Moonchild | Neteyam

25

CHAPTER 25

"Erìhe and Neteyam will watch you, alright, Tuk?" Neytiri was crouched down in front of her youngest daughter. Her and Jake were going to the party which was held for the adults, and she was setting some ground rules for the teenagers and Tuk while they were gone.

"Don't let her wander about on her own," Jake told Neteyam.

"Yes, sir," Neteyam nodded his head as he shot Erìhe a look.

His parents would never know - but they both planned on going to the party that Ao'nung had mentioned. After hours of pleading and begging, Erìhe had finally gotten Neteyam to agree to go with her - under the agreement that she would have to include him in whatever she did at the party. He did not fancy being a third wheel for Ao'nung and the girl he liked.

"Okay, be good," Neytiri said as she got to her feet. Tuk nodded enthusiastically as Jake turned to look at Lo'ak and Kiri who were both looking back at him with bored expressions.

When the their parents finally left, Lo'ak sprang to his feet. "Tsireya can come over like we agreed, right?"

Erìhe did not understand how that was a good deal, as Lo'ak and Tsireya could literally go into the forest and have more privacy than back at the pod with Kiri and Tuk - but still, it worked out for her and Neteyam.

Neteyam nodded to his brother, "Yeah, she can - apparently Rotxo is coming too."

"What?" Kiri demanded.

"He's a nice kid!" Erìhe pat her shoulder, "You'll have fun - you can play with Tuk and all that."

Lo'ak rolled his eyes, "That sounds so fun."

"Hey!" Tuk glared at him.

"Sorry, Tuk."

Tuk turned her eyes back on Erìhe, "We can paint my pa'li yellow, right?" She confirmed. In order to make the little girl agree to stay silent about their absence, all Erìhe had to do was say that she would paint the wooden figurine any color that Tuk wished once it was done.

"Hi!" Tsireya suddenly said as she entered the pod, "I saw that your parents left."

A grin immediately made its way onto Lo'ak's face and he walked over to stand beside her. Erìhe chuckled quietly to herself before walking over as well. "Please keep an eye on them," she whispered to Tsireya so that Lo'ak could hear her. He scoffed in annoyance but said nothing.

Rotxo set foot into the pod as well, "I can't believe I'm missing the party to babysit." That was the first thing he said when he looked over at them.

Neteyam narrowed his eyes at him, "Don't kid yourself. We all know your happy to be here," he nodded toward Kiri who rolled her eyes moodily.

Rotxo did not deny it.

"Alright! No getting into trouble - because it will be me and your brother who will get our asses handed to us if something happens," Erìhe said with a grin as she moved to stand behind Neteyam and began pushing him out of the home as the others bid them goodbyes.

"Is this really a great idea?" Neteyam glanced at her from over his shoulder as they headed out of the pod.

"I never said it was a great idea," Erìhe laughed, letting go of his shoulders to walk beside him. She waved at Tuk, who had hurried to stand by the opening of the pod to wave. "But it will be fun, no?" She grinned up at him when she turned away from Tuk.

Neteyam could not help but smile, "I hope so."

Erìhe and Neteyam were still relatively new to the place so they had no idea where the party was. Luckily Ao'nung had been kind enough to offer to show them the place. He'd told Erìhe to meet him by the edge of the village, close to the forest just before eclipse.