Tsireya and I sat together on the dock. We had spent the day helping around the village before settling on the harsh wood under us. My sister continued to seem off, that same feeling of incoming change not leaving her even for a second during the day.
"it will be okay, change is bound to happen." I had placed my hand on the back of her head to calm her nerves. At the affectionate touch, she let out a sigh.
"I'm just scared Akeey," she lifted her hand and began fiddling with her necklace, "what if the change is..." she trailed off.
"life-changing?" I smiled at her and she turned her head towards me, "then we will take it and let it change our lives, we will grow."
She smiled at my words before standing up and dusting herself off, calling her Ilu.
She poked her head out of the water, calling to tsireya.
My own Ilu was never too far away, blotch poking out her head from the water next to Tsireyas.
Tsireya dove into the water, taking her Ilu and swimming deep. it wasn't long before I dove after her.
Blotch caught me in the water, our queues connecting as she swam after my sister.
we swam together for what seemed like hours before poking our heads out of the water.
as we sat atop our ilus giggling, smiling brightly together, but as we enjoyed the moment a horn sounded through the village.
Our expressions dropped and we started our fast trip to the other side of the island.
as my sister and I got to where the village had crowded around the intruding forest Na'vi and their ikran, a sign of forest people. We dismounted our Ilu.
she kept her eyes on the people as I only looked out of the corner of my eye at them, six of them. the parents were strong, I could see it as they held themselves in front of my people.
as I stepped to the sand, I watched Ao'nung and Rotox circle the younger boys and start poking and pulling, making comments about their tails. I followed Tsireya towards them, crossing my arms while walking, glaring at our brother.
she snapped at them as I grabbed Ao'nung and started pulling him towards where mother was bounding towards the gathered villagers. I glanced back at Tsireya seeing her smile shyly at something one of the boys had said.
"Tsireya," I called to her and nodded towards our seemingly outraged mother.
we stood together and watch father and the other warrior leaders fly towards us. I watched the skimwings fly overhead in awe, they were magnificent, powerful creatures, father often said I'd get my own when he believed my training was done.
as he landed and walked towards the unfamiliar group, they instinctively bowed their heads.
"I see you" the father of the group led, the others following suit behind him.
I looked over at mother as she emerged from the crowd. I shifted my head and scanned the faces of the new, darker blue ones in front of me. A young girl, eyes ablaze with wonder as she looked around at the new world, clinging to her mother's hand, the mother, worn from battle and motherhood, an incredibly strong woman nonetheless. Another girl, holding a shawl tight around her as if to hide from the peering eyes around us, looked wise for her age, beautiful but unlike her mother. The eldest man had stood tall and proud, he too had been a warrior like his mate. the two boys, one looked responsible, and strong, like he could fight, and the other held mischief in his eyes, a mischief that reminded me of my brother.
The family treated my mother with the same respect, an immediate "I see you, Renol" coming from the father of the group.
he was smart enough to know that my mother was the one to win over.
"Why do you come to us, jake sully?" the name caused me to gasp gently, I had heard the stories from my father and some of the elder people of the village when the sky people were here.
"We seek Utulu"
My mother seemed outraged by this, shouting the word back to the family.
"sanctuary for my family,"| jake seemed to grow desperate for my mother's approval.
Mother stepped forward to inspect the family, my father began speaking.
"We are reef people, you are forest people, your skills will mean nothing here." as father spoke mother walked around the group, looking at the children and lifting her head higher. Her strong nature was never one to be tested.
jakes desperation continued to grow as he spoke to my father.
I sighed and placed my hand on my sister's shoulder, realising how tense we had all gotten watching the scene in front of us.
"their arms are thin," mother grabbed the youngest daughter's arm and lifted it, "their tails are weak." she grabbed the other daughter's tail.
At this Ao'nung let out a snort, and I smacked his arm glaring at him to shut up.
"you will be slow in the water. these children are not even true Na'vi!" she shouted.
"We are!" the daughter said, ripping her hands from her mother. I raised my brow, impressed by the retaliation.
"they have demon blood!" she held the son's hand up, and he looked down allowing my mother to humiliate him.
Jake lifted his hand, "look, Look! look I was born of the sky people, and now I am na'vi, alright? you can adapt, we will adapt." Jake spoke quickly, looking between his mate and my father, as my mother continued to circle them like weak prey.
"my husband was toruk makto." His wife stepped forward and lifted her head with pride, staring my mother down. "and he lead the clans to victory against the sky people."
"This you call victory?" the tension between my mother and jakes mate grew as they continued, "Hiding? amongst strangers... it seems Eywa has turned her back on you, chosen one."
At that jakes mate hissed, baring her teeth and stepping closer to my mother. my mother reacted the same way.
Jake quickly stepped between them, "I apologize for my mate, she's flown a long way and she is exhausted."
I looked up at my father as he stepped forward, an act to break the tension the two women created.
"Toruk Makto is a great war leader, all na'vi people know his story," my father spoke to my people, turning his back to the sully family. "but we Metkyina are not at war. we cannot let you bring your war here."
jake held his daughter as he stepped toward my father, "I'm done with war, I just want to keep my family safe." he held his daughter tighter and stepped closer to his mate.
My parents shared a look, my mother glaring a no, but my father softened his gaze.
"utulu has been asked."
They shared a silent conversation before my father stepped back, addressing his people.
Toruk makto and his family will stay with us and treat them like our brothers and sisters, they do not know the sea, so they will be like babies, taking their first breath. teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless." jake bowed his head in thanks.
"what do we say?"
His family erupted in a series of 'thank yous'.
"My children, Akeey, Ao'nung and Tsrieya will show your children what to do."
"But father why.."
Ao'nung was cut off by our father, "it is decided."
"Come! I will show you our village." Tsrieya stepped towards the family and smiled at them kindly, I offered them a kind smile as I took some of the bags from the mother's banshee.
Jake's mate watched me as I slung the bags over my shoulder and followed my sister, Tsireya doing the same, taking some of the family's belongings and leading them into our village.
YOU ARE READING
High Tides ||Neteyam Sully||
ФанфикBorn a warrior, Akeey grew to be just that, exceeding the expectations set by her father and proving to him she was strong. But will that change as a new family arrive, or will she simply prove herself more?
