If there was one thing Tsu'tey knew: Duty before the Heart. He had learned this when he was a kid and had lost the chance to find himself a mate that he could want when he grew up.
Now, he was regretting that lesson as he and his student sat on a branch of a tree with enough privacy and seclusion.
"Kaltxì..."
"Kalti..."
"Kaltxì!"
"Kaltxì"
Tsu'tey sighed with relief. It was embarrassing enough for him to let her ride the pa'li which ended up with her face first on the ground and his comrades laughing.
By Eywa, it was almost as if he was teaching a 3 year old Na'vi child than an adult.
"Tsmukan"
"Tsukan..."
"Tsmukan!"
"Tsmucan..!"
Whack!
"Learn fast or we are going nowhere!"
Emmersyn glared at him "Not my fault your language is complex" Tsu'tey quirked a brow "Yet you Sky People made many languages in your home" He grinned in satisfaction when she gaped at him.
"Fair point..."
***
"You are doing your mistakes again! Just when I thought you made progress! Skxawng!"
She glared at him with a slight pout in her lips as she spat out her words.
"I just got used to the feeling of my arms being in a weird position than before. Give me time to get used to the new one Skxawng"
Apparently, that word was the only thing she got it right in the language lesson.
***
"Ow!"
She flinched when she landed once again face first on the mud as the pa'li trotted back to grazing on the flowers with it's snake like tongue.
"Do it again"
Tsu'tey said from where he is sitting on top of a pa'li. Emmersyn glared at him "Sorry for not being so much of a horse rider" Tsu'rey rolled his eyes at that word.
"You feel what she feels. You think where to go, she follows. They are like companions, always listening to you and follow whatever you want them to do"
Seemed simple enough for Emmersyn but it is a whole lot complicated in doing it.
"On the bright side, I stayed there for 20 seconds"
"Skxawng, it was merely 10 to me"
***
Tsu'tey watched her as she carefully clambered from one tree to another all while he was waiting for nearly about 15 minutes since they started.
"Whew...finished!"
Emmersyn exclaimed joyfully as if she had finished an impossible task "A child could do better than your skills in moving around the forest" Emersyn glowered at him.
"A child can not do-"
She was interrupted when one of the Na'vi children came running by on top of the branches, playing predator and waved in greeting to Tsu'tey before disappearing into the thick leaves.
"Na'vi and their athletic bodies..."
Emmersyn cursed and Tsu'tey grinned at her look of disbelief and scowl mixed in one.
***
As the days go by, Tsu'tey watched her grow more and more adapt to her surroundings and skills.
Except for the language skill.
"I'm sorry Tsu'tey but your language is much more complex than mine"
Tsu'tey scoffed at her words "Yours could be said for the same" Emmersyn pouted.
"Come, we go ride. Join us in surveying the borders"
Emmersyn nodded before they headed to where the pa'lis were grazing and connected her queue to a random pa'li before hauling herself up.
They rode out until they came across Neytiri and Jake who was busy trying to balance on the pa'li's back.
"Yeah, check it out!"
Tsu'tey had no time to alert Emersyn who was busy staring out in space before brother and sister collided.
"Ah Shit!"
"Crap!"
Neytiri laughed at the two rolling and trying to get the muddy grime off their bodies. Tsu'tey let out a snort and but his lip to hide his laughter.
He frowned.
What was wrong with him? Laughing with the enemy? His ancestors would look down upon this act.
"I will kill you Skxawng!"
"Hey you sound like Tsu'tey!"
Tsu'tey overheard Jakesully quip and he could not help but scowl upon him as Neytiri looked at him in confusion.
"Not funny ma tsmukan"
***
It was another day for a hunt and it was around that time Tsu'tey took Emmersyn to see them hunt but she would only watch at a distance.
Tsu'tey took aim at a Yerik before letting his arrow fly as did the rest of the hunters with him and the aimed Yeriks let out squeals of pain before struggling.
They quickly sent their prayers to Eywa for a successful hunt. Tsu'tey turned to see Emmersyn looking at them with awe in her face.
When he went over to her, she quickly mumbled out "You Na'vi people make hunting look like a dance. Makes me want to join in" Before walking away.
Tsu'tey grasped his stomach when he felt a tingling sensation. He passes it off as hunger.
***
Tsu'tey easily made his way through the branches high up from the ground and behind him was Emersyn with her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Once Tsu'tey reached the edge of the borders, Emersyn managed to swing herself from one branch to the other without slipping or tripping.
"I did it!"
Tsu'tey turned to see Emmersyn making a weird movement with her body but paid no mind to it. Her smile upon which she always gave him when she achieved something impossible made his stomach churn.
"That you did"
***
"Come join us in the water Tsu'tey!"
Tomsully called from the lake as Tsu'tey took it upon himself to stand guard while the rest if them played childishly in the lake.
"Predators are amongst us Tomsully. You should never let your guard down"
From the corner of his eye, he spotted Emersyn and Jakesully atop a small waterfall leading down.
"Ready Emmy?"
Emmersyn didn't give her brother an answer, she merely jumped and made a perfect spin in the air before meeting the water with a splash.
Tom clapped for his sister while Ni'nat, Neytiri and Tsu'tey stared at the spectacle with intriguing eyes.
"My turn, CANNONBALL!"
Jake yelled, launching himself in the air before curling into a ball. But before he jumped, Emersyn called out "Jake, do your famous belly flop!" Neytiri looked at Emmersyn with confusion in her eyes.
"Belly Flop? What do you me - SHIT!"
Jake realized he had unfurled himself to look at Emmy and he only saw her evil smile before he landed in the water with a splat that echoed in the forest.
The Na'vi winced while Emersyn and Tom laughed at their brother's predicament. Tsu'tey somewhat pitied Jake who came out sputtering and limping underwater.
Jake glared at his brother but mainly his sister before giving chase. Emmersyn and Tom shrieked before they ran around the lake while the Na'vi watched them play childishly.
"They are like Children..."
Tsu'tey muttered with less than disdain. Ni'nat giggled "'Uo fko kin mìngeyä tìrey" Tsu'tey gave Ni'nat a look before looking at the three making fools of themselves.
It, however, did not stop him from making his stomach feel suddenly light all of a sudden.
***
"Next time, you sleep early. It is good for the body"
Tsu'tey said as he helped a very tired Emmersyn back to bed "But...I'm not...tired" Emmersyn let out a yawn upon which Tsu'tey snorted.
"I can see that..."
Emmersyn mumbled incoherent words before they arrived at her nivi. Tsu'tey casually dropped her down before turning and making retire himself for the night.
"Night Skxawng..."
Emmersyn unconsciously said and Tsu'tey turned around angrily, about to reprimand her before he saw her already fast asleep and sleeping like a baby nantang.
Tsu'tey stopped as he stared down her vulnerable sleeping face before shaking his head and turning around.
"May you sleep with nightmares"
He called out, ignoring the mixed feelings he was feeling right now.
He had a duty to uphold.