Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait, my loves! Thank you all so much for your support! Happy belated Mother's Day to my lovely mothers out there - mothers of all sorts of babies, human and furry alike! And I hope you all have a wonderful day! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
They make it back to Mo'at's hut before long. Tsu'tey has his arm around Lo'ak's shoulders, giving him reassuring squeezes. Thankfully, the youngest Sully son seems to have settled down, reassured now that his parents don't hate him. Lo'ak presses tightly into his papa's side, smiling lightly at his papa's gestures, his arm around Tsu'tey's waist until a voice causes them to halt in the entryway to Mo'at's hut.
"...wasn't out there on his own. You know he went chasing after those no-good spawn of yours."
"I'm going to respectfully ask once, for the sake of my son and his papa, I will ask you to lower your voice or leave. The next time I ask, it won't be so respectful," Neytiri says, voice sharp and low. There is a darkness to it that Jake recognizes from whenever his mate is low on her patience. Which, considering the day they just had, Jake doesn't blame her one bit.
Jake tenses for just a second before he hears a sniffle from deeper in and it takes everything in Jake to not go into hyper-protective mode. He forces himself to take slow, even steps into the hut. He discards the armful of blankets and loincloth that he brought for Neteyam down on a sleeping mat next to him.
Artsut is standing by Neteyam's side, looking between his sleeping form with sympathy and sadness to glaring daggers at Neytiri, hard enough to spear through her had the mother of his children been made up of anything less than fire and brimstone. Neytiri stares back from her position overseeing Neteyam, like a silent guardian, stone faced. For the sake of her children, she would be as cordial as she could. But her temper is hot and ignites quickly.
"What's going on?" Jake asks, walking over, tail lashing behind him in barely contained anger. For as even as his face is, thay damn tail will give him away every single time.
Artsut turns that vicious glare to Jake instead, since she has thus been unsuccessful in baiting Neytiri into snapping back. She must figure she'll have better luck with Jake, which is fair, especially with how upset Jake already is. And he would rather her be talking to him anyway. He can handle her. He can accept her punishment. She has a right to be angry with him - in some measure.
If Jake was a good man. A good husband. Tsu'tey would have been enough. He wouldn't have been so afraid to love his mate and they could have just been happy between the two of them and that would be one less thing for Artsut to have against him. But Jake fell in love with Neytiri too. And had he been raised differently, had he been allowed to love who he wanted, he might have accepted Tsu'tey first and this all would have been avoided. But it didn't work out that way.
Tsu'tey scared Jake. Tsu'tey was perfect for him in every way that scared him to death. So, he ran from his mate. He ran from Eywa and all her signs. He ran to Neytiri because she too, was perfect for him in every way, and she didn't scare him the way Tsu'tey did.
In reality, Jake knows that he would always love Neytiri, even if he accepted Tsu'tey from the beginning. He's not sure if she would have accepted him had he not been available. Not been hiding a secret that he thought was most foul in his heart. She would have been the better of the two of them. She was the better of the two of them, willing to walk away for his happiness. But he would never let her go. His love for her... her love for him... their love for each other... No. They were always going to be together. Jake knows that this only ever would have worked if the three of them were together.
Yes, Jake is the one mated to both, but they love each other too. Their love and respect for each other is what made this all work. Jake would love both of them with all his heart until the day that he died, and they made it so incredibly easy for him. They agreed right from the beginning, if they were all going to be together - mates with Jake - that they were going to share everything. The children. The home. The chores. The responsibilities. Everything. They were an unbreakable team.
And together, they managed to raise five beautiful children - Spider included.
In Neytiri's heart, she always worried about Spider. Not so much about him being a Sky Person, but very aware of his limitations. It was fine when all the kids were around the same size when they rough housed, but now that Lo'ak and Neteyam have a good two feet on Spider, they could seriously hurt him if they aren't careful. Neytiri will always hate the man that brought Spider into this world - as will Jake and Tsu'tey - but Spider has been with them since he was a baby. He was raised with their children. He was theirs. Her temper with him might be shorter, but she's also quickest to anger when it comes to his safety.
Jake knows it isn't always clear, and her anger scares him, but Jake has seen them together. Seen Neytiri make him food and gently pet down his dreadlocks while he sleeps. She loves him, but she's always so scared for him that it doesn't always come out clearly. So, whenever she's mad, he hides from her specifically.
Probably, because more than anything, Spider has always wanted a mom.
Jake has always seen Spider as his own, and loved him and raised him as such, so Spider always saw a father in Jake, but Neytiri's role hasn't been as clear. He wants her to love him so bad that he's scared of her rejection. Scared that one day, the gray area that they have been living in will be defined. And not in the way that Spider wants it to be. He knows that he will always have Jake, and Tsu'tey - who honestly might love the boy more than even Jake does - but Neytiri's rejection could destroy any sense of confidence he might have.
Neytiri is just scared to show him too much love. Scared that something will happen to him and his frail little body, and he'll be gone forever.
And despite it all, Jake's kids hide behind their mother - Spider included - as she defends them from Artsut and the rage she's spitting at them. Spider with his small hand on her shoulder, and her own hand placed over his.
"You," Artsut snarls the word like it was degusting garbage in her mouth, directed at Jake. "My son left him for you to look after and instead of making sure he was safe, you run off with this frowartz of a substitute mate."
Frowartz is an ugly frog like beast usually found in the muck near watering holes. One of Artsut's favorite descriptions of Neytiri. How Jake hasn't gone absolutely blind with rage and kicked her from the clan, he has no idea. It has to be Eywa giving him patience and clarity because if she gave him strength, he's sure he would have gone psychotic at this point.
Shame and anger both slam into Jake at her words and it takes every ounce of his will power to keep from just crumbling to the floor and crying again. But he won't cry. Not here in front of his children. Not where that vicious woman can see him. He has no idea how anyone could be so mean to his wonderful, beautiful Neytiri. And he has no idea if he should even defend himself from her words.
He knows he's in the wrong for all of this. He doesn't need her to help him see that. But he won't let this hateful woman know that. He will never show her weakness. As much as that evil little voice in the back of his head might agree with her, he won't say it. He won't acknowledge it. At least, not to her. He'll sooner scream it to the entirety of the clan, and the world, before he gives her an ounce of satisfaction.
Jake is never going to understand how such a hateful, mean lady was able to raise someone as sweet and gentle as Arvok and as compassionate and kind as Tsu'tey. Either she had little to nothing to do with raising either of them or they became such fine men despite how badly she did.
Despite it all, Tsu'tey loves his mother. Jake knows this. And he knows that she isn't bad to him. She loves Neteyam. And when she's good, she's wonderful. She's helpful and wise and so loving - but those moments are so rare, they are aggravating. If she wasn't so angry all the time, she could be wonderful - to all of them. She could be another grandmother to four wonderful grandchildren, but no. No, she would rather just be angry and mean.
And it's such a shame.
A small sniffle pulls Jake's eyes down to Tuk, curled up in Neytiri's arms, her little face is buried into her mother's shoulder. The fragile tenderness in his heart at all of this, the soft spots of him that hurt the most in all of this, hardens. His baby needs him. All his babies need him. His mates need him. However much he might agree with Artsut and her ire towards him - echoed in his own hatred at himself - it isn't about her. It can't be. It has to be about his mates. About his children. About him.
"Kiri, Spider, Lo'ak, Tuk, can you please take the Metkayina to the baths so that they can get cleaned up? They've been out in the forest for quite a few days," he says, voice surprisingly even despite the anger boiling inside of him. Artsut's golden eyes lock onto his own, lit with her own anger.
"Dad," Kiri says softly, her hand on Spider's shoulder.
"Please, baby girl," Jake says, his voice low. He half glances at the figure shrunk in the corner, next to Mo'at, who was wiping sweat from Neteyam's brow, knelt across from where Neytiri is sitting. "Nim, can you go with them, please?"
The scarred young woman perks up at her name, she shyly glances over at Jake, studying the chill in his eyes and the hard set to his expression. A flash of fear crosses her face before Jake, softly, whispers, "Please. They just got their injuries treated, which I know you know." And I'm about to get really angry and you can't be in the room when I do, is left unsaid.
Nim studies his face for a moment, pushing through whatever fear struck her at his expression before she nods slowly. She slowly moves to her feet, dragging the lame leg behind her as she heads over to the Metkayina, glancing over at the Sully children for support. Neytiri whispers into Tuk's ear, and she nods, pulling away from her mom with a wet face before racing over to Nim, stopping to hug Tsu'tey's leg, to which he pets down her hair, before she's off again. She takes Nim's scarred hand, looking up at her for permission before squeezing it tightly.
Lo'ak, Kiri and Spider, who slowly pulls his hand from Neytiri's shoulder, move over to the Metkayina, carefully ushering them out. Tonowari pulls up Rhawari into his arms and carries her out. Lo'ak steps back in.
"D...Dad?"
"Yes?" Jake says, tilting his head toward his shoulder but not taking his eyes off Artsut.
"Should we get Tarsem to get something ready for them to stay tonight..?" Lo'ak asks slowly, worriedly. He didn't want to make his dad angrier than he already is. Especially not when they just found some common ground.
"Yes," Jake says. Then, after a beat, "Good thinking, Lo'ak."
Artsut rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest while Tsu'tey hisses from over Jake's shoulder. Jake waits until he can't hear any more of Lo'ak's quickly retreating steps before sucking in a slow, deep breath, turning his full focus on the woman in front of him.
"You will not speak of Neytiri in that manner anymore, Artsut," Jake says, voice flat. "You will not refer to her as anything other than her name from this point on. You will not come running in here and having any sort of say when it comes to our children. Respectfully," he seethes, "it is none of your goddamned business what goes on between my mates and myself. Or our children, for that matter."
Artsut sends him a look that could peel paint from a wall, or strip bark from a tree, he supposed. "This never would have happened, had you been here to watch your children."
Yes, yes, she's right. But that isn't the point now.
"It's done," Jake grinds out between clenched teeth. "We can't undo the past, Artsut. But what we can do, is address your behavior here. Neytiri is not the problem. You can't speak to her in that manner, Artsut. I have told you enough times now. Your choice is simple, either you respect my son's mother, and his siblings, or you can take one last good look at him and then you will never see him again."
The anger on her face melts into a look of disbelief. She glances over Jake's shoulder to Tsu'tey, mouth agape. Jake can feel dissatisfaction radiating from his mate, but he doesn't disagree. They have spoken about this before. They were in this together. They were a unit. They were the parents - all of them. And those kids were all their own, regardless of biology.
And it would all be the same if it were Mo'at who was being the problem and not Artsut. The three of them were a team. They were in this together. They had to protect each other - now more than ever, during this war. They had to have each other's back. Jake can't keep protecting Tsu'tey's love for his parents and protecting Neytiri from slander from this woman, from these people. They have to look out for one another. They need to protect one another.
Jake will never be a big fan of Artsut in the best of times, but he certainly wouldn't ever want to do something to hurt his mate and while he will never like Tsu'tey's mother, his father is bearable enough and his brother is wonderful. Jake doesn't want to hurt his mate, but he can't just pretend like this woman can say whatever she liked about Neytiri either.
Tsu'tey doesn't like this division. He would rather his family be united, but he doesn't want Neytiri to continue to be disrespected either. He doesn't want this, Jake can feel it radiating from his mate, but Tsu'tey won't stop it either. Not anymore. He's tried to get Artsut to stop and she's unwilling to listen. This is all Jake has left. That, or he could banish her from the clan, but he's not sure he's willing to go that far. He's angry. He's upset. But he's not cruel. She's made him angry. But nothing worth completely removing her from the safety of her clan during a time of war.
"I have been trying to tell you," Tsu'tey says, voice low. "I told you to stop this. To stop pushing him. To leave her alone."
"This is not my fault," Artsut says, looking at Tsu'tey. "Why are you punishing me? Why are you punishing Neteyam?"
Tsu'tey growls, ears flicking annoyed and angry. "I beg you, mother. If you care at all about my children, you'll let this go. Apologize to Neytiri and Jake. Make peace with this being our lives. Neteyam wants his grandmother to be with him."
"He has his grandmother with him," Neytiri growls, under her breath. Mo'at huffs, lips curving slightly in agreement but thankfully keeps that to herself, gently rubbing sweat off of Neteyam's brow, and with a single finger on her other hand, dabbing a greenish sludge onto the cuts across Neteyam's body. Whatever is in reach of her.
Neteyam takes a shallow, shuttering breath, but his eyes stay closed.
"You are being needlessly cruel," Artsut says. Neytiri hisses at her but says nothing, reaching her hand out to gently pet down Neteyam's braids, rolling the four sky blue beads on that one stubborn braid that never wants to stay behind his ear.
"No," Tsu'tey says, shoulders slumping a bit in exhaustion. "No, I am protecting my family. Neytiri is the mother of our children. Neteyam loves her as his own mother. You are being needlessly cruel to the mother he loves, and the siblings he adores. Our sweet boy found it within his heart to forgive you, but you continue to hurt him with your cruelty to his mother and siblings. And his father," Tsu'tey glances over at Jake, who stares back at him. Jake looses a short breath, tilting his head in a very slight nod. "Say your goodbyes for now, mother. Let him rest. We'll talk more later."
"Tsu'tey," Artsut says, creases forming between her eyes. "You can't let them poison you, son. I'm your mother."
"And Jake is my mate, and Neytiri is my children's mother. If you can't find peace with that, then you can't be part of it," Tsu'tey says, letting out a little sigh of his own. "Say goodbye now, mother, or you will leave without being able to."
Artsut looks stricken, looking between a stone-faced Jake, a peaceful Neytiri, and Mo'at, who deemed this entire conversation beyond her spectating. She's acting like it's not even happening as she gently applies medicine to Neteyam. Jake isn't fooled. He knows Mo'at is paying close attention. They had long talks with her about her own feelings towards the kids that don't share her blood; Neteyam and Kiri.
Kiri... is a joy. She is so much like Mo'at, looks to her for so much, that they bonded so easily. Kiri is smart and wise and attentive. She enjoys the more menial things that Mo'at couldn't ever get Kiri's siblings to sit through. She often spent her free time with Mo'at, asking about medicine and Eywa and stories about the forest. She loved all of those things and would mindlessly work alongside her, gathering medicine for her or helping her with her tasks. It was easy for Mo'at to love Kiri.
And it was extremely easy for Mo'at to love Neteyam. Neteyam who would cling to Neytiri, following her everywhere as her little shadow whenever he was sick. Sniffling and dragging along his blanket that used to bring him comfort. He would hold her hand and never complain, even when he didn't feel well. He would sit and listen to Mo'at talk or just sleep with his little head on her lap while she worked - especially when he didn't feel well, which was most of the first few years of his life.
And Eywa blessed Neteyam with Neytiri's forehead markings. His stipes identical to her own. If Mo'at didn't know better, having been there when Neteyam was born, she would have suspected that Neytiri was his mother. Biologically. But he wasn't. This was Eywa's way of endearing the child to Neytiri. Making him take some of her characteristics. As a way of approving of the unity between the three of them. Something to make her feel more attached to a child that wasn't biologically her own. Which, of course, Neytiri didn't need.
Neytiri loved Neteyam from the moment she learned of him. The first time she heard his heartbeat on that ultrasound thing that the Sky People have, Neytiri has gushed about him. Making him things and helping Jake and Tsu'tey think of a name.
Mo'at knew she would love him because Neytiri loved him. Then he was born and she didn't have to worry at all. Kiri was easy. Kiri was so far disconnected from all of this as Grace's child with no biological attachment to any of them. But Neteyam, well, he was their miracle. When Neteyam was born with Neytiri's mark on his forehead, Mo'at knew that the Great Mother would approve of all of their union.
And she did. Finally blessing Jake and Neytiri with both Lo'ak and then Tuk.
Artsut's lip trembles, glancing down at the too pale, too frail looking Neteyam. His breathing shallow. His chest glistening. His long lashes fluttering softly against his prominent cheekbones as he dreams. There are stains of blood on his stomach, hands arms and probably beneath the blanket resting low on his hips, bloodied tatters of Spider's blanket and ruined loincloth discarded. A mass of leaves and pungent smelling goop over the wound above his hip and no doubt on his back.
She hesitates for a moment before sadness crosses over her features. She makes her way over to Neteyam, opposite of Mo'at. Neytiri, magnanimously, pushes to her feet and moves out of the way. Artsut kneels down next to Neteyam, gently petting down his braids, staring at his sleeping face, her normally harsher set expression softening, as she leans down and presses her lips to his forehead.
She caresses his cheek, whispering soft words of love to him before pulling away, casting Neteyam a look of worry and love before standing up. She shoots a look of betrayal at Tsu'tey before stomping out.
The three parents stand in silence for a few moments, staring at one another. Or, Jake and Neytiri stare at Tsu'tey, whose eyes are on Neteyam. He sucks in a slow, deep breath, before looking back at Neytiri, reaching out to cup her jaw, fingers curving around the back of her neck a bit. He steps closer, lowering his forehead to hers. She reaches up, wrapping her hand around his wrist as they stare into each other's eyes.
"I can handle her," Neytiri says. "Do not keep her from Neteyam because of me."
"Ma Jake is right," Tsu'tey says, letting out a little sigh. "She's never going to stop if I keep forgiving her. I am sorry, Neytiri."
Neytiri rolls her eyes. "I shouldn't be surprised that my children are so good when their dad and papa have such gentle hearts." She gives his wrist a squeeze before offering a soft, appreciative smile. "Thank you for your concern, though. But your mother isn't the worst person I have ever met. I'll be okay." A moment of consideration, then, "But I will pluck her eyes from her head if she calls my children spawn again."
Tsu'tey sighs, shaking his head in disbelief at his mother's actions but Neytiri is smiling, pulling back slightly to grab his face and bring him close enough to press a kiss to his forehead, making him finally offer a thin smile. Both smile at one another before glancing over at Jake, who was staring down at Neteyam, pensively, chewing on the nail of his thumb. He lowers down next to Neteyam, opposite of Mo'at.
"Ma Jake..." Neytiri says softly.
"How is he?" Jake asks, just as softly, staring at Neteyam's sleeping face.
"He is strong," Mo'at says, pausing in her applying medicine to look at Jake, her eyes shining. "We will know more as the night progresses, but I am hopeful. I'll keep checking on him over the course of the night."
"I'm going to be staying here too," Jake says, resting his hand by Neteyam's face, using the side of his finger to lightly touch his cheek.
Mo'at nods as Tsu'tey says. "I will too."
"I'll stay at home and watch the kids. You'll let me know if anything happens, right?" Neytiri asks, looking between her mate and the papa of her children.
"Yes," Jake says, eyes still on Neteyam at the same time as Tsu'tey says, "Of course."
Neytiri steps over to Jake, kneeling down and pressing into his back, resting her cheek against his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. "You heard my mom, Ma Jake. Our boy is strong. He will conquer this test. The Great Mother will not abandon her son."
Jake nods slowly, placing a hand over the ones Neytiri has interlocked around him, letting out a little sigh. Maybe she's right. Eywa went through great pains to ensure that Jake and Tsu'tey had had Neteyam. She pushed hard, breaking one of her own laws - sort of. She has bent it before in the past, but she apparently had no intention this time and had to make the decision. What matters more, just her getting what she wants, or all of them getting what they want. The Great Mother wouldn't just bring his baby into this world just to take him away.
The younger three Sully children and Spider lead the Metkayina to the bathing chambers, waiting outside to give them some privacy while Nim goes in to ensure that no one needed her help. She stayed by Rhalwari's side, being sure to keep her leg out of the water and protect the work she had just done on the limb. She doesn't speak or look around. She just sits on the rock floor, not minding the bit of water, keeping her eyes focused on the limb.
Thankfully the natural formation of this room has descending stairs into the water, large enough for Rhalwari to lay down to clean herself while her leg is propped up, out of the water. Nim's eyes slowly raise, looking past the families cleaning themselves, a brother helping his little brother clean up. A father washing a daughter's hair. And a husband and wife just holding one another, relishing, for a moment, in their safety.
Then her eyes find a brother and sister duo, back-to-back while they wash dried blood from their hands. The girl washes up her arms a bit while the boy washes his chest and legs and arms. His face is hollow. He looks shaken, terrified. Nim knows that feeling. She knows it quite well. She lowers her eyes once more without a word.
While the Metkayina clean themselves up, Lo'ak who left momentarily to speak to their dad before coming back to talk to Kiri real fast before heading back out to speak with Tarsem. Kiri, Tuk and Spider sit against the wall, listening to the sound of the waterfall behind them and the din of the Metkayina talking and splashing about a bit in the water.
"Kiri," Tuk asks, voice soft, pressing into Kiri's side. "Is Neteyam going to die?"
Kiri shakes her head, her yellow beads, unlike her siblings who have them all collected on one braid, Kiri's three beads are separated to her three braids. Two framing her face and one behind her ear. "No, Tuk. Neteyam is strong. He's going to be okay. Grandmother is taking care of him. So is Tsahik Ghresa. They will keep him alive. Just have faith."
Tuk lets out a little sigh, sinking further into Kiri's side, staring out over the bustling clan moving about their business. Some send looks their way, acknowledging the children of the Chief, offering a respectful wave of the hand in their direction but thankfully no one stops to speak with them. After a few minutes, Lo'ak returns, dropping down beside Spider, pulling his knees up to his chest and rests his elbows on them.
"I talked to Tarsem. He's getting some of the clan to clear out a few huts for the Metkayina."
Kiri nods, letting out a little sigh.
The kids take a few minutes of silence before Spider looks between the two older siblings, asking, "Do you think that your dad is going to let them stay? The Metkayina, I mean?"
"Dad wanted to let them stay," Lo'ak says slowly. "It's mom that doesn't want them to stay. And she seemed pretty sure that papa wasn't going to side with dad either."
Kiri lets out a long sigh, reaching up to roll one of her three braids, looking at the yellow bead at the end of it with bright golden eyes. "Mom usually has a pretty good sense of those things. But you know why she doesn't want them here, right?" She glances over at Lo'ak, then Spider, before looking back at her spinning braid.
"Yeah," Lo'ak sighs, leaning back against the wall, knocking his head a bit against the stone.
"No," Tuk says, frowning. "Why was mama acting so mean?"
"Mom isn't mean," Lo'ak says, staring at the ceiling. His golden eyes flickering about, unseeing. "She's trying to protect dad. You remember Talsheeze? How he hurt dad? She's trying to protect him. Mom and papa made dad promise to stop helping people. Stop granting uturu."
Tuk's ears lower, eyes swimming a bit at the memory of her dad flashing in her mind, pale faced and twisted in agony, clutching at a hole between his ribs, wheezing. Papa and mama both lugging dad through to Mo'at's hut. Their own faces twisted in terror. Spider, trailing behind, their dad's blood coating his hands, arms and chest. Tears sliding down his cheeks, horror written across his too-pale face. His whimpers of terror -
Tuk shakes the thought away, glancing over at Spider. The human, swallowing thickly, looking down at his feet through his knees, muscles along his jaw working. There is a panic in his eyes, also remembering that day.
"But..." Tuk says slowly. "But what about Nim? Daddy brought Nim here a few months ago."
"Nim..." Kiri says, sighing. "Nim is different. Nim can't hurt us. Nim needs us. She's terrified of men, except for dad. She's not ever going to leave First Base. She's in no way going to willing leave First Base either."
Lo'ak glares at the ceiling. "Not since her shitty clan abandoned her. She's loyal to dad. She left grandmother's hut. She never leaves grandmother's hut unless grandmother or dad asks her to."
"It's only been a few months," Kiri says, twisting that braid still, "but dad's the only man in her life that hasn't let her down. Hasn't hurt her. It's not the same situation with Talsheeze. Mom and papa know that she couldn't hurt dad, even if she wanted to. And there is no way she would ever be able to survive out there. And unless she finds another sympathetic clan, she'll die in the forest. She can't hunt, can't sneak about, can't even climb very well anymore. She'll won't make it more than a week. You can't compare the two."
"If you knew that... knew that mom and papa weren't going to agree to dad granting uturu..." Tuk asks slowly, turning her eyes to Lo'ak. A small crease forms between her eyes. "Why didn't you say? Why did we drag them along if mama wasn't going to let us help?"
Lo'ak sighs, rubbing one of his five fingered hands across his forehead. "Because we couldn't just leave them out there. They needed help too." His face is drawn in sadness and worry. "And in trying to help a bunch of strangers, I might have gotten my brother killed." His lower lip quivers as he rubs at his face again.
Tuk squeaks in distress while Kiri glares at him, pulling Tuk into her side. "No, you didn't, Lo'ak. He's going to be okay."
Lo'ak nods but doesn't look convinced of this not fully being his fault. They sit in silence for a little while longer before Lo'ak finally says, "We'll know more in the next few days. But he is strong. If anyone can survive, it'll be him."
The Sully children and Spider lead the Metkayina to a set of side-by-side storage huts that were cleared out for them while Nim limped her way back to Mo'at's hut without a word. She just tipped her head in farewell and left. Everyone seemed happy to finally have somewhere safe to lay their heads for the night. Tarsem made sure some basics were in there, food and water and blankets. Lo'ak just told Tonowari that they should try and get some rest and that their dad would come talk to them at some point, but he wasn't sure when.
As they were turning to leave, Tonowari touches Lo'ak's shoulder, stopping him for a moment. Lo'ak looks at the tall Metkayina as he says, "Thank you, Lo'ak. Thank you all for everything you have done for us. We will never forget this."
Lo'ak nods, offering a thin smile. "I'm glad you're all okay. Try and get some rest. I know it's early but... well, you guys could probably use a long rest after the last few days you've had."
Tonowari nods, lips pressing together before he says, "I'm sorry about your brother."
Lo'ak nods back, shifting from one foot to the other. "Thanks. He's with grandmother. She's going to save him." He looks down at the stone floor beneath his feet, praying that it was true. "Um, well, if you need anything just let us know, okay? Um..." he looks around at all the Metkayina staring at him. "Um, have a good night. And, um, maybe don't try to leave the huts for now. There will be hunters walking about. Just flag one down if you need anything."
Tonowari nods again, glancing around at the noticeably increased presence of said hunters, definitely milling about. All armed with bows and axes. Some are sending glances their way, others are full on staring. Expressions dark and weary. Some downright mistrustful and angry.
Tonowari knows a warning when he sees one, so he just hums in agreement before letting Lo'ak go, wishing him a good night and sending a pray to Eywa that Jake Sully's eldest son makes it through this. Because if he doesn't, Tonowari suddenly isn't so sure that they will either.