At nightfall, the kids had to ask around a bit if anyone had seen their mother before Kuna't had the courage to check Te'rani's marui.
"Fully clothed right?" Aa'pau whispered as Kuna't closed the curtains she peaked through and climbed down from the entrance. Neytiri was awake but Te'rani wasn't.
Her eyes widened and she shushed him immediately, fearing someone else heard that. "Skawng! Of course they are"
Neytiri opened the curtain to let herself pass and cautiously chose not to jump down, knowing that the bottom was bouncy. She silently greeted Aa'pau and Kuna't.
Neteyam was further behind them, relieved to see his mother.
"Mom" he said as she got closer. "Is she okay?" He asked, looking back at Te'rani's marui for a second as they began walking away.
Neytiri nodded and hummed in response. As the were taking the short walk back to their marui, both noticed the number of weird stares they got.
Neteyam honestly thought that they had gotten past that. But some mothers were turning their children away from even looking at them. Adults were turning away, some even glaring.
Even after spending hours of the evening with Te'rani, Neytiri wished that she was here right now. She knew why everyone was acting this way.
The fight. The demon ship had killed many warriors. And these people blamed her and her family for it. It was unfair, but so was death. So was what happened.
Neytiri realized that if she was among them, she would have been angry as well.
Maybe she and her family were to blame.
----••----•----••----•----••----•----••----•----••----•--
Te'rani yawned in her mat. Her left hand moved to feel beside her since her eyes were still closed, and she made a disappointed sigh when nothing but the cold ground was beside her, instead of Neytiri.
Her eyes slowly opened and was greeted with the purple light of her marui shining on the floor. The sun had risen already.
Te'rani didn't understand why she woke up relatively late as compared to normal. Maybe it was because sleeping next to Neyiri put her at ease. Too much ease.
"Ugh" Te'rani groaned quietly. Her head felt heavy. The cut above her eyebrow ached. She had definitely slept in the position of a dead man considering that half her face had the floor's print pressed onto it.
She sat up, the slight ringing in her head subsiding. Just then, the curtains of her Marui spread open.
The familiar figure of Tsireya walked in.
"Hello. Are you okay? We didn't see you yesterday" She whispered while siting down next to her aunt.
Te'rani nodded, using her hand to cover half her face inconspicuously, pretending to scratch her head.
"Have you eaten? You need to eat. Come, Mother and I can cook for you today" Tsireya knelt up and waited for Te'rani to stand up as well.
While her aunt stretched, Tsireya bent down and began rolling up her mat.
"Is Ronal in a good mood or...?" Te'rani asked.
"No....we lost many warriors to the demon ship. There was a funeral last night. And there is going to be for the next few days"
"Father has to go out today again to make sure all the bodies are....accounted for" Tsireya stood up, mat in hand and turned to her aunt slightly.
Te'rani looked down, a grim expression on her face.
Tsireya placed the mat in the corner of the room, where a basket was woven into the wall for these things.
Te'rani offered her hand to Tsireya as she walked closer. Her niece was only fourteen. Being a tsakarem was too hard on her. She had to witness these things, study everything else, and carry the weight of what was left.
Tsireya held her hand firmly, sad eyes looking up at her aunt before she was engulfed in a warm embrace.
Te'rani held her close, holding the back of her head close to her heart. She immediately felt Tsireya's tears on her skin. She heard her niece sniff and felt her close her eyes. She was a strong girl. She was smart, kind and beautiful. But even Te'rani knew that sometimes It hurts too much to put up a front.
Her dear niece. It wasn't normal for a child to have to see so many people die. It shouldn't have been. It wasn't normal that she had to-
"I can't even spend time with my friends anymore" Tsireya mumbled out as she cried.
Te'rani pulled apart and cupped her cheeks. She silently ran her thumb across her jaw and looked at her sadly, quietly asking why.
"The villagers say its their fault" Tsireya's voice cracked. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Te'rani's brows furrowed. Her gaze shifted to the floor behind them. People blamed Neytiri for this?
"Mom says I should distance myself from them" Tsireya sniffed.
"But how?" She shook her head, another round of tears threatening to spill.
"Hey, hey its okay Reya" Te'rani soothed, hugging her niece again.
"I'm going to talk to your mother. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm here" She said, looking at the curtains behind them. She took a few steady breaths, encouraging Tsireya to follow her the same.
Te'rani was upset, just as upset as her. More upset than her. She really needed to have that talk with Ronal.
----••----•----••----•----••----•----••----•----••----•--
The sun shone brightly on the beaches of Awa'atlu. The day was beautiful. The mood? Not so much. It was contrasting to the disaster that was about to take place.
Te'rani walked to Ronal's Marui, Tsireya having gone to meet Neytiri's children, being encouraged by Te'rani.
The sun was bright, and the clouds were few. Te'rani hated when the weather was so sunny. She hated the noon. She hated having to be on land during the noon. It was as if the sun was glaring down on the village. On her.
Te'rani had to ask Eywa for help to talk some empathy into her sister. But Ronal was older. Ronal was Tsahik. Her opinions mattered more than Te'rani's. And thats why she was here.
Ronal was either thankfully or not thankfully right there, as if she was waiting for her. Still, she looked a little surprised to see her sister.
"I see you" Te'rani said.
Ronal greeted her back silently.
"What's happening?" Te'rani simply asked.
"What do you mea-"
"Cut the bull crap Ronal. What is happening?" Te'rani interrupted rudely. One could have her tongue for that, but Ronal knew not to care for Te'rani's firey personality.
She sighed and began walking around her marui.
"Its them. They cannot stay here any longer" Ronal said, facing away from her.
Te'rani's eyes widened. "What?"
"They need a home-" She tried to begin calmly.
"They have one! Back in the forest! We gave them their uturu and see where it got us. Tulkun. Dead" Ronal stapped closer.
"My spirit sister" She almost glared at Te'rani, like she was betrayed that her sister would even try to side with them rather than her, knowing what happened to their beloved Tulkun sister.
"Dead. Innocent warriors. Gone"
"Tonowari has told me of the remains of the demon ship. Most of the fire was still spreading. Three brother rocks could have caught it if not for them getting help from the tulkun to put it out"
Te'rani stared apologetically at her sister.
"Can't you see that this is the sky people's work?" Te'rani asked.
"It is. And why are they here? Why did they kill our people, your people? Because of them" Ronal's gaze shifted from Te'rani to someone behind her.
When Te'rani heard someone walking on the path behind her she turned, and saw Neytiri and Tonowari behind her.
Oh no. No no no.
Neytiri looked concerned, knowing exactly what it looks like when two sisters fight. This did not look good at all. The Tsahik and Olo'eyktan had called her to their marui, Neytiri knew it was to discuss what had happened but why was Te'rani here? And why does she look...sad?