Afterglow - Tsireya

Chapter 5

Pandora Reef

Metkayina clan

"Tsutey!" Tsireya yelled as she followed him out of the water after the Ilu lesson. Tsu'tey was fuming that his sister could ride the creature after her first go, and he had embarrassed himself greatly. His ears were pinned down to his head as he tried to ignore the princess's calls. He stormed past his sister, who gave him a hurt look at his coldness. He never meant to be harsh to the people he loved, but he couldn't help it. Iowa was forced out of his home, away from the only place he'd ever loved. How was he supposed to accept it and move on? It wasn't fair, and he was taking it out on the wrong people.

Tsireya stopped trailing after the boy when Li'teya stood by her friend's side. "Don't take it personally, Reya; he needs time to adjust. We all do."

Tsireya blinked back her tears. "You're right; I'm sorry. I thought I was doing a good job helping him settle."

Li'teya noticed the girl's sad appearance; she had seen how the two Na'vi looked at each other but thought it was because Tsireya was interested in their different appearances. Never in her wildest dreams would she believe that the Metkayina Princess would have feelings for her Skwxang brother. "Tsireya, Tsu'tey isn't used to failure. Back in the forest, my brother was one of the best hunters; he had spent his life training to be the leader of the hunting tribe, but now that's been taken from him." Tsireya's eyes turned downward in shame for not thinking about his feelings. "All his life training has been for nothing, and he cannot disappoint my father. That is my job".

"I don't understand", Tsireya spoke, shaking her head. "Why isn't your father proud of you? You are a warrior."

Li'teya saw Tsireya's conflicted face. Oh, she's serious. "My father is a complicated man, but he is not proud of me; Tsu'tey does whatever he can to prove himself, which is why this is so hard on him."

"Thank you, Li'teya."

"Please call me Teya or anything that is not my full name," Teya grabbed Tsireya's hands. "We're best friends now."

Tsireya smiled brightly. "I've never had a best friend before."

"Me neither. We can figure it out together, which means we tell each other everything, including stuff to do with boys".

"I don't have anything to do with boys. Do you?" Tsireya pointed her eyes at the Omatikaya girl, making her look down in embarrassment. "Oh, you do. Who is it? Who is it?" Tsireya kept badgering Li'teya for the boys she liked until the girl finally caved.

"Okay, okay, I may have the tiniest crush on Lo'ak." Tsireya was clearly about to scream, so Li'teya quickly covered her mouth. "You can not say anything, and I mean anything." Tsireya nodded, but Teya wasn't convinced.

"Pinky, swear it."

"Pinky swear?"

"It's a promise that you can never ever break." Teya held out her pinky, wrapping it around Tsireya's. "We're bonded for life".

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Tsu'tey sat next to Li'teya and Lo'ak in the circle as they were taught how to breathe. The whole thing felt stupid to Tsu'tey because he knew how to breathe. It was breathe in and out. Something they were doing every second, so what were they teaching them?

"Breathe in," Tsireya instructed gently; she lifted her arm up to her chest as she breathed in, then down when she released her breath.

Tsu'tey rolled his eyes at the useless exercise, which Tsireya sadly caught, but she quickly hid her saddened look.