I WANNA BE SAVED, neteyam

Ch 1: I Would Rather Die

When his children were young Jake could remember clearly as he watched them play from a distance with the other children in the clan. Pulling on each other's tails and freely hissing at one another, giggling as they passed the time. But Jake had also remembered when things had gotten out of hand.

Lo'ak had been bothering another child for far too long, sometimes pulling too hard on her tail or grabbing onto the beads in her braids, occasionally even her tswin. Hearing him laugh out of his own amusement had provoked the young na'vi, baring her teeth as she hissed at him before lunging on top of him. Jake had never felt himself rush down so fast when he had finally realized the action wasn't out of play.

A man quickly pulled her off his son by her armpits, dragging her a few feet back as she snarled and yelled at Lo'ak, kicking her feet in retaliation. Jake had to assume that the man holding her back was her father by the similarity of the beads residing in their hair. Lo'ak, realizing that she was finally off of him, hurriedly crawled towards his father finding comfort in hiding behind his legs, hearing the girl huff in anger.

"Olo'eyktan..." The man was more than ever embarrassed— Embarrassed that his one and only daughter had attacked one of Toruk Maktos sons. Quickly shutting his eyes in shame and chagrin, he opened them facing the eyes of the old and young alike. "Please forgive my daughter, she was out of line." He gripped her upper arm with his hand, holding it firm as she dug her nails into the skin of his fingers.

"Ayat is two cycles older and yet she still can't bury her temper." Jake watched in pity as the small child struggled in her fathers grasp, desperately trying to escape the humiliation she had summoned upon herself. Feeling sympathetic towards her situation, Jake waved his hand, allowing some calm to seep into the tense atmosphere.

"It's alright, she's just a child." His words had given some relief to the man, allowing him to release his tight brace on the young na'vi's arm. "Children their age can get into a small scuffle every once in a while."

With a nod of understanding and small thank you of appreciation, the man had lead his daughter away, scolding her with his sharp tongue. Jake sighed, watching as the children around him scattered, leaving him alone with his own.

A few days had passed and he had learned of the man's name, meeting him in the hunting group that was sent out to gather for the clans dinner that night. His name was Mäowieym. Jake had learned that Mäowieym was usually sent out hunting on the ground with his direhorse but was recently moved to the sky group instead, claiming that he was better with a bow rather than a spear.

Creating a brotherly bond was quiet easy despite their differences. I suppose relating to one another over fatherly topics had brought them together, both unsure what to do with their daughters despite their mates trying to teach them the way of young girls and how they feel (Ignorant men).

They had been conversing on their way back to the river, planning on cleaning and cutting apart their daily kill. Jake, at one point, asked how Mäowieym dealt with his daughter and her outburst. Wanting to know what to expect in his own daughter, Kiri, before she had reached the same age of Ayatney.

"From the moment she was born, Ayat has always been fierce and driven with vigor." Mäowieym spoke of his daughter with a face of pride before a grimace formed in its stead. "But yet she is hard to control Jakesully. I fear Ayat may only cause more trouble than good in her future." Their conversation was interrupted by an angry Neytiri, dragging the focus of the conversation behind her along with three boys in tow.

Once again, Ayatney was struggling in a tight grip— That being Neytiri's instead of her own fathers this time around. "Ayat—" Mäowieym was quick to his feet, catching his daughter in his arms after she was pushed in his direction. Mäowieym had caught sight of Jakesully's sons and the tawtute. They were both a bit scratched up and bruised, some having more forming bruises than others. Taking the chance of silence to observe Ayatney, he noted that she had a small cut running above her eye as well as bruises forming along her cheek and arms.

Sighing in disdain, Mäowieym gripped Ayatneys shoulders, turning her around to face the Olo'eyktan, his mate, and their children. Just by the look on Neytiris face, it had made all of them nervous. But Mäowieym was quick to appease the seething woman, opening his mouth to apologize for his daughters mistakes once again.

"I cannot accept this apology since she has attacked my sons more than once." Neytiri fumed, her anger coming off in waves as Jake took in his sons injuries.

Ayatney, who was under her fathers restraint, denied Neytiris statement. "This was only the second time! They had been the one's to—" Seeing as her father was more than upset now, it seemed her testament only got her into more trouble.

"Ayatney! You speak to the Olo'eyktan and Tsakarem!" He stared down at his daughter, shaking her by the shoulders. Making brief eye contact with Jake and Neytiri, Mäowieym apologized once again, promising a heinous punishment (weaving 40 baskets in a days time after harvesting that mornings herbs). Taking Ayatney by the wrist, he dragged her back to the home tree. Hoping that at least his mate will be able to talk some sense into their reckless child.

It had been a week before Jake and Neytiri decided to call Mäowieym and his mate over, hoping to get to the bottom of the ongoing dispute between their children. The mothers, clearly not happy about the situation their children were in, talked most during the conversation. Arguing back and forth, back and forth. Typically getting no where.

Ayatney sat outside the home of the Sully's, playing with the small pile of leaves she had formed. Twisting it by the stem and watching it spin down out of sight before doing repeating her actions. Listening to her mother argue was something new, especially towards the Tsakarem. If she hadn't been the topic, Ayatney would've been excited to listen in to their argument.

"You're daughter is completely out of control! Attacking my sons for no reason and bruising them up!"

"It's my daughter is it?! Your sons are the ones being told what to do by that tawtute! A human child!"

Ayatney felt her ears point down and press against her head, continuing to play with the leaves, hoping to block out the conversation. She didn't understand why she was suddenly being picked on by the chiefs son's— along with that human boy she so despised, it made things all the more difficult. Plus to hear the woman she admired so much from a distance be the one to shun her, really hurt her pride.

She would hear stories about Neytiri from the older teenager's in the clan. Talking about how she fought against the sky people, riding along side Toruk Makto to victory.

Stuck in her own mind, Ayatney hadn't heard her father call to her. Her mother had stormed off after Jake and Mäowieym had ended the dispute between the two fierce women, and yet Ayatney was long lost in her consciousness of the world she only knew of. Mäowieym had took a step, his arm reaching out to grab his daughters shoulder to catch her attention, only to be stopped. Shaking his head, Jake stepped forward in place of him, telling him, "I've got this." Nodding, Mäowieym headed off after his fuming wife.

Jake had walked over to the child before taking a seat next to her, their legs dangling off of the thick branch. He had wanted to hear her side of the story, having heard his sons explain themselves over and over again. "So, what is it that my sons have done to you Ayatney?"

She spun another leaf, watching it sink lower and lower as the wind carries it away. She didn't want to talk, but sometimes, it was nice to have someone ask her how she was wronged. Picking up another leaf, Ayatney spun it in her in between her fingers by the stem before throwing it our in front of her. "I was going to apologize..." she paused, eyes glancing over to Jake, where he sat listening intently. "But then I heard the human say that he had a plan to get me back."

"I just got super angry, and then—" Ayatney straightened her back, holding her hands out in front of her, palms facing up towards the many clouds in the sky. She sighed, putting her hands in her lap, shoulders sinking in shame, "I don't know why they pick on me..."

"Well, there was this saying from where I came from." Ayatney looked at Jake through her braids, hoping for something great. "That if a boy bullies you a lot, then that means they like you."

The confidence she held in him seemed to disappear, suddenly feeling insulted. Ayatney stood from her seated position, kicking the rest of the leaves off with her foot. "I don't want you to feel offended Olo'eyktan... But I would rather have an ikran eat my insides than hear one of your sons say that they like me." Quickly saying her goodbyes, she head home with a satisfied look on her face.

Where had a child like her learn to speak like that?