Yey!

After all the days upon days of travel, he and Liliana had finally reached the Great Tribe. As soon as Nayati saw the smoke from the fires rising up into the sky he had spurred Iye to a gallop to finish off the final distance quickly. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. The Utina wondered if his family had changed any in the year that he had been gone. How were his little brothers doing? And his little sister? Oh, he couldn't wait to see all their faces again. When they reached the village the stallion's pace was forced to slow but Nayati easily navigated the way back to the Utina family hut. The closer they got the stronger the scents of his mother and father became. He thought he might weep from the joy of it all. When he and Liliana dismounted he had rushed eagerly into the hut and his mother and father had exclaimed in utter surprise at the sight of their firstborn son. There were many hugs, and then he introduced Liliana as his mate and the hugs continued.

The four of them talked for some time and Nayati waited until he could sense that Lili was comfortable before he stood and said he was going to go out and look for his little siblings. As he left the hut though, his thoughts were intent upon his little sister, Sunki. Of course he wanted to see Sewati and Cha'tima as well, but he was more eager to reconnect with Sunki. She had not taken his departure from the Great Tribe well and he had always been protective of her. Hopefully she had forgiven him, or if she hadn't yet, that she would now. Nayati followed his nose and did his best to track his sister down through the hustle of the Great Tribe village.

Leaving the Great Tribe had been the most difficult decision Nayati had ever had to make. He had troubled himself over it for days and nights until, with Onawa's help, he had finally decided to leave. His parents hadn't been thrilled with the prospect, but they had understood and given their son their well wishes. His little brothers hadn't been so broken up about it, still young a head-strong. Nayati had had a feeling they were actually excited to have the chance to prove themselves and step out from behind the shadow of their elder brother. Sunki though...Sunki had taken the news worst of all and he had felt his heart bleed at her angry words. The Utina loved all his family, but there had always been a special place in his affections for his little sister. He had always felt that she needed his protection more than anyone else and he had to admit he had likely spoiled her on more than one occasion. While he would roughhouse with Sewati and Cha'tima and sternly guide them towards the right path, he had sheltered Sunki under his wing and treated her as a rare flower. He never should have expected her to understand, but he hoped that now she could forgive him.

When he finally tracked her down, he found her sliding off the back of the lithe and beautiful horse that he had gotten her for first birthday. Before she even spoke he could feel that she was still unhappy with him, an unnatural distance spanning between the two siblings. Nayati wanted nothing more than to go up to her and wrap her in a tight embrace, but he held back, fearing that Sunki would pull away from him. The hunter smiled hopefully at her nonetheless. "Awiusdi." It was his little pet name for her. Perhaps it would help to melt the frost that still surrounded her heart concerning him.

Everything about her seemed the same, and yet was so different at the same time. She hadn't really grown much and yet the way she carried herself spoke of how she had matured in the year since he had been away. There were also markings across her forehead and around her arms, the purple standing out starkly just as the blue did on his own coat. Sunki was a woman now, no longer a child, but nothing would ever stop her from being his little sister. His "little deer". Nayati remembered playing with her when she was still so little, how he would always call her that when they would play hide and seek. Sunki had always been quick and dainty just like the does in the heards of deer that he hunted. The Gadui Kanati wasn't prone to giving pet names; he reserved them for the people who were closest to his heart.

She spoke to him so formally and he couldn't deny that it wounded him. Nayati had deeply hoped that her feelings of resentment would have faded by now, that she would have grown to understand or at least accept his choice. There was so much news to tell her, yet he did not know how she would react to it. Would she be happy, like he hoped? Or would she see it negatively, other reasons for her brother to stay away? "There was no way to send word ahead." If only there were a way to communicate more easily between the two tribes; it would make the distance seem less great. Nayati hesitated for a moment, his body language far from his usual poise and confidence. "It does my heart good to see you, sister." Even though it broke it that things were not as they had been before.

Sunki was not the only one wishing for the advice and guidance of their Spirit companion at that moment. Nayati also desired Onawa's strong wisdom, but he knew that she would not come. She had been excited that they were back in the Great Tribe as well and had quickly left to stalk the familiar grounds as soon as they had reached the village. The Utina didn't fool himself though, he knew that the puma would be well aware of his desire for her presence and was purposefully keeping her distance. In his head he could even hear the exact thing she would say to him: "There are some things you must do yourself." Apparently, this was one of those things. He and his sister would have to work things out themselves, one way or another.

Nayati held his breath as Sunki dropped the lead rope and walked closer to him, his pale sky blue eyes watching his younger sibling carefully. He half expected her to punch him in the arm—or someplace worse—due to the way her fists clenched at her sides when she stopped some feet from him. "I missed you too, Sunki." More than she knew, perhaps more than she could believe. Their matched eyes connected and he waited in strained silence to see which way the winds would blow her.

Then she ran to him and her skinny arms wrapped tightly around his muscular torso. Nayati's arm's immediately hugged her smaller frame and held her just as tight, if not tighter. His own eyes closed and he could feel the sting of tears near the corners of them. This moment meant more to him than any other he would have on this return. He knew this deep in his soul.