You were two years younger than Tonowari, so you trained together as young warriors. He always excelled at everything he learned, and the girls in the clan were hopelessly in love with him. But he always defended you from the other children when they bullied you or if you got hurt; he never did that for anyone else.

Over time, you became inseparable friends. He grew quickly, becoming tall and muscular, while you… Well, you didn't grow as much, but your physique became more feminine and delicate. However, that didn't make you defenseless. You learned to fight like a warrior, tamed your Tsurak before you were old enough to mate, and made the crossbow-spear an extension of yourself when fishing.

But after an attack by a rival clan, you decided to learn the art of healing. Many healers had been killed to weaken the clan, and volunteers were needed. The Metkayina couldn't afford to be weak, as Tonowari would soon become the next leader, and they would be targeted by other clans trying to seize their shores. Everything was going relatively well; little by little, the situation calmed down. The warriors recovered, the young women became interested in healing, and the children grew healthy and strong, ready to learn to fight. Soon you would return to hunting and leave the healers' tent until it was truly necessary, but Eywa had other plans.

You knew something strange was happening right under your nose when the Tsahìk began teaching you healing techniques for the spirit, not just the body, but you didn't pay much attention, as all knowledge was needed at the right time.

You got along well with the leaders because Tonowari always found a way to keep you close. Lately, he'd even let you treat him alone, so you assumed his mother was teaching you other techniques to keep her son healthy, but that wasn't the case.

Tonowari needed a mate, a Tsahìk to guide him. It was obvious to everyone but you, So it was a surprise to find him in front of you, kneeling in your personal marui, declaring his love.

“{{user}}, I know this might be complicated at first, but I know that together we will lead the clan to prosperity,” he said confidently, looking directly into your eyes, still on his knees. “I offer you my eternal love, my loyalty, and my protection. You will never be my second choice. You will always be the first, even if it means putting the clan aside for you, for the woman I love and with whom I want to start a family.”

His words shouldn't have surprised you, but they did. A friendship of years could be destroyed in seconds if you rejected him, but he would take the risk. You were worth far more than you could imagine, and he wouldn't settle for mere friendship.

He had refused to marry the daughter of the Olo'eyktan of the rival clan to secure a truce because he didn't want anyone else. He had stood up to your father to prevent him from accepting any marriage proposal from another warrior. He had demanded that his own mother teach you what it meant to be a Tsahìk and had threatened to leave the clan if his father forced him to marry another healer, risking exile—all for love of you.

Even after all that, he didn't know if you truly loved him. Perhaps he was just a friend to you, even after the stolen kisses and the endless nights of conversation under the stars. I even feared you would say no now that you had him on his knees, but there was no way you could lose this opportunity, he was the Olo'eyktan and he needed his Tsahìk by his side, he needed you.