After the trees, the seas | Neteyam

Chapter 9

Tsireya wanted to show us the tree of spirits. Kiri, Neteyam, Tuk, Rotxo, Tsireya and I climbed on our Ilu and headed to the destination. It was incredibly pretty. "This is the cove of the ancestors. Our most sacred place." Tsireya said. I couldn't stop looking around me at this wonderful landscape. There was no words to describe what my eyes were seeing. The eclipse had already started. "The eclipse is the best time of the day to be here" Tsireya added. Kiri and Tuk were also amazed by their surroundings. I then turned to Neteyam, he was appreciating the view also. When our eyes met, he smiled warmly at me. I smiled back at him.

We kept swimming forward in the cave. When we reached the tree of soul, it was already nighttime and we were able to see the light coming out from the tree. I couldn't stop smiling. "This is it, this is the spirit tree" Tsireya said, smiling at us. Then we all dived to take a closer look a the tree. It was so pretty. The tree was glowing and illuminating the darkness of the sea. Something caught my attention. A little further, there was something glowing. I waited for everyone to connect their queue to the tree and when everyone had their eyes closed, I approached the glow. I swam towards it, it was further than I thought, but I managed to reach it. It was a little sea creature that I had never seen before. I looked at it swimming with elegance. Then it noticed my presence, and it came closer to me. My smile became wider as it rested its head in my hand gently. Then all of a sudden it ran away quickly, in fear. I turned around and saw Tsireya. I swam up to the surface. "We were looking for you!" she said with concern. "Hayla! Hayla, it's Kiri" Tuk said crying as she swam to me. I started to worry. "What's wrong?" I asked Tsireya and Rotxo. "She had a sort of seizure, Neteyam brought her back to the village, let's hurry" she said to me. I called my Ilu and helped Tuk get on it, behind me. "Hold on tight to me, okay Tuk?" I told her and she nodded. I hurried to the village dead worried about Kiri.

When we finally reached the village, I ran to our hut where I supposed Kiri would be, followed close by Tuk, Tsireya and Rotxo. On my way, I encountered Neteyam and Lo'ak who were standing a little further from the hut, seemed like they were waiting for the rest of us. "Where is she? Is she okay?" I asked them running in their direction. Their face lit up when I arrived, and Lo'ak took me in his arms, as I heard Neteyam sigh in relief. Why were they so worried about me? When Lo'ak let go of me, I kept my sight on Neteyam, waiting for his answer. "She is fine for now, she hasn't woken up yet" Neteyam finally spoke. I sighed in relief. Thanks Eywa.

"Can I know where the hell were you?" he asked furious, looking at me. I frowned, shocked by his tone. "I was looking at something, just a little further from the tree..I.." I tried to explained but he cut me. "Kiri wasn't even conscious and on top of that you had disappeared" he said harshly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Kiri would've had a seizure!" I replied defensively and elevating my tone. "Stop fighting" said Tuk softly. "The last thing I needed back there was to worry about you!" he said gritting his teeth as he approached me. He came so close our chests were almost touching and I had to look up to keep my eyes locked with his from the height difference. He was so mad, I had rarely seen him like that. "Then don't worry about me. I can take care of myself!" I told him looking at him directly in the eyes. He backed off from me, pursing his lips and nodding his head in anger, as his braids came flying from left to right. "Do you ever think about others Hayla?" he asked me raising his voice again. "What the hell is wrong with you Neteyam?" I shouted at him. "Guys stop, this isn't going anywhere" Lo'ak said trying to release the tension. "You're right, this conversation isn't going anywhere, I'll go see Kiri" I said walking away. "That's not what I meant.." said Lo'ak in a low voice. "Hayla wait" begged Tsireya. "Hayla get back here, we're not done!" Neteyam shouted at me. "Whatever" I replied to him as I kept walking.

Jake was waiting at the entrance of the hut. He smiled when he saw me. "Are you alright?" he asked me "Neteyam told me he lost you at the spirit tree" he added. "I'm fine" I replied "I was just a bit further". He took me in his arms. "How is she?" I asked him, worried. "For now she's fine, she's just unconscious, I called Norm and Max, they should be here tomorrow to take a look at her". I nodded. "Don't worry, she'll be fine" he said to me as I gave him a small smile. I then entered the hut and sat on my knees next to Kiri, she was peacefully laying on the floor, next to Neytiri. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my mouth, laying a kiss on it. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at her, laying unconscious. I wasn't even there to help her when she had her seizure. Neytiri approached me and softly kissed me on the side of my head. Tuk then entered the hut and sat next to Kiri. Lo'ak and Neteyam followed. I didn't have the courage to look at him in the eyes, but I could feel his gaze on me. I wiped the tears out of my eyes and kept looking at Kiri.

We all stayed in her hut for the night. By this time, Tuk had already fall asleep. Lo'ak and Neytiri also managed to fall asleep. I stayed there, with her, but my eyelids were heavy and I was struggling staying awake. Jake was outside the hut, talking with Norm and so I was alone with Neteyam. He came to sit next to me. "You can go sleep, I'll keep an eye on her" he said softly. "I'm fine" I said sharply. We stayed silent for a minute, but it felt like an hour. "I'm sorry Hayla, for earlier" he said "I was just so worried about you and I couldn't do anything, I was freaking out" he admitted. He looked at me before looking down again. "I got mad because I was scared" he added in a low voice. I smiled a little. "I'm sorry I disappeared without telling anyone" I said softly to him. He looked at me and smiled. "I forgive you, but don't ever do that again, please" he begged as I chuckled. "I won't" I said to him.

That was how our relationship always used to work, when we're having a fight, we can't stay mad at each other for more than a few hours. I rested my head on his shoulder and kept my sight on Kiri. I was still fighting against fatigue, my eyes closing. "You should go sleep" Neteyam whispered to me. I nodded softly and got up. I walked to my hammock in the corner of the hut and laid down. I fell asleep almost immediately.