Your Protector

14.0 Bestfriends

I walked to the edge of town again the same night, as the sun was setting. If I practiced my spear throwing more today, I would be good by tomorrow. I just had to do it alone, to spare myself the embarrassment.

On my way to a secluded part of the ocean, I saw Kiri  hunched over and sitting on the sand.

Sneaking up on her, I dropped my head near her ear and whispered „What are you doing."

She screamed and I laughed and sat down next to her.

„You're crazy, don't scare me like this." she scolded, continuing what seemed to be a wristband. It had seashells on them.

„I just wanted to see how you're doing." I turned my face to her. I missed sitting with her like this and just talking about, anything really.

She sighed „If it was anyone else I'd say I'm fine, but I assume Neteyam already told you what happened."

Nodding I confirmed it „I wish I'd been there. You know how I would scare them." I tried lighting her mood by joking.

And it seemed to work, she gave me a short laugh and smiled „Yes, I know. But I guess I had to work with what I got." we both laughed.

She looked at me „How are your bruises, are you putting anything on them?"

I shook my head „No, they'll hea-„

My sentence was cut short by her gasping and grabbing my forearm. She took me with her. I almost couldn't grab my spear because of how fast she was.

„Kiri what are you doing?" I asked her as she led me through the different huts. Many of the Metkayina people were giving us looks, I wondered if that would ever stop.

We got to what seemed to be her hut, because inside were Jake and Neytiri. I greeted them both before Kiri sat me down on the floor.

I looked up at her with big eyes while she rummaged through her things. She grabbed a strange looking plant, and started creating what looked like an oinment.

Both Neytiri and Jake were looking at her, just as curious as me.
„You can't just leave this untreated, it'll hurt for so much longer."

„Kiri it's not hurting." I told her a almost lie. It didn't hurt all the time, only when I moved.

She looked at me, not believing me and started putting the oinment on my arms.

„How did you get those bruises Vawayani?" Jake asked suddenly, making me look up at them.

I felt embarrassed and stalled, to not have to answer. „Well, it's not something big. Really I'm sure this will leave soon anyway-„

„Did something happen? Did someone hurt you?" Neytiri asked, looking me in the eyes intently. Kiri now also looked up at me, waiting for an answer.

I stayed quiet looking to the floor, I didn't want to have to tell someone again. Everytime I told the story my heart relived it.

„It's okay, you don't have to tell us. But now you're not at home okay. If you need us, we're here." Jake said reassuringly and I smiled and thanked them.

I looked at Kiri, and she too had a smile on her face. When she was done putting on the oinment. She hugged me and whispered „Your mother, right?"

I nodded and she sighed and hugged me even tighter. I fought myself not to cry again, I couldn't keep going back to the same hurting. I needed to grow.

≿————-　❈　————-≾

After our moment I told Kiri that I needed to go. Grabbing my spear I made my way to a secluded part to practice some more.

So here I was, trying to remember everything Tsireya  told me. I focused on keeping my posture straight, my arms up high.

I took a deep breath and threw my spear after a fish, and actually caught it.

Excitement filled me as I smiled and celebrated, getting my spear and the fish out of the water. But it wasn't in any way big, so I put the fish inside the net and tried again.

Sadly my lucky streak didn't continue as I failed every other attempt. I didn't even realize how long I'd been there, until the the tiny animals and some fish started glowing.
Breathing heavily, I put my arm that was holding the spear down and looked up. The sun had set a long time ago and it was dark outside.

Filled with frustration I threw the weapon to the ground and groaned. Closing my eyes and putting a hand on my head I couldn't help but be disappointed. Father taught me how to hunt, I was good in the forest. I caught animals before, why couldn't I do it now? Maybe I should've trained a bit more.

„Wow, that's a lot of fish." an obnoxious voice I recognized immediately called from my right. I turned and saw Aonung walking over to me. He had a stupid smirk on his face as he looked at my one fish in the net.

„What do you want?" I asked, uninterested in any type of comment he was about to make.

„You're throwing you spear too aggressively." he said, picking up my spear from the floor.

Thrown off my the criticism I reply „Have you been watching me?" with a furrowed expression on my face.

Instead of replying he took my spear and aimed at the water. And he caught a fish with ease, making me even more annoyed.

Taking it out the water he looked at me with a proud look on his face „You see? The spear is supposed to be thrown fast but lightly, not aggressively like you're trying to kill someone."

I could've just grabbed my fish and walk away but my pride didn't let me. What would my father think of me if he saw me right now?

So I grabbed the spear from him and got ready to throw it again. But before I could, his hand came up and touched my right arm that was holding the spear. He set my arm up higher like Tsireya did
before „Throw it lightly, this is not a weapon."

„And you need to let go of that tension here." his hand wandered to my stomach.

„I got it." I warned him and we made eye contact. He grinned and lifted his hands up, taking a few steps away.

Quickly I threw the spear, and actually hit a fish again. I gasped and laughed excitedly as I took the fish out of the water. I couldn't believe it actually worked.

„See, now you've got it." his voice rang through my ears again. I put the fish into the net and we made eye contact, he was smiling at me.

I smiled back and made my way to my hut, taking my net with me.