was almost always present. "The one thing?" He repeated.