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What hadn't help the length of the travel was them having to stop every morning so Atula could be sick.
Jake was growing frustrated with it, he wanted to reach Awa'atlu in only three days but it had taken them almost a week due to morning sickness, and the need of rest.
The first days were hell for Atula. Her heart ached for nobody but her mother, wanting to know how her day had went, or using her occasional help during activities.
Atula's mumbled cries melted into the wind, reassuring to herself she'd be dehydrated once reaching Awa'atlu.
Tuk offered her water many times, hearing how throat Atula's throat was when telling her bedtime stories but Atula declined.
"Are we there, yet?" Asked Tuk, waking from her usual nap. Her head lifted from Atula's chest, watching in fascination towards the colourful Metkayina home. "Yes, little one, we are here," Atula replied before landing where Jake had.
She jumped from Hetu, helping Tuk off before letting her feet touch the unusual texture beneath them. Looking down, Atula wiggled her toes into the yellow grit. It was something new, something that the forest didn't have was sand.
She held onto Tuk's hand, slowly walking as the Metkayina's parted ways to let them through. "Be calm," Atula told the children as she turned to face them all, quickly wiping her wet cheeks.
Jake's hands were in the air, showing to them that they mean no harm.
The people surrounding them looked completely different: their hair was free to roam their backs, their skin was more teal and light compared to their dark blue, Metkayina's also had blue eyes. What shocked Atula the most was the thickness of their hands and tail, guessing it was to help them through heavy heaps of water.
Tonowari, the chief of the Metkayina tribe, inched towards the Sully's. He stood much taller than Jake, broad shoulders blocking the view of people behind him.
After muttering, "I see you's" to Tonowari, Tuk held tightly onto Atula's hand once watching Ronal move next to Tonowari.
She was the person they had to be careful of. Ronal was much colder to your introductions, eyes narrowing as she scanned the appearances of the family standing before her. "Why do you come to us, JakeSully?" Tonowari asked them all, Jake sighed before his hands went into the air once again.
"We seek Uturu," Jake replied.
"Uturu?" Ronal repeated, almost in disbelief as she faced Jake.
Ronal turned to look at them all, scanning Atula's body before resting her sight onto the bump growing on her stomach. "Yes — a sanctuary for my family," Jake explained.
Atula fell uncomfortable, and insecure, before covering her stomach with her hands making Ronal tear her eyes away.
"We are reef people, you are forest people," Tonowari spoke as Ronal circled them all, inspecting their bodies, "Your skills mean nothing here."
Ronal's actions began to break their boundaries as her hands grabbed at Atula's tail. "We will learn your ways, right?" Jake asked as he watched Atula snap her tail into her own hands, glaring at Ronal.
That glare lasted longer than expected once Ronal took Tuk's arm into her palm, raising it to show the people around them, "Their arms are thin. Their tails are weak, you will be slow in water."
However, Ronal was too personal when she Kiri's hands and inspected her four fingers.
Atula closed her eyes, trying to level her heavy breathing.
"These children aren't even true Na'vi. They have demon blood!" Perhaps it was the hormones within Atula's body, but she couldn't watch Ronal point her children's insecurities out to everyone around them. Atula took Kiri's hand, dragging her away from Ronal's touch, "Leave my children alone. My children are just as Na'vi as yours."
The cold tone was something the children hadn't heard before. Atula was so warm around them, always so sweet. Hearing her warn someone was so... unpleasant for them.
Ronal turned to face Atula, "We asked for Uturu. War is not the place to raise our children, to birth our child. We only seek safety, wouldn't you do the same?"
Ronal closed her eyes, hand holding onto her stomach as she remembered she too was pregnant.
"Do we have to go?" Tuk asked Jake, resting her head on his chest once he lifted her into his arms. "Shh, it's okay," Jake comforted her.
Ronal inched towards Tonowari, nodding her head and relaxing her features. "Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us. Treat them as our brothers and sisters, they do not know the sea. So, they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so they do not suffer the shame of being useless," Tonowari exclaimed to his people, his spear hitting the ground beneath once, or twice.
"What do we say?" Jake asked them all.
"Thank you," They replied in unison, Atula happy to have been welcomed into a safe home.
