Chapter Text
Fishing was supposed be easy for us. Well, maybe it is for the purebreds Metkayina. I leaned back from my hunched over position on the ilu. Twirling my spear so it pointed behind me, I swung my leg over the ilu and slid into the water below. I paddled gently through the current and glared at the others seemingly flying past me, donning their own spears. Rotxo let his spear fly, it cut through the water effortlessly and planted itself in the side of a fish. By the time he retrieved his kill, I was out of breath and kicking to the surface.
Ao’nung broke out of the water as well, a few feet from me. I had to push my wet mop of hair out of my face and spit some out of my mouth—I really need to braid it soon. “Sister, if you took my advice you’d be able to swim faster.” He said gently, as if not wanting to offend me. I didn`t blame him. His “advice” almost cost him an eye. I’d broken my nail clawing at him, and it wasn`t even my five fingered hand.
“My tail doesn`t need strengthening. It’s fine the way it is.” I hissed, my ears tilting down into my hair.
“You are barely holding yourself afloat.” He pointedly stared at my arms treading water, whereas all he had to do was swish his fin-like tail.
“Perhaps my place is not within the water.” I tossed the spear to him, and he let it splat into the water. I turned and began paddling back to the shore, not enlisting the help of the ilu who whined and nudged me, even as my muscles burned, just to spite him. I was almost to the shore when a shriek above me startled me and I ducked beneath the water. Four shadows passed overhead, ranging in different cool-toned colors. When I couldn`t see them anymore, I peeked out from the water. The creatures were…terrifying.
A winged ilu, if ilu were much larger and bared a mouth full of sharp teeth like a tsurak.
I caught the biggest one’s attention as I climbed out of the water, a good distance away from where the crowd gathered around the strangers. The beast clicked in the back of its throat and made a strange call.
I hadn’t seen its rider, or the others, due to the crowd, but I followed my mother’s voice as I slipped between the larger bodies of my people.
“They have demon blood.” My mother snarled to the crowd, holding up a boy’s hand. The boy was a dark blue—they all were. Not as dark as my skin, but lacking the green tent that everyone in my village had, except me. Their tails…like mine. Their ears like mine. And the boy’s hand..
My father cleared his throat, drawing my mother’s attention. Her eyes landed on me, and she dropped the boy’s hand like it’d burned her, a look of horror on her face. I hadn’t seen it, what was wrong with his hand?
I took a step forward to the strangers, a little girl running from the arms of what must be her older siblings. Her tail… I faintly heard the pleading of the man, and my mother taking my father aside, hissing something. I caught my name on her tongue between snarls.
“Dad, her tail.” The second oldest boy muttered. I took my eyes off the sweet, innocent child and noticed the rest of the family gawking at me. My ears lowered into my hair and I did my best to hide my tail by curling it around my thigh. Ao’nung stalked forward immediately and pulled me behind him. Even half a century younger than me, his towering frame was able to conceal me.
“Toruk Makto and his family will stay.” My father announced, over my mother’s hiss of displeasure. She marched over to me and yanked me from Ao’nung.
“Mother, who are they?”
“A different clan. A dirty clan.”
“But he’s the Toruk Makto. He lead us to victory against the sky people, yes?” She let me pull away from her.
“He was of the sky people!” Her tail thrashed in the sand.
I looked over my shoulder at the dark blue family who were gathering their things from the odd beasts.
My father called to us, where we were only a few steps away. “Daughter, would you show our new friends the village?” Four blue heads raised in surprise, and the youngest daughter squealed.
My mother stared at her mate in utter shock and betrayal.
I cleared my throat and gave her the best apologetic look I could muster as I walked away from her.
I didn’t get very close to them, especially not with the monsters looking at me like that. But I smiled none the less as they met me halfway, shouldering their belongings. My eyes slid to their tails. Like mine. It’s funny how you forget how short you are until you meet someone new. Being around the same people for your whole life, you don`t really think about it that much. As they approached, I was definitely reminded when I came almost eye-to-eye with the eldest daughter, who couldn`t have been older than 16.
I placed my fingers between my eyes and let it fall in an arch. “Toruk Makto, it is a pleasure.”
“Please, call me—”
“My name is Fre’ya. What are yours?” I addressed the children. The eldest daughter snickered.
“I`m Tuk!” The little one squealed. “I like your necklace! And your hair!” I smiled down at her. “And I like yours as well.” She beamed.
“Thanks! It’s a special necklace and I can talk to Dad and Kiri and Lo’Ak and Neteyam and—”
“Well, you know our names.” The eldest sibling, Neteyam put a hand on the little one’s shoulder to hush her. It was then I saw his fingers. Five. An extra little one on the outside of the palm, just like…I hid my right arm behind my back. Using my left, I gestured towards the village. I watched Toruk Makto’s predatory eyes track my normal, four fingered hand, like a tsurak hunting a fish. I hid my nervousness with another smile. “Right this way.”
“This is our largest mauri.” I watched Lo’ak struggle with walking against the rocking floor. “You get used to it.” I assured him. Kiri dumped a folded up rug at her feet and sighed. When Toruk Makto ducked his head into the mauri, I cringed at the fact that his ears brushed the ceiling. “It should fit six people.”
“Six?” Toruk Makto’s ear twitched.
“Yes, I assume your mate will be joining us too?” I jumped at the immediate onset of hisses from the children, immediately quieted by their father holding up a fist. What did that mean?
“My mate joined Eywa when the skypeople returned.” My blood turned to ice within my veins. “I`m so—”
“It’s fine. You didn`t know.” He said, pointedly looking at his children, which now were looking at me like they wanted to spill my blood on their new floor. I bowed my head to all of them.
“My family’s mauri is the largest, just a few to the right of this one. Please don`t hesitate to ask for anything. I`ll leave you to rest.” I scrambled out hastily, completely forgetting to hide my tail.
Idiot. Absolute, stupid, idiot.
Jake Sully
“Dad.” Neteyam breathed. “She’s…”
“It’s not our business.” I told my son. “None of you are to say a word. We don`t know what she knows, if she knows.”
“But—” Kiri began. I shot her a warning look, which she turned with a raised eyebrow. “She has five fingers on one hand.”
Neteyam and Lo’ak’s ears perked up instantly.“What?”
“I noticed that too, babygirl, but it’s still not our business. We need sanctuary and we will keep our heads down and be helpful, do you all understand?” I looked at my children.
“If she is half Avatar—” Lo’ak began, and I groaned.
“What did I just tell you, boy?”
“I just—she’d not yours, is she?” My tail thrashed and a growl escaped me as I glared at my youngest son.
“No. She’s not.”
“Well, do you know who it could—”
“No, and I`m not about to order a damn paternity test either.”
“What?” Kiri asked. I sighed and rubbed my hand down my face.
“Nothing. Get your beds situated and go to sleep.”
Fre’ya
“She’s amazing!” Tuk screamed in delight as the young ilu broke the surface of the water. The thing was a runt of the litter, a breeder had wanted to put her down, but my mother had advocated for the pathetic infant. She had sensed it would be of great purpose for Eywa, and now, I could see the prophesy come true with young Tuk. “Like the ikran!”
“Are those the winged beasts?” I stood in the thigh-deep water, which came to Tuk’s stomach. Petting the little ilu was easier than the full grown ones, I realized, and frowned to myself.
“Yep! These are like water-ikran!”
“Ilu, Tuk.” I reminded her, though she paid no mind as she made the bond with her ilu and rode her in circles for what seemed like the dozenth time this morning. “Very good!” I praised as she circled me. When I turned with her and spotted my father and some more men holding a tsurak for Toruk Makto to mount, my ears flicked up in interest.
“Tuk, come, let’s watch your father.” I urged her a bit further into the water, where it came to her chest and my stomach.
“This is a warrior’s mount, Jakesully.” My father stated in an all-too-familiar warning voice. “perhaps we should start with an ilu.” My father gestured with his head towards me and Torak Makto’s youngest child. He lifted his head from the beast below him and caught sight of his daughter on her new mount, then his eyes slid to me.
“No, I got it.” He refused, and quickly made the bond. I saw him rock with the creature’s thrashes in protest, and nodded my approval slightly when he stayed on. Slowly, the men of my tribe retreated, and the tsurak immediately took flight in an attempt to throw its new master off. Toruk Makto seemed to be doing well, until they dove into the water. He immediately fell off the beast once it entered its own element, but was still dragged behind it for a few seconds before being completely separated. As his head emerged from the water, ears folded back, the men tried to conceal their laughter. I, however, let my amusement show, for Tuk’s sake.
“Don`t worry, Dad!” She called sweetly. At the sound of his daughter’s voice, he snapped his eyes to her, and began swimming towards us. “You’ll get it! Just like I got my ilu, see? Isn`t she pretty? Just like your ikran, right?”
“Yeah, babygirl, just like my ikran.” He agreed, standing in the water. His knees were just under the water, and again, I found myself comparing my height to others. Apparently, my face still showed my amusement of his failed ride, because his face broke out into a lighthearted smirk.
“Okay, well, how many times did it take you to tame a tsurak?” My smile fell.
The easiest thing that came to mind was a lie. “Oh, a few times…”
“My sister does not ride tsurak.” My walking, breathing headache of a brother said from behind me. I gritted my teeth to keep from hissing at him. “She is too small to sit and keep the bond connected.” I felt my cheeks heat in anger and shame, and casually cupped some water in my hands to pour over my hair and face. Acting unbothered. Always unbothered.
“Go teach the boys something.” I stated without looking at him. I heard his scoff and departing footsteps in the sand, though.
When I raised my eyes from the water, Toruk Makto was staring at me with narrowed eyes. I felt pinned to the ground, like a predator was waiting for me to run so I’d be more fun to kill. He looked at his daughter. “Show me how you can swim with it, baby.” He smiled. She nodded in excitement and let her ilu carry her under the water. “So, you’re Tonowari and Ronal’s daughter, right?” He took a few casual backwards steps so he was beside me.
I began to measure my height against his once more in my mind before stopping myself. No good comes from comparing oneself to others.
“I am.”
He nodded solemnly, watching his daughter fly beneath the current. “You don`t look like—”
“I believe my father is ready to try again with the tsurak.” I stated quickly, pointing to my father, who did not, in fact, look ready. “Excuse me, I`ll collect Tuk.” I slipped under the water.
It was windy. Eclipse was falling, the waves were crashing, and the warm air whipped my hair around so hard that it stung when it came into contact with my skin. I really needed to braid it. But that was not my mission for tonight, as I approached my family’s mauri. I pushed the curtains apart and stomped in.
“Mother, father,” I called.
Immediately, they rose from their seated spots around the small fire they had made.
I shot a look to my brother and sister. “This is important.” I breathed, hoping they would actually listen to me.
Tsireya’s eyes widened at my harsh stare and quickly pulled our brother out. “Come, let’s see who is lighting fires tonight.”
When they departed, I turned to my parents. My mother rested a hand on her swollen belly, her eyes downcast. My father, however, met my eyes.
“Why am I like them?” I didn`t expect my voice to crack or tears to fill my eyes, at least this early in the conversation. “Why did you let me believe that I was deformed when there are others like me?” I hissed.
“Oh, darling,” my mother took a step towards me, but I help my hand up.
My five-fingered hand. “Am I a demon too?” I whispered.
She covered her mouth, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “No. No, never, my sweet.” He grasped my hand in hers, placing her webbed fingers over mine. Brought my fifth finger to her lips and kissed it. “You will always be my daughter. You are my daughter.” My eyebrows furrowed.
“Sit, Fre’ya.” My father spoke.
I couldn`t leave fast enough. I ran across the platforms as fast as I could, through the village, past the grand fires that licked at the now-black sky. “Fre’ya?” I heard my sister call, but I didn`t stop. I couldn`t stop.
The village ended, but I couldn`t stop, so I kept running. I ran through trees, until the soft sand turned to dirt and rocks and pointy things that my feet weren`t used to. I fell over a log as my sight failed me. I was never the best at seeing in the dark. My face and arms burned, but I got back up to my feet. I didn`t run, but I kept walking on battered, abused feet, until the trees gave way to a beautiful view of the night ocean. The wind made larger waves than usual, and the trees around me whispered and swayed. A cliff, I realized, stepping on the smooth, cool stone that looked over the ocean. It soothed the pain on my feet. I looked over the edge, but saw no village or anything below the cliff but rocks and water.
My knees shaking, I lowered myself and sat on the rock, dangling my feet over the edge. I cried for a while. A few hours, it felt like. Until my throat burned and my eyes felt too dry to leak.
I couldn`t go back. I didn`t want to face my family, and I also looked like I’d been in a fight with an ikran and lost.
“You know the entire village is looking for you?” I gasped at the voice, my body jumping in surprise, and I yelped as I began to slip off the smooth rock. Strong hands hooked under my arms and stabled me. “Woah, you’re okay, you’re okay.” Toruk Makto soothed.
I frantically wiped my eyes and tried to smooth down my hair. “Toruk—”
“It’s Jake. Call me Jake.” He lowered himself into a squat next to me. Tactical, I realized. So he could spring up quicker compared to sitting. A true warrior.
“Do you want to talk?” His tail swished behind him as he stared ahead at the ocean, not looking at me. I picked up my tail, which hung with my feet off the edge, and smoothed the fur over.
“My father said…my mother…was like you.” I whispered. My eyes burned but no tears rose. “A sky person made Na’vi.”
“I figured it had to be something.” He sighed. “You’re so..”
“They let me think I was deformed. A freak.” My ears lowered, and his followed.
“Do you think my kids are freaks?”
I shook my head before he finished the question. “No.”
“They are the same as you. Only their Na’vi parent was of the Omatikaya. My mate. I`m guessing your father is your real father?” I tucked my hands under my thighs and nodded slowly.
“That’s why you’re so light.” His fingers brushed my forearm, drawing my eyes to his hand, which had glowing speckles. They were all over him, and I was as unlit as the rock below us.
“And you’re short because..”
“My father said my mother was short. In her…skyperson body and her Na’vi body.” I breathed.
He nodded to himself and muttered something about “D-N-A carrying over to the fee-tus.”
I looked at him questioningly, but he shook his head. “Nothing. Where is your mother?”
“The Na’vi died when I was born, and father brought me here before he became TsahÌk.”
Jake’s eyebrows rose suddenly. “Before?”
I nodded.
“How old are you?”
“I`m 22 cycles old.” He sprang up before I finished.
“You’re 22? I thought you were closer to my kids’ age…that means your mother mated with your father before I came.” I nodded, even though I had no idea when he became one of the Na’vi. “Okay,” he turned back to me. “Tell you what, I’m going to talk to my friend, another skyperson and Na’vi, and he can find out who your mother was, okay?”
“Okay.” My voice rasped. I wiped at my eyes. “I’m sorry, I know I`m unpresentable.”
“No, no you`re fine, oh shit.” He scanned me with glowing, predatory eyes when I pulled my feet up. “You’re really banged up.”
“Bang-ed up?” I repeated the strange phrase, hugging my knees, which weren’t bleeding from my fall anymore, thankfully.
“Nothing. But your father is going to be mad.” He crouched down to take my hand, but I snatched it away.
“I`m not going back. I can`t. Not yet.”
He blew out a loud sigh, his cheeks puffing slightly.
“Okay, tell you what,” he said that a lot. “Come back to the village so people know you’re alive, and you can sleep in our mauri for the night. Just a sleepover. Kiri and Tuk would love it.” I opened my mouth to decline.
“You wouldn`t be overstepping. I promise. I`m offering. Kids have sleepovers all the time, right? Not that you’re a kid, but…” He ran his hand over his face. “I`m not pitching this great, am I?” I didn`t know what ‘pitching’ is, other than something you do to a tent, but I gave a sniffly smile none-the-less.
“I didn`t think you’d be like this, Toruk Makto.”
“Jake. What’d you think I’d be like?”
“I just…” A warrior charging into battle, killing everything in his path with impossible fire-shooting weapons came to mind. “Not this…light.” He smiled, his fangs gleaming in the light of the stars, reminding me that he could be both.
“Oh thank you, great mother, thank you!” My mother wailed as Jake led me back to the village. She waddled to us, but Jake stepped in front of me.
“Ma’am—”
“Out of my way, Toruk Makto.” She ordered on a hiss.
“Ma’am, Fey’ra would like some space for the night and—” My mother went to walk around him, but he gripped my arm behind him and walked with her, keeping her eyes on him and out of my sight. “And she has agreed to sleep in our tent for the night.” She snarled, echoed by my father. Jake used his free hand to hold up peacefully. “The boys and I can sleep outside. She needs a break. She needs to think.” I could have broken down right then and there. No one in this village stood up to my mother, she was a force that rivaled that of Eywa, and yet here was a stranger putting himself in the path of her wrath for me.
There was only silence for a few heartbeats, then I heard my father’s signature exhausted sigh that meant he’d given in. “My love. We’ll see her in the morning.”
“That’s right.” Jake agreed, taking a step back and using his body to push me backwards until he deemed it safe enough to turn around to guide me to his mauri. “Boys,” he called as he pushed the curtains open and ushered me inside.
“Yes, sir?” Neteyam stood up immediately upon hearing his father’s voice. He looked at me, eyes widening. He quickly placed his fingers to his forehead and down, “oel ngati kameie.”
I quickly repeated the gesture.
“Grab your bed rolls, we’re going to sleep outside and Fre’ya will stay with the girls.” Jake ordered.
“Wait, no, it’s fine, truly.” I spun around. “You’ve helped me so much just by giving me somewhere to stay. It will storm tonight.” I added, eyes flickering between the men. Jake looked at his eldest son when I felt a hesitant touch on my hand.
“What happened?” I looked down at the older girl, Kiri, and swallowed. She shuffled to the side of her bed roll and allowed me to sit. I slowly and hesitantly repeated what I had told their father.
When I was done, Lo’ak breathed out a sharp breath. “I`m going to talk to Neal as soon as I can.” Jake said to the boys, who nodded. Kiri, who began holding my hand when I started talking, pulled me in for a hug. “I`m sorry they did that to you.” She whispered. When I pulled away from her, Neteyam stared at me with a hard, unreadable expression. I opened my mouth to say something, but Jake cleared his throat. ‘
“Let’s all get ready for bed.”
The night that followed was filled with giggles, whispering, jabs and kicks between brothers, sarcastic scary noises followed by a shrieking Tuk, and finally fatherly scolding before all would fall asleep.
It was odd, being in a tent with so many people. So much love. Not only could I feel the love in the air like fog, but I could tell they were incredibly protective of each other. I love my siblings, but do I think they would risk their lives to save mine in the case of an intruder or fire? No. But this family would. They would die for each other. The men slept near the door, Jake directly across from the entrance, effectively blocking the walkway in, his sons flanking either side. We girls were stationed further back. There was no such structure in my family’s mauri. As I lie awake, listening to everyone’s snores and deep breathing, I felt the safest I`ve ever felt in my life.
It was the best sleep I`ve had in years.