In the between

"Latte stones?  In Sasalåguan?" he asked.

"Yes," Tåsi whispered.  His younger sister could have sworn she heard the rumor from the boy named Matangn from the Hagåtña village.  "Matangn said there's a hidden village near Sasalåguan in Merizo, and that there is a really big house made of latte stones standing as tall as five fathers standing upon each other," she gestured with her hands stacking upon the other.  "A Great Aniti lives there in the big house near i långet."  She closed her eyes and smiled.  Tåsi imagined this Great Spirit to be a handsome young and tall Chamorro Magalåhi who was strong and a great fisherman and hunter.  But part of her also imagined it to be the aniti of the most beautiful Magahåga with flowers in her long, black hair and watching over all of the people from the different villages, perhaps like Fu'uña, and the man like Puntan.

Tåno took a deep breath.  "Matangn said that?  Che'lu doesn't know anything, Tåsi" Tåno rolled his eyes and stood up straight.

"Matangn said he traveled there before last time he went visiting a cousin down south," Tåsi defended.  She was a bit infatuated with the young Chamorro fisherman from Hagåtña.  "Matangn told me so."  She folded her arms.

Tåno scoffed for he knew that skinny fisherman boy could not handle himself in the jungle.  "He's just banidosu, sister. That little show-off doesn't know anything.  I bet if I traveled to Merizo I wouldn't find a hidden village near Sasalåguan.  Besides, that place is where the lost manganite, go after finatai, don't you know that?"  Tåsi lowered her head and toyed with a tågong in her hand.  "How do you expect him to survive near a place like that with lost spirits roaming around?"  Tåno questioned her.

Then suddenly, both the siblings heard a strange noise coming from behind them.  They turned around and noticed a thin young Chamorro male with tawny skin, and a bald head with a ponytail of long, black hair arrive from the trees behind them and leaves crunching beneath his feet.  Tåsi's eyes glistened at the sight of him and her mouth gaped.

"Why are you questioning your sister, che'lu?  Question me instead," Matangn grinned.  "I was visiting a cousin down south and decided to take a journey through the jungles for an adventure."  Matangn rolled his eyes.  "Sure, it's unlikely that I would go there, but hey, what's the harm in a little adventure?"  Then he flashed a look at Tåno, who knew he was calling him out to a bet.

"What do you want che'lu?  Håfa Matangn?" Tåno asked him, rolling his eyes.  Tåsi could clearly sense the tension between the two young men and backed away behind her brother.

"Well, since you don't believe me.  Why don't you go down to Merizo, explore the jungles there, and see for yourself?"  Matangn leaned on his back against a nearby lemmai tree and casually glanced up at Tåno as he titled his head back.  "You know, if you're not.........kubåtde.  But you know, båsta para håfa, it is okay.  You don't have to go if you don't want to."  Matangn turned around and slapped the tree and a fruit fell down in his opened hand.  "Unless you are, are you, Tåno?"  The skinny fisherman boy smirked.

Tåno became furious at Matangn and his manner towards him.  Very åguaguat... no, not even that could describe his audacious attitude.  "I could last days.  The Great Aniti will protect me and I will journey there through i hålomtåno’ to pay my respects, not just for adventure."   

Matangn smiled at this and began to walk back into the jungles from where he came.  But, before disappearing into the trees he whispered in an unfamiliar almost mysterious voice to Tåno, and to the young man's sister who hid behind him, "just don't...malågu...."  Then he turned away and faded into the blackness.

"Tåno!"  Tåsi cried out.  She whimpered.  "Please don't go brother.  What if something happens to you?"  A tear rolled down the side of her left cheek and she quickly wiped it dry.