maybe one day ~neteyam sully

sixteen

Despite her promise to Eywa, she felt in her gut there was something she had to do.

Akina raced from her tent as she heard loud goodbyes ringing through high camp the next morning, her eyes frantically searching for Ikalu. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she witnessed the man climb onto his ikran, her feet moving faster to reach him before he took off.

"Ikalu! Wait!"

The mans head turned as his name was yelled, confusion lacing his brows together as he caught sight of Akina racing to him. He waited patiently for the woman to reach him, leaning down to hear her better.

"Akina? What is the matter?"

"I-" Akina panted for a second as she came to a stop beside the mans ikran, her hand instinctively raising to pat the beasts neck. "I need you to deliver a message for me."

A kind smile formed on Ikalus face before he nodded, his hand raising over his heart. "It would be an honor to do so for the tsakarem of the Omaticaya."

Akina waved his kind words away, but didnt fight the gratitude that warmed her cheeks.

"You are going to try and witness that wedding you told me about, yes?" She let out a deep breath as Ikalu nodded, urging the woman on. "Find Neteyam Sully. He is Omaticaya, his entire family is. Tell him-" Akina turned, her eyes searching around to see if anyone was listening. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realized no one was, turning back to the man. "Tell him i am still waiting. But i am running out of time. Tell him i am being forced to wed because i am tsakarem, and tell him the date. Please, please Ikalu, do not forget the date. Thirteen days from today. Tell him i do not know why he has yet to come back, and frankly i do not care. But if what he said was ever true, if he still feels the same, tell him i am still waiting."

Ikalu didnt hide the look of shock that formed on his face, looking over Akinas face carefully before nodding.

"We must go now, then. Is there anything else?"

Akina swallowed roughly as she fought the burning in her eyes, her hand raising to fidget with the bracelet on her wrist.

"Tell him i still wear it. Both of them. I have never taken them off."

Ikalu didnt ask for her to explain what she meant, giving her a rushed nod before yipping to his fellow nomads. Akina took a few steps back as the three travelers took off into the sky, a silent prayer to Eywa leaving her lips to give them speed.

The woman wiped her hands down her skirt as she watched the ikrans turn into specs in the sky, squeezing her eyes closed as she fought the hope that threatened to build in her chest.

~

Seven days had passed since her last ditch attempt of not having to marry a man she didnt love, and Akina couldnt help but look to the skies each day. But as each day ended, the hope she had continued to try and smash down kept festering.

"Sweetheart, have you decided on how you would like your hair for the ceremony?"

The womans attention was snapped away from her thoughts as her mothers voice rang in her ears, causing her to turn to the culprit. She simply shook her head at her mothers question, shrugging.

"I figured you already had an idea. Or you would ask Mo'at to do it since i will be gaining my braids anyway."

The beloved Tsahik braids. It had to be the one thing Akina was actually looking forward to. Since she would be wed, Mo'at had officially let her and Tarsem know that she would be stepping down as Tsahik. Mo'at had already described how the womans two braids that met to wrap around her queue would be pulled her to back to accentuate her long hair instead of the traditional Omaticaya front ones. It was why Akina had kept her hair from being braided for quite a long time.