"Why Kiri, though?"

Rotxo asks once again. He watched as Aonung threw the final net into the water.

Aonung had been assigned with gathering and redoing all of the day's nets after getting into trouble. Being his best friend, Rotxo secretly began helping him. And while he and Aonung had a close relationship ever since they were born, Rotxo didn't exactly have a positive reaction to the news of Aonung picking a fight with the outsiders.

The two Metkayina males were finishing up the last of the task, and Rotxo still couldn't let the conversation of Aonung's reasoning behind the fight in the first place go. Despite Aonung telling him over and over again that it was because he just didn't like the brothers. Which, would have been fine for Rotxo. Enough justification at least, because he knew the pressure Aonung's father put on him due to one day becoming the leader of their clan. Rotxo got why Aonung disliked the fact that he had to take time out of all his other responsiblities to cater to the forest clan's addition to their own clan's dynamic.

What Rotxo didn't understand, however, and what was continuing to bother him ever since he heard the story of the fight...was the addition of Kiri.

Kiri, the Omatikaya's daughter who mostly stayed to herself.

Rotxo couldn't process why Aonung started in on her.

Aonung never brought her up before, when he complained about the task of teaching the forest clan their ways. Aonung only complained about the brothers. In fact, it was Rotxo who seemed to be the one who made her existence even aware to Aonung. This was because Kiri was constantly off by herself. Even when it came to her own family.

So, Rotxo couldn't understand Aonung's sudden interest in singling her out. And it was bothering Rotxo more than the fact that Aonung rallied up their other friends, but conviently left Rotxo out when he finally decided to pick a fight with the forest people.

Rotxo knew that Aonung was aware that the other males in their clan were not his true friends. They only followed along with Aonung to get in his good graces because he would one day be their chief. But other than that, they made fun of Aonung behind his back. And out of all the boys who followed Aonung's lead, only Rotxo was ever always there to actually help him when Aonung got punished.

But in that same logic, Rotxo knew he was the only one who Aonung couldn't lie to. Because Rotxo was the only one who could truly read the future clan head.

Like now.

"What do you mean, why?" Aonung huffed as he bent down to tie the knot that would keep the prey to be caught from slipping away, "She's a freak".

The way Aonung said it...so simple and plain, didn't make Rotxo convinced. He could understand when he heard about the fight between his best friend and the outsiders. But he really didn't understand why Aonung felt the need to start it through singling out Kiri of all the forest clan.

"She's a female," Rotxo continued to probe Aonung...not yet willing to let this go,"Why her? Why start with her?"

This fact was bothering Rotxo to no end. The brother, Lo'ak who both Rotxo and Aonung spent the most time with, was right there. But yet Aonung chose to go after the sister? Rotxo's mind was racing trying to get Aonung to tell him the truth behind his logic.

Aonung turned to look at Rotxo, pausing for a moment from finishing the last knot on the net. He had a cut on his face, from having fought the two Omatikaya brothers that rightly had taken up for their sister.

"Why do you seem to love these forest freaks?

You're always defending them," Aonung snapped at Rotxo with his head tilted.

Rotxo met his gaze, but instead of being intimadated by his friend, he went over to the other side of the net and snatched the rope from Aonung's hand. He knew what Aonung was doing.

It was stupid, really. And also, a clear indication of what Rotxo feared.

There was only one forest freak that Rotxo ever defended when he and Aonung spoke in private. The rest he had no real opinion on. But the one he did...

As he tied the last knot, he could feel Aonung staring down at him.

"Why do you seem to now all of a sudden hate a certain one?" Rotxo said as he finished and stood up.

Rotxo held the other's gaze once again. And there was some hesitation from Aonung's end. When Aonung was the first to break eye contact, Rotxo knew.

Rotxo remembered their conversations that Aonung was referring to, when he said Rotxo took up for the outsiders. Spefically the one Rotxo ever did take up for. And Rotxo remembered feeling slightly uneasy even then, too by Aonung's reactions.

It wasn't annoynace like Rotxo suspected. It was more of the fact that Aonung didn't talk bad about Kiri that made Rotxo nervous any time they'd talked about her.

"What is it with Kiri?" Rotxo couldn't let it go now...not now, "You never picked on her before"

Aonung kept his eyes on the water. Still avoiding eye contact.

Rotxo could feel his chest flare with anger.

There was a pause between the two.

Rotxo knew Aonung. He knew him very well. The fear he'd felt was all but fact now. Rotxo knew that much. But he also knew what this fact meant for him when it came to Kiri. And for that, Rotxo couldn't help himself. Friend or no friend. Outsiders or no outsiders.

Rotxo was still just a male at his core. And the feelings of being one would always outweigh whatever friendship he had with Aonung.

"You like Kiri," Rotxo couldn't hold it in any longer.

And that's what did it.

Aonung whirled around and immediately slammed Rotxo to the ground. The two fell into the water. It was as if the events of earlier in the day hadn't been enough to get fighting out of Aonung's system.

"You like her! You like her!" Was all Rotxo could shout as he fought back at his friend. He was angry, of course.

Because it wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair at all, that Aonung didn't notice Kiri at first. That Roxto was the first one to notice her for what she was. And now he wasn't just the only one to see her, but the chief's son of all the stupid males in their clan had to be the one to go and ruin his secret for him. His best friend. The one who Rotxo knew could read his mind enough to know his quiet feelings for a girl, had gone and decided he liked that same girl too.

In Roxto's eyes, Aonung had broke the unspoken rule that existed between them not only as males, but as best friends.

It was all childish. Roxto knew this, too. But that still didn't stop him from fighting his stubborn, prideful friend who felt like the only way to get the girl they both now liked was to essentially pull her tail.

Aonung was stronger than Rotxo by a lot, but Rotxo had rage.

He managed to sock Aonung in the eye. But just as he did, he realized the reality of what he was doing.

Fighting his best friend.

And it was as if they were on the same wave length, like always, because Aonung calmed down too.

They both stopped fighting, and quietly sat up in the water. The waves crashed against them as they each calmed down. And they were both quiet for awhile once again.

Rotxo's mind was racing.

"I'm not letting you have her," Rotxo said finally.

He looked at Aonung as he stood up.

But...

Rotxo's face cracked a smile.

And he reached down his hand.

Aonung paused before taking it.

He couldn't help but laugh as he grabbed it and let Rotxo help him up.

The chief's son slapped his friend on the head playfully and grabbed Rotxo into a head lock.

"Let's go hunting," He said as he let Rotxo go.

With that...their fight was unspokenly over.

But Rotxo knew Aonung enough to know he'd never admit that he liked Kiri outloud. And Aonung knew Rotxo enough to know that what they talked about here and what happened would not be repeated by Rotxo.

Ofcourse Aonung wanted to go hunting. It was like a handshake. Hunting was their ultimate way of having fun together.

But Rotxo knew what he had to do.

"No," Rotxo said as he stepped back from his friend.

"I'm going to go check on Kiri"

And with that he turned his back and walked away.

And as he did, he could feel the silent glare, but also respect eminating from Aonung as he continued on.

They would not fight.

Rotxo knew that this was the closest they would ever get in their lives to one. But a new line had been established between them. That much they both could see.

One where Rotxo no longer followed blindingly by Aonung.

And Aonung no longer had a loyal follower...

His only true friend.