"So, have you learned your lesson yet?"
"Colonel, I don't think she ever will, this is the 5th time"
"I would have thought you learned a lesson instead, not to let me off the chain"
She expected to be hit for the snarky remark, however Colonel surprisingly agreed with her. They returned from another outing in search of Jake and his family.
Like Jake had predicted, they searched only in the forest area and never went beyond the sea. Ti'ywan then figured out where her family went to hide. Somewhere no-one would have expected them to go to.
"You're right, although it will inconvenience me, I won't let you go anywhere anymore, you have far too much value"
She tripped his leg and laughed when Quarritch staggered. He stood still, took a deep breath and as he resumed walking, he yanked on the chain so she'd stagger this time. His team and Spider were used to those two fighting all the time, but they were getting pettier with each day.｡
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It had been a few days since they have been captured and a day since the Sullys arrived at the Metkayina clan, meticulously learning the way of water, trying to fit in with the aquatic clan. Spider was frustrated he couldn't go home but quickly got used to the other humans and the base. They all liked the young ferocious boy, treating him like one of their own.
Ti'ywan on the other hand was suffering. The cold concrete walls and floor were slowly draining the life out of her. She longed for the forest and it longed for her too. For her rebellious nature and repeated attempts to escape whenever she was allowed to go outside with them, they had locked her inside a cell empty, except for a table and a chair. Even the Colonel's squad started to feel a little bad for her. The scientists weren't exactly gentle with her. Even more so the base's commander, who still held a grudge against the Na'vi girl for the stunt she pulled at their base.
The girl lifelessly counted grains on the imperfect concrete wall, not noticing Quarritch, who had walked in, feeling slightly bad for her.
"Hey little Tigress, where's that fire you had in you a few days ago?"
He crouched down to her level, hoping she'd stay calm and have a normal conversation with him without trying to bite his face off all of sudden. She didn't even look at him and turned to face the wall she was observing and continued counting.
"If you don't want to see it, back off, I'm not in the mood"
"You know if you just stopped running away, you'd be able to roam the forest with us, looking for your family, freely"
This angered her and it showed, as her ears went flat and her pupils shrank. She turned and yelled at him.
"So you can use me as a hostage to get my dad to surrender so you can kill him?! I'd rather fucking die!"
Surprise was a weak word for what Quarritch had felt at the moment. The girl's strong resolve was nothing but admirable and made him feel even worse about keeping her locked up. Slowly, he was becoming a new person, different from his original human self. The things he has seen and experienced here at Pandora, as an avatar, were changing him. He grew to like Spider... And the little Tigress. Despite being their enemy, he cherished the time he spent with them. The father-son bonding with Spider, constant fighting with Ti'ywan and her neverending snarky remarks were something he hadn't experienced in a long time, if ever. He may have had his original's memories, but the more time passed, the more they felt like a stranger's memories.
"Alright, how about a compromise, eh?"
He smiled gently, hoping to reason with her so she no longer has to stay locked up. Ti'ywan's ears flicked with curiosity about his sudden odd statement and she frowned, trying to figure out what his 'compromise' could consist of.
"Go on"
"If you promise to be neutral and not join a battle, should one happen when we find your dad, and to not run away anymore... I will promise to let you go on expeditions with us freely and to not use you as a hostage against Jake...what do you think about that?"
She turned to him with a suspicious look on her face. She raised her chin while holding eye contact with the man, fueling her suspicious appearance.
"I'm a warrior, I can not not fight, but... If you let me out, I promise not to run until we find my father, not like you can kill him anyway, he's Toruk Makto"
He grinned, satisfied he could finally get through to the girl. He offered her a handshake to seal the deal, but her tail just slapped it away harshly.
"Alright, half a deal is still a deal"
A few hours later, he returned with some clothes and a military dog tag for her."
Just to make your stay here easier, wear our clothes and this tag, it'll make you part of my avatar squad"
Ti'ywan cautiously took the clothes he handed to her. It was a white tank top and camo uniform pants. When he tried to give her boots additionally, she hissed at them and he quickly got the message. Although it took a day to get comfortable in her rather restricting new outfit, her interactions with the humans now seemed easier. Still, she hated them and avoided speaking with them unless necessary.
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Meanwhile, the Sullys were missing their warrior Ti'ywan, more and more. They started sharing stories about her with the Metkayina people.
Jake, who spent a lot of time with the Metkayina olo'eyktan, told him how she bravely faced off a Thanator when she was younger, protecting her little brother from harm. His eyes shined brightly with pride and his smile was contagious. Tonowari smiled and listened, wanting to meet the courageous girl who made, the tough yet recently very sad, Jake smile.
"...and she shot his straight in the eye! You should have seen it!"
"I wish I have, JakeSully, it sounds like she would have no problem riding a Skimwing"
"Oh yeah, she would probably be able to do it on the first try, not like me"
They both laughed, remembering how Jake fell off despite using the leather strap to make sure he could hang on.
"You miss her huh"
"You don't even know how much... The last thing she told me was to take care of Tuk...and leave her behind, as I watched her being dragged away with a knife to her throat, if I even see Quarritch again, I'll kill him for what he had done to my babygirl"
Jake stared at the campfire in front of him, his eyes consuming the flames, as the anger inside him burned ever so stronger.
YOU ARE READING
Ti'Ywan, The Daughter Of Toruk Makto
Fanfiction"Sully's stick together" She took her father's words to the heart as she knew it was her duty as the firstborn to protect The people and her family.
