The Tides have changed | Neteyam Fanfiction

part 26

"This is all my fault isn't it?" Lo'ak was feeling guilty about getting his siblings and Tsireya captured.

"No, it's not. You tried to save them, you did everything you could." Raeyas words were more meant for herself. She was reassuring herself that Neteyam didn't get captured because of her.

If she hadn't needed help back there, Neteyam could have escaped. And maybe the others would have as well.

They were back at the village and Jake was waiting for them there. Lo'ak had called for him when they got to Payakan.

When they got to the beach, Lo'ak told his father everything.

Jake ran to Tonowari and Ronal. "The kids were under attack!" He ran closer. "Kids were under attack. They were defending a Tulkun and got captured. It's your kids too!" He urged. Tonowari nodded and said something to Jake, who nodded and started running to get supplies.

He gathered up his best warriors, including Raeyas father, and gave them weapons. He told them to prepare for battle.

Ronal grabbed her spear and went forward. Tonowari gently grabbed her and urged her backwards. "You should stay back-" He offered but she pushed forward. "I ride!" She proclaimed. He looked at her and sighed, before quickly grabbing his own weapons and hurrying to where Jake went.

A horn was being blown, alerting everybody of the dangerous situation. Jake and Neytiri ran to their Marui and grabbed weapons. She grabbed her fathers bow, which she had always used to protect the people.

To her side, Jake grabbed his gun and loaded it. Her and Jake looked at each other for a moment, their children had been captured and they now had to save them. They were thinking the same thing.

But before they could set out for battle, they were stopped.

"Wait!" Raeya yelled. She put her hands in front of her to signal everyone to stop.
"What's the plan? Are you just going to go in blind?" Jake looked at the young girl in front of him. She had a point.

He looked back at Tonowari who was not exactly amused at Raeyas action. He eyed Lau'ri. "Daughter, this is war, you are too young to know how it works. Step aside and let the adults handle this." Lau'ri said to her.

Seeing Raeya struggle to convince the adults to think before they go, made Aonung step up, "She's right. You have no idea what they have, where they took the others. You need our help." As the future Olo'eyktan of the Metkayina people, it was natural for him to get the people to listen.

"Son this is too dangerous. You will not fight with us, not yet." Tonowari knew that Aonung was a strong individual, but he was too young to fight his first battle with the sky people.

"No, you don't have to take us with you, you just have to listen to us." She looked at Jake. Raeya was trying to get through to him by keeping strong eye contact.

Jake sighed, he knew that they were waisting time but Raeya was right. They didn't know where the kids were or how many men they were fighting against.

They hurried to Tonowarris Marui and Jake took out a big detailed map on a flat surface. He pointed to where they were and looked at Raeya.

"Have you ever read a map before?" She looked at it carefully, the Metkayina do not use maps like this. But she was smart and by just looking she could understand what was on there.

"No, but I do know where they were last," she pointed at the three brothers cave, she recognized it by it's shape on the map.

"If you split up into two teams, one will go from the back and the other from the front, you have a much better chance at hitting them hard."

"And if you go under water their bullets won't reach you there."

Both Tonowari and Jake looked at each other and then back at Lau'ri. Their mouths were practically open from shock. The girl that was standing in front of them was only 16 years old, but she spoke like an old war veteran.

Lau'ri placed a hand on Raeyas sholder and said, "I'm so proud of you."

The girl looked at them in confusion. She was only trying to save her friends, not impress the adults.

"Dad, we have to work fast. We don't know what they want with them." she said and looked at Jake, as if he would know.

Jake sighed and looked at Neytiri, he knew that the kids were captured because of him. He looked at the corner of the room where Lo'ak was standing.
"She's right, we don't have much time. Go with her plan, we move out in 10."

Everyone in the room started hustling, they were grabbing weapons and gear. They were ready for battle.

Raeya went to her Marui with her father and grabbed the bow that Neteyam had given her. "Whow, sweetheart. What do you think you are doing?" her father asked.

"Taking my bow?" He father looked at her and placed a strong hand on her shoulder again.

"Sweetheart, you are not coming along with us. This is way too dangerous."

"But dad I-" she tried to argue back, but her father didn't want to hear it.

"End of discussion. Look, I already lost your mother to a war, I can't lose you too" she understood why her father didn't want her to fight, but she also knew that she needed to save Neteyam.

Raeya just quietly nodded and watched as her father took off with the others.

All the warriors got on their battle ready creatures and took off towards the cave of the three brothers. Neytiri took her Ikran and flew after them.

Aonung and Lo'ak were also told to stay back, none of them were needed for this fight. But Raeya had other plans.

She walked over to the boys and threw Aonung a spear. "You ready?" Lo'ak and Aonung looked at each other in confusion.

"Ready for what? They told us to stay back." Aonung said.

"And since when have we started to listen to what they tell us?" All the kids looked at each other and nodded.

They knew exactly what they had to do.