𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ༊࿐ ᴀᴏɴᴜɴɢ x ᴏᴄ

11.

⋆☾⋆࿔࿐⋆𓇼⋆࿐ ࿔⋆☾⋆ Kai'wä ⋆☾⋆࿔࿐⋆𓇼⋆࿐ ࿔⋆☾⋆

The sky is still dark, but the faint gold strip along the horizon lets me know its morning.

I slip silently out of our marui, leaping lightly over the creaky weaving in the doorway and out of the village towards the training grounds.

Of course, they're empty.

I feel a soft surge of relief as I walk across the cool sand to the barren cove warriors train in; I can't be fucked to talk to other people right now.

A massive stone area lays half across the sand and half in the forest, sheltered from the wind but also receiving plenty of warm sunshine during the day. 

It's massive, enough for the whole village to stand in, and smaller shapes are carved into the colossal stone, some circles about the length of two full grown na'vi and illustrated barriers. 

The whole point of the circles is during a fight, whoever gets pushed out loses. And I've never lost, using my slim, small body to duck under swings and slide away from the edges of the circles.

As I'm a higher ranking warrior, I move over to the top circles on the edge of the sand; the newbies and shit fighters have to start by the forest.

I grab my weapon, a finely carved spear, and trace a wide path around my circle.

For at least an hour until the sun has rose, I practise thrusting and spinning with the spear, ducking imaginary stabs and parrying non-existent blows.

Once I realise the sun is finally shining down on me, I gently set my spear down and stretch.

It's only when I feel eyes on me that I turn around.

"Yes?"

"Hey," Aonung says, walking across the sand to me. 

"How long have you been standing there?" I ask, not bothering to turn around fully and continuing to stretch.

"Not long," he shrugs, "just got here."

"Right," I mumble. "So what can I help you with?"

"You don't think I'm just here to train?"

I laugh slightly.

"Oh please," I say, looking up at him from between my legs in a stretch. "You don't just come and train, you're only training when your dad makes you come, or when you're hanging out with a girl or something."

Aonung just shrugs, not looking entirely embarrassed, as several more warriors come across to train for the day.

"I'm just here to see my girlfriend," he says cheekily.

"Okay babe," I say, rolling my eyes. "Ugh."

"What?"

"I don't know how relationships work," I admit, burying my face in my arms in the pretence of stretching and speaking quieter as more people arrive. "I'm not going to be able to convince anyone. There's no way we can pull this off."

"Sure we can," Aonung says, stepping into the circle. "Just let me take the lead."

"Is that what you say to all your little friends?" I joke, smiling slyly up at him.

Aonung blinks.

"Oh yes Aonung," I say in a fake, simpering voice. "Please show me how to do everything, I'm so helpless and oblivious."

"Hey," Aonung protests, lightly bumping me in my stretch so I fall over.

"Dick," I grumble, sitting up and glaring up at him.