Ma Neteyam

38

So before she set her free she showed a bit of hesitance, "Do you think if I leave your tiny flea butt tied to this ship anyone would notice?"

Tuks expression turned into a sneer, but it was better then it was before, " Teyam was already here to save us!"

Vareya cut the bonds with a smirk as she pulled on one of  Tuk's braids, " I believe the word your looking for is thank you, flea brain."

She was about to answer back but Neteyam cut in, " Get Tuk out of here." he directed those words to Tsireya, yet his eyes were staring directly down at hers. He waited for them to jump safely into the ocean before sighing.

He leaned down, speaking lowly, " Are you doing okay? I thought you were safe back at the village, if I had known-"

" If you had known nothing would've changed." Vareya cut him off, keeping her tone light and volume equal to his..." But I'm fine, I'm better now that I know you're okay, but I'd feel great if we just left this instant."

" I agree." He rubbed her head lovingly with a smile  before turning to his brother, " Cmon, let's go!"

Yet instead of following them towards the water, he went the opposite way, rushing to grab the gun off the soldiers body whom she shot mere moments ago.

" Lo'ak!" Neteyam growled angrily, yet his brother replied calmly.

" They got Spider, we've got to get him. Come on!" He panted as he began to stand up.

Neteyams ears perked up before he looked at Vareya. At his hesitance Lo'ak urged him on, " Cmon bro! We can't leave him!"

" Give me a minute!" He hissed angrily, and from his tense body language she could already tell she wasn't going to like what he had to say. Neteyam walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders, speaking slow and careful.

" Vareya, I want you to find Tsireya, my sisters, and head back to the village with them."

She immediately began shaking her head but he continued on, " There is someone on this ship we know that we need to save. As soon as we get him I'll meet you guys there, alright?"

" No, you really think I'm going to agree to that? I'm going wherever you go and that's final!" Her hands were shaking and her heart was somehow pounding more than her throbbing head.

This was not how things were supposed to go. They were supposed to be gone already, moving further and further away from the danger this scene beholds. And yet now they want to walk directly into the devils mouth to retrieve someone.

And what was worse is that he was asking to do it without her..." Vareya, look at yourself. You can't be here, you may have fought past your trauma enough to be here, and I'm proud of you for that, but I can't have you freezing up in a situation like this."

She growled at him, " Then you're just going to have to trust me! And if not, put your trust into the warrior you know I can be. The warrior who has trained herself for these moments."

"I can't take that chance with you Vareya, I just can't!" he said, voice cracking in a way that made her heart ache.

But she couldn't let him win, couldn't back down because her leaving him was out of the question. " You're going to have to bear with it then, because I'm going."

" Bro we're running out of time!" Lo'ak said in attempt to hurry them up, yet when Vareya went to make a move past Neteyam he stopped her in one swift motion, gripping her arm and bringing her back in front of him.

He also didn't let go as he snarled behind him, " I said give me a minute Lo'ak!" turning back to Vareya he said seriously, " This isn't something that you have to do, you don't know Spider so I can't let you put yourself in danger because of him."