Ma Neteyam

5

What felt like an eternity later, he grabbed the edge of the marui, using what was left of his strength to lift himself inside. Despite himself, he couldn't help but lay in a starfish position as he caught his breath from what felt like a centuries journey.

However, when his body relaxed and he began to catch some air, his mind went clear and he remembered where he was. He sat up, his chest rising and falling at a fast pace as he evaluated the hut around him.

It was much larger once he was actually inside rather than how it looked from the ground, but the designs were simple. Only the necessities filled the space, as well as a well made rack filled with various weapons.

Hunting knives, an axe, metkayina knives, spears, a speargun, and a bow and arrows. Baskets just like the ones he helped pack not too long ago were filled with fish and food, enough stocked to feed two people for several days. But what surprised him the most was the fact that the hut was empty.

No sign of Vareya in sight. He dared to take one step, then another. His ears twitched, ready and waiting to pick up any sound. After a few more seconds of silence, Neteyam assumed she wasn't there. Decided she must've gone off on a hunt or Eywa knows where.

He still took soft, careful, and quiet steps to be cautious.  As he examined the hut some more, he walked right past the rack of weapons.

That's when he noticed all of them were there. There were no empty spaces, all stacked neatly and all in place. Vareya didn't strike him as a Na'vi who'd leave without protection, but if she wasn't away, then where was she-

He hardly had time to finish the thought as a force to his chest knocked him back, the impact he fell with starting the pounding in his head that had calmed earlier. Immediately returning but was now even worse.

Before he had a chance to react, someone was on top of him in a straddling position, a sharp object pressed against his neck.

" Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end your life this instant!" Vareya growled in his face, pure rage and anger was emitting from her body.

Her eyes looked murderous, fangs on full display, and the longer he took to answer, the deeper she pressed the knife to his throat.

Neteyam struggled to speak but managed to do so, all his earlier practice of wanting this to go a certain way completely disappearing, " I- I just want to talk." he gasped out.

Vareya didn't release the pressure, not even by a fraction, "What? You, the stupid boy who followed me and is now trespassing in my hut, what could you possibly want to talk about?" she hissed, and as the sting in his neck began, he grew more fearful than ever.

She wasn't backing down, Vareya wanted to kill him, there was no mistaking that.

Neteyam carefully lifted his hands, her eyes flashed towards them but he showed his palms to show he meant no harm, and pointed towards the knife on his throat.

She froze for a second, and he could practically see the thoughts running wild inside her head. Trying to decide what to do to him, if she should end his life or spare him. He pleaded to her with his own eyes, and he almost hated himself for finding her beautiful in a situation like this.

Yet the way her hair fell from the sides of her face, one unlike any other he'd seen, one that glowed in the night.

' As if Ewya herself had taken strands from the moon and gifted it to the girl before him', he remembered saying just yesterday.

Nothing had changed, even if she looked as if she might break into a wild rampage at any minute.

Another flicker crossed her large violet eyes before she growled furiously, pushing off him. He let out a large breath, closing his eyes for a second, allowing every fiber of his being to relax from their tense state.