The Way of Eywa

16

Ayvey's eyes slowly opened as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes slowly following the floor of the hut as she tried to lift herself up. The pain instantly shot through her as Ronal hooked the hook in her skin.

A scream left her throat as Ronal finished tying the knot.

'You must be strong Ayvey,' Ronal said as she leaned down close to her head, her hand pushing her hair out of her face as she whispered in her ear.

'I can't,' Ayvey said as the pain started to flood over her senses, 'It hurts I cant,' she said as a sob left her throat.

Ronal was about to speak when the curtain was drawn open. She was about to speak about needing to be alone, but saw Neytiri standing.

Neytiri quickly closed the curtain behind her. She walked to Ayvey and saw the tears spilling from her eyes.

'I can't,' she said as she tried to sit up, stopped by Ronal holding her back down.

'We are almost done,' Ronal said as she tried to get her to lay back down.

'It's too much,' she said as she tried to fight her but her strength forgotten, 'I have to go. We have to go. I have to get up.'

'The blood loss,' Ronal said as she turned to Neytiri.

Neytiri sat down next to her and Ayvey stared up at her.

'Please,' she said as she reached out her hand, the raining now starting to pour outside the hut.

'You must be strong,' Neytiri said as she reached to tie up Ayvey's hair , 'You must be strong,' Neytiri repeated as she gripped onto her hand tightly.

Another throat cutting scream left her as Ronal continued to sew up the cuts on her back. Neytiri holding tightly to her hand as the screams echoed around them with the booming of thunder.

'I wish she would pass out,' Ronal said as her eyes started to glass over.

'I can't do it,' Ayvey screamed out, tears spilling from her eyes.

'You must be strong,' Neytiri said as she held her hand tightly, Ayvey's eyes holding contact with her, 'She is almost done, you must fight it.'

Ayvey looked up at her gasping as she gripped onto her hand as Ronal started again. A loud crash of lighting echoing with her screams.

'Neteyam,' she gasped out as she looked up at Neytiri, 'Where-where'-

'He is okay as well,' Neytiri said as she held her hand with both of hers, 'We are almost done.'

She sobbed as Ronal tied the knot again. Lightening almost drowning out the sounds of her screams as she felt the hook going through her skin.

'Please,' she cried as she held Neytiri's hand, her eyes screwing shut as she started to shake.

——

Neteyam sat outside of the hut as he felt the rain pour on his skin. The rest of the kids sitting around them as Lo'ak comforted Tsireya now.

Lightening echoed around them as Ayvey's screams could be heard around the now silent village.

'I can't sit out here,' he said as he stood up, but Jake was standing next to him with Tonowari.

'You must,' Jake said as he held onto his shoulder, the lightening cracking as her screams continued.

'She needs someone, she can't be alone,' Neteyam as she tried to take a step away.

'Your mother is in there with her now,' Jake said as he held onto his shoulders, the worry written all over his face as he looked down at his son.

Neteyam didn't respond, but he looked at the curtain separating them, her cries heard clear as day.

——

'Eywa please I pray to the Great Mother,' Ayvey said as she shook with each pass of the hook, her hand shaking as she held onto Neytiri.

'Please!' she yelled as the lightening over powered the light inside the hut.

'We are finished,' Ronal said as she leaned down to hold onto her head, her eyes threatening to drip with tears as she wiped the tears from Ayvey's eyes.

The bandages covered her back as Neytiri set up the cushions for her to lay on. She helped gently turn Ayvey over onto them and Ayvey gasped out, more tears falling from her eyes.

'It hurts,' she said as she continued to grip onto Neytiri's hand.

'I know,' Ronal said as she held her face.

'I can't,' she whispered, her grip faltering onto Neytiri.

——

'Why did the rain stop?' Neteyam said as the rain lightly died out, 'Why did the rain stop?'

'I don't know,' Jake said as Neteyam tried to push past him.

'It stopped, she stopped crying,' Neteyam said again as he managed to push past Jake. He pulled back the curtain and saw his mother and Ronal sitting next to Ayvey's sleeping body.

'The pain was too much, she is sleeping,' Ronal said as Neteyam came to sit next to his mother.

'She will be okay?' Neteyam asked as he took her hand out of his mother's.

'She will be okay,' Ronal said as she looked down at her, 'She will need days to heal.'

Neteyam gripped onto her hand tightly and moved closer and Neytiri stood.

'Thank you Eywa,' he whispered, coming to hold the side of her face. He stared down at her as she laid asleep. Her necklaces and covering forgotten as she was wrapped.

'She will want to move when she wakes,' Ronal said as she grabbed her hand, 'She can't.'

Neteyam nodded his head as he continued to look down at her.

The others walked in as well, Tsireya rushing to come sit next to her mother.

'Oh,' she said as she ran her hands over Ayvey's arms, 'She will be okay?'

'Yes she will be okay,' Ronal said as Ao'nung came to sit on the other side of her, Lo'ak sitting next to his brother.