Seeking Refuge | Neteyam

Chapter Nine

I headed back towards our tent. The conversation with Neteyam reminded me of how badly I needed to talk to Neytiri. As I walked in, Kiri stormed out. I looked to Neytiri questioningly, but she just shook her head.

Passing Jake as he wove a fishnet, I sat beside Neytiri. She was wrapping fish meat in leaves.

Sighing, I spoke quietly. "Auntie, I think something's wrong with me."

She stopped in her tracks, her ears perking up as she looked at me. "What's wrong?"

I pulled the flower out of my hair, holding it in my palms as I hesitated. "When you're around a boy, does your heart beat faster?"

A small smile formed on her lips before she turned to Jake, giving him a knowing glance. She turned back to me, "Who is it?"

"It better not be one of those reef boys, especially after what they pulled today," Jake called over.

"Ew, no!" I shouted, my hand flying to my face. He laughed as I looked back at Neytiri. "But why does it happen?"

She moved closer, pulling the flower out of my hands and putting it back in my hair. "Let me tell you this, Ayn. When I met Jake, my heart beat faster too." It took me a moment to register what she meant, but when I did, my eyes widened and my ears stood up. I lightly shook my head, but she just nodded and smiled. "So who is this boy, Ayn'at?"

It occurred to me that this was probably as obvious as Lo'ak's crush on Tsireya was. Well, obvious to everyone except for me. For years, this weird feeling in my gut was growing when I was with Neteyam, and as time passed it just grew stronger. I looked between Jake and Neytiri, becoming extremely hesitant. Finally, I spoke just above a whisper. "Neteyam."

Neytiri's smile grew wider as she looked at Jake with an I told you, face. Jake just smiled and shook his head as he continued working. She looked at me and placed her hand on my cheek, "Just be yourself, sweet Ayn'at."

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Being myself—now that I realized I actually had feelings for Neteyam—was way easier said than done. I already felt myself become jittery just by my eyes landing on him. He was standing in the water, feeding his Ilu, small laughs sounding from him.

The sun was setting, the light casting a warm glow on his skin. His smile seemed even brighter with the sun's glare on it.

His eyes landed on me as I walked over. "Ayn'at, look! I taught him something." Catching me off guard, he pulled me closer to him, placing me just in front of him. I felt like I lost my breath as my back touched his chest. He placed a piece of meat in my hand and raised my arm up. "Wave your hand and tell him to spin."

I did as told, and the Ilu followed the trick. A childish giggle came from me as I pet the Ilu's head, giving him the meat. "Aww, good boy!"

Neteyam moved from behind me, standing right at my side with a big smile on his face. "Cool, right?"

I nodded my head, my smile growing wider as I continued to pet the Ilu. I felt relieved after the interaction--I was worried our conversation from earlier would affect how he acted around me. But I had nothing to worry about. That's how Neteyam was. He didn't hold grudges, and he didn't take things too personally.

The sun was now just below the horizon, and night began to take over. Everything started to glow as darkness surrounded us, creating a beautiful sight.

I sunk my head into the water, taking a look at the world below me. My favorite time to look at the sea was at night; it seemed more lively than ever. I felt a tail hit my side, so I stood back up, expecting Neteyam to look at me with a stupid smile. But instead, I realized it was the result of him turning around quickly.