Counting Stars - Aonung x Neteyam

Part 1

It was clear to all of us that the girl was special. We all knew when Eywa gave answers sometimes they came with a hundred questions, so patience was needed. She always provided when needed.

I walked slowly toward my marui and saw my father standing in the doorway looking toward the Sully's marui.

- How is the little girl? - he asked when he saw me approaching.

- Scared, lost and in good company. - I replied, leaning down next to him.

- Do you think we should change the ceremony to another day and wait for the Sully's to recover better? - he asked looking me in the eyes. I felt a warm feeling expand in my chest.

This had been happening several times since the attack on the ship. After saving Tsireya and pulling the rest of the villagers out of the fire, my father was seeing me with different eyes. Maybe he had seen me for the first time being really brave or perhaps the attack had taught him that maybe we didn't have all the time in the world, but I wasn't going to complain.

Now he would ask my opinion on things about the village, respect that opinion and teach me how to improve. He was patient in a way he had never been before. He even apologized when he had to. Honestly, he had scared me and Tsireya a little at first, we thought he might be dying.

- I think the Sully family needs this ceremony almost as much as everyone else. We've won, but it doesn't feel that way. We have to do something to change that. - I said, nodding my head, in a firm, serious tone. Like he did when he made a decision.

He nodded back and smiled a little. He didn't say anything else, but that was a thousand times better. I couldn't say that the attack had brought anything good, the whole village was scared, there were deaths and the fear was almost suffocating. But this, this new relationship with my father, I don't know, maybe Eywa was right and everything was a balance.

- See how the older son is doing, and see if he will be able to participate tonight. They deserve to feel at home. - he ended up talking more to himself.

I watched him leave and felt that something was changing. Not only for the obvious reasons, such as the camaraderie that is created through fear, but also because more people in the village felt identified with the Sully family, more specifically with Neytiri. Understanding her love for what they used to call demons.

Those same demons had risked their lives to protect his sister, they had killed and suffered to keep their clan safe. Before I already understood their rage, for having had to flee their home. But now I also understood their bond, the reason they created a family.

I walked slowly toward the marui where Neteyam was resting. Since my mother had healed him almost two weeks ago, he had stayed in that marui. It was isolated, so that the noise of the other villagers would not disturb him, near the sea plantations.

Many times, I found myself unintentionally looking in her direction. While fishing or helping the people on the shore with their duties. I was afraid that I needed something and no one was around, I lied to myself. I didn't look for further explanations.

I purposely made noise so I wouldn't scare him and found him sitting weaving a basket.

- My father sent me to see how you are feeling for tonight. - I said, dropping down next to him.

- Your father sent you... - he replied smiling. I refused to smile back, but he could tell from the look in my eyes that I had been caught. - You can tell him I feel fine. Tired, as usual the last few days. But I've slept all day so I can last as long as it takes. - he finishes speaking at the same time as he ends the basket.