Tcelia held her breath as the crowd parted again, letting a woman walk through. She was carrying herself with poise and Tcelia got the feeling that she wouldn't want to get on the woman's bad side.
Jake was quick to greet her as well, "I see you, Ronal, Tsahik of the Metkayina." So this was the Metkayina's Tsahik. If she was anything like their own Tsahik - Neytiri's mother – Tcelia thought to herself, the group was going to have a hard time convincing her into letting them stay. But Tcelia had rarely seen Jake fail at anything he had put his mind to, so with some luck they might actually stand a chance.
Neytiri repeated her husband's greeting, "I see you, Ronal." This made the Tsahik take her attention away from Jake and focus it on Neytiri. From behind them, Tcelia could see the challenge in Ronal's eyes. Tcelia almost flinched away from the woman and the stare wasn't even directed at her. But Neytiri wasn't known to be one to back down from a challenge, which was one of the many qualities that Tcelia admired about the older woman. Tcelia squared her shoulders, hoping that she emitted even just a slight bit of the confidence that radiated off Neytiri.
"Why do you come to us, Jake Sully?" Tonowari asked, extending his arm towards Jake.
Jake glanced back at his family and Tcelia before speaking, "We seek Uturu," Tonowari repeated Jake's statement in confusion, looking to his wife. "A sanctuary for my family." Jake explained.
The Tsahik's eyes turned wary as she studied the family. She slowly walked towards them as her husband began to speak, "We are reef people," he said, stunned, "You are forest people. Your skills will be nothing here." Out of the corner of her eyes, Tcelia watched as the Tsahik, who was now standing amongst the Omatikaya, inspected them all.
"We will learn your ways," Jake said, attempting to contain the desperation in his voice.
Ronal caught Neytiri's tail with one of her hands, scrutinizing it with a stern look. Neytiri snatched her tail away, but the Tsahik was quickly on to the next, lifting up Tuk's arm and shaking it slightly, "Their arms are thin," she proclaimed, dropping it, and grabbed Kiri's tail, "Their tails," Ronal raised her voice so that the entire tribe could hear her, "are weak." She said as she let go. Kiri shook her head, annoyed at being picked on.
"You will be slow in the water," She told them and grabbed both of Tcelia's hands and drew them up in the air, "These children are not even true Na'vi," Tcelia snatched her hands from out of the Tsahik's grasp and glared at the sand. Tcelia could hear the Metkayina's gasp and Neytiri and Jake looked at each other uneasily.
"Yes, we are," Kiri's voice was as frustrated as Tcelia felt, but Tcelia was glad that the Tsahik had taken it out on her and not Kiri. Tcelia could handle being demeaned and called different, but she knew that Kiri was extremely sensitive about that subject matter, especially in public. It was why Tcelia was so overprotective when it came to Kiri.
The Tsahik forced one of Lo'ak's hands in the air instead, because apparently, she hadn't felt like humiliating one of the teenagers had been enough. "They have demon blood," She declared as she showed his fingers to the rest of the tribe. More gasps could be heard all around them.
Tcelia opened her mouth, eyes narrowed, ready to risk landing on the Tsahik's bad side – no one spoke like that to her friends - but was stopped by Neteyam who brushed his hand against hers. She looked up at him, but he merely shook his head. She sighed inwardly and counted to 10, a technique Jake had taught her when she was younger, to manage her anger outbursts.
"Look," Jake urged, lifting his hand, "Look!" he said, splaying out his five fingers. "Look, I was born with the sky people and now I am Na'vi. Alright – you can adapt." He turned to face Tonowari. "We will adapt. Okay?"
The Tsahik had walked back to stand besides her husband, and Neytiri took her chance to speak, "My husband was Toruk Makto," she told them. Besides her, Jake grimaced. "He led the clans to victory against the sky people," her eyes darted between the couple, daring them to disrespect them again. Tonowari nodded, acknowledging Jake's feat.
But Ronal was skeptical, "This you call victory?" She asked, "Hiding amongst strangers," Neytiri looked down at this and Ronal, sensing Neytiri's moment of weakness, stepped closer to her and turned her head so that she was speaking directly to Jake, "It seems Eywa has turned her back on you, chosen one." Tcelia clenched her fists by her side.
Neytiri snarled but the Tsahik wasn't phased – she knew she had gotten the better of Neytiri. Both Tonowari and Jake seemed at a loss for words as the two women stared daggers at each other. Okay, they might need a lot of luck for Jake to pull this off.
Finally, Jake broke the silence, attempting to step in between the two women, "I apologize for my mate. She's- "
Neytiri's head snapped up and looked at Jake, disbelief written all over her face, "Do not apologize for me," she hissed at him.
"-flown a long way and she's exhausted," Jake continued. Tcelia's mouth almost flew open and the three teenagers shot each other baffled looks – it was not often you saw Jake and Neytiri act like that.
"Jake!" Neytiri hissed again. But Jake only raised his eyebrows causing Neytiri to back off, staring at the sand, obviously annoyed.
The Tsahik drew back and returned to the Olo'eyktan side. Tonowari stepped forwards and placed a hand on Jake's shoulder, "Toruk Makto is a great war leader," he said, addressing his tribe, "All Na'vi people know his story," He let go of Jake and spread his arms out, "But we, Metkayina, are not at war. We cannot let you bring your war here." Tcelia looked around as she saw some of the Metkayina nodding in agreement. She shifted her weight anxiously, afraid that they would have to leave again. She watched as little Tuk slipped over to her father, obviously exhausted from the long flight. Jake picked her up in an attempt at comforting her.
"I'm done with war," Jake urged, "Okay? I just – I want to keep my family safe," He told them. Tonowari and Ronal's eyes cautiously shot to Tcelia for a second. They must know that she wasn't really part of the family.
Tonowari turned around slightly, meeting Ronal's eyes. Tcelia guessed that they were probably having one of those silent conversations that Jake and Neytiri so often had as well.
"Uturu has been asked," Neytiri spoke, unwavering but understandably not very happy about the whole situation.
Tcelia's heart clenched as she heard Tuk asking her father if they would have to go, before burying her face in the crook of his neck.
Jake held her head, "It will be okay," Jake reassured her, his eyes darting from Tonowari to Ronal, trying to decipher the decision they were coming to. Their intense eye contact was finally broken when The Tsahik gave Tonowari the smallest of nods and Tcelia felt hope begin to simmer in her.
"Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us."
...
The chief had assigned his children – Tsireya, the beautiful girl who seemed to have taken an interest in Lo'ak, and Ao'nung, who was the tall boy that had laughed at their tails when the Omatikaya first had arrived – to teach them the way of water. Tsireya seemed thrilled at the opportunity, but Ao'nung had complained. Tcelia already knew that she wasn't going to like the latter of the two much.
Tsireya showed them to their new home, and as they walked along the walkways, Tcelia couldn't help but admire the beautiful scenery.
The whole village was built slightly above the ocean, thickly woven nets raised and strung between large water roots to form pathways. Beneath them, the water was as blue as the meat of a spartan fruit and magnificent animals drifted in the turquoise water, enjoying themselves immensely. Marui pods hung from the trees, and the village simmered with life all around them. As Tcelia glanced through the opening of the many pods, she watched in wonder as families prepared meals, laughed together or were busy cleaning. They all seemed to be living careless and joyful lives. A life with no sky people.
She turned her head to look at Neteyam, wanting to see his reaction to the beautiful village, but found that he was looking at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. She wondered how long he had been looking at her like that.
She couldn't help but beam at him, "It is so beautiful!" She could only imagine how her giddiness shone through her eyes. Neteyam didn't answer her straight away, but only gazed at her face as if lost in thought. Not having enough patience to wait for Neteyam's answer, Tcelia turned around and hurried after Tsireya, afraid of losing the girl in the bustle of the village.
But before she had left Neteyam entirely out of her earshot, she heard him answer under his breath, "it really is."
Tsireya was warm and welcoming – polar opposites of Ao'nung really – and had even helped carry a few of the Omatikaya's belongings. Tcelia immediately found herself taking a liking to the girl. Tcelia walked along side Lo'ak and nudged him with her shoulder when she once again spotted Tsireya sneaking a glance in his direction.
"Would you cut it out," he hissed at her, but she only laughed in return, ruffling his hair – something she knew Lo'ak found deeply annoying. He ducked out of her reach and shook his head, but not before Tcelia had seen the side of his mouth quirking up into a smile.
She looked back at Neteyam, hoping that he would have seen her teasing Lo'ak so they could laugh at him together or at least share one of their knowing looks. And Neteyam had indeed been looking at them, but his face was cloudy and he wouldn't meet her eyes. He only glared at the back of Lo'ak's head, where Tcelia had touched it. What was up with him? But when she blinked, Neteyam was looking down at the pathway as he walked, an indifferent expression on his face. She shook it off, convincing herself that she had imagined it.
"This is for you," Tsireya had said sweetly, as they finally had reached a Marui pod that seemed to be vacant. She allowed the others to pass her and sat down a basket she had been carrying, "Your new home." Tsireya excused herself so that the family could get comfortable and Tcelia thanked the girl as she left. Tsireya beamed at her before jumping into the blue water and swam away.
Jake was the first one inside, "Yeah, this'll work," he said optimistically, "This is great! This is nice, right?" He turned to look at the others.
Tcelia smiled as she looked around the pod. It was perfect. The small part in the back of her mind that Tcelia hated, urged her to ask if she would be staying with the family or if she needed to find another place. She had gotten used to living with the Sullies and had been for some time, but it was still a little strange to her and she suspected it always would be. She didn't know why though, since Jake and Neytiri never showed any signs of living with her, being uncomfortable for them. Tcelia shot the nasty voice inside her head down. She could already picture the family's faces if she voiced her question out loud. She imagined it would be a mirror of how they had looked, when she had told them she hadn't thought that she would be invited along.
Neytiri dropped the mattress that she had been carrying, expressing her dislike. Not to the pod which they all knew she was grateful for, but to their whole situation. Tcelia thought it fair. Neytiri missed her home, her people.
"I love it," Tcelia said, trying to lift the mood and took Tuk's hand, swinging her arm back and forwards.
Immediately the little girl looked up at her father, "Yeah, I love it too, dad."
Jake shot Tcelia a grateful smile, "Alright, fall in, guys."