Worlds Apart: Volume I

The During: Mother's Love

"What's on your mind, Ney'ite?" Neyetam asked as they sat with their feet in the water.

"Everything," Ney'ite didn't look away from the ocean in front of her. "The past, the present, the future. It's all rattling around in my head like a mad sturmbeast."

"The tulkuns made you think back to the Dream Hunt?" Neyetam asked.

"It's more than that," Ney'ite said. "I saw someone at the Spirit Tree."

"Which stranger did you see?" Neyetam asked as he looked at his sister.

"I asked Ewya to give me the strength to carry forward," Ney'ite closed her eyes as she recalled that night. "She answered me. I saw Tsu'tey." Ney'ite smiled as she looked at her brother. "He said things that I did not understand but knew to be true."

"You saw Tsu'tey," Neyetam's jaw dropped in awe. "What did he tell you."

"That he gave me his strength," Ney'ite drew her brows together. "I don't know why he chose me, but he did." Ney'ite looked back out to the water. "I want to go back to the Spirit Tree, but I'm afraid."

"Of what?" Neyetam cocked his head to the side. "Our friends who have passed are there. Our ancestors are there. Ewya is there. What is there to be afraid of?"

"That I will find nothing but more questions," Ney'ite explained. "Ever since we got here, I have been trying to figure out what Ewya has in store for me, but every time, I am left more lost than the last. I want to know why my Dream Hunt led me here. I want to know why Tsu'tey gave me his strength. I want to talk to my friends and love so that I may try and share our new way of life with them." She glanced at Neyetam. "Do you think they would have come with us?"

"Tysal would have," Neyetam smiled sadly as he looked down. "He loved you too much to leave your side. Aytanin would have stayed, and Marali would have been caught in the middle." He paused for a minute. "But, I don't think that's the question you should be asking. You should be asking whether or we would have left them." Neyetam looked out to the sea. "I think I would have stayed in the forest. It was our home.

"You know I follow where you go," Ney'ite sighed. "And the forest is still our home. I know your heart longs for the trees and green just as mine does." She grabbed her amulet. "Do you ever get jealous at how quickly the others were able to put the forest out of their mind?"

"All the time," Neyetam said.

"Will we ever go back?" Ney'ite asked. "Not our family, us."

"I want to," Neyetam said. "But I don't think that day will come anytime soon. Besides, it was clear you were meant to be here. Ewya has been pointing you here for years."

"I don't know if it's that clear," Ney'ite chuckled. "Ideally, I would ask her tonight, but the Spirit Tree is unavailable."

"You'll get your chance, sister," Neyetam put his hand on her shoulder.

The twins sat in silence for a few minutes. They were completely content in just sitting and listening to the waves. Ney'ite closed her eyes and tried to imagine the forest. The trees reached towards the sky. The flowers were bright and beautiful. The danger was always lurking just out of sight. She smiled at the thought. It brought her back to everything she had known and loved. She saw the Hallelujah Mountains. The ikrans were flying all around. Her heart ached.

"What are you two doing out here?" her mother's voice brought her back to the moment. She turned towards her mother as Neytiri wedged herself between the twins. "I thought the two of you were with the rest of your siblings."

"Tsireya and Roxto are showing them the bioluminescent reefs," Ney'ite said. "Teyam and I decided to stay back. We discovered those a few weeks ago."

"It's been too long since we've been able to have a talk just the two of us," Neyetam said.