𝑹𝑬𝑾𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑵𝒀 || 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑

11

✧‿*:✧11✧:*‿✧

Neteyam had tried to search everywhere for his sister but she was nowhere to be found. He decided to search for a place where she had always hidden when she was upset.

Neteyam landed his ikran on a branch of a tree, the tree Aé'teya would always come. Neteyam would often come and now it has been their spot. He saw a female figure sitting on another branch of the tree. Usually, Aé'teya would snap at him to go away but oddly she didn't even care to look. Does she know he's here?

"What's up with you?" He said coming from behind her.

The girl didn't turn, she waited for him to sit next to her before she turn to face him, "What do you mean?"

"You've been keeping your distance from everyone. You can tell me if something is wrong."

Aé'teya stared down, pursing her lips. She hesitated to speak, wanting to say she was fine but she knew well Neteyam wouldn't buy it.

She hugged her knees, "I suck at this Tsahìk thing. What if I'll never be good and fail? I don't want to fail, I'm just going to be a disappointment." She paused before speaking again, "What am I if I'm not going to be a Tsahìk?"

"You're a warrior." Nateyam tries to reassure her, "A mighty warrior." 

Aé'teya scoffed. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't enough. She wished to be more if it was enough to make her parents proud. "I can never make him proud or notice me,"

She knew both she and Neteyam are true warriors. The day they become a warrior was the last time she could ever remember Jake telling her he was proud of her. She couldn't fully blame him, she was also always trying to avoid everyone. 

"He is proud of you. Maybe he's just overwhelmed with the war against the sky people." Neteyam spoke. Aé'teya rolls her eyes, looking aside.

Tears began to swell in her eyes, she felt ashamed for crying about such a thing as she couldn't control her eyes from watering. Yet she tried to hold the tears back from falling so Neteyam wouldn't notice her crying.

To her failure, Neteyam noticed it. He couldn't see her crying since she was facing the other way but he could hear her snuffling. He was disappointed in himself for not noticing what she has been through, he was always busy fussing over Lo'ak so he wouldn't do anything dumb.

And ever since she was given the responsibility to look out for her younger siblings, she had been taking the duty seriously. Especially with Lo'ak, who sees the twins as the perfect children.

Aé'teya was not a person who cried often, especially not in front of her family. Except for Neteyam, her twin. He was like her comfort person, the only one who truly knows her struggles and feeling. The only one who she ever felt comfortable crying to. 

"You can cry to me, you know? It's alright to let them out." He said, comforting her as he rubbed her back. The girl sniffed, covering her face with her hands and crying into it. She could feel her cheeks moist and wet from the warm tears. 

Sometimes ignoring her feelings was her way of coping with them, it felt fine to her. But sometimes the feelings would overflow in her heart, the weight on her chest made her feel as if they were suffocating her to even breathe. 

She never knew taking a break was her chance to find her purpose and herself again. Only if it was for a short while, it felt good.

But something else was haunting her. Her nightmares of Quaritch replaying in her dream, reminding her how close they were to dying.

•••

The more the dream was played in her mind, anger slowly replaced fear. She wasn't afraid of Quaritch, she was angry at him but she is afraid of dying or any of her loved ones. Guilty also took over, maybe if she paid more attention to her siblings, they wouldn't have to leave.

"Aé'teya?" Neteyam's voice hushed and it startled her. She wasn't aware that he was awake. Her fast breathing slowed as she squinted her eyes in the darkness to find him sitting on his mattress.

Aé'teya raised from her mattress to walk over to his, sitting next to him while hugging her knees. Her head dropped to her knees. Her heartbeat was still beating fast from the bad dream. "It felt so real,"

Neteyam just kept silent as he gave her some time to soothe herself before she tells him about the dream.
"We should've killed him that day. Poor Tuk, she must have been traumatized."

"I should've paid more attention to them, then we wouldn't have to be running away from the sky people and hide here. We might still be back in the forest without dad having to worry about Quaritch."

Neteyam placed his hands on her back, patting it, "Dad would've known he's still alive either way,"

"But that bastard wouldn't know we exist. Now that he knows, he's going to use us as bait to kill dad." She retorted with bitterness as she mentioned Quaritch, not by his name.

"But it is not your fault. Nothing bad happened to us." Neteyam tries to reassure her, "He won't find us here, you won't need to worry."

"What if he will?" She asked, too stubborn to listen to Neteyam's assurance, "What if he does? He won't hesitate and will kill us all,"

Neteyam sat silently, thinking of a possible way to ease her distressful mind. "If that ever happens then...as long as I live, I will protect you. All of us.

Aé'teya has mixed feelings in her heart, her mind went more at ease than before but the feeling in her heart was now making her more anxious than her own mind.

She doesn't like the sound of that, and to her, it felt something odd. Something she could never explain. Something she wish she knew.

She know they would do anything to protect each other but she knew Quaritch must be more powerful than he was.

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about Quaritch, let's leave that behind and focus on what we're actually doing here for." Neteyam changed the subject.

"Running away from Quaritch and his dogs-"

"No, I mean–yes, but we're here to start a new life. We are not future leaders anymore so you don't need to worry about that anymore. And we should try to bond with our family.

Neteyam noticed her rarely being happy and close to her family members in the forest. Kiri had Spider, he was always with Lo'ak, and Tuk would either be hanging out with Kiri or staying with Neytiri. Aé'teya? She would always wonder alone, how she liked it to be.

Or maybe she thought.

She hasn't been a great sister or daughter as she kept isolating herself from her family back in the forest. Now she had just noticed how it has changed, she has been less distant from them and happier than before.

Aé'teya took a moment of silence to rethink his phases. Perhaps he was right, maybe this is her chance to let go of the feeling of pressure and begin a new life as a normal family than being worried about war.

She hoped her dad would feel the same, feeling relaxed and letting go of the pressure from war.