After the trees, the seas | Neteyam

Chapter 5

I dropped my stuff in one of the corners of the hut and carefully placed my bow next to my hammock. I sighed in fatigue. It had been a rough and long day, I was exhausted. "What's your first impression" Neteyam said as he approached me. "I don't know. Apart from the mean boys, the small hut, everyone thinking we're unusful and that we are demons, everything is great!" I said sarcastically. He laughed. "It's going to get better, we're going to prove ourselves to them" he said with a gentle smile. "Yeah.." I said as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Okay, Sullys all in" Jake said as he crouched in the middle of the hut with Neytiri. "Remember? Family meeting" Neteyam said as he turned to everyone. He took my hand and brought me to the the others. I sat down. He then took Lo'ak and both of them joined the group. "Kiri" Neytiri said as her daughter sat down. As we were all gathered, Jake started his speech. "Okay, I need you kids to be on your best behavior. I mean it! Learn fast, pull your weight, don't cause trouble" he said as he turned to Lo'ak. Neteyam then grabbed his brother's neck, teasing him and trying to lighten the atmosphere, but Lo'ak turned and hissed at him. I smiled while shaking my head slightly at the two brothers. 

"I want to go home" said Tuk crying. My smile immediatly fadded away. I could totally understand her. I think we were all feeling the same way. I lowered my head, hearing her crying. "Oh Tuk" said Neytiri softly looking at her daughter, concerned. "It's okay Tuk.. This is our home now" Jake said, holding her hand soflty. "We're going to get through this. We're going to get through this if we have each others back" he continued. He was right, we were strong because we had each other. "What does your father always say?" asked Neytiri softly looking at everyone. "Sullys stick together" said Neteyam and Lo'ak in a low voice. "That's right! Sullys stick together. Now this time with some feelings" he said with a smile on his face looking at each one of us. Neteyam looked at me smiling. "Sullys stick together" I said synchronously with the others. Kiri rolled her eyes as she was saying it but I was able to notice a smile forming on her face. I smiled, maybe it wasn't going to be so bad. I went to sleep soon after, and fell asleep right away.

***

The next day, it was time to learn. Kiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, Neteyam and I jumped in the water to join Aonung, Tsireya and Rotxo. They wanted us to follow them underwater. We did and I have to admit that it was pretty beautiful. There were tons of fish. There were corals and different kind of small creatures swimming around us. It was breathtaking. Lo'ak then pointed the others to me and Neteyam. We tried our best to follow them but they were way faster than us and after a while we had to come back to the surface as we ran out of air. I immersed my head out of water and gasped. We looked at them from the surface as they did some wierd signs with their hand. "What's that suppose to mean" I said to Neteyam and Lo'ak. We looked back in the water raising our hand, showing them we didn't understand and Tsireya waved us to follow them so we dived back. We tried once again to follow them but we had to go to to the surface again for air.

They joined us back to the surface. "Are you alright?" Tsireya asked us. "You're too fast, wait for us" said Tuk. "Just breath...breath" Tsireya said softly, smiling. "They're not good divers" Aonoung started as I looked at him with furious eyes. "you may be good at swinging trough trees but-" he got interrupted by her sister slapping his neck. I was starting to like her. "C'mon bro.." said Lo'ak to the boy. "We don't speak this fingertalk you guys.. we don't understand what your saying" Neteyam said. "I'll teach you" Tsireya said gently. "Thank you" I said to her smiling.

"Hey, where is Kiri?" I asked Lo'ak and Neteyam. "Kiri?" Tuk asked. We all looked around us but she was nowhere. "We have to find her!" I said to Neteyam as I started to panic. "She must not be far" he said as we both started to look for her. "I'll help you" said Tsireya. We finally found her a little further, she was just enjoying the wonders of the sea as we were all dead worried about her. "Next time maybe tell us before leaving like that" I said to her. "Sorry" she said laughing at me being that much worried.

Then they wanted to teach us about what they called "Ilu". "These are Ilu, if you want to live here, you have to ride" Aonung said looking at us. Lo'ak was starting off. He got on one of the Ilu and connected with it. Neteyam was holding Tuk in his arm as they were both looking at Lo'ak. I joined them. "I have a feeling that this is going to be funny" I said to him. He looked at me and laughed. As soon as Tsireya let go of the Ilu they both dived in the water and after few seconds, Lo'ak was off the Ilu, flipping around in the water. Me and Neteyam bursted out laughing. Aonung was also laughing and Tsireya was trying to hide her smile. He came back to us. "You did great Lo'ak" I said mocking him and laughing. He smiled. "I'd like to see you try Hayla" he replied defiantly. "I would be honoured" I said smiling with my teeth as I approached an Ilu.

Aonung came closer and gave me some advice. He was holding the Ilu as I was getting on it. I connected with him and felt the bond forming. He took my hand and placed it on the handling. "Hold that thigh" he said "and follow his movements" I nodded, I was overexcited. "Ready?"he asked me smiling. I looked at him and answered that I was. He let go of the Ilu and we both submerged in the water. It wasn't that hard..until my hand started to slip off the handle. I tried my best to stay on the Ilu but got projected off his back. I got out of the water and laughed as I was already hearing the other laughing. I joined them and of course Lo'ak couldn't wait to tease me. "You actually did sooo much better" he said sarcastically as he laughed with the others. I smiled at him. "Shut up" I said to him, smiling widly. Tuk and Neteyam were laughing too. "Who are you laughing at lady?" I said to Tuk as I took her from Neteyam's arms. She chuckled. "Guess it's your turn" I said to Neteyam. "I'm gonna beat y'all asses" he said to me and Lo'ak with a mocking smile. "Can't wait to see that" Lo'ak replied as I laughed. I watched as Tuk held my hand.

He got on the Ilu helped by Tsireya. She also gave him some advice before letting him go. He actually did better then me and Lo'ak. After a while he fell down too and walked back to us, proudly. I rolled my eyes at him smiling. "It wasn't even thaaat good" I replied to him. He stopped and looked at me smiling. "What did you just say?". "You heard me" I said mockingly and curious at what he was about to do. He ran towards me, grabbed me in his arms. "Stop! Neteyam!" I screamed laughing. He projected me in water as I totally submerged in water. I got up and moved the hair I had in my face. "You skxanwg!" I said as I opened my eyes and pushed him. He laughed, proud of him. Others were laughing too. After all, I was having fun.