Solo

nineteen

Zia and I faced the horizon line, she chirped anxiously beneath me as we waited for Lo'ak to return from telling Payakan about the sky people.
"My son is lucky to have you." I turned my head to see Neytiri behind me, her legs dangling over the tarp as she watched me wait for her son to return.
"He talks about you. That's all he does." She added.
"He helped me a lot today. He helps me all the time. I do not know what I can do in return." I told her.
"I am so sorry about Irona, Laya. You have lost too many people in your life." She mumbled, shaking her head.
"Thank you Neytiri." I thanked her, bowing my head towards her.
"I lost a lot in the first war with the sky people." She whispered.
"I did not think I'd have the strength to carry on."
I turned Zia around and lifted myself up onto the tarp as I listened to Neytiri.
"Jake gave me that strength, when he did not even have his own."
"You two are so powerful." I told her and she gave a smile, like she remembered her past more vividly.
"Destiny changes. Laya. You remind me of my younger self, so much pressure, so little time for yourself."
"What are you two talking about?" Jake asked, leaning against the opening of their marui with a smile on his face, Neteyam peering behind him as Tuk stood next to him, rubbing her eyes.
"Mum?" Tuk asked and Neytiri laughed.
"I have to go."
"Thank you Neytiri." I thanked her and she kissed my forehead before taking Tuk's hand.
Leaving me with Neteyam and Jake who both stood either side of me, watching out for Lo'ak.
"He's dead when he gets back." Jake sat down beside me.
"Don't be too harsh on him dad, he just wanted to show off for Laya." Neteyam nudged me as he also sat down. I nudged him back, rolling my eyes at his teasing.
"Fnu." Be quiet. I told him and he let out a laugh.
"You make him smile." Neteyam told me.
"He never smiles." Jake added.
"When I am with Lo'ak, I feel like he would take all my pain just so I did not have to carry it all." I explained to Jake.
"My Lo'ak?" He asked, a tad of surprise running through his voice.
"He's mighty." I smiled and my ears lifted at the sound of a skim-wing come back. It was Lo'ak, with no Lo'ak on it.
"That's his ilu." Neteyam spoke and I stood up as it rushed over to me frantically, chirping away at me nervously before Lo'ak jumped up, clinging onto my leg as he pulled me in the water.
"Got you!" He spoke as we both came up for air, his ilu next to him, playfully chirping.
"You both tricked me!" I said in shock as he pushed a strand of my hair back behind my ear.
"How do you feel?" Lo'ak smirked.
"You should have seen how she got up, it was like she was ready for war." Neteyam laughed beside his father.
"Were you two a part of this?" I asked in shock and Jake gestured to his ear piece as Lo'ak gestured to his neck piece.
I narrowed my eyes and splashed Lo'ak.
"Hey!" He laughed, pulling me closer to him in the water as he smirked at me.
"Wanted to see if you cared about me." He teased and I splashed him again.
"Do you like that?" I asked him as I splashed him again.
"Bro! She's completely whopping your ass!" Neteyam laughed from the tarp and I splashed him too.
"HEY!"