Listen to her 🪼 Avatar: The Way Of Water

Leaving

    I feel the sun shining in my eye in the one hole directly in front of it, making me wake up to shield my eyes. After a few blinks, I groan and get out from inside of my hiding spot, still not standing though, just using the higher part of the ground that I'm currently on to keep my sitting up on my hands and knees.

    I yawn big, hurting my mouth just the slightest, before leaning down with my tail raised in the air and swishing just at the tip and crunching my fingers in an open close formation. When I'm done with my small stretch, I lay on my side, letting out a little yawn and gazing tiredly out at the forest around me.

    For a moment, I forget everything. Nothing worries me, nothing clouds my mind, and nothing makes me angry. I just listen to the sounds of the animals and waves, hearing the small calls coming from one animal to another as they speak in their different language. It's a peaceful, content feeling. . .until I hear a branch snap too close for liking close by behind me. 

    My ears flick in the sounds direction before my head whips around and I hiss at the possible intruder. 

    I let out a huff of annoyance at the slightly scared Neteyam. I narrow my eyes at him, going back into my calmer demeanor as I watch him, "How did you find me?" 

    "I don't know," he shrugs. The tone and the eye contact let me know he's telling the truth, but that doesn't really answer my question.

    I ask him, "Were you looking for me?" He looks down a bit, tapping his finger against his thigh, "I just. . .didn't see you last night or this morning since Kaelen and I left." I remember why I left and grumble to myself, annoyance growing once again at the stupid memory.

    "Is anyone else looking for me?" I ask him.

    "When your mom saw me this morning she asked for you, but she said that you sometimes go out to be by yourself. . .that you'd be okay." Well she's right about that.

    Being as Neteyam hasn't done anything to me yet to grant my anger or indignation, I pat the spot next to me softly and allow him to walk over, albeit timidly. 

    "Well, you found me. Are you going to go back and tell the others where I am?" He shakes his head, "No. I've had times where I want to be by myself. It can be nice." 

    I take the time to look at him while he looks downwards, sitting next to me. He is as honest and soft spoken as he was when he first woke up. I can understand why Kaelen would be easily swayed by him. 

    I look at what he's watching and see that he'd twiddling his fingers, lightly tapping the tips against each other haphazardly and tapping them against each other like small sticks when you make music.

    "So, you do that, too." He looks confused. "Kaelen plays with his fingers as well when his mind is troubled." 

    I let the kinder side of me out, against my possibly better judgement, and ask him softly with a kind tone, "What is wrong, Neteyam?"

    He looks at me, the both of us making eye contact while trying to figure things out. His usually bright yellow eyes are a softer hue of the light as the sun shines down on them through the trees. Looking at him like this makes my stomach start to beat weirdly. Perhaps and I am getting an illness and that is what is wrong with me recently. 

    Should I ask mom?

    His eyes glass over as he looks back down at his hands, "I. . .I just can't believe that I'm here. I actually have another chance at life, another chance to be with my family. It still feels like a dream, and one day I'll wake up and be back with Eywa in the forest once again. . ." He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand and my ears droop just the slightest as I tilt my head at him, urging him kindly to keep going by sharing another brief moment of eye contact with him.