High Tides ||Neteyam Sully||

3|| Ocean Mist

I sat on the edge of our Marui, my feet dipped in the water. As the silence of the sleeping town began to drift into the everyday chores, I knew my quiet safe time was up. 

"The sully children will need to begin their training soon." my mother sat next to me, her own feet disturbing the water as she laid a hand on my shoulder. 

I nodded and looked at her, "Ao'nung is just going to treat them like they know nothing, why must he be there?"

"They don't know anything, Ao'nung can teach, he just..." she trailed off looking into the Marui.

"Immature." I finished her sentence as I started getting up, but she grabbed my wrist.

"Keep your brother and sister out of trouble, you know how your sister can get."

I nodded at my mothers' words as I started walking away, waking up my siblings in the process.

Ao'nung walked out to me with a mischievous grin across his face, "Today is going to be fun."

"you're helping teach, not bullying."

"he's bringing Rotox, they will be bullying." Tsireya walked to us, fixing her hair and making herself presentable. 

I let out a sigh as we walked out of our Marui, Rotox running up to us with an equally cheeky grin plastered across his face. 

I shook my head and walked ahead of the two, my sister in tow. The father and mother were awake, sitting together as their children slept around them. 

I bowed my head at the Toruk Makto and his mate, a sign of respect, before speaking. 

"We are required to begin teaching your children," at my respect and statement the mother nodded softly, bowing her own head at me. 

"We will wake them." 

I smiled before walking back towards the three that had stopped before the opening as if scared to face the newcomers in such a vulnerable space. 

I sat on the edge of the walkway, awaiting the family.

Soon after four children walked out, two slightly sluggish and tired while the other two were awake. 

"The water will wake you," Tsireya spoke to the girls. 

They nodded at my sister. 

"Let's get this started then." I got up and started leading the group towards the dock. 

As we were walking the youngest grabbed onto my hand gently, "is this going to be hard?" 

I stopped moving, bobbing down to be level with her, "what's your name?" a gentle welcoming smile lit up my face.

"Tuk." she looked down softly. 

I placed my hand on her head, "I bet you'll get it faster than your brothers."

At my comment, she giggled and lit up into a large smile. 

We continued walking in silence, the girl's hand still in mine as we reached the end of the dook, overhanging a deep part of the reef. 

"We will dive first, you follow."

At Tsireyas' comment, I immediately dove off the dock, craving the cooling sensation of being surrounded by the calm ocean water. 

My siblings and Rotox dove after me. 

We stilled in the water, away from the surface and turned towards the village. 

As we did the boys dropped in, ungracefully. 

We watched them look around at our world, creatures swimming around them and plants swaying as if a breeze slid past. 

The girls followed after more grace in their entrance.

I looked over at Tsireya as the group looked around together, animals surrounding the unfamiliar visitors. Tsireya watched them with a soft smile, they were experiencing our world for the first time, reacting as we would stepping foot in their world. wonder and awe plastered across their face. 

I took note of the older sister, her wonderous look on a different level as she looked at the sea creatures around her, reaching out to touch them. her look of wonder caused a small smile to creep onto my own.

the others began swimming away, tsireya looking back, catching the boys' attention, causing three of them to swim after us.

I looked at Tuk and smiled big at her, then my eyes guided along the faces of the boys before I turned to catch up to my siblings and Rotox. 

as we swam, the three forest na'vi stopped following, I turned to watch them swim to the surface. I stopped swimming tapping tsireya and Rotox, the two closest to me on the tails, pointing up towards the three at the surface. 

Tsireya signed to them before remembering they were yet to be taught that and shaking her head, motioning for them to follow.

The three dove down again, and as I saw them come closer I stayed as the others swam forward. i was planning on taking hold of Tuk and aiding her in swimming before the started swimming to the surface again. 

What is wrong with them? Ao'nung began signing to us. 

Rotox signed back Those guys are bad at diving. 

They do not know the sea, I began.

They are learning, Tsireya finishes, hitting Rotox on the shoulder. 

we started swimming up towards the group, me swimming more towards Tuk as she struggled to tread water. 

I placed my hand on her back as we broke the surface. "breath Tuk, you're okay." I held her above the water and looked at the others. 

"Are you alright?" 

"You're too fast, wait for us!" Tuk splashed at the other three. 

"Breath," Tsireya spoke as she looked between the three at the surface. 

"you are not good divers," Ao'nung spoke as he broke the surface.

"Ao'nung," I snapped at him and kicked his thigh under the water. he flinched at the contact.

"come on, bro." one of the brothers said while looking at him. 

"We don't speak this finger talk, we don't know what you're saying." What I assumed to be the eldest spoke, it was the first time I had looked at him with the intent too, he was different, despite my original thought of him being a strong fighter, seeing him now close up showed a diffrent side. He held compassion for his siblings. He held pride. He was the eldest, training to be a warrior like his father no doubt. 

"We will teach you." Tsireya gestured between herself and me. 

"wheres Kiri?" Rotox suddenly spoke up, looking around.

"Who?" 

"Kiri."

I let Tuk go and nodded at tsireya, "I will make sure she hasn't gotten lost."

before anyone could protest I dove down and began swimming fast between the reef's plants and sealife, searching for a darker blue figure in the blue land. 

As I spotted her a smile spread across my face. she had stayed under the water, too amazed by the sealife to realise her lack of air. 

I swam towards her and held out my hand, as she saw me, and the smile plastered across my face, she took my hand, allowing me to pull her quickly to the surface. 

As we broke the surface she took in a gasp for air, "your land is wonderful!" 

"I know, I must take you beyond the reef soon, out there is free, untamed and even more beautiful." I felt myself smile bigger, my stoic expression being forgotten as I made a promise to the visiting girl that had taken such a liking to our reef. 

At that she nodded, her smile returning as she caught her breath.