My Beloved | Neteyam

TWO. Eykyu

A tall male Na'vi dismounted his ikran, soon followed by the rest of his family. He stepped forward as his wife and children stood behind his figure. Rewonay slithered among the crowd of Metkayina, her eyes on the foreigners. Their hair was braided and adorned with beads and feathers, unlike the water clan whose hair was let loose. Maroon clothes with beads and cords were making their attire. It was not so different from what the Metkayinas were wearing, except for the material used. Shells were favored by the water people. It was just a few details, but these details were the bearer of great information. These people were from the forest, far away from the reef, and with a way of living far more different than the water Na'vi.

Emerging from the crowd and stepping forth, Rewonay took a better look at the family. A young girl was clinging to her mother who stood near her husband, probably the head of the family from his posture. Behind them was a teenage girl around the same age as Tsireya, clinging to the clothes wrapped around her. Besides her were her two brothers; one had braids in his back while the other had his braids let loose. All seemed tired, exhaustion was written on their faces no matter how hard they tried to hide it. Mixed with that was the visible discomfort of being scrutinized by a crowd of unknown Na'vi.

Rewonay turned to the sentinels and, with a gesture of her hand, asked them to put their spears away. The guards seemed a bit surprised by her silent request. These people may be Na'vi, but they were still foreigners. They might be enemies. Still, Rewonay had seen how the father had asked his wife to let her bow on her ikran. It was a simple gesture, but a meaningful one.

"They are unarmed," Rewonay said in her native tongue. "They are not hostile,"

Reluctant, the sentinels relaxed and let go of their on-guard posture. Rewonay's words and actions seemed to have eased the family. It must have calmed them to know that not all were hostile to their presence here.

Though the little comfort Rewonay had granted them soon vanished when Ao'nung and his friend, Rotxo, arrived on the shore. Visage blank and firm, Ao'nung began circling the family, observing them with wariness. He did not return the greeting of the two forest boys, which quickly made them realize that they might not be welcome there. So Rewonay followed her younger brother.

"It's too small," Rotxo mocked, which was soon followed by a snigger from Ao'nung. He pointed at one of the boys' thin tail which was the total opposite of the Metkayinas' think and flat one. Rewonay frowned. "How are they supposed to swim?"

Rotxo was about to grab the tail of the boy with untied braids when Rewonay grabbed his arm. Rotxo froze at once, pressing his lips at the tight hold of Rewonay's grip and at her stern glare. She looked at her brother who had stopped messing around as well.

"Voìk si (behave)" she demanded as she let go of Rotxo's forearm.

None of the boys dared to disobey. If Rewonay was of natural kindness and grace, she could also be very strict and frightsome. She reassembled Ronal more than she wanted to admit.

Turning back to the forest family, she was quite surprised to see the untied braided boy already looking her way. Though, the moment her teal eyes met his yellow ones, he looked away at once. Rewonay had no time to give it any more thought that her sister emerged from the water. As she walked to join her siblings, her eyes were fixed on the tied hair boy. Tilting her head to the side, Rewonay observed the interactions with curiosity as her sister giggled when the boy greeted her. It reminded her of what she had seen in her vision. In fact, what happened was exactly what she had seen.

Just then, both Tonowari and Ronal landed on the water. The Olo'eyktan seemed quite surprised when he saw who the foreigners were. He had not doubted his daughter's visions. He knew they were always coming through. Though, he never would have guessed that it would be that family that would come to Awa'atlu.