CHAPTER 017
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BONDING
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TWO WEEKS AFTER MY IKNIMAYA, I TOOK NOTICE OF SOME THINGS THAT I DIDN'T REALIZED BEFORE.
Mainly, the fact that Neytiri tends to disappear from time to time.
And it's not that it's an inconvenience. Neytiri has the right to have time alone, but as the days go by, her absence becomes more noticeable. It gets to a point where we agree on a time and place for my training and when I arrive, she's not there and for the rest of the day she doesn't show up.
Today's one of those days. Last night during dinner, Neytiri told me that we were going to fly all morning so that I could practice my aerial hunting skills, which I really needed. Polishing my skills before the hunting festival, which I hear is in about two or three weeks.
Knowing Neytiri and after so many scoldings that I have received for arriving late to our classes, I logged on earlier than usual so that I could have time to have breakfast and get some sleep before starting my activities for the day.
The thing is that when I arrived at our meeting point, Neytiri was nowhere to be found. She hadn't shown up at breakfast either and I had to give her parents an excuse for her absence.
And I don't remember seeing her last night in her hammock at bedtime either.
Is she Okay?
That is my biggest concern.
I spent most of the morning looking for her around the Hometree. I searched from end to end and even asked several Clan members and friends of hers if they knew of her whereabouts, but no one had seen her since last night at dinner.
Some suggested I search the nearby areas of the forest, others told me to go to the lake that is not far from the village.
But the one who really gave me the best idea was Tsu'tey.
"I do not know, ask Tsyeyk" he said, annoyed by my mere presence and with that scowl that seems to never go away.
"Why would I ask him?" I asked confused, tilting my head slightly and frowning.
"He is her betrothed. He should know where she is" he said with obviousness.
"Ohhhh, right. I forgot that" I murmured to myself.
"Can you leave me alone now?" He asked a little bit rudely.
"Alright. Thank you, Tsu'tey" I turned around and started walking away from him.
He said nothing, but I heard him groan in response.
I was about to tease him a little about his reaction, but then I noticed that I didn't know where Tsyeyk was. So I returned in my steps and since Tsu'tey didn't notice me, I touched his shoulder to make myself noticed.
"What do you want now?" He groaned, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.
"Calm down, grumpy" he furrowed his eyebrow prints at the nickname "I just wanna know where I can find Tsyeyk"
"By the Pa'li" I agreed.
"Okay, thanks again" I turned around and walked away from the main area of Hometree, towards the Pa'li riding grounds.
Upon reaching the small clearing, there were several Pa'li around eating nectar or drinking water, but no sign of Tsyeyk. That is, until I saw him talking alone to one of the Pa'li while he petted him and fed him.
I couldn't help but smile a little at the scene before my eyes. After all, it's not something I get to see all the time.
I approached them and smiled when I realized that the Pa'li whom Tsyeyk was caressing was Pa'le.
"Hey, have you seen Neytiri? I'm supposed to fly with her today" I went straight to the point.
Tsyeyk turned around without surprise, surely he had already heard me coming.
"Some people greet each other politely instead of just asking questions" he told me, looking me up and down.
"Good morning, Pa'le. How are you sweet girl?" I approached the Pa'li and petted her lovingly, smiling as she nuzzled me. Ignoring Tsyeyk completely. He scoffed, but not in a way that he was mad, it was jokingly "There. Now, do you know?" I turned to look at him, waiting for him to know.
"Have you looked around Hometree?" he said with obviousness, petting Pa'le.
"Ha ha" I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious"
"So am I"
"Yes, Tsyeyk. I've already looked and asked around for her. No one knows where she is"
"Then I do not know either" he said simply. I was starting to get annoyed by his evasions.
"How don't you? Aren't you her betrothed?"
"That doesn't mean I have to know where she is every second of the day. That is kind of your job, isn't it?" He looked at me with a smirk. I scoffed and crossed my arms.
"Explain yourself"
"You spend all day with her, every single second you two are together. How do you not know where she is?" He asked, guiding Pa'le towards the spring as I followed close behind.
"Not every second. I don't need to be with her all the time" I said obviously, besides, Neytiri and I are not together all the time.
And it's not my fault that her parents made her my mentor either.
"Neither do I" shrugged, unconcerned.
"Ugh, this is impossible" I huffed, tired of looking and asking around with no results "I'd ask Mo'at, but I don't want to get Neytiri in trouble" I sighed.
"She will come around any time soon" He said, walking out of the spring and standing in front of me.
"How are you so calm? Aren't you worried that something could've happened to her?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows, finding his chill demeanor quite annoying and odd at this moment.
"I know Neytiri and I know she is fine" he smiles, finding my worry funny. "Besides, she knows this forest better than anyone" he states confidently. He almost seems proud of that fact.
It's cute.
"Okay, then. Now what I'm supposed to do?" I sighed as I looked around as if the nature itself is gonna give me an answer.
"Whatever" Tsyeyk walks past me.
I roll my eyes "That's so helpful" I say sarcastically "What would I do without your brilliant ideas?" now he sighed an turned to look at me.
"Okay, what were you supposed to do with Neytiri today?" He has crossed his arms.
His thick arms that made his pectorals stand out.
What I'd like him to do to me with those arms.
Focus, Aquila.
"Fly around and hunt" I said, clearing my throat after my voice sounded weak.
I really have to control my intrusive thoughts.
"Then let's do it" I widened my eyes at that.
"Wait, what?"
"I said let's do it, or are you afraid to embarrass yourself in front of me?" And his smug, challenging smirk was back.
The smirk that makes me feel weird inside.
"Like that would ever happen" I played it cool. "I'm confused, why would you want to spend the day with me?"
"I have nothing better to do" he shrugged.
"Seems to be very common these days" now was my turn to put that smug smirk on my lips.
"Do you want to go or not?" He asked annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks" I walked up to him, holding back a laugh at how easy it is to bother him.
"Did I heard right? You just thanked me?" And his smirk was back and mine gone, again.
"I take back what I said" I retracted it immediately, knowing he was going to bother me with it.
"No can't do" his smile only widened even more, this time reaching his eyes and giving him that challenging and attractive shine that he carried every time they saw me.
"You're so annoying" I complained, looking away.
"Let's go get our ikrans, demon" he chuckled and walked faster, leaving me a bit behind.
"Stop calling me that already!!" I complained, walking faster to catch up to him.
[>>>]
Without realizing it, Tsyeyk and I had ventured into the Hallelujah Mountains riding our Ikrans. We laughed and challenged each other in races that we tied.
I never thought I would share moments like this with Tsyeyk, but now it happened. I'm not complaining at all.
"Try to outdo this!" and then, he proceeded to spin several times while flying around the mountains.
I was impressed by his skill, but Tsyeyk is a warrior with years of experience. So I shouldn't be surprised by his great ability to fly on his Ikran.
"Your turn" he challenged me with that smug smirk and challenging eyes.
"Watch and learn, forest boy" I smiled and went ahead.
I ordered Orion through our bond to fly as high as he could, spin several times during the fly, and then stop flying to free fall. Being close to the floor of the nearest mountain, Orion opened his wings and by inertia, the air currents under his wings caused him to ascend and glide freely.
"Pretty impressive for a demon, huh?" I smirk cockily as I see him flying beside me.
"Not bad, demon. Not bad" he admitted with a laugh that was contagious.
After several more races and tricks, we decided to take a break and let Orion and Vitxa do some hunting. Tsyeyk took me to one of the highest points of the Hallelujah Mountains and there, we decided to sit for a while.
At first it was just silence, each one seemed immersed in their own world. For my part, I was enjoying the beautiful views. You could almost see the frontier between the forest and the ocean from this point.
"You have improved so quickly in your trainings, you are a very skillful Ikran Makto" I turned to look at him, my eyes slightly widened due to his compliment. It's not something I'm used to hearing.
"Thanks, I'm trying my best" I nod to myself "Maybe I'll become even better than you" I tease him with a smirk on my lips.
Tsyeyk chuckles and shook his head with a smirk of his own.
"You are very far from that" he assured me.
"You sure?, Because I won our little races back there" I reminded him with pride for my skills "I'll become the best warrior in the Clan. It should be me the one to mate with Neytiri since I'm better than you" I joke as I stuck my tongue out mockingly.
But instead of laughing or making another sarcastic or joking comment, Tsyeyk remained somewhat serious and that smirk he carried gradually fell until it became something barely visible.
His sudden mood change confused me a little.
"Yeah" was all he said and with a distant and discouraged tone of voice.
After that, there was a somewhat awkward silence. The only thing that could be heard was the wind and Orion and Vitxa not so far away.
I was afraid I had made an out of place comment and now I didn't really know what to do. I hoped Tsyeyk would understand that I meant it as a joke, but perhaps I had hit a sore point for him.
"Tsyeyk, I'm sorry if I said something wro-"
"We should get back" he suddenly stood up as he interrupted me. "The eclipse will be soon and it's dangerous to be out"
"Tsyeyk-" but I couldn't say anything because he jumped off the mountain calling Vitxa and moving away into the clouds that cover the mountains.
Leaving me alone and really confused.
"What just happened?" I asked myself as his shadow grew smaller and smaller in the distance.
Orion landed next to me and touched his head to my side, as if indicating that it was time to go. I let out a heavy sigh and climbed onto his back as I formed the bond.
"I swear to God that I don't understand man" I huffed with some annoyance.
Orion in response shook his head as he let out a noise that sounded like a mocking laugh to me, which made me roll my eyes at his mockery.
"Thanks for the support, buddy" I said with feigned annoyance "Come on, let's go back" and with that, Orion took flight and we headed back to Hometree.
A/N:
I know, I know. It's been too long since I last updated, but this chapter was hard for me to write. I didn't had any inspiration for it.
But here it is!.
The next two chapters are ready, so I'll be updating on Friday as I should.
Besides, consider this as a Christmas and new year's gift from me ;).
Hope you enjoyed and hope you have an amazing New Year's eve,
With love, AnAprilAries.