𝑹𝑬𝑾𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑵𝒀 || 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑

5

✧‿*:✧5✧:*‿✧

Spider was taken, they had taken Spider and Kiri was devastated. Tuk wouldn't leave Aé'teya's side when Kiri was helping her put ointment to heal from the shot. She cried watching her sister in pain but Aé'teya kept telling her she was fine. 

"How did you let this happen?" Jake scold her oldest daughter. "We left you in charge to look after your siblings."

Aé'teya bit her lips, looking down as she got scold by her parents for not looking after them. She was busy but she knew better to look after them and stop them from going to the battlefield. She listened as Jake told her how disappointed they were.

"You should've done your job better, Aé'teya," Neytiri said, in a disappointed tone.

"I'm sorry, sir." She said to Jake in a whispering voice, eyes looking at the ground for she does not want to see the disappointing eyes of her parents to her.

•••

Lo'ak and Aé'teya were walking to their tent back but none of them speaks. It was silence and awkward but she was the first to break it. "I'm glad you're okay. That was traumatizing." She tried to joke it out.

Lo'ak looked down at her arm and furrowed his eyebrows with the feeling of guilt. She wouldn't get shot if he didn't go to the battlefield. "Does it hurt?" He tried to break the silence.

"No. Not at all." The girl widened her eyes with a smile, saying it in a sarcastic tone and walking faster. She could hear Lo'ak scoffing from behind before he catches up to her.

"What's happening?" Lo'ak said, pointing at Tuk lying on the ground and Kiri trying to listen to something from the other side of the tent.

"It's not good to eavesdrop," Aé'teya said but she was hushed by Kiri.

Aé'teya pressed her cheeks on the tent to hear sounds of arguing. Voices of their parents arguing. The five siblings looked at each other with confusion and tried to listen more.

"They're hunting for us!" Jake tried to reason with Neytiri who seemed to disagree with him. "Here's targeting our family!"

Neytiri shook her head, "You can't do this! The children, everything they've ever known! The forest! This is our home!" She yelled with pleading.

"They had our children. They them under their knife. Aé'teya was shot." He tried to explain again to their mother.

Aé'teya cringed at her name being mentioned.

"My father gave me this bow, as he lay dying." Neytiri's voice cracked, and she raised her father's bow in front of Jake. "And he said to protect the people. You are Toruk Makto!" Her voice cracked more.

"Are we leaving?" Tuk asked, looking at Aé'teya for an answer. Before she knew it, they all were looking at her as if she would know the answer.

Aé'teya shook her head in denial, "N-no, we're not leaving." She wasn't even sure herself but she was not leaving. She won't let some bastard be the reason for them to leave their home and their hard work.

"We can't leave..." She muttered to herself.

•••

"No!" Jake shut his eyes at her reaction, he knew she would be upset about it. Neytiri was quiet, standing next to him with eyes looking like she had just cried. "We can't leave! Mom, you're really letting this happen?"

"It's for the best. It's dangerous for us to stay here, especially now they have Spider."

"So what? We're just going to run away from our problems and leave our home, our hard work for that-that..." She couldn't even finish her words as she groaned.

"Do not speak like that to your father in that tone, Aé'teya." Neytiri scolded her. But she knew very well she understands her daughter's distress. Neytiri couldn't even blame her for her outburst.

Jake was rubbing his forehead, trying to explain to Aé'teya again. He's tired of trying to calm her down. "It would be better for our people if we leave. For your siblings and your safety."

"I get that, dad. But running away won't solve the problem."

Jake tried to argue back, but by his tone, he was tired. "It is for the best. Anything is better than having to lose any of you to them."

"-it could cause and lead to something worse." Aé'teya continued to add and finished her words.

"Aé'teya, your mother and I have agreed. We're leaving today whether you want to or not."

Aé'teya was biting her lips to prevent herself from tears. "Neteyam is supposed to be the future leader. I was supposed to be the future Tsahìk." She nearly cracked her voice but her eyes began to water at the last words. "This isn't fair."

Aé'teya was accepting that she was tearing up and letting those tears fill her eyes until they drop. Neytiri also wanted to cry but she needs to stay strong. Suddenly she had forgotten all the anger she has for her daughter.

Aé'teya knew there was no way out of this. She walked away from her parents to give herself some time to calm herself and pack. She's leaving. Her home and everything behind her to start a new life.

A/n:

Some foreshadowing? Maybe not but you'll not gonna be ready for what's coming...