oeyä tìyawn ~ neteyam sully

chapter twentysix

As the light slowly started to dim outside of the pod, Tuk and Kiri entered with their small pouches, coming over and sitting next to Neteyam and Breatrice. Neteyam left a gentle kiss on Beatrices temple, getting up.

"Where are you going, Ma'Teyam?" Beatrice asked gently, looking over the seashells Tuk kept handing her.

"I am just going to look for Lo'ak. I am guessing that since he has not come back yet, he is still with Aonung." Beatrice nodded at his reasoning, sending him a soft smile as he left. Beatrice chatted with Kiri and Tuk happily, quieting down once she saw Jake walk in with Neytiri. She kept her eyes lowered, refusing to look at Jake after she yelled at him earlier.

Beatrice continued to show Tuk how to weave an anklet, Beatrice giggling when Tuk announced she wanted one just like hers.

All of their heads popped up when they noticed Neteyam pulling Aonung by his queue to the marui, Beatrices eyebrows scrunching in confusion. Her heart dropped when she saw the guilty look on Aonungs face, her heart rate skyrocketing.

"Tell them what you told me!" Neteyam yelled in Aonungs face before turning to look at Beatrice, fear covering his face with tears in his eyes. Beatrice jumped up as Aonung started to explain how he and a few others took Lo'ak outside of the reef, then proceeded to leave him there. Beatrice felt like she was going to throw up, Jake and Neytiri running to Tonowari and Ronal to let them know what was going on. Beatrice rushed out of the pod, hitting Aonungs shoulder as she passed him before diving into the water, calling an ilu as she ignored Neteyam and Kiris yells. She immediately took off, heading directly for the barrier of the reef, the two jumping over it and heading straight into the sea.

Beatrice started calling out loudly for Lo'ak, her voice breaking numerous times as she yelled. She tried calling his name along with yips, her heart dropping more and more into her stomach as the time passed more, still with no sign of Lo'ak.

After some time she saw something small in the distance, Beatrice urging her ilu to rush over there, letting out more yips. She felt her chest burst as she finally heard one answer her, screaming his name as she got closer. Beatrice slowed her ilu as she found Lo'ak on top of an enormous sea creature, her mouth opening in shock.

"Bea, come! This is my new friend, he is a tulkun!" Lo'ak shouted excitedly, Beatrice hurrying back over to him and sliding off of the ilu. "My friend, this is Beatrice. She is my best friend, my sister." Lo'ak spoke to the tulkun, a small smile growing on Beatrices lips as she heard him. The tulkun let her climb onto his fin, Beatrice staring at him in wonder before pulling her attention back to Lo'ak.

"Lo'ak are you okay?" Her anxiety grew as she rushed to him, grabbing his arms and looking him over for injuries. She found a large gash on his shoulder, a small whimper escaping her lips before she pulled him into a tight hug. "Why have you not come back to the reef?!"

"I was having fun, i am sorry Bea." Lo'ak spoke softly, hugging her back tightly. Beatrice pulled her face away and looked over his face, tears falling from her eyes.

"Just because I disappear once does not mean you should too! I was so scared, bubba. Please, Eywa, do not ever do this again. At least tell me where you are going." Beatrice begged softly, pulling him back into another tight hug. Lo'ak nodded against her shoulder, apologizing to her softly. "What happened?"

"Well, i went and apologized to Aonung. He and some of his friends were going past the reef to hunt, and he invited me. Then they just left me. I thought we were friends now but i guess not. But when i was trying to find the way back, a big creature came and attacked me and the ilu. My friend here saved me." Lo'ak explained, leaning down and petting the tulkuns hard head. Beatrice felt like sobbing over Lo'aks experience, but fought it since he seemed to be so okay. Beatrice moved back down to the tulkuns fin, leaning over and hugging the tulkun as best she could.