More Than I Love You

Chapter 8- Spirit Tree

It is the next day.

"Taneya" Aonung calls out to her as she's asleep.
She looks at him with one eye opened, one eye closed as she's half asleep, "what's happening?"
"We're going. Remember? To do a search" Aonung says to her softly, knowing she's still half asleep.

She sits up and hugs him, resting her head on his chest, "please. Stay just a bit longer."
Taneya closes her eyes, almost like she's falling asleep again.

"Taneya, I have to go my love" Aonung replies.
She forces herself to open her eyes properly and wake up.

She looks up at him, "be safe please. And come back in one piece."
"I will try" Aonung replies.
Taneya then stands up and Aonung stands up after.
"I will wave you off" she says to him.
-
As they walk out the pod, there's other people of the clan, who are part of the search party waiting for Aonung.

When they see Taneya, they greet her, "I see you."
She greets them back.
Taneya then looks to Aonung with tired eyes, and uses both her hands to hold his face, "I mean it. Be safe. I expect you back by tomorrow morning."

"Yes ma'am" Aonung says to her jokingly.
She slaps him lightly on the arm.
"My Taneya. Don't worry okay? You will see me tomorrow when I come back with the information on Aromì. You will see me again I promise" He promises her.

She nods and then looks and sees that the others are still waiting.
She then looks back to Aonung, "go. They are waiting for you."

"I see you" Aonung says.
"I see you" Taneya replies.

She watches as Aonung and the rest of the search party go off on their Skimwings.
Aonung looks back at her and smiles.
Taneya smiles back and waves.

But as he turns around her smile fades.
"Please. Please don't let anything happen to him" she says to herself as she continues to watch them until they are out of her sight.
-
As Taneya was up early, she decided to go to the spirit tree. Knowing Aonung is out there, she needed someone who she could talk to. Someone being her mother, Ninat.

"What is troubling you child?" Ninat asks Taneya.
(She's already plugged her queue into the Spirit tree).

"Mother. I am worried. About Aonung" Taneya replies.
"He is a brave man he is. A good person with a good heart" Ninat says.
"I know that what he is doing is right. And for his people. But mother, I can't lose him. I can't bare to spend a day without him. Let alone eternity. And for our baby too. I need your help mother" Taneya pleads to her mother.

"Taneya darling. You know that is out of my hands. But you can ask Eywa for help. She will help you, you are special to her" Ninat replies.

Taneya nods, "you are right. The only person who can help me is Eywa."
-
When Taneya arrives back, she walks into her pod and notices Tsekey.
"Father?" Taneya asks.
"Oh daughter you're okay. I thought something had happened to you" Tsekey seemed worried.
"Why?" Taneya looked at him confused.

"It's so early. And you and Aonung both disappeared. I know that he has gone with the search party, as I was informed but I didn't know if you had gone with because Aonung had told me to make sure I take care of you. So when I came to check on you, you were gone" Tsekey begins to panic.

"It's okay father. I am okay I promise" Taneya assures him.
"I am too old for this, my heart my give out" Tsekey says.
"Father don't say things like that!" Taneya tells him off, "sit down. I will get you water to drink."
She sits Tsekey down and walks out to get water.
-
"Here" Taneya helps Tsekey to drink the water.
"How are you holding up? You seem tired" Tsekey says.
"I am. But I'm holding up okay. I'm just holding onto the hope that Aonung will come back safe" Taneya replies.

"He is a strong man. And he would do anything to protect you. So I promise he will be okay" Tsekey tries to make his daughter feel a bit better.
She just smiled weakly at him.

"Taneya. Come, lay down" Tsekey says to her.
She lays down and rests her head on his lap.
He begins to sing a song, as he pats her head gently.
It was a song he used to sing to her as a child, to help her to sleep.

After a while he looks down to see Taneya fast asleep.
He smiles, "worked every time. Get some rest daughter."
Tsekey gently holds her head and places her down, letting her sleep before walking out the pod.
-
Aonung and the others have just gone past the reef.

As Aonung is looking around, he begins to get flashbacks.

"Aonung get back!"
"Father!"

"Hey. You okay?" Rotxo asks.
Aonung nods, "we've gotta keep searching. Making sure that we dont miss out on anything.

As they continue to search, Aonung notices a body nearby. It's red. Meaning it's a fire person.
"Quick, weapons out" Aonung says to the others.

They swim closer to the body. Realising this person was dead, Aonung turns the body over slowly.
He was shocked and in horror.

It was Aromì.
"She's dead" Aonung says.
"She was just with us a couple of days ago" Rotxo says.
"She was telling the truth all along. She really was in danger" Aonung says.
He takes back what he said about her.

He then looks forward, in the direction towards his home.
"Please. Be safe, my Taneya" he whispers to himself.
-
Taneya slowly opens her eyes, as she wakes up from her sleep.
She sees a golden colour shining on her.
"It's so bright" she complains.

As she walks out the pod, she realised that it is evening. Meaning she has been asleep all day.
"Oh you're awake. How are you?" Neteyam says as he walks towards her.

"Why did no one wake me up?" Taneya asks.
"Your father, he wanted to let you rest. We went out to get fish, and then when he came back it spent the day helping beginners with their riding lessons on an ilu. He hasn't been here long but already, he as adapted. Taneya your father Is a good man" Neteyam says.
-
As Aonung and the rest continue to search, they notice another fire person.
Without given orders from the chief himself, one of the other people from the party shoot and hit her in the leg.

"I didn't say to do that! There could be a lot of them behind what are you thinking!" Aonung shouts.
"I'm sorry sir. I saw them and panicked" they replied.

Aonung turns around and realised it was a boy who had shot. Only 18 years of age.
"Just, wait for my orders next time please" he says in a bit more calmer voice.
The boy nods. 

"Right. You guys stay close but no one apart from me moves forward to her. Understand?" Aonung looks to the clan.
"Yes sir" they reply.

As they move closer, Aonung has a bow and arrow held up at the fire woman.
"You're looking for Aromì, aren't you?" She asks.
"We already found her. And she's dead. Who are you?" Aonung asks, still holdin the bow and arrow up in her direction.

"Me? I'm Ayrà. Aromì's sister. I'm the one who killed her" Ayrà says with  a smirk on her face.
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