Dictionary of my Heart

Ketet: a swear

Tejak: sing

The next word came two weeks later.

August jolted at the sudden noise, gripping his book white-knuckled.

It was a quiet noise, barely anything, but it was important because it was coming from someone important.

Ameokk’s face was scrunched, half their expression hidden from being smushed into their pillow.

Putting his book down, August studied their face. That noise had absolutely come from Ameokk, no question. He wrung his clamy hands together.

Were they waking up? He glanced towards the door. Should he get Garvey?

Their cloudy hair was subdued, shorter and billowing slower with their injuries. It was normally so poofy and large, it made them look smaller than they already were, bundled up in the blankets.

Oh, but they shouldn’t be alone when they woke up either. So then should –

Another noise left Ameokk. Softly garbled, yet undeniably, words.

Undeniably, stormspeak. Which, made sense if Ameokk was dreaming. They’d not been here for long yet, but their accent was only noticeable now if you knew what to look for.

“ – uyyan… et.. uo-tuyyan…”

He watched helplessly as Ameokk clutched at the comforter, worried their legs under the blanket. The sight was almost worse than the purply bruising around their neck.

Maybe he should wake them up.

August’s chest cinched as they made a small, beast-like noise.

It didn’t seem like a good dream. He leaned forward, maybe he should wake them up.

“…e’sert…m’yaerkeb-anut… uo-Tuyyan …Tuyyan-an^*1.” Their voice crumbled with a hitched breath, and the sound was so small and hurt that it immediately made August reach out and shake Ameokk’s shoulders.

Because Ameokk didn’t sound that way, he didn’t want them to sound that way, sound so hurt.

Their eyes flashed open immediately, surprised and disoriented. They jolted upright, then groaned and fell back into the covers, rubbing their bandaged arms. “Owww… moved too fast.”

August only stared at them, eyes wide. The difference between the distraught, vulnerable state he’d just witnessed of them vs their immediate unserious whining was jarring.

They seemed… normal. Did they not remember their dream? That was good, that was probably good.

Their eyes blinked blearily, but when they met August’s, they hardened, alert. “What’s wrong. What’s happened, Aenhas, why’d you wake me up.”

“No, no, nothing. You. Nothing’s happened.”

“Then?” They were tensed.

“…You were talking in your sleep, is all.”

They blinked, then sighed and leaned back against their cushions. They threw a weary grin his way, “Nothing embarrassing I assume? Did I say anything funny now?”

“No, it was…” He debated whether to lie. “It was stormspeak. You kept repeating something.”

He realized he shouldn’t have mentioned it when he met Ameokk’s eyes.

They were red.

Their smile was a brittle thing. “Was I? What was I repeating, hmm?”

“Um… I’ll probably say it wrong but… toh-yawn?”

With a huff, Ameokk shut their eyes.

There was a moment of silence. The heavy kind.

Then they opened their eyes and corrected, “Too-yahn.”

Hesitantly, August repeated, “Tuyyan.”

They clicked yes.

“Tuyyan,” they said the word with a honeyed familiarity. “It means sorry.”