Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

059, Bye, Mom.

♯┆calm before the storm  .ᐟ
━━━━━━━━━━

Denahi continued to attempt again and again. Attempt to shoot her bow without feeling pain within her shoulder. Though, the wound had healed, the pain was still there. The Metkayina celebrated their festival. Whilst Denahi sat it out. She couldn't find much to celebrate about— her son had died, her other son had to be left behind.

"Mom..." The single word cut her actions. Denahi turned to find Lo'ak standing there. He looked up at her with a soft smile.

Lo'ak didn't mention anything before slamming himself into her chest. Denahi was taken by surprise before encasing her arms around his back. "Bye, mom," Lo'ak whispered before attempting to walk away.

Denahi turned to him, "Where are you going, Lo'ak?" He faced her, the usual tension he felt had disappeared whilst his shoulders slouched. "There is something I have to do," Denahi didn't attempt to stop him. She had a feeling that this 'something' had to do with Payakan, and she wanted her son happy.

"Lo'ak!" She shouted out to him. He stopped his footsteps and turned back around. "Be safe, okay? Do not get hurt," Denahi mentioned to him. Lo'ak nodded his head before hugging his mom one last time.

Her hand stroked against the back of his head, "Go. Before your father finds out. Go." Lo'ak smiled at her before retreating back into what he was intending to do.

The next morning, Jake searched the area.

Denahi stood back and watched him. "Our children have gone to look for him..." Tonowari announced to Jake. "You let them?" Jake asked, not wanting his son to cause more trouble to their family.

"They did not ask," Ronal responded before looking behind Jake to Denahi. "I will get the raiders, we will go after them," Jake announced before Denahi gripped the back of his forearm. This was Lo'ak's path— he was meant to find Payakan, for Payakan had found him in the past. Saved his life.

"We cannot search the whole ocean. We need the warriors here for the calf communion if they demon ships come," Tonowari explained. Jake looked back at Denahi, her warm touch soothing him. "My boy is out there by himself," Jake announced.

He was more than capable of handling. "He will come back when he is ready," Tonowari touched Jake's arm. But, the touch wasn't enough to make him words seem real. After the argument between them the other night, Jake hadn't had much of a chance to apologise to his son— leaving them on bad terms now Lo'ak had disappeared.

The two walked to the marui. Denahi turned to Jake and shook her head. Jake furrowed his brows at the shake of her head before reaching out to hold her hand.

"We must leave him to do this alone. Lo'ak will return to us," Denahi was sure.

Lo'ak had this path. That path meant finding Payakan once again. Although she hadn't expected Ronal's children and Roxto to follow him on the path, if that is what the four of them had chose, let it be.

"Yeah and if Quaritch returns?" Jake questioned before Denahi looked back at him. Quaritch? The last she had heard of him was that he had died.

Jake had killed him. Right? "What do you mean Quaritch?" Denahi asked him. He hadn't mentioned that Quaritch was alive, he was there when the Mangkwan caught his children and Spider. Denahi felt her chest begin to tighten, her heart beating fast. "You told me Quaritch was dead. You had strangled him. What do you mean, Jake?" Denahi continued to question him.

Jake didn't know how to respond. He did kill him. Left him to drown. But, somehow, Quaritch found a way back. "He's alive. I don't know how, but he's back, baby," Jake mentioned. Denahi snapped her head.

He was alive. Their son was out in the ocean without their protection. Their baby was in the forest without their protection.

"How long have you known?" Denahi asked, hand holding onto her heart.

Jake reached forward, holding onto her shoulders before Denahi shook them off with a frustrated hiss. "Since the Mangkwan," Responded Jake, head falling down.

"You allowed me to keep our son within the forest when Quaritch is alive?" Denahi paced around the marui, "What if he finds out? Kìlan will be the first one he finds to get you to come to him. You know that?" Quaritch had his mind set of one thing— Jake. If Quaritch found out their son was without them, he would find him. Take him. Keep him as captive to draw Jake out.

That is how Quaritch worked. He was selfish and malice. "Kìlan is safe with Neytiri," Announced Jake, but nothing about those words comforted Denahi.

"Why did you not tell me?" Denahi asked. Jake looked down at her, hand holding onto hers, "Don't you think you've been through enough? I knew how you'd react. Neteyam has died. You wounded your shoulder. We had to leave Kìlan behind." Knowing Quaritch was alive would've scared Denahi to almost death, if the rage didn't kill her beforehand. Because this woman is ready to set the whole RDA on fire.