𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍 | neteyam

𝟎𝟎𝟖 | 𝐉𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑

IT WAS A QUIET MORNING FOR AY'YEIVA. She was at her personal marui pod in the forest with her head leaning over the side of the fabric so she could watch the water below her.

"Ay'yeiva," The girl turned her head at the sound of her mother's voice, "Will you come with me to gather some things from the water?"

Ronal was standing a few steps into the pond, holding her hand out so a butterfly-like creature could land on her. Ay'yeiva nodded her head, crouching up before jumping in the water and swimming towards the shore Ronal was at. They walked back out of the mangrove forest together, Ay'yeiva asking her mother a few things about the ceremony on the way.

Upon reaching their families marui pod to retrieve satchels they saw Tsireya sitting outside accompanied by Kiri and Tuk.

"Oh, sister!" Tsireya stood up and eagerly ran to Ay'yeiva, "I am going to show Kiri and Tuk the Gill Mantles, do you want to join us?" She gave a pleading look. Ay'yeiva held a small frown on her face, genuinely disappointed, "I wish I could Tsireya, but I have to help mother with a few things." She saw Tsireya's face falter slightly and piped up again, "But I will be there to see you show them!" Ay'yeiva placed her hand on Tsireya's cheek in an endearing gesture.

Tsireya's smile grew, almost as big as it was when she thought Ay'yeiva would be able to help.

The younger sister turned back to Kiri and Tuk, "Okay, let's go! I can't wait to show you guys!"

The three of them left and Ay'yeiva and Ronal followed soon after. This wasn't the first time Ronal had asked her daughter to help with a task like this, so Ay'yeiva already knew what she had to do.

They both swam down to the coral and connected their cues to nearby gill mantles before starting to fill up their satchels with different shells and things they found. Tuk, having a gill mantle connected to her back, swam over to Ay'yeiva and signed to her, "What are you doing?"

Ay'yeiva put her knife in her satchel so she could sign back, "I am collecting anemone for my mother. It is used to help heal injuries."

Tuk nodded, having a clear interest in something other than the anemone. Ay'yeiva took her knife back out from her satchel to continue collecting the anemone and out of the corner of her eye saw Tuk's face brighten.

She turned her head to Tuk, holding her palm upright in front of her so her knife was sitting in it, in a way to ask Tuk if that was what she was interested in. Tuk nodded slightly before signing, "I want to be a warrior one day, just like you." The younger girl then pointed to the ordained knife the older was holding, "Tsireya told Kiri and I that warriors have more detailed weapons."

Ay'yeiva nodded, now holding her palm between the two of them, "You can hold it if you'd like."

Tuk's eyes widened and she nodded her head, reaching out to grab the weapon carefully, inspecting it so gently as if it'd break when she turned it around.

When Tuk looks back up to Ay'yeiva from her hands she sees her signing, "If you want to be a warrior when you're older I could tell you about it. I could probably teach you a few things too, if your parents are okay with it."

Tuk nodded once again and Ay'yeiva motioned to the coral beside them where more anemone lay. "Do you want to try?"

Tuk replied yes and Ay'yeiva showed her how to carefully take them off of the coral, cheering when Tuk had successfully done it on the first try.

"You are a natural, Tuk!"

•—•

NEYTIRI SAT NEXT TO TUK AS SHE TOLD HER MOM ABOUT HER DAY. "When Tsireya took Kiri and I to see the gill mantles I talked to Ay'yeiva and she taught me how to remove anemone from the coral and she said she'd tell me all about warrior stuff!"

Neytiri smiled seeing her daughter making friends and having fun, Jake doing the same from the other side of the marui pod.

"What did you talk about with her?" Neytiri wanted to hear more about Tuk's new friendship.

"Well she told me a few of the things she does as a warrior and all that, but she also asked if we were going to be at the ceremony..." Her voice trailed off, going quiet as she hoped for a positive response from her parents.

"Of course we're going, who would want to miss their first big party here?" Jake voiced, his words being followed up with confusion from his eldest, "Ceremony? What ceremony?"

Lo'ak answered Neteyam, "Ay'yeiva's ceremony for becoming an adult. Normally they aren't this big of celebrations but since she's the next leader of the clan it's a pretty big deal." He earned a strange look from Neteyam. "What? Tsireya told me all about it."

Tuk piped in, "She told me that it's going to be in the Cove of Ancestors. I haven't seen that place yet but the way she described it sounded beautiful!"

The conversation died down as Tuk started yawning, everyone taking up their own quiet conversations so the youngest could rest. Neteyam moved to sit next to his brother.

"Who all goes to this?"

"Everyo— wait, if you're wanting to know if Zoru will be there, that's a definite yes" Lo'ak realized what Neteyam was truly asking, "I wouldn't give up though. If you like her, you like her."

Neteyam scoffed, "I don't like her."

Lo'ak laughed at this, "Sure you don't. Even Kiri knows you like her, and she's right about these things most of the time."

Neteyam looked to Kiri, who sat next to Tuk, and earned a nod.