It had been seven sunsets since Anat-Tiye and her sisters came to the Metkayina for sanctuary. They weaved many baskets and watched Tsireya make many pastes. They even heal many wounded sea creatures who were injured from the battles that rage on out far at sea and who's journey seems almost as long as Anat-Tiye's.
The water was not completely unknown territory to the sisters, but it was not home for them either.
It was not hard to sleep the first few nights in the Pod and no longer sailing out to nothing on their mother's raft in hope that the Metkayina still had strong ties with their people. But it was getting harder for now Panya's nightmares had begun and worry grew between them.
Anat-Tiye noticed on the third night when she felt something wet against her leg and she was confused as she woke, that was, until Panya started to cry in her sleep.
She woke Talibah and the pair of the sat her head with worried hearts and whispered prays to their mother, who Talibah believed was with Eywa.
It was not until the seventh night of crying and waking up in a fright that Anat-Tiye became panicked.
"We need to get her some Barkleaves and Tittles to chew on before bed, but I am almost certain that the Tsahìk will begin to suspect something is amiss if we ask, little sister." Anat whispered quietly in the dark. She had learnt recently that the Forest Navi's hearing was a lot better than theirs, and much better than the people of the Metkayina.
"Then I shall steal some tomorrow at training." Whispered Talibah so quietly that Anat could not be certain she heard it. She stared at her sister in horror, but she could not find words to come out of her mouth for she knew her sister was right.
"Anata, do not worry. Eywa will forgive us for she alone knows the weight of Panya's sufferings. We will weave beautiful baskets and make jewellery for all the Warriors tomorrow as amends. I could even sing them a melody at their ceremonies. If what you say is true, and war is becoming them, we cannot yet trust these people who look after us so kindly."
Anat looked at the splitter throbbing in her thumb and smiled down at her sister.
"When did you become so wise that you learnt to twist the narrative to please your sister and your conscience?
"Our mother taught me well."
They giggled but stopped as Panya began to toss and turn.
"And no singing my beautiful sister. You know we cannot risk it".
They sat up until the sunrise playing with her hair and wiping the sweat that was constantly breaking from her forehead. The older sisters did not speak to one another but sat in silence waiting to be needed.
Anat thought about her strange new life in the land by the sea. She watched her sister struggle with the way of the Metekayina's healing, one that was so full of wisdoms that had long been lost to them that it was strange for Talibah to feel confused in the way of Eywa.
Talibah grew saddened by their experience earlier in the day when Tsireya snapped at them for misplacing an important ingredient or for mixing in the wrong herb into her paste.
She apologized immediately when she noticed Talibah's face drop and quickly attempted to make amends by grabbing her hand and offering a sweet smile, but it was too late for the Tsahìk had walked in and sent them a glare.
Snickering could be heard outside the pod, for young listeners were eavesdropping in on at the strangers who washed up on their shores.
Anat also thought back on how different her knew life in the Metkayina clan compared to the brief one they had in the Ashlands. She was thankful in some ways, for she was not as fearful as she had been for many moons, and was angered in others, for she did not understand the expectations that these people had for them.
The clan were busy preparing weapons and seeking out other clans across the Metkayina seas that it was easy to be forgotten about, or it was easy to be yelled at for forgetting to tie a rope or make a paste.
JakeScully, his mate, the mighty Neytiri and their sons had taken off many times on the Ikran's in haste after long discussions with Tonorwai.
She did not know much about war, but she did watch as they came back and often separately. It was familiar to her, and she wondered how long her sisters would have Uturu by the seaside for as these Warriors gathered the clans together for something she could not see.
Talibah has too begun to watch the family closely and with a curiosity that Anat did not like. Kiri often has attempted to get Talibah alone to discuss what Anat suspects is their strong connection to Eywa. But she does not allow it. She watches Kiri closely and is able to distract her sister or interrupt their conversations.
Nothing is safe. Nobody can be trusted.
The people are cautious of the sisters too, but Anat can see their curiosity for they must have grown up hearing stories of their clan's history and of their people's slaughter. Their mother, Masaki, is famous amongst the sea people, or so she would say, for she was the only child born of the last remaining young Warriors who survived the great battle of the Ashland's.
The Scullys are not as familiar with their ways. Their ways that Anat fears have died alongside her mother.
She thinks of these things as she watches Talibah braid Panya's hair as she sleeps shivering on her lap. She thinks of the birth her mother had for the two beautiful creatures who keep her body warm next to her and she realized the wounds on her back no longer itch.
She thinks of her mother's beautiful smile and how her voice sounded when she sang.
She thinks of the way her body would move so quickly in the mangroves when she was seeking fish, or when she was dancing for Talibah's amusement.
Tears threatened to fall but she did not allow it.
The chanting of Navi broke her out of her senses, and she realized that the clan were all being called to gather in a state of emergency.
"Come quick, Panya" whispered Talibah grabbing her small knife while Anat-Tiye fixed hers on her binding.
Many Navi were injured and coming back on their skimwing's. Kiri and Tuk ran past them in a hurry and hugged their parents, as did Tsireya who was carrying baskets full of herbs and pasted that she had shown the sisters the morning of.
It was a strange sight. Lo'ak, the youngest son of JakeScully was bleeding dangerously from his arm and Peita' was carrying a dead Navi and the cries of her mate rung in the air.
Blood covered the water and the moon shone on them indignantly. Tsireya was frantic and Lo'ak held a piece of her hair as she tried to wash away the blood to look at his wound.
"You Moron!" yelled his father, who's hands were shaking as he pulled at his braids, but they all began laughing and crying out in victory. Neteyam joked about how Lo'ak was now a mighty Warrior and Tsireya smiled at him, without noticing the increasing size of Lo'ak's veins.
Kiri and Tsireya worked diligently still and demanded that he be taken to the healer's pod for the Tsahìk to assess him when she returned for it was apparent, she was still out at sea with the Tulkun. But they did not see what the sisters could see for the Metkayina clan and the Scully's were out of their depth.
"Do not move him!" Talibah yelled with fear, and they all turned to look at her with surprise. Neytiri bared her teeth at them, but JakeScully pulled her back.
"This wound is filled with venom." Anat-Tiye interrupted with a calmness that was not hers, but her mothers, putting herself between her sister and Neytiri's powerful glare.
"This is from an Arrow sent from the Sky people. Avatars." Neteyam quipped, grabbing Anat-Tiye's arm as she made to sit next to Lo'ak.
"You do not know the ways of the Ashpeople." She answered.
"We fought with a scouting ship of Sky people and some Avatars" supplied Lo'ak, who was now trying to move but was stopped by a small hand.
"Neteyam," Kiri commanded, and he let go of his grip with shaking hands.
"It is not. Look at the wound. It is turning black." Whispered Talibah, and Anat-Tiye's heart ached at the look of fear and sadness in her sisters' eyes. She could see memories flooding them.
"Bro! Do not look so pained! It doesn't hurt one bit!" Lo'ak shouted immediately.
"We will speak later." Silenced his brother as he looked over at his mother for her approval. She nodded her head, but her razor-sharp eyes burnt holes into Anat-Tiye's chest as Neteyam moved his body and allowed them to work on the wound.
All the family of Lo'ak were watching her, and her sister inspect the wound and she could tell that weapons were close to being used on her neck.
Trust, it appears, was not yet mutual.
"It is trying to get to the heart, my sister." Talibah informed her.
"Then we shall not let it." She replied with a smile. "What is it you need, little sister?"
"Bark. Lots of it. And it needs to be chewed. Quickly."
"You heard her!" yelled Panya as she grabbed bark from the basket that Tsireya and Kiri had bought.
They all looked at them as if they were crazy but once Panya had chewed her first pit and placed it in Talibah's hand, everyone else seemed to start doing them same.
"I need a stick of fire." Anat-Tiye told Neteyam, who was closest to her with eyes so full of uncertainty.
He ran and grabbed a piece from the one that burns brightly from one of the Pods nearby.
"Yo! What is all the fuss. It is just a small wound from a weak arrow."
Anat-Tiye grabbed the fire from Neteyams hands and looked at Lo'ak's eyes, the eyes that were turning from yellow to green.
"It is not a weak arrow you skxqwng." She hissed, poking his forehead so he would lay back down in the water. Talibah picked up the sand and placed it on the wound, causing him to hiss from the sting that would follow, and sand, salt and water entered his body.
"Eywa" Talibah muttered and continued when Anat-Tiye nodded her encouragement, despite hating the praying.
Panya had gathered enough chewed bark and now most of his body was covered.
"Eywa. I pray to you once more to help me save this life. I pray that you allow me and my sisters to do so. I pray that you allow us to give back the life that he, and his family, gave back to us when they risked theirs to save us from drowning and being eaten at the deadly seas. I pray to you once more Eywa, as I always have and as I always will."
Anat-Tiye now stood and ensured that his whole body received the smoke intake. His eyes grew wide, and he began to scream. A knife was at her throat and this time, it was Tsireya.
"You have made a mere wound make him even weaker." She cried.
The veins in his arms became to expand and he cried out in pain. Talibah knew what she was doing, and she poured the last of the salt water into his wound and he vomited out the poison.
"Look at his arm, Tsireya. We have saved his life. You can see where the poison has tried to claim him and where we have stopped it." Cried Talibah.
"MaTsireya" muttered Lo'ak, spitting out the last of the venom and standing up. Neteyam and his father grabbed him quickly before he fell.
They started to walk away from them and take him to their pod.
Netiryi gave them a smile and it caused Panya to giggle with joy at the success of her sisters.
"Whatever you are preparing for your War for the sky people, JakeScully, be aware that there are some Navi people against your cause." Anat-Tire warned.
He stopped and stared at her in shock. Neteyam hissed at her, misunderstanding.
"The Ashpeople are not what the stories make them out to be. They are false. Pretenders. They do not want War against the sky people. And the arrow that hit your son's body is your proof."
"I see you, Anat-Tiye, Talibah and Panya, and I thank you for saving my son." Replied Toruk Makto, ending the conversation by walking away with his family.