My Beloved | Neteyam

FIVE. The Second Sons

This seemed to reach him. His composure wavered but it was still not enough. When Ao'nung had an idea in mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.

"Again, ma tsmuke, I don't know what you're talking about,"

He walked away again. Rewonay sighed.

"Ao'nung,"

He was determined to stand by his ideas.

"Ao'nung,"

But Rewonay was not having it.

"Ao'nung te Awa'atlu Tonowaritan!"

He froze. The others that were conversing moved their eyes to the two siblings. They were all a little confused. Ao'nung looked a little uncomfortable as if feeling the anger of his sister despite showing her his back. Rewonay, on the other hand, was scowling and glaring daggers at her brother. She would not let him disrespect her in such a way. He should realize who was the bearer of authority.

"Za'u. Set. (Come. Now.)"

Ao'nung sharply inhaled. When she would switch to Na'vi, it meant that she was very angry, or at least, highly bothered.  Still, he stuck to his defying composure and walked back to Rewonay. A few feet away, Tsireya was looking back and forth with her siblings. They would bicker at times but this time, it was different. It was more serious and she feared things would get a lot harder to fix.

"You better throw that attitude away before it goes back to punch you in the face. Voìk si."

Ao'nung did not look at Rewonay. He shifted his balance on his other foot and retorted.

"You're imagining things. That wouldn't be the first time,"

Rewonay said nothing. Lips parted and eyes slightly widened, she fixed her brother with visible shock.

"Ma tsmukan!" Tsireya hissed, anger in her voice that shocked the Omaticayas. Tsireya was not the type to get angry.

Ao'nung seemed then to realize what he had said. The subtle expression of hurt on her face had been visible though it had lasted for a mere second. It had never crossed her mind that her own brother would believe her visions were not real. That she was imagining things. That she was lying. It looked like she was wrong. Even her own blood was thinking she was mad.

A bitter chuckle left her lips.

"I see," she told herself just before looking at her sister. "Tsireya. You're in charge when I'm away,"

Ao'nung was too immature to lead a group.

At the training field, Tonowari was already sparing with a few warriors all at once. All tried to at least brush the Na'vi with their spears but all failed. Tonowari was a great skilled warrior. When he noticed his daughter approaching, the Olo'eyktan dismissed his training buddies. For a year already, Tonowari had been passing his knowledge down to his firstborn. He had not planned to do it so early. Rewonay was only fourteen at the time. However, the return of the Sky People disrupted everything. The Metkayina clan was not at war, but he judged it safer to begin training his daughter in case of an untimely death on his part (not that any death was not untimely). As an Olo'eyktan, but mostly as a father, he wanted to prepare her for his eternal departure, to his return to Eywa. He did not wish for it to happen soon, but it was better to anticipate.

Though, a slight frown flawed his visage when he caught sight of the visible irritation on his daughter's face. Rewonay could get annoyed, but rarely angry.

On the training field, Rewonay did not lose a minute and began stretching her limbs. She needed to clear her mind there was nothing better than exercising to do it. She never liked getting into arguments with her siblings (mostly Ao'nung as Tsireya was not a difficult person). Even when she knew she was right, her heart pained and sank. Once, she and Ao'nung had a row and they hadn't spoken to each other for two whole days. During that time, Rewonay would feel horrible. It was strange not to talk and joke around with her brother and give him the cold shoulder. She did not like it. But eventually, things would just resolve naturally. None of them would actually apologize but they would just resume talking like nothing ever happened. But this time, it felt different.