Don't blame me - Neteyam

Chapter 8

Pandora forest 

Deep forest 

Lei'la stalked further into the forest. She wiped her eyes from tears as she poured leaves and shrubbery from her face. The sound of the crackling fire deafening the further away she got. Did people think that she and Neteyam were in love and were going to mate? The thought almost made her vomit. She shuddered slightly as she walked further into the deep woods.

Neteyam watched her leave, a heavy sigh rippling from his throat. He knew she needed her space, but she was all alone out in the woods with no weapons. He groaned, hoisting himself to his feet and chasing after the girl. Neteyam angrily pushed past the plants but was not strong enough to damage them. His nose twitched as he sniffed her familiar scent, following it blindly with his eyes trained on the ground, looking at her distinct footprints until they disappeared from the mud. He tilted his head in confusion, his nose still twitching with her scent, meaning she was still nearby. Different smells and senses flooded him as he stalked through the forest; others were so distinctive, he could smell her confusion, rage, and a sense of loss. Neteyam looked up at a nearby tree, his eyes trailing the dark brown bark until they were met with blue.

"Jesus Leila," he breathed once he found her pinching his nose in frustration, "You can't just run off into the middle of the woods alone at night!" He scolded angrily; he wasn't sure where the sudden anger came from, but he couldn't stop expressing it once he started.

"I can handle myself!" she shouted down from her perched spot in the bioluminescence tree as she shifted slightly so one of her legs was hanging down.

Neteyam huffed, running his broad hands down his face. "Can you just get down so we can get back?" Neteyam debated climbing the tree, pulling her out, and dragging her back to the camp, but he stopped himself when she spoke again.

"Can't you just leave me alone for five minutes?" She shouted again, resting her head back against the trunk. Lei'la closed her eyes in embarrassment as memories of her conversation flooded through her brain, knowing Neteyam heard the whole conversation.

"No," Neteyam replied without hesitation. Realising that she wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, he sat himself down at the base of the trunk, sprawling his eyes out on the soft purple moss and closing his eyes. There was a silence between the two Navis; the only sounds were from the forest, Ikran's screeching, or the soft clicking of bugs.

"I lied about somebody courting me," Lei'la mumbled, breaking the quiet silence between them. Neteyam's ears pricked up at the sound of her low voice. He definitely did not expect her to speak. Specifically, say that.

Neteyam stayed silent, only letting out a small, surprised hum. A small smile tugged at his lips, which he quickly wiped off. "Why?"

Lei'la scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Because how embarrassing is it that nobody is courting me?" she stated. "I mean, I'm almost nineteen and nothing!"

Neteyam chuckled under his breath, shaking his head teasingly. He looked up at her, seeing her tail wagging in agitation. "Well if it makes you feel better, I am not courting anybody as well."

As soon as the words tumbled from the future chief's lips, Lei'la's ears were as straight as a ruler twitching as he spoke to make sure he caught every word. "Really?"

Neteyam nodded. "Yea, every woman I talk to clearly only wants to be mated to me because of my title and not me," he sighed. Neteyam had a blessed life from Eywa, having such a loving and caring family. He was blessed with being the chief's firstborn, securing his future in the clan, but he soon realised the downsides of that. Navi only befriended him because of that, not because they wanted to befriend him.

"I know something about that, "Lei'la agreed, knowing all too well how he felt. Men tried to mate with her due to her father's position, thinking they would take over her role, leaving Lei'la to play housewife.

Another silence overtook them, and Lei'la's eyes began to fall heavy like sandbags as the events and emotions of the day finally overtook her, letting her fall into a deep slumber still perched in the tree that Neteyam was guarding. His eyes began to slowly shut, but he refused to let them close. He is the protector; it is his job to look after and protect his people, even if one is his greatest rival.

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The morning sun rose from behind the trees, shining brightly through the gaps of the trunks. The bioluminescence of the forest disappearing into nothing, leaving the magic of the night behind. The morning animals squawked, making Netetam's eyes flutter, readjusting to the light. He arched his back, stretching it out from his extremely uncomfortable night's sleep against the tree bark. He looked up the tree to find the source of his terrible night's sleep, but the branch was empty. Neteyam's forehead creased in worry as he scrambled to his feet, immediately climbing up the tree to where she was sitting but still no sight of her. Panic filled his veins as she searched around the tree, whisper shouting her name.

"Why are we whispering?" a voice whispered from behind him, earning a high-pitched scream from the Sully boy. He whipped around to see Lei'la sitting behind him, casually eating a piece of Yovo fruit.

"Skxwang!" he scolded, hitting her arm. "Don't run off like that."

Lei'la looked into his anger-filled eyes, accidentally letting out a small giggle, which she quickly covered with her hand. "Im sorry, I was just getting breakfast..." She stopped talking, tilting her head in realisation, making her eyes widen too. "Were you worried about me, Sully?"

"Wha... what no no" Neteyam took a second to collect himself. "I do not want to be the one to tell my father you were an idiot and got yourself killed."

Lei'la nodded, still smirking at him, as she began to crawl down the tree. Her eyes never left him; there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Whatever you say, Yams," she shrugged, jumping onto the soil, her toes indistinctly curling into it.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," Neteyam grumbled, jumping down to the soft ground and crossing his arms as Lei'la smirked at him again, sauntering away back towards the camp.

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a/n

shes back!!!!!

Honestly im so sorry this chapter is so late ive been so swamped with work these past three weeks but were done now and i gave the whole summer to finish this book and I cant wait. 

If you have any ideas for this book please comment them id love to know your ideas

Kisses 

S