When a seemingly lifeless boy is saved by a girl.
-
Ma'vona was once a beloved member of the Kame'tire clan, known for their profound understanding of Pandora's flora and unparalleled healing skills. Their expertise was so great that they could heal...
♪ They Have Made Us Warriors by Pinar Toprak ♪ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Chapter Thirty-Six: Someone Who Knows
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The next few of the many days blurred into a haze of restless waiting and careful planning. Every moment that passed felt like a personal betrayal to Neteyam, but I forced myself to focus. For now, my bow rested unused, and my hands busied themselves with preparing a new herbal bag and repairing gear, though my mind wandered far from these tasks.
The clear gathering in the centre of the camp buzzed with an uneasy tension. Warriors sharpened weapons, healers prepared salves, and scouts slipped in and out of the forest, bringing back reports of the sky people's movements. Despite the activity, it felt as though the whole clan was holding its breath, waiting for something to shatter the fragile calm.
Anufi stood by the firepit, her sharp eyes fixed on Txä'vo as he sat cross-legged, sharpening his knife with slow, deliberate strokes. She stood with a straight posture, her head high and her tone dripping with pointed irritation.
"You said the girl and the boy would have to make their way out of this place once the girl's ikran was healed," she began, her words cutting through the hum of the camp like a blade. "Why let them still be here? If they had left, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be risking everything for a single boy."
"Or..." Her lips curled into a mocking smirk.
"Has that girl gotten under your skin, Txä'vo? Is that what this is really about?"
Txä'vo exhaled deeply, his hands pausing over the blade as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He replied, his voice calm but firm, "I've explained this before, Anufi, and I'll explain it again if I must. I've got no one on my mind. This-" he gestured faintly with his knife, "-this is the least I can do for them. They saved my life. How many times will I have to tell you the same thing before you let it go?"
Anufi scoffed, shaking her head. "Saved your life or not, we don't owe them this much. All this effort for one boy who doesn't even belong to this clan. And worse still, my son-" She cast a pointed glance at Tso'lek, who stood with a group of warriors not far away, pretending not to hear. "-is wasting his time and energy on this fool's errand. A mission with no clear purpose for us, no gain."
Txä'vo's jaw tightened as he set down the knife and stood to face her, his posture radiating quiet strength. His voice, though measured, carried an edge of finality.
"You speak of things you don't understand, Anufi. There is more at stake here than you could possibly know, and I have no intention of explaining it to you. Not now. Not ever."
