𖣘 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙖 𝘼𝙥𝙞 𖣘 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𖣘

23.

  "It was dangerous." Eta'yla reminded Lei for the millionth time.

"I did not know what to do." Lei stressed while rubbing her face in her palms. "They were right there." Lei thought back to the proximity of the ship and how close she was to being taken too.

"Mother, stop. She is upset." Matahari advised while poking her head through the entryway.

"Leave us." Eta'yla said. "This does not concern you daughter."

"She is my sister. You have never endured what a Koa does." Matahari stood her ground while emphasizing her objective.

"She is my daughter, my responsibility." Eta'yla spoke sternly while clenching her fist and holding it to her chest.

Lei stood abruptly and yanked her bow off the wall, she whipped it onto the ground to grasp their attention. "Stop." She hissed.

Eta'yla's expression altered when the familiar shrill of a horn bellowed throughout the village. After the peculiar sound the forest grew creepily quiet, too quiet.

"Come, now." Eta'yla grabbed Lei and paced out of the room. "Lahar!" She called for her son while motioning Matahari to trail as well.

Lei bawled her face in a puzzled manner, "What is this?"

Matahari glanced at Lei with a blank glance, she looked almost fearful. Lei's heart jumped in her throat as the 4 hastily made their way through the village and to the Olo'eyktan's hut.

On their small voyage she observed Neteyam's family, the Sullys. She queried in her mind how wild it was to her that Neteyam's father just happened to choose Her tribe. How they transformed from strangers into ... whatever they were.

A vein of envy struck Lei as she watched Jake Sully and how he cared after his family like her own father once did. Lei was angry at her father for leaving her and her siblings on their own. She was angry at him for letting his life slip away so easily, how quickly he passed after he was wounded. How he left his family with nothing.

This was a strange way of coping for her, pondering of what she would say to him if he had survived. How selfless it was of him to protect her but yet how selfish, how could he leave them?

"Lei." Matahari softly called while reeling her back into reality with the brush of a finger. Lei yanked her arm away from her sister's touch and focused on what lie ahead for her tribe.

Whatever this gathering was for, Lei was certain they were going to war a second time. She felt a deep pit grow in her stomach when she analyzed Katu's facial features, how panicked he seemed. La'wan on the other hand was obviously infuriated, her knuckles appeared white due to her deathly grip on her blunt spear. Her tail was curled in an aggressive demeanor and her jaw was clenched.

Lei sucked in a shaky breath and looked to Lahar with her ears pinned. He stared back at her with great sorrow, Lei looked away and hung her head. This was no time to feel sad or scared.

"TÌFNU!" La'wan bellowed out angrily, slamming her staff before her foot. "They have taken our children!" She continued, gliding her flinty gaze across the crowd. "Awani Uloka has been taken from us!" She began to walk in the small circular vicinity in the midst of the crowd. "We have been too merciful." She spat the sentence like venom with bared teeth. "We will take back what is ours." She finally stopped pacing, she stood upon a mound that was built into the hut's floor.

"Toruk Makto." Katu summoned him and Neytiri upon the mound before him and his wife.

Neytiri and Jake approached cautiously — Neytiri holding eye contact with La'wan. Lo'ak prepared to follow behind his parents but Kiri wisely halted him, yanking him back by his arm.