I don't own any characters or anything but the story. To everyone who has been waiting for a new chapter I am so sorry for how long it's taken to get this out but a lot of stuff including a bit of writer block, working and then me deciding to try to update all my stories at one time as delayed it. Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter and hopefully the next one won't take so long to get out.

Har'ii had a small smile on his face as he diligently but carefully used a knife to shape the piece of wood in front of him while Ku'el sat behind him running a comb through his hair, which hung loose save for the hair around his queue. It wasn't often that he got to spend any one on one time with his mother so he was happy to get the opportunity to do so since the rest of his family and friends were busy with other things.

Aktamu had decided to spend some time with Har'ii siblings by helping Ro'an gather healing herbs and plants that morning and after lunch was planning to help Hirmi'ee with the song she was trying to create. Tsu'tey mother, who's health had been up and down since she had given birth, had suddenly fallen sick with a rather bad illness so Tsu'tey and Ateyo were staying by her to help in any way they could.

Even Neytiri, who Har'ii and Tsu'tey had recently begun spending more time with, had lessons with her mother because while she was not in line to be the next Tsahik there was still certain thing she needed to learn being the daughter of the Olo'eyktan. So Har'ii had grabbed the bow he was working on making and went to where his mother was doing her weaving and sat down beside her.

For a while they had done their work while occasionally chatting about random things until Ku'el had offered to show him how to put his hair up in a more elaborate form then how he typically had it as it was quite long now, reaching almost to the middle of his back and had the habit of getting in the way sometimes as he couldn't braid it all around his queue.

Har'ii decided it wouldn't hurt to try a different style, though he would never try anything as complicated as his mother tended to do. Besides his brother Ro'an had taken to putting his hair in to couple really simple braids, while Hirmi'ee typically kept her hair in a few dozen smaller braids but Har'ii had never paid enough attention to do anything much with his hair as long as it was braided well enough to protect the pink tendrils within it so it would probably be a good thing to change.

As she started to braid, explaining what she was doing as she did so, Har'ii try to focus on what she was saying but he what somewhat distracted by the bow he was trying to make. A couple weeks prior Aktamu had declared it was time for him to make his own bow as up till now he had still been using a child bow.

Har'ii was very excited because while a child bow was surprisingly useful for something normally given to a small child, it did have some limits on taking down larger prey and how far the arrow could travel. There was also the fact that it was clear sign that someone was still a beginner hunter while a proper bow would mark how far Har'ii had come with his skills.

He was determined to do a good job on his bow because not only would it be what he would likely use until he was old enough to go through the Iknimaya and Uniltaron to become an adult and make a new bow from the hometree. There was also the fact that he, Tsu'tey and Neytiri had a friendly competition to see who could make the best bow and Har'ii knew the other two tended to be highly competitive so he would really need to put forth his best effort to beat them.

His attention was pulled back to his mother as she had him turn slightly as she worked and Har'ii couldn't help but smile again at the gentle feeling of her finger running through his hair as she twisted it this way and that way. It still amazed him sometimes that he had an actual loving mother in his life after spending so many years without one.

While he did care for his original parents, Lily and James, since they had died when he was so young he never really gotten the chance to know them as parents and the few thing he knew about them was learned from other people. So it was wonderful to experience a life with a parents that were actually in his life.

Thinking about how lucky he was caused him to think about what Tsu'tey was going through right now with his mother's illness and he found himself wishing she would make a speedy recovery. He turned his attention back to his work until his mother got his attention again by saying she was done.

Har'ii immediately reached up to run his hand over his now neatly braided hair. He then glanced around for something reflective so that he could see himself, finally spotting a puddle from a recent rain careful got up walk the few feet over to it and looked down into it, turning his head first one way and then the other he realized that not only would his hair not get I his way as much but the look actually sort of suited him.

Har'ii had never given any thought to how he looked except the time when people would tell how much he looked like his father or how he had his mother eyes. Of course that was before he came to his new home and now the resemblance to his birth parents was not nearly so apparent.

So now as he looked at the face that had been his for a few years now he realized that he might have bit of vanity and found himself idly wondering if would be worth it to do his like this on a regular before he could put to much more thought into it he heard his mother approaching and turn to watch her walk to him. She smiled "So what do you think?" In answer he hugged her tight which she happily returned.

Afterwards Har'ii went back to his bow and Ku'el went back to her weaving as the two spent the rest of day working side by side while chatting about whatever came to until the rest of their family appeared just in time for the evening meal. Aktamu and Har'ii siblings all stated that the look suited him which made him wanted to keep that even more.

His father also praised the work he had done on his bow so far which made Har'ii even more determined to do well on it. That night as they settled in the hammock for the night Har'ii couldn't help but think about how much happier he felt in this life versus his old and hoped it would remain that way.