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Songbird (Avatar: Way of Water)

Childhood held the wonders of the forest, the fearless and reckless dance of the world that seemed to unfold endlessly before Tìrol's eyes.

When the day of her first communion came, the forest danced with life. Tìrol was the first baby girl born after the war, and alongside the newborn boys, she was taken before the sacred Tree of Souls. It was there that they experienced the loving embrace of Eywa for the first time.

It was also the first time the Tsahìk witnessed Tìrol's affinity with Eywa. The whole tree ignited as she connected, an astonishing display of rippling light that responded to her touch, beating with her heartbeat. The sight could be seen from the other side of the Hallelujah Mountains, blasting a beacon across the entirety of the forest sky.

As Tìrol grew older, the allure of learning and communion gradually faded in comparison to the exhilaration of exploration. Her days were filled with the excitement of running, leaping... and eventually flying. She craved to experience every facet of the forest, to indulge in the richness of its offerings.

Her senses were alive with anticipation as she ventured deeper into the wilderness. Each taste was a revelation, as she savoured the sweetness of wild berries bursting on her tongue, the earthy tang of mushrooms collected after a rainfall, and the refreshing coolness of a hidden spring's water on a scorching summer's day.

Tìrol's sense of smell became finely attuned to the forest's symphony of scents. She inhaled deeply, relishing the intoxicating aroma of wildflowers dancing on the breeze, the musky scent of damp soil after a storm.

With every step she took, Tìrol immersed herself in the forest's tapestry of textures. The velvety touch of moss against her fingertips, the rough yet comforting embrace of tree bark against her palms, and the gentle caress of delicate petals brushing against her skin as she wandered amidst wildflowers.

Tìrol's connection to the forest was undeniable as if she and the woodland were intertwined. She existed in harmony with its rhythms, her very being an extension of the natural world. The forest became her essence, her breath, and her sanctuary, forever entwined with her spirit.

When she reached the age to join the hunters, not even the dangers of being trampled or eaten could deter her. She wholeheartedly embraced the thrill of the chase, the art of tracking, and the excitement of the hunt.

When the time came for the clan's strongest boys and girls to venture out and hunt the migrating Sturmbeasts, she fearlessly led the charge, displaying both ferocity and skill. However, her moment of triumph was tainted by an unfortunate turn of events. The highly sought-after first kill, a symbol of honour, was shamelessly snatched away from Tìrol by Neteyam, the chief's son. It was a blow to her pride and a bitter pill to swallow. 

Until then, she had always emerged victorious, never upstaged, especially not by someone so... weak. The injustice of it all ignited a furious rage within her.

In a fit of anger, Tìrol confronted Neteyam, her fangs bared as she accused him of being a thief. Their emotions boiled over, leading to a fierce fight. They wrestled on the ground, locked in a desperate struggle until they had to be pried apart by the other young hunters.

After their initial clash, a fierce rivalry emerged, pushing them to constantly outshine one another. They were driven to excel, pushing the boundaries of speed, strength, and agility. For Tìrol, it became a personal mission to regain her honour after the slight she suffered. Neteyam, on the other hand, found himself irresistibly drawn to her fiery spirit, seeing it as an opportunity to be as close to her as he could. Thus, their competitive dance persisted, driving them both to new heights... literally.

Once they each bonded with their own Ikran, although there was some dispute over who formed the bond faster, they took to the skies together. Scaling the towering mountaintops, skimming the highest branches of trees, and traversing vast expanses of the forest. Their relentless rivalry fuelled their flights, as they soared through the air with unmatched energy, each striving to outshine the other at every twist and turn.

Jake could not bring himself to find joy in their strange rivalry as his mate and clan did. Neytiri saw it as hope, a hope that her son would know the joys of the forest as she had before the war. That his youth would be unburdened with war and the horrors she witnessed.

But Jake, even as Tìrol demonstrated the same wildness and lightness that he had witnessed in his wife, could not accept her. He wanted, no - needed better for Neteyam. Neteyam was going to live the life he had not, be better than he was - and that girl was dangerous. She made him reckless, she made him take his eyes off the mission, off of the path Jake had set.

So, he meddled and plotted. He had them kept apart as best he could, and tried placing barriers between them. Tìrol was kept close to the camp, subjected to lessons with the Tsahìk and shackled with responsibilities closer to home. Her mother was glad for it too, still traumatised from the events of the war, wanting her daughters close. Whilst Neteyam was kept close by Jake, forced to uphold the weight of being the eldest, forced to be the perfect son.

Time passed slowly for Tìrol in those years, trapped in a flightless existence filled with cooking, cleaning, and the abysmal and countless ways to learn the names of the All-Mother. She diminished, slowly at first but then more and more of her dimmed. The sky darkened without her soaring through it and the ground hardened without her light step.

In an attempt to give herself a shred of those childhood years back, Tìrol began singing. She poured her longing for the forest into every note and every word. She sang of the birds that soared through the limitless sky, their wings carrying them to distant horizons. Through her melodies, she painted a vivid picture of the forest—the rustling leaves, the whispering wind, and the vibrant colours that adorned the trees in Spring and Summer.

Her voice captured the essence of the lonely hours before dawn when the world was cloaked in darkness. She sang of the hushed stillness of the forest, the secrets it held, and the awakening of life as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the canopy.

During the winter days, when the forest was blanketed in frost and ice, she sang of its resilience. Her haunting melodies echoed the silent struggle of nature, the whisper of frost-kissed branches, and the crunch of snow underfoot.

While the men gathered around her, drawn by the enchantment of her voice, it was Neteyam who truly understood the depth of her songs. He recognised that her melodies were not mere entertainment, but the desperate cries of a bird trapped in a cage. He sensed the longing in her voice, the yearning for freedom.

Following in his father's footsteps, Neteyam plotted too - a small rebellion, an act of defiance for both himself and for Tìrol.

Under the cover of night, during the quiet hours she sang about, he would whisk her away in secret. Waiting outside her hut, in those silent hours she sang of. As they grew, their escapes became increasingly challenging as his siblings became more aware of the world around them. But with utmost care and stealth, they would navigate through the forest, as silent as the gentlest flutter of an insect, until they reached the nesting grounds.

At first, Tìrol wondered if it was a cruel taunt, a way for him to mock her and poke at her plight. However, as time passed, she realized that their secret adventures held meaning for both of them. Their bond, born out of jealousy, became their lifeline. It offered them brief moments of peace, a sanctuary within each other's presence.

Eventually, her songs grew more joyous, her eyes as bright as the evening stars. She was happy to cook, content to toil, and overjoyed to learn all the names of The Mother. The forest blossomed with her, laughed with her, and even danced with her.

As weeks turned into months then to a year, Tìrol came to understand that their connection was never just a rivalry.