"I'm sorry, they aren't here"
Fourteenth village, same answer. It has been a week since she arrived at the reef where the water people lived. Prepared for the reality that searching for her family wouldn't be easy, she took her time to respectfully ask each olo'eyktan. None of them have even caught a glimpse of her family flying by, which meant they had to to be more to the east or west.
Ti'ywan sighed, both her and Pukk were visibly exhausted from the constant flying. The olo'eyktan's mate noticed her state.
"Stay the night here with us, please"
"Thank you for your hospitality, Tsahìk, but I need to find them quickly"
"No, please, think about your Ikran, and your family, how would they feel if they saw you like this?"
The girl couldn't refute, it would break their hearts to see her like this and she wouldn't be able to make her silly grand entrance with no energy. Her silence was giving hope to an excited flock of young na'vi hiding behind the clan's leading figures. They were smitten by the forest warrior. As inexperienced as they were, they could feel the fighting spirit radiating off of her and admired her, wanting her to stay, so they could listen to her stories. A few adults chuckled at their kid's cuteness, enhancing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the village.
Ti'ywan looked at them, her conviction faltering even more, until a tired sigh left her throat and she gave in, unbuckling Pukk's saddle. Pukk immediately laid down with a heavy thud, feeling relief from having the saddle off his back. He purred in delight when Ti'ywan patted him comfortingly and fell asleep on the shore where they landed, letting himself be washed gently by the refreshingly cool water.
They welcomed her and took her to their great hall to feast and celebrate her visit. It surprised her how little to no judgement about her mixed blood she was met with here. The prejudice varried from settlement to settlement, but they were all at least slightly repulsed by her.
Not here though.
Children and even young warriors her age flocked to listen to her stories of the sky people and the forest as they enjoyed the food the ocean blessed them with. Ti'ywan taught them songs of the forest and many danced the night away to the melodies.
She even befriended two girls and a boy, who also held their families dear and sympathised with her.
"How do you climb trees so effortlessly?"
Si'tu, a girl of small and petite stature with shoulder length hair tied into a ponytail, asked. Ti'ywan chuckled, surprised by the question she never thought she'd be asked.
"Just like how you swim from the moment you can walk, the moment we walk, we start learning how to climb"
"Is there a trick to it?"
"Well, not really, but you must trust the trees and Eywa, otherwise you will be clumsy, like a baby"
"Woah"
"Me next!"
The tall and well built boy shouted, wanting some attention as well. Ti'ywan looked at him for a while before answering, intrigued by his hair which was unusually light, walnut brown colour. He had it braided into a long very loose braid, adorned with teeth and colourful strings that matched his warrior clothing.
"Alright Zey, what do you want to know?"
"Were you ever in life-threatening situation?"
"A few times, I had met a Thanator, an apex predator, when I was small, then Pukk threw himself off a cliff with me at my warrior initiation, Then my two idiot brothers defied my father's orders and I got hit by an explosion while saving them, then I got shot by na'vi who work for sky people and they tortured me to get information about my family's whereabouts"
Ti'ywan smiled, remembering all the crazy events. Then she turned to the three, who had horrified looks at their faces and bursted out laughing at their reaction.
"Don't laugh, our reaction is perfectly normal!"
The second girl, Maele'ri, all flustered, defended them. She was almost as tall as Ti'ywan and Zey and her slender arms were flailing in the air, pushing aside her two long silky braids, while her cheeks blushed from embarrassment.
"It's okay, you have a very different lifestyle to us, not to mention that you live in a safe reef"
They smiled and after relaxing, they continued to ask her questions and Ti'ywan told them more of her stories. Soon, one by one groups and families left the circle around the fire and went to sleep, until it was just Ti'ywan and her new friends.
"We want to go with you, help you search"
"Yeah, it would be faster with the three of us"
"Thank you for the kind offer, but you don't have an Ikran, going beyond the reef would be a suicide for you, I'll be fine"
She was thankful for their offer and if it was anywhere else, she would take it, but after hearing and witnessing what kind of horrifying monsters lurk beyond the safe zone, she won't allow them to put themselves in danger.
After talking for a few more hours, the four teens cuddles together, falling asleep.
Morning was chaotic. Pukk, full of energy was screaming everyone's ears off trying to wake Ti'ywan up, earning himself attention of the whole village. But his screeches made for a successful alarm clock, and so Ti'ywan sleepily walked down to the beach to say good morning to him. Her new friends dragging their still half asleep selves right behind her.
"Good morning you Siren"
Pukk let out a long satisfied purr when he felt his master's hand on his snout, gently gliding over his scaly skin. The girl knew all the good spots he liked to be petted at. This way she toned down his excitement, readying him up for their leave in a bit. She whispered praises to him before lightly pushing his head down so he'd lower his entire body. He did so and she secured the heavy leather saddle around his torso and back.
"Your bonds with Ikrans are different from ours with Ilu, aren't they?"
Ti'ywan turned to face the three. They were intrigued by her interaction with the winged beast.
"We and Ikrans only ever bond with one, never allowing ourselves to fly with another, that's what makes the bond so much stronger, they aren't just a means of transportation, they are our friends, brothers and sisters"
Ti'ywan looked at Pukk, remembering the day he chose her, smiling as her heart warmed up from the memory.
"The bond represents the hardships we go through when training to be a warrior and the acknowledgment we receive, when we're chosen by an Ikran"
"Beautiful"
"It is"
She let them pet Pukk while she was packing up. Once done, she went to pay respects to the village leaders and to say goodbye. They gave her a goodbye just as warm as their welcome and assured her that she can visit anytime.
"You will always be welcome here, we all love your stories, your bravery and your love for Eywa"
"We see you"
Ti'ywan kneeled down, softly took the olo'eyktan's and tsahìk's hand and put them on her head.
"I see you"
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.
