Blood and Water | Neteyam

Difficult Circumstances ∼ 8

Tcelia held her breath as the crowd parted again, letting a woman walk through. She was carrying herself with poise and Tcelia got the feeling that she wouldn't want to get on the woman's bad side.

Jake was quick to greet her as well, "I see you, Ronal, Tsahik of the Metkayina." So this was the Metkayina's Tsahik. If she was anything like their own Tsahik - Neytiri's mother – Tcelia thought to herself, the group was going to have a hard time convincing her into letting them stay. But Tcelia had rarely seen Jake fail at anything he had put his mind to, so with some luck they might actually stand a chance.

Neytiri repeated her husband's greeting, "I see you, Ronal." This made the Tsahik take her attention away from Jake and focus it on Neytiri. From behind them, Tcelia could see the challenge in Ronal's eyes. Tcelia almost flinched away from the woman and the stare wasn't even directed at her. But Neytiri wasn't known to be one to back down from a challenge, which was one of the many qualities that Tcelia admired about the older woman. Tcelia squared her shoulders, hoping that she emitted even just a slight bit of the confidence that radiated off Neytiri.

"Why do you come to us, Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked, extending his arm towards Jake.

Jake glanced back at his family and Tcelia before speaking, "We seek Uturu," Tonowari repeated Jake's statement in confusion, looking to his wife. "A sanctuary for my family." Jake explained.

The Tsahik's eyes turned wary as she studied the family. She slowly walked towards them as her husband began to speak, "We are reef people," he said, stunned, "You are forest people. Your skills will be nothing here." Out of the corner of her eyes, Tcelia watched as the Tsahik, who was now standing amongst the Omatikaya, inspected them all.

"We will learn your ways," Jake said, attempting to contain the desperation in his voice.

Ronal caught Neytiri's tail with one of her hands, scrutinizing it with a stern look. Neytiri snatched her tail away, but the Tsahik was quickly on to the next, lifting up Tuk's arm and shaking it slightly, "Their arms are thin," she proclaimed, dropping it, and grabbed Kiri's tail, "Their tails," Ronal raised her voice so that the entire tribe could hear her, "are weak." She said as she let go. Kiri shook her head, annoyed at being picked on.

"You will be slow in the water," She told them and grabbed both of Tcelia's hands and drew them up in the air, "These children are not even true Na'vi," Tcelia snatched her hands from out of the Tsahik's grasp and glared at the sand. Tcelia could hear the Metkayina's gasp and Neytiri and Jake looked at each other uneasily.

"Yes, we are," Kiri's voice was as frustrated as Tcelia felt, but Tcelia was glad that the Tsahik had taken it out on her and not Kiri. Tcelia could handle being demeaned and called different, but she knew that Kiri was extremely sensitive about that subject matter, especially in public. It was why Tcelia was so overprotective when it came to Kiri.

The Tsahik forced one of Lo'ak's hands in the air instead, because apparently, she hadn't felt like humiliating one of the teenagers had been enough. "They have demon blood," She declared as she showed his fingers to the rest of the tribe. More gasps could be heard all around them.

Tcelia opened her mouth, eyes narrowed, ready to risk landing on the Tsahik's bad side – no one spoke like that to her friends - but was stopped by Neteyam who brushed his hand against hers. She looked up at him, but he merely shook his head. She sighed inwardly and counted to 10, a technique Jake had taught her when she was younger, to manage her anger outbursts.

"Look," Jake urged, lifting his hand, "Look!" he said, splaying out his five fingers. "Look, I was born with the sky people and now I am Na'vi. Alright – you can adapt." He turned to face Tonowari. "We will adapt. Okay?"