Chapter Text
They shouldn't have ever left High camp in the first place, they shouldn't have come to the reef clans, he shouldn't have been so stern with Lo’ak, he should have done so many things differently but he didn't, and now here they were on a human ship fighting for their lives. Neteyam thought everything would be fine until a shot rang out and fiery pain spread in his shoulder. Things were happening too fast, one moment Neteyam was desperately fighting to save his siblings, next he was getting fired at by Quaritch’s men. Gunfire, yelling, blinding pain all over his shoulder and blood. Just so much blood everywhere, the smell and taste of iron overwhelming all his senses. Neteyam could hear his brother yelling, someone pulling on his arm then, he went under water.
Water current was throwing him around like a ragdoll and whatever pulled him into the water was tightly holding his wrist, almost breaking it. Neteyam attempted to open his eyes but no matter how hard he tried to stay awake, he quickly lost consciousness.
Next time he woke up he was on a small rock. He struggled to open his eyes, nose and eyelashes caked with sea salt making him take ragged breaths through his mouth. When he finally managed to do it the bright sun hit him in the face, making him look to the side where an ilu was perched on the rocks next to him with some kind of fish in its mouth. The ilu chirped, put the fish down and took a small bite from it, chewing it and approaching Neteyam. The ilu opened its mouth and let the chewed fish fall into Neteyam’s open mouth. The texture made him gag and want to throw up, but he was way too tired and weak to fight so he just let go and swallowed. The ilu kept Neteyam awake with chirps and pokes until he had eaten all of the soft parts of the fish, when he was finished and finally managed to stomp down the gagging nausea rising from his stomach he closed his eyes and fell back into a restless, painful sleep plagued with nightmares.
Movement, rustling and yelling woke him up.
“He’s still breathing! Get the Tsahìk and something to wrap him in, move quickly!” There were hands all over him. Yelling and running around, someone wrapped him in something warm and soft, then he felt being lifted up.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Neteyam’s voice was rough from the disuse and the scratch of his throat made him cough violently and reigniting the flame of the pain in his shoulder. A hand was placed on his chest and someone held his head as he heaved.
“Don’t strain yourself child, you’ll only cause more damage.” A woman told him, voice silky and soothing. It made him think of his mother before the sky people came back so he clung to the hand on his chest squeezing his eyes closed and failing in stopping tears from streaming down his face. She held him soothingly as they carried him away, humming and singing, praising him for how brave he was. Neteyam was sure he had died and this was some kind of dream version of his mother.
Neteyam once fell from a tree. He was really young, well before the sky people or the birth of Tuk. He was still learning how to climb trees but he felt more than ready to do it. He obviously wasn’t. The sound of his leg breaking had haunted him for years afterwards, so did his mothers cries.
“What have you done?” she cried out and gathered his body up into her arms. Neteyam felt safe in her embrace and could swear the pain lessened the moment his mother picked him up.
“Why would you go out there? You could have died! Do you understand that?” Neteyam’s memories of this time were very few but very vivid. Neytiri had tears streaming down her face as she was scolding him. She seemed angry but not at Neteyam. He was brought to his grandmother and after his leg got wrapped and bandaged tightly, he healed quickly and continued on as if nothing had happened at all.
Now Neteyam felt like a child again, crying for his mother on the forest floor. He couldn't open his eyes, vague sounds and lights dancing around him, making him dizzy but the woman's hand never left him. Stroking his hair and keeping constant pressure on his chest right above his heart.
After who knows how long of half lucid sleep full of dreams and hallucinations, Neteyam stirred awake. He opened his eyes, sucking a shaky breath in, he looked around. The place seemed to be some kind of large, round tent with a fire in the middle and bags around the sides. Neteyam was about to try to sit up when someone appeared in his field of vision. It was a boy, seemingly about the same age as Lo’ak and Aonung.
“He’s awake.” The boy told someone behind him and kneeled down next to Neteyam. “How are you feeling? You should drink some water.” He turned around and reached for a bowl filled with water. He put his hand under Neteyam’s head to lift it and helped him drink. The cold water felt like a blessing to Neteyam’s throat that had felt like a desert up until now, he tried to thank the other na’vi but no sound came out of his mouth, luckly the boy nodded in acknowledgement gently putting his head back down. A woman appeared kneeling down next to the boy.
“You must have had quite the adventure my child.” She brushed his braids away from his face. “How does a young man like you end up washed up on the shore with a wound only a sky demon's weapon could make?” She asked, voice smooth and expression caring.
“My family-?” Neteyam tried asking but his voice cracked after a few words. The boy scrambled to fill the bowl with water again and brought it back to help him drink. Now, a more hydrated Neteyam tried again. “My family, are they alright?” he asked, feeling his heartbeat pick up from his rising anxiety. The woman frowned and shared a look with the boy.
“I don't know my child. You were the only one we found on the shore, I’m sorry.” The woman said. Neteyam could feel his throat closing up and tears swelling in his waterline. He didn't know where he was, how much time had passed or if his family had even survived. The woman wiped his tears away and tried to soothe him.
Neteyam heard some rustling and someone stepping into the tent.
“Y/N the outsider is awake.” The boy got up and walked towards the figure standing by the opening on the tent. The woman’s sight followed him.
“Unfortunately.” The stranger said in a low voice, earning an irritated click of the tongue from the woman. Neteyam strained himself to sit up a bit and have a good look at the new person. They seemed to be of a similar age as himself, maybe a few years here or there, they probably weren't much taller than the average navi but at the moment Neteyam felt like they towered over him. With a scowl on their face, they took a quick glance at Neteyam, then back at the woman.
“Father wants to meet him.” They said to the woman, sounding almost disgusted by the idea.
“He will wait!” The woman snapped, tail tapping on the rug covered floor in irritation.
“Very well.”
The younger navi turned around “What's your name outsider?” They older turned their head slightly and stared at Neteyam from the corner of their eye, waiting.
“My name is Neteyam.” He rasped. The woman who still sat at his head, smiled down at him and started to slowly put his arms under his head and back. The other didn't respond, just nodded and left. The tent became silent, the woman and the younger navi still had their heads turned towards the exit. The woman sighed and started to pull Neteyam into a sitting position, he tried to help her but his arms failed him and buckled under his weight, feeling like soft jelly.
“Go get some food for Neteyam.” She said to the boy, who quickly got up to his feet and left the tent. Neteyam finished sitting up, the woman put a bag behind his back and stood up to walk closer to the fire. This was the first time Neteyam actually looked around. What he hadn’t noticed until now was the clothes both the woman and the two younger na’vis were wearing. They weren't the small loin cloths made of weaved plant fibers he was used to but longer and vividly decorated animal skins and furs. He himself was wrapped in a warm blanket that smelled like incense and grass but under that he was still wearing his own slightly damp clothes. Other than that there was one more thing about his host's appearances that he somehow didn't notice at first. While where he came from all the na’vi were varying shades of dark blues and the people of the Metkayina clan were all turquoise, these people were of an earthy green with grayish green stripes. His musing was cut off by the woman's voice.
“You must have never met any of our people before, from the way you are staring.” She stopped what she was doing, stood up and started walking towards Neteyam, as the na’vi boy from earlier ducked back in the tent with a plate of steaming hot food and a few, smaller wooden plates.
“I’m sorry.” He quickly rasped out, fearing to have upset the woman. Contrary to Neteyam’s fears, the she smiled and started putting food on a plate. Her and the boy both sat down across from Neteyam before speaking again.
“Now that we are all settled, it would be best if we all introduced ourselves. You must be very confused after all.” The woman said, pausing his eating.
“I would be very thankful, yes.” Neteyam said, his voice finally getting better. The boy next to him put down his plate and scooted closer to the middle to be in Neteyam’s field of vision.
“I’m Zeyko‘e-'' He quickly put his hand to his forehead and signed ‘I see you’ “Who you saw earlier was Y/N, they're acting as Olo’eyktan of the Rey'tanu for the moment. Don't take it too harshly, the way they act, they…” the boy stopped to think for a second “Have a way of being a skxawng whenever they find the time to do so.” The boy giggled, earning a sharp glare from the woman sitting next to him.
He looked at her and she signed ‘I see you’ wich he hurriedly mirrored.
“My name is Herwì sya’n, I'm Tsahìk and the mother of this jokester young man next to me.” She looked at her son from the corner of her eyes, Zeyko’e’s ears flattening to his head as he snapped his head back towards his plate.
“Ah…yes, my name is Neteyam.” he introduced himself again “Can I ask where I am exactly?” he inquired to which the Tsahìk nodded.
“Yes of course, you are in the Rey'tanu Clan and you're not too far from the western shore of the plains.” the woman informed him. Western shore, the plains, the Rey'tanu clan, Neteyam was far far away from any place he had ever been before. But how did he get here? He had a few muddy memories of an ilu, would that have been who took him here? Questions upon questions swirled in his brain and his anxiety picked up making him feel nausea rise up in his chest and like he was going to suffocate.
“Neteyam?” Herwì sya’n called out to him “Are you okay?” She put her hand on his back rubbing soothing circles on his skin. Neteyam swallowed and lifted his head only now noticing that he had slumped over.
“I’m fine-” he swallowed again “-I’m just tired and i feel a bit sick.” He tried to reassure the two na’vi, and even though they didn't seem convinced, they let it go, nodding and helping him lay down. Neteyam turned towards the wall of the tent and slowly fell asleep to the sounds of the two other's shushed conversation