Chapter Text
Chapter 1-The Decision
The decisions been made, we’re leaving the Omatikaya, our people, my people. The people I was trained to lead since birth, now all of that was for nothing. I don’t voice my thoughts out load though, no matter how much I want to. No I will leave that up to Loak and Kiri. “Teyam, do we really have to?” Tuk says as she pulls on the beads in my hair. “ It is decided Tuk, don’t worry this just means we’ll get to make new friends, we’ll be ok” I tell her even though all I want to do is throw a fit and complain about how unfair this is, about how unfair it is to have all I had accomplished mean nothing in the place we are about to move to. What was the point though, it will not change the orders, I mean instructions, we have been given by our parents, it will not change the situation we have found ourselves in, being hunted by a dead man. The very man that was responsible for the destruction of the first hometree of our clan. I understand why our parents have made this decision, it doesn’t make it any easier though. As the oldest of the Sully kids, I won’t complain, mum and dad have enough to worry about.
“Lets go pack what you want to take with you Tuk, do you want Titu?” I ask Tuk to distract both her and my own thoughts. She jumps up excitedly “Titu” she squeals, moving quickly to her little basket where a tiny creature with four eyes rests, Titu is a creature that Tuk found in the forest five eclipses ago, Norm said that it resembles a spider, as dad says,7 from earth only a lot more furry. The day goes on this way, “Pack little, kids, it will be a long flight till we reach the Metkayina” dad says, he and mum share a look.
Its night now, usually Kiri and Loak would have found something to argue about by now, but its just silent. Loak is pretending to be asleep and Kiri is staring at some plant she had collected earlier, Tuk is being rocked by mum. I can’t take it anymore, I stand up and walk to the exit.
“Where are you going Neteyam?” Dad asks.
“Just going to grandmother and walk around a little bit” I reply.
“ok, just don’t be too long son. We have a long journey tomorrow” dad says.
I just nod and exit.
I walk to grandmother, she’s sitting under the tree of souls.
“Neteyam, you are restless” she says as if she is stating a fact. “Come sit, talk to me about what troubles you”. I do as she says.
“Everything is changing, I feel as if I do not know what it is I should do, be, from here on out” I reply to her.
“You will do whatever it is you were meant to Neteyam. Moving to a different land will not change that. You are still the son of Toruk Makto-Jake Sully and the warrior Neytiri, still the older brother of Loak, Kiri and Tuk, still the Neteyam I have known since birth. And the Neteyam that I know is kind, brave, determined and loyal to those he deems worthy. And that has not changed.”
I smile bashfully “I think you forgot to mention something else”
“Oh what is that I forgot?” she asks with a smile.
“Grandson of Moat, Tsahik of the Omatikaya” I reply.
She throws her head back and laughs “ I will miss you sweet boy”, she hugs me and I would have been content to stay there until morning.
“Do you feel better know?” she asks.
“Much grandmother, but not completely” I admit sadly.
“This too will pass, there is nothing you cannot conquer with family and remember that you will always have a place beside me child.” “Now go on, your parents surely await you”. I give her one last hug and leave.
On my way back I stop to connect my que to the spirit tree. I kneel down “Oh Great Mother, please let this journey be favorable to my family, please let my siblings be as lively as they were here with the Omatikaya, please let my parents find the hope and the joy that have been robbed of them when the Sky People returned and please let my people be safe and be protected from the man that now hunts us, let our sacrifice not be in vain” I end my plea there and remove my que from the low hanging brunch.
I stop to take in the sounds and the smells from the land, so taken for granted but now will be sourly missed. “Neteyam” I hear someone call my name. I turn to look at who it was, its Tarsem, he waves me over to a small encloser. “Tarsem, you called?” I asked.
“Walk with me?” he asks. He doesn’t wait for me as he starts walking. I contemplate about what he could possibly have to speak with me about. Yes, we had gone through the same training, but he was older and very capable, given that he too taught me a lot about my duties, but I guess that too will change. We reach the outside of home base, overlooking the other floating mountains that surround us. For a while stills he says nothing.
“is there something wrong?” I ask, while my runs through everything that could have gone wrong in the last couple hours. Was it the Sky People, did they breach our perimeter, are under atta-
“No, nothing like what you are nothing I assure you.” He is quick to correct me.
“Oh, then what is it you need?” I ask.
“There is no other way to say this, so I will just be direct.” He takes a deep breath. “Our whole lives we have both been prepped to become Olo’eykten. While most of the boys our age assumed that was a source of contention, it was actually a source of relief for me.” Wow, yes I have heard some of the kids and elders of our clan talk about it, more like gossip, Tarsem never really admitted that before. He goes on to say “I felt relieved that even if I do fail in my duty, the clan will not suffer from it, that there would be someone else there to break my fall. I had if not a friend, then a partner, someone who understood the path I walked.” I said nothing, still processing the things he has said, the things he thought about me. “I thought I would have more time, to say what I am about to say” he takes a deep breath, “I wanted to wait, wait for you start thinking about such things yourself, but now it seems our time is up.” “I have to ask although I’m pretty sure I know what your answer will be” he laughs in depreciation. “Ok, go ahead, what is it you need to ask?” a hundred different scenarios were flying through my mind.
He looks me straight in the eyes and says “Will you be my mate?”. I stand there looking at him, is he joking, no Tarsem was never one to joke, especially about something this serious. And then I really start to think about what he said, be he’s mate, that would mean me staying here, I wouldn’t have to leave, all I’ve been working so hard for wouldn’t mean nothing, I could stay with the people, my people. After thinking about it, I almost immediately say yes. But I think about what it would truly mean, I would have to say goodbye to my family, no more cuddling with Tuk, no more crazy adventures Loak, Kiri would have to deal with all of that alone, she’d lose me and Spider in the same day. No more cooking with mum, no more hunting and strategizing with dad. I could do it, do it right now, I could be mated with Tarsem before anyone else found out, then I wouldn’t have to leave. But I won’t-can’t, be that selfish.
I look at Tarsem, he is patiently waiting for my answer, although it looks like he was prepared for my refusal. “I’m sorry Tarsem but I can’t accept your offer no matter how much I want to” I say and look down. Its silent for a while, then I feel fingers under my chin, he tilts my head back up so that I am looking at him. “I knew you would not accept; I knew you would never leave your family” he says with a smile. I release a breath I was holding. “I know you Neteyam, I just, I had to try before I lost that chance to even do that.”
“Thank you, Tarsem, I am honored that you would even consider me. Perhaps if our circumstances were different, I would have liked to try, I think we could have been happy.” There were many in our tribe that wanted Tarsem, the girls would giggle as he walked by, and the boys would puff out there chest when he gave them the slightest compliment. He was handsome and resourceful; anyone would want to be with him and it seems that I have lost that opportunity. Something in me wonders if I would ever have this opportunity with someone else again, would I ever find a glimmer of happiness in this other clan we’re going to.
I’m snapped out of my revelry when he touches my shoulder “It will be alright Neteyam, you are with your family. I only hope that one day we meet again under fortunate conditions, perhaps then we’d have our chance.”
After that we went our separate ways, I went back home and laid down next to Loak, he’s snoring with he’s mouth wide open, as soon as I am beside him he snuggles closer. A grin spreads on my face, no matter how tough tries to act I’m glad that I get to see this side of him, the side that isn’t so desperate to see prove he’s worth.
I think about what my grandmother and Tarsem said to me today, I know that they were trying to ease my worries, but somehow, I have more to think about then when I left earlier, it’s going to be a long night.