i woke the next morning on instinct, a routine drilled into me when i was young. tuk was still curled against my side, and kiri with her. jake was asleep with the boys on my other side. they were so peaceful when they slept, the chaos of the past day drained off of their faces. i slowly moved to tilt tuk off my chest and into kiri's arms. the two instinctively curled into eachother while i tip-toed away to do my duties.
it had been a few hours and my chores for that morning i'd already completed, so i started the walk back towards my marui. i collected some fruit along the way and returned home. the sully's were all there milling around the home. "tsìltsan rewon. good morning." tuk immediately ran into my arms, hugging me around the waist. i picked the little girl up and she latched onto my neck. the fruit i had bought back for food, lay on the floor in a basket.
neteyam and lo'ak came to help me with the fruit. i thanked them then walked over to where kiri sat, making jewellery out of things she found. "how are you going, kiri?" the girl looked up at me with a smile, but a tinge of sadness in her eyes. "i'm ok. i miss home.. but the ocean is peaceful." her last words bought a sparkle back to her eyes. "i'm sorry, kiri. if you want to talk more, i'm always here." i grasp her hand in affection, hoping to bring some happiness to the girl.
meanwhile jake is sitting opposite us, cleaning his weapons and guns. he watches his daughters with me, part of his heart melting at little tuk grasping my hand as i sat with kiri. i got up then, picking tuk up with me. "hey tuktuk, can you sit with kiri for me while i cut up some fruit for us all?" she nods at me and i place her down to go collect the fruit the boys had placed near the fireplace. coincidentally, jake was also sitting by the fireplace.
i sat next to him and bought the fruit closer to me. his arm brushed against my leg as he reached behind us to put something away. my body left tingles in its wake as the contact ended. i cut the fruit and handed it out to the children, even kiri took some. there was enough left over for me and jake to share. "how are you this morning?" i spoke in between bites.
"good. we start training today don't we?" i nod at his words in confirmation. he hums response. "are you ready?" i ask, a hint of tease in my voice. jake tilts his at my tone and a smirk forms on his face. "as i'll ever be." the confidence is clear in his words. "i guess i'll go get the other teachers, and we can start." with a final look back at him, i walk out of the marui and over to tonowari's to get ao'nung and tsireya.
"matu, i have come to get ao'nung and tsireya for the sully's." the kids look up at me when they hear my words. "ayla!" the pair got up and came over to hug me. tsireya was the first to reach me, she ran into me, full force. "good to see you too." i laughed out. then ao'nung sauntered over for a hug. "how are you, tsmukan?" "good." he mumbled into my shoulder as i ruffled his hair. he almost shrieked in response then ran back inside to check i hadn't messed it up completely.
i laughed at how much he cared of his hair. tsireya stood by me giggling into her hand, as we made eye contact and laughed at her brother. finally ao'nung came back out grumbling about his hair. "ready to go?" i grinned at him. "yes." he responded sullenly. we all said goodbye to their parents and i walked them over to my marui. i stopped them before we entered. "now, especially ao'nung, be nice. i know you don't like them, but they are here to learn. at least give them that courtesy." i looked at him expectantly. he was stubborn but eventually gave in muttering a 'fine' in response. "make sure he doesn't do stupid things, please." i told tsireya, to which she agreed.
we walked into my home to get the sully's. jake saw us and got his kids together for ao'nung and tsireya. "come, we will teach you to dive." tsireya led them out. "no funny business." jake spoke to his sons, while i muttered a quiet "don't be stupid" to ao'nung. the group headed down to the shore for their lessons. i turned to jake then, with a spritely expression. "your turn."
he laughed at my happy grin and we walked down to a seperate part of the beach. "we will start with diving, you must learn to breathe before anything else." at that, we descended below the surface. i started slowly, then began to go faster, allowing jake to push himself to stay with me. he managed to keep up, but then had to go up for another breath. "you are good at this. we just need you to breath." i told him when i came up with him.
he grinned at that and then spotted one of the hunters, riding a tsurak. his eyes lit up. "when can i ride one of those?" you could hear the excitement in his voice. i smiled at his enthusiasm. "later. that is a tsurak, a warriors mount. maybe you should start with an ilu?" i suggested he start lower, but he frowned at that. "why? do you think i can't do it?" he was almost teasing me now, pushing me to tell him he wasn't ready. "i-" i opened my mouth to speak but couldn't, realising he got me there.
a grin formed of his face and i sighed. "ok, you may try." the satisfaction on his face at his own victory was cute enough for me to say yes. i had a couple of warriors, and tonowari, come down to hold onto the tsurak for jake. they went to fetch the animal while i walked with jake, explaining the technique he needs to ride it. "when you're in the air, you kneel on it, like this-" i quickly crouched on the ground to demonstrate while jake looked. "-and then when you dive back in, you are streamline. straight. and hang on tight." he nods, taking it all in.
tonowari calls out us then, and we walk over. we reach the men and i pat jake on the arm in assurance. "you can do it." he nods at me before attempting to mount the tsurak. tonowari looks at me then jake then back at me again. his expression tells me everything. "let him do it." i sign to him and he nods. even if jake fails, it will push him further to get it right. i stand back to watch as jake manages to hop on the animals' back. "...maybe you should start with an ilu?" i hear tonowari say to jake. i scoff quietly at that, i've already tried that approach.
"nah. this one." jake is determined to get it right. tonowari looks to me again, i just smile and shrug. with a sigh, tonowari turns back to jake to speak again before then other man rides off. "remember when you dive in, good position." "mhm. i got this." jake retorts. his confidence is great but he is cocky. that will let him fail. he shoots forward with a loud "hyah!" and immediately takes to the sky. i call and ilu to tail him when he dives back in.
jake manages to crouch on the tsurak in the air, then dives back in, but he couldn't hold on. the leather wrap he used to keep his hand in place left redness and some cuts. i swim over on my ilu, offering a hand. "it was a good first try. you will get better with practice. most warriors take a long time to master it." jake hopped on the back of my ilu and i swam us back to shore. "when did you master yours?" my ears flatten at his question, knowing he won't like the answer.
"um, when i was 16." he blanched at my words with a look of shock. "16?" i nod. "i was the youngest warrior, but tonowari chose me specifically. he knew my skill." jake looked amazed at my story, almost like he was in wonder. "you have got to teach me everything." he said with a smile. i laughed and nodded. "i will, but we need to get you bandaged. come on."
