You will fall (Neteyam x Oc)

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 37
YALNA BARK

After Sao'Nae was hauled away with Ao'nung and Neteyam, Lo'ak spent no time finding the Metkayina chief and Tsahik. He rode his Ilu, Spider on his back, and quickly spotted them on a small island-rock, looking to be regrouping and preparing for yet another assault. Spider was unsure what role this new girl played in th Sully's story, but could easily tell she was important. Not just to Neteyam.

The younger brother to the resilient warrior looked frightened but tried to hold himself together, yelling out the moment he spotted Ronal and Tonowari.

" HEY! HEY! OVER HERE!" Lo'ak shouted, " SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!"

Ronal glanced at the human on Lo'ak's back, going to question him but ultimately pausing when she saw his worried expression, " What is it Lo'ak!?" She asked, grabbing the forearm of her husband to grab his attention away from rewrapping his spear.

Lo'ak took a few labored breaths, " It's Sao'Nae---" He started, " She got shot!"

Tonowari's head shot over to the boys direction, " WHAT!?" He boomed, standing up abruptly and stomping towards the far end of the rocks. Tonowari's nostrils flared as he gritted his teeth, " Where is she!?"

Spider gulped, " Her brother took her back to your village!" He said, " She was losing blood fast!"

Ronal released a sonorous yip and dove into the water, calling her skimwing and staring at Lo'ak, nodding her head, " Take me to her, we need to get this---" Ronal had a scowl in her voice as she struggled to find a word to call the fleshy beast behind Lo'ak, "---Human, away from the battle. I don't want him near the Demon man when my mate kills him."

Spider visibly paled but said nothing.

Lo'ak nodded and began leading the way for Ronal, only pausing when Tonowari called to her, " Keep our daughter alive!" He begged, " Keep my baby alive!"

Ronal gave a single curt nod. And just like that she was off, disappearing beneath the water in order to follow Lo'ak and Spider.

Back in Awa'atlu, Neteyam snarled and hiss each time a healer moved him away from Sao'Nae's body, a part of his heart breaking with every moment. At one point a doctor had to warn him that if he got in the way of saving the girl, he would be forced to leave the room entirely.

Sao'Nae was silent. Unmoving. Her chest just hardly rose and fell as she laid on a tightly woven mat. Neteyam huffed, seeing the sweat built on her forehead, watching as it gently slipped down her perfect face. He could see his own handprint on her cheek, stained from blood, and he could see her loincloth dyed red from the crimson liquid which pooled around her wound.

One of the healers sighed, " The bullet is still in there...." He grimaced, " We need to get it out before it punctures something..."

It'd been a couple minutes since Ao'nung had left to tell his parents about what had happened, and in that short period the healers were still unsure of what to do. So far they'd managed to control the bleeding, but the matter of the bullet was something else entirely. Neteyam was clenching his jaw as he watched this scene unfold before him...

That bullet was meant for him.

Sao'Nae had jumped in front of that bullet, saving him in the process. He was pissed. Absolutely pissed. He'd been angry before, but never like this. He wanted to scream and hit things, the healers especially, for some reason. Every time they prodded her delicate skin or touched her wound he wanted to skin them alive.

That was supposed to be him.

Neteyam bowed his head and closed his eyes, cupping his hands in front of his face as he whispered, " Please Great Mother, save my mate. Please save my mate, Great Mother." He begged, repeating the words like a mantra, " Save Ma'Tanhì....save my mate."

In his hands he held her waist beads, wrapping them around his lengthy fingers, " Save my Sao'Nae...save my mate..."

The healers could hear his prayer, they only hoped Eywa could as well.

Suddenly Ao'nung came back into the room, his chest heaving heavily. Behind him entered Tsireya and Ronal. Tsireya looked at Sao'Nae hesitantly with tears in her eyes, stepping out of her mothers way and standing fearfully in the shadows. Ao'nung stepped close to her and wrapped his arms around his baby sister, just like Sao'Nae used to do to him, and rocked her gently, kissing her forehead.

Ronal glanced at Neteyam but said nothing, instead kneeling down beside her daughter and pushing the other healers aside.

" Tstal!" Ronal demanded, holding out her hand expectantly, " The bullet is still inside, yes?"

The healer nodded and handed her the knife she asked for, " Yes. Thankfully. Had the bullet gone through, she'd have been dead before she made it here. And if not for that boy holding the wound, bloodloss would've been our enemy today." He admitted, " She was lucky."

Ronal swallowed hard, swallowing every emotion she could. She couldn't cry and save her daughter, she had to choose.

" Yalna bark. Now."

The healers did exactly as the Tsahik said, fetching the items she requested and abiding her every command. Ao'nung and Tsireya slowly slank over to Neteyam, sitting beside him and trying to ease his mind from the unsightly scene playing before them. Tsireya hid her head in her big brothers chest, unable to look at Sao'Nae in such a state.

From outside, Lo'ak could be heard yelling something indistinct. The boy was holding tight to Tuk's arm, commanding her to stay back away from the medical tent, " I said no!" He shouted, " You cannot go in there!"

" But Nae-Nae-----"

" You can't go in there Tuk!"

Tuk shook her head, tears slipping down her gentle round cheeks, " I have to see her, Sully's stick together!" She whimpered, " Nae-Nae is family now, I can't not see her!"

Lo'ak knelt down on his knees, placing his hands on the child's shoulders, " Tuk, I can't let you go in there! Sao'Nae....Sao'Nae is trying to get better and we can't go in and bother the doctors. This is what's best for her!" He assured, the same worry lingering in his eyes, " Sao'Nae is strong, she will be okay!"

Tuk's lip trembled, " What if I can't say goodbye?"

Lo'ak frowned.

" She'll be okay." He promised, though even he knew that might be a lie, " If Neteyam comes out, we need to...we need to be there for him. Okay? We need to be there for our big brother."

The little girl looked up at the night sky, " Sao'Nae said she'd teach me to hunt..." She whispered, " When she gets better we will go and hunt, and I will catch food for her. Then I'll cook it." She said, listing the things she was going to do, " I will help take care of her and make her feel at home."

Lo'ak cupped the child's face and put on a painful smile, " Yes...Yes. Think positive." He nodded, " This is what we can do to help."