Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry about the long wait in-between chapters but I just got back from a well needed vacation! I feel great! I feel energized and ready to hit the ground running! I hope that you continue to enjoy!
If there was any way for his parents, uncle and Tarsem to think that maybe they had misheard for even a moment, it was all confirmed true when Neteyam and Lo'ak both flinched at Tuk's innocent words. Then reinforced as Lo'ak enviously slouches, sinking lower in the spot he's sitting in, as if the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
Neteyam can't slouch anymore. And he's the one that's about to get into trouble.
All eyes turn to Neteyam as Tsu'tey, the first to comprehend the words that came from Tuk's lips, hisses, "Excuse me?"
Lo'ak opens his mouth, coin toss on whether it would help or hurt, but a look cut his way by Neytiri makes his jaw snap shut. Probably better that way.
Jake, exasperated, asks to no one is specific, "Please tell me that she's kidding."
Instead of trying to think of an excuse, Neteyam just straightened his spine away from the warmth and comfort of his uncle's side, turning his eyes toward his parents and explained, softly, "He hit Rhalwari of the Metkayina. Broke her leg. She screamed. I thought... well, I thought it was Tuk. I realize now that it didn't sound like her, but I was panicked looking for her, Spider and Lo'ak, it hadn't occurred to me that others could have been out there."
There is a moment of pause where Neytiri turns to stare at the side of Jake's head, who is looking down at the space in front of him, eyes half-lidded, trying to process what was told to him while Tsu'tey is staring holes through Neteyam. That look on his face promised that Neteyam was in huge trouble. Neteyam's ears fold back, hating whenever his papa got that look. That look was reserved for when Tsu'tey was about to make Neteyam's tiny world even smaller still in order to protect him.
"Papa, listen, before you get mad, let me explain," Neteyam says, shrinking a bit. Tarsem looks down, respectfully, as if he isn't able to hear the conversation while Arvok puts a hand on Neteyam's spine in comfort.
Jake, knowing his mate, and Neytiri, knowing her parental partner, both glance over at Tsu'tey, who scoots closer until he's in front of Neteyam. Lo'ak, wisely, moves closer to his mom, his own ears pressed back. She gives him a look of disapproval but welcomes him into the curve of her side, wrapping an arm around his thin shoulders. A moment of pause, before pressing her lips hard into his temple and then offering a little nuzzle, which he melts into.
"How can I listen before I get mad," Tsu'tey asks, voice low, eyes intent on his oldest biological child, "when I am already very angry?"
Neteyam looks down at his lap, tail curling around his waist in comfort before reaching out his hand to his papa, a weight on his chest lifting when his papa accepted his touch and they grab hold of each other's forearms. At least his papa isn't rejecting him, despite how mad he is. His papa has never rejected him, but it's always a worry that probes at the edges of his mind. The what if..?
"I promised that I would look after my siblings and I let them - "
"No!" Tsu'tey growls, narrowing his eyes slightly. "My sweet boy, when I ask you to look out for your siblings, it is not at your expense! It means keep an eye out for them but when things get out of control you come get an adult! My sweet baby, you are fifteen years old, and you are fighting palulukan? You are braving the forest when storms are about? Acting as a diplomatic delivery boy? My Neteyam, when I tell you that I want you to take of yourself and them, I do not mean from all the dangers the world has to offer. That is my job. Your mother's job. Your father's job. Not yours. We are the parents, when it comes to safety, it is our duty to protect you children, do you hear me, sweet boy?"
Neteyam nods, ears pressed back even more as he looks down at their hands, still gripping each other's forearms. His forearm is so small in his papa's hand. Where Neteyam can't wrap his fingers all the way around his papa's forearm, his papa's fingers are able to meet around his own. He coughs softly, trying to contain it as he rasps, "I do, but I'm the older brother. It's my responsibility to do right by my siblings. One day," he coughs a bit more before continuing, "I will be Olo'eyktan. I just wanted to do what I can to keep them safe..."
Jake sighs, rubbing at his forehead. Arvok's hand runs up and down Neteyam's spine in comfort, which he's thankful for.
"I know, baby boy. I know that you're trying to do right by your friends and family, and even these strangers, and I love that beautiful soul that had to of come from your papa," Jake says, ignoring the look that Tsu'tey sends his way. "But you can't sacrifice yourself. Your papa is right to be afraid, Neteyam. We both are. You care so much about other people and waste no time or effort on yourself. And as two of the people that love you most in this world, that's scary."
Neteyam wraps one of his arms around his body, being careful of his wound and turning his eyes to the ground, folding himself as small as he can go, while still gripping his papa's forearm with the other hand. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean..." he trails off, not sure how to finish that statement. No one usually lets him get that far when he's apologizing. He hesitates, not able to look at his parents, brother, uncle or loyal clansman. He just stares at the pattern worn into the stone beneath him. "I'm sorry that I've disappointed you."
"No," Jake says, leaning forward to grab onto the hand that Neteyam was using to wrap around himself and cradles it between both of his own. Tsu'tey glances at Jake, leaning away a bit to give him space as Jake scoots a bit closer. "No, Neteyam, you didn't disappoint me. I'm sorry I said that. I was just upset and while it doesn't give me the right, I am sorry for saying it. You boys are my life. All you kids are. Your papa, mom and I, we just want you to be safe. We want you kids to live long, happy lives. This war makes that impossible so we want to squeeze out what little bits that we can from what's around us. The forest is dangerous enough, as is this war, and you kids taking matters into your own hands in that regard is scarier still."
"I'm sorry, dad," Neteyam says softly. "I didn't mean to scare you or... do anything bad. I just... I wanted to protect my siblings. I felt so bad for letting them get away while I was supposed to be watching them. I didn't think about the dangers, I'm sorry."
Jake and Tsu'tey both squeeze at his arms but look to Neytiri as she speaks, her own arm still around Lo'ak's shoulders, "We understand, sweet boy, we do. We are so fortunate to have you as a son, and your siblings to have you as an older brother, but your dad and papa are right, it is our place to keep to all of you kids safe and see to your well-being. I'm sorry if we made you feel like you were the one that had to be responsible. Thank you, Neteyam, for rushing to the safety of your siblings. Thank you for being as beautiful and wonderful as you are. Thank you, sweet boy."
Neteyam's ears flicker a bit, flushing in embarrassment. "Mom, please. You don't have to say any of that..."
"But we are lucky," Lo'ak insists, leaning forward a bit. He glances over at his mother, then back to Neteyam. "You really saved us, bro. You did. I'm sorry for my part in all of this, but we would all be dead had you not shown up and scared that thanator away."
"As true as this is," Tsu'tey grumbles, looking between the children and his fellow co-parents, "I do not want to think about what could have happened. You are all safe, that has to be enough. But no more. We stick to the trees. We follow protocol, especially when it comes to the beasts in the forest. Okay? Do whatever you must to survive but please, for the sake of us, your parents, and the Great Mother herself, be careful and stick together."
Tuk, who was still in Neytiri's lap, Lo'ak and Neteyam all bob their heads in affirmation.
"Yes, papa," Tuk says softly. A moment later, Neteyam and Lo'ak echo her words.
Tsu'tey spins Neteyam's arm around to lean down and kiss the back of his hand before pulling back and placing a loving hand onto Lo'ak's braids and then smiling softly at Tuk, strain and worry still blatant across his face. "Thank you, my babies."
Jake sighs, rubbing at his forehead with his unoccupied hand. "Jesus Christ, you kids are going to be the death of me..."
"How so..?" Kiri asks, stepping up next to Tarsem, holding a concoction in her hands - no doubt for Neteyam. "What were we talking about?" Her ears flick a bit as she looks around the gathered around her, blinking.
Neteyam sits quietly in front of Neytiri as she undoes his braids one by one. To be honest, he's surprised that he was able to make it through the day without going crazy with how disgusting he's felt after days of not being able to clean himself up. After that stressful morning and somehow slipping out of that with a light punishment - also grounded from his ikran for a month, which is apparently how Lo'ak was punished - and Tuk was given a month of extra chores. And so was Lo'ak, seeing as Neteyam wasn't going to be doing a lot of hard labor for some time.
Neteyam would be doing other small jobs to act as his own punishment since there is no point in holding off until after he's healthy once more. And his parents agreed that he's already had decent enough punishment with his sickness and having been shot. But there should be some punishment, but they didn't want to go to the extreme. He did try to save his siblings and strangers in their forest, and he shouldn't be punished for that. Neteyam felt bad, insisting that he could take more discipline because it didn't feel right that he should be let off without equal treatment, but no one seemed to agree with him on that.
Neteyam felt silly for asking for more punishment so he didn't push the matter anymore, but he did offer to his siblings - excluding an intrigued Kiri, who was still thinking about what they told her about Neteyam and the thanator - to help them with their chores once he was well enough and while both agreed, Neteyam suspects that he's going to have to be pushy in order to actually do it.
After breakfast, Neteyam went back to his grandmother's hut to get some fresh bandages and some additional herbs before Neteyam is finally allowed to go back to the hut that he shares with his parents and siblings. Under the watchful care of his siblings, the Sully children are left to play around in their hut while their parents go back to work around the camp.
Spider shows up not long after to check in on Neteyam, looking relieved to see him awake and alert. They spent the afternoon sitting around and talking, while Neteyam convinces his siblings that he's well enough to be perched against the wall, working on his gift for his papa. The same gift that he threw into the bottom of his chest - the wall is lined with one for each of the Sully children, including one for Spider to store all of their stuff - when he realized that he hadn't heard or seen hide nor hair of his siblings for hours.
He didn't dare tell his parents that a present was what took his attention away from his siblings. Even if they more or less absolved him of the responsibility of being the one to solely care for his siblings, he couldn't help himself. He still feels responsible. He feels like it is his duty to look after his younger siblings, no matter what his parents say. He's the older sibling. It's his job to look after them.
Neteyam got pretty far with his present, even with all the times he had to shoo Tuk away so that she wouldn't spoil the surprise to papa, before their mother returned just before sundown announcing that everyone was going to be bathing because she could smell them from the other side of First Base. She meant it as a joke and it got a laugh from Lo'ak and Tuk, a smile from Spider and an eye roll from Kiri, but Neteyam flushed in embarrassment. He knew that he was smelly, it's part of the reason that he's been glued to a corner, but he had to be careful with his wound.
Neteyam didn't have the energy to go each lunch outside their hut, so his siblings brought a bounty of fruits and meats for them to pick from while they remained in their home. Their parents cycled through checking in on Neteyam and the kids and even Mo'at stopped by to check his wounds - which Kiri was already periodically doing - and promised to be back later to completely redress his wounds once he was done bathing and eating and ready to go down for the night. Finally, Neteyam could sleep at home with his family and not at his grandmother's hut.
Now, while his siblings are getting ready to go wash, his papa and dad herding them like cats - as dad calls them, felines from Earth - Spider said his farewells and promised to return early the next morning. Neteyam joins the chorus of goodbyes from the rest of the family, before leaning back into his mother's gently hands, deftly undoing his long braids. She fares far better with him than papa does with Tuk, who is squirming and yammering away, turning to look at him every couple of seconds. Jake isn't doing any better trying to mediate an argument between Kiri and Lo'ak.
Neteyam grins playfully at their bickering and the third time Jake snaps, "Don't make me come over there, you two!" all while trying to get the last of what they'll need gathered together to take to the bathing pool. When the Sully family goes to bathe, it's a whole event. Everyone tends to steer clear because of how wild it can get.
"Little love, I promise that I hear your story, but I need you to stop turning around so that I can finish," Tsu'tey says, still working on the upper half of Tuk's hair, undoing her braids. Lo'ak and Kiri are almost done with Lo'ak's, even while in the middle of bickering. Neytiri is almost done with Neteyam's, even Neteyam could only lift his arms long enough to undo the front few braids and a few adornments here and there when he's got the strength again.
Neteyam coughs, holding his chest until it settles.
"I'm okay, mom," he rasps, clearing his throat. "I think I'll need my mask for tonight, but I had it off most of the day. I think the cold is almost past."
Neytiri's stilled hands start moving again as she leans down and kisses the top of his head. "Just don't push yourself too hard, Neteyam. I know you hate relying on that mask, but if it helps, you should keep using it until you don't need to anymore."
Neteyam nods, not wanting to argue. "Yes, mother."
She caresses his shoulder, as if sensing that he was acquiescing to her, before setting back to work. Even with Neteyam's braids being a lot longer and with more adornments, he and Tuk's braids were finished around the same time. Jake and Tsu'tey helped Neteyam to his feet and flanked him as the Sully clan made their way to the bathing pool, much louder than necessary, in Neteyam's opinion. But then again, they never do anything quietly. Between the blood feud forming between Lo'ak and Kiri, the incessant chattering of Tuk in his ear, and his parents bouncing from topic to topic, he has no idea how anyone in First Base couldn't not hear them.
They wrapped up Neteyam's side to protect it from getting wet before helping him bathe. While Neytiri is wrangling Tuk, who is much more interested in playing, Jake is helping balance Neteyam so that Tsu'tey can wash his hair seeing as he can't bend, and they are trying to keep his bandages as dry as possible as to not risk water getting into the wound. Not being able to hold his arms above his head long enough to wash his hair is also a bother, so Neteyam is flushed in embarrassment the entire time his parents are tending to him.
"Papa..." Neteyam whines, bringing his hands up to cover his face, catching Jake's amused chuckle and Tsu'tey's wolfish grin.
"Come now, I just want to make sure that my sweet little baby boy is being tended to properly," Tsu'tey teases. He had lathered a lot of soap into Neteyam's long black locks and was now carefully scrubbing it all away with calloused, but gentle fingers.
"Papa, please," Neteyam grumbles. "I know I need help but I'm going to ask mom to come over."
"Your mother is busy," Tsu'tey says easily, casting a playful grin over his shoulder at Neytiri, who shoots him an exasperated look as Tuk sends a torrent of water over her face.
Somehow, Neytiri maintains unbroken eye contact with Tsu'tey, blinking rivets of water off her long lashes as Jake flinches and Tuk gasps, "Uh oh. Sorry mom." She smiles sheepishly.
Neytiri wipes the water from her face, still staring at Tsu'tey, who's face is morphed into unbridled amusement at Jake's female mate's expense. She sucks in a slow breath before saying, "I would like to switch children."
Jake and Neteyam laugh, while Tsu'tey's amused grin spreads wider. He runs his fingers through Neteyam's hair, trying to get all of the suds out, saying, "But mine is finally being good and letting me dote on him."
"I want mom," Neteyam says, teasingly. Jake's hand supporting Neteyam's neck, which is helpful with his wet mane of heavy hair, grips it a bit tighter. Neteyam looks over at his dad to see the amusement on his face.
"See? My baby wants me," Neytiri says, even as her hands go back to work washing Tuk's hair.
"I thought I was your baby?" Tuk asks, also grinning playfully.
"You are," Tsu'tey says, cupping some water to wash over the top of Neteyam's head. He can feel rivets of water trailing down his forehead. "You are all our baby, Tuk Tuk. Your mother just wanted to share you with us, but I could never take her time with you away." His smile is feral.
Neytiri rolls her eyes while Tuk giggles.
Jake helps Neteyam stand upright, still supporting his neck while Tsu'tey carefully wrings out his mass of mid-back length black hair. It's still heavy but not too bad. Jake helps Neteyam sit down on the descending steps into the pool and moves over everything Neteyam will need to wash his body. It's slow, and he's careful with his wound, but he's happy to finally be clean.
Tsu'tey and Jake are cleaning themselves as Jake finally says, quietly, "You know, holding your head like that reminded me of when you were a baby."
Neteyam, who was watching Kiri, Lo'ak and Tuk splash at one another, while Neytiri grins playfully after them, turns his eyes over to his dad. "It did?"
Jake nods, handing some wonderful smelling berries over to Neteyam to clean his skin with. Neteyam accepts them as Jake says, "Yeah. It's been a long time since I had to support your head like that while your papa washed your hair."
Neteyam runs the berries along his arms and chest, watching as suds build up against his skin, a sweet scent filling the air around them. He searches back through his memories, trying to recall what times his father could be referring to, and while Neteyam has been catered to his whole life, rarely has he ever really been babied - at least not by anyone other than Tsu'tey. But even then, Neteyam was given a lot of independence as the oldest of the four children. His siblings - Kiri included - came so close behind him that he doesn't really recall times that weren't about them when it came to babying.
Not that Neteyam minds all that much, seeing as his parents have catered to him in many different ways. He has never once felt unloved or lacking in any way when it came to his siblings, so he never really thought about it.
"I don't remember it, to be honest," Neteyam says, offering a little smile.
Jake's smile is thin. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. You were very little, but you were always very self-sufficient. You did your chores without asking, went to all your lessons, no matter how you felt. You did everything we ever asked, including help look after your siblings. It grew too easy not to baby you, even when you were still a baby."
"You have four children, dad," Neteyam says, laughing a bit as he washes off his arms. "And you had a clan to look after. Never mind internal struggles within the clan about the future."
Tsu'tey glances over at Neteyam, golden eyes flashing in surprise. "You knew?"
Neteyam shrugs. "One of the perks to being the sick one. If you're quiet enough in grandmother's hut, they forget that you're there." He shrugs, glancing over at Lo'ak's laughing face. "Neteyam, the eldest son of Toruk Makto. Lo'ak, the only biological grandson of Eytukan. Neteyam, the only biological son of Tsu'tey who was to be Olo'eyktan as Eytukan's successor. Lo'ak, biological son of Neytiri, only living child in the Omatikaya's 'royal' bloodline. Neteyam, the sick brother. Lo'ak, the troublemaker. Neteyam and Lo'ak. A constant battle between brothers. It calmed down to near nonexistence since the war began, but I remember how it used to be." Neteyam reaches up, tugging at long strands of black hair, familiar with the pull, as those strands just wouldn't stay behind his ear. The same ones that bore his Sully beads.
Four pretty, light blue beads to show that Neteyam is the eldest Sully child. Neteyam is to be Jake's successor. To remind everyone out there that there was no competition. They were all Jake's children, but Neteyam was the oldest. And unless he turned it down or was proven to be unfit for the position, he would one day be the Omatikaya's Olo'eyktan.
"I'm sorry, Neteyam," Jake says softly, sadness written all over his face. "I had hoped to silence that before any of you ever heard."
Neteyam pulls his eyes from his laughing brother's face to look over at his father. "I know. And I don't blame you. It has to be hard on you too, dad. Making it feel like you have to choose between your children. Kiri is going to become Tsakarem one day, Tuk would never fight for it and has no interest in it. Lo'ak doesn't want to be Olo'eyktan either. But still, it has to hurt you. The Great Mother forced your bond with papa so that you could have Lo'ak and Tuk with mom, but you love us all the same."
Tsu'tey's ears flatten, and he sends a sharp look Jake's way, lips pressing tight as Jake kneels down in front of Neteyam, face pulled in hurt and confusion as he studies Neteyam's face. He doesn't reach out to touch him, though, not feeling worthy of it.
"You aren't a burden, Neteyam. And you certainly weren't anything forced on me. I was scared to love your papa. To give him a chance. Human culture on Earth is so different than it is here. I was scared, so I fought my feelings for your papa until I fell in love with your mother - so much so I couldn't bear to part with her. The Great Mother didn't force you on me, Neteyam," Jake says, voice low and even as he gently places his hands on Neteyam's knees, giving him the chance to pull away if he wanted to while staring deep into his eyes, "she gifted you to me. Just like your papa, Neteyam, you were always meant to be mine."
Neteyam looks down at the ten fingers splayed across his knees, feeling a heavy weight on his chest, knowing in part that what his father said wasn't true. Neteyam was a burden. His body born weak - weaker than most other Na'vi. And while he has worked hard to be stronger and more skilled than those around him, he can't fight the weakness of his immune system. He will always be more susceptible to sickness. And without his clan catering to him, he will always be at risk of dragging them down. Long ago, the elders used to whisper of his weakness as Eywa's punishment for him being born without love. That because his dad and papa fought the Great Mother's demands, she cursed him with weakness of the body.
Neteyam doesn't believe that. He doesn't believe that the Great Mother would ever curse one of her children. Especially since grandmother believed that Neteyam was a fulfillment of her will - both in regard to Jake and Tsu'tey's unity in creating him, and in ensuring that in some measure, Tsu'tey did become Olo'eyktan as Mo'at had predicted for years leading up to Jake Sully's arrival but through his offspring. The only one he had in Neteyam.
"Okay," Neteyam says softly, offering a thin smile to his father. Tsu'tey's eyes flicker back and forth between them, warring with himself on if he wants to cut in or not, but keeps his mouth shut. Jake isn't one for heart to heart on the best of days. And after what just happened with Lo'ak, he needs to say these things, in Tsu'tey's opinion. For all of them.
One can never express their love enough - especially to those around them. The humans just aren't wired the same way, so it matters a lot to Tsu'tey that Jake is saying these things. No matter how hard it is for him.
Jake doesn't look happy at all. "I love you, Neteyam," Jake whispers softly, a strange, unfamiliar vulnerability crossing his face. "I thought that I'd lost you back in the forest. I thought that the last thing you would ever remember me saying to you was that I was disappointed when that's the farthest thing from the truth. I am so proud of you, of the young man that you're growing into and since the day I first felt you inside my body, I have loved you more with each one that follows."
Neteyam flushes in embarrassment, ears pressing back against his skull. He manages to turn his eyes back to his father and reaches out to cup his face. "I know, dad. I know you love me. I know you love all of us."
"And I do," Jake says, swallowing as a shimmering coating covers his eyes. He brings up his hands to cover Neteyam's smaller, thinner ones on his cheeks. "I love you kids so much. Never for a moment think that the roles are reversed. I will always be the one lucky enough to have you."
Neteyam, choked up, leans forward as much as he can bear to press his forehead against his father's, closing his eyes in relief and emotion as Jake meets him the rest of the way so that he doesn't hurt himself by leaning forward more than necessary and rasping, "I love you, dad. And no matter what you say, we are lucky to have you. And we always will. Not just as Toruk Makto, but as all of our father, and as my one true mother."
Neteyam waits until the emotions have settled, and they are all back in the hut for the night, eating a light meal that Neytiri, Tsu'tey, and Kiri worked to cook for them while Jake saw to braiding Tuk's hair and Lo'ak braided Neteyam's for him, to ask if he could help with the Metkayina.
"I knew you were going to ask," Tsu'tey says, shaking his head as he helps pass out the food. Lo'ak waits until he's finished the long braid down Neteyam's back before accepting his food and sitting down.
Neteyam carefully balances the mop of hair on the top of his head that still needs to be braided while he eats. He's been having trouble breathing since getting choked up at the bath, so he's been using his mask again, much to his chagrin. He might have been a little preemptive in trying to get away from the mask.
"Neteyam," Neytiri says, welcoming Tuk onto her lap as they eat, "you are still too sick, tiyawn."
"I'm feeling better every day," Neteyam argues softly. "Besides, they are recovering too so I don't imagine we will be leaving the base for a while still. I'll be better by then."
Tsu'tey, between bites, lowers down behind Neteyam and starts on his hair again. "I happy to hear that you are getting well, Ma Neteyam, but these people are still strangers to us, I am not comfortable leaving you alone with them. Especially seeing as you are unable to defend yourself."
"Come on, papa," Lo'ak says, twisting around at the waist to look at the older man. "If they wanted to hurt us, they could have already. Neteyam was a lot sicker while we were with them."
"Yes, but they hadn't managed to make it here yet," Tsu'tey says evenly. His deft hands sectioning off Neteyam's hair and rapidly braiding down the length of it. Thankfully, Neteyam doesn't wear as many adornments in his hair as say Lo'ak does, so they will be done with his hair pretty quick.
"You're still worried about that?" Lo'ak asks, no judgement, just honest curiosity.
"When it comes to the safety of our people and my family, I will always worry, gentle Lo'ak," Tsu'tey says, glancing down at his youngest son.
"What if they become part of the clan? Part of our people?" Tuk asks innocently, looking around the family with wide golden eyes. Neytiri presses a kiss to her half-done braids, glancing over at Tsu'tey with an open look, honestly curious for his answer.
Tsu'tey's hands pause for a long moment, honestly thinking about his youngest daughter's words before looking at Jake, communicating between them with his eyes, then to Neytiri and doing the same. Finally, shoulders slumped a bit but fingers working away on the next braid, Tsu'tey admits, "I do not know, baby girl. I suppose only time will tell if I am capable of ever trusting again."
"I think for now we can agree that so long as you feel up to it, you can help," Jake says, placing his food off to the side to keep working on Tuk's braids, having almost finished them as they were a lot shorter than Neteyam's and hardly any adornments aside from her one red bead were woven into her hair. At the protest on Tsu'tey's face, Jake calmly says, "You baby him, Tsu'tey. He will be here, where we can watch over all of them. Besides, if he is to be Olo'eyktan one day, he has to gather experience in all fields of life here, including teaching the future of the clan."
The bitter look Tsu'tey sends Jake's way makes Lo'ak turn away, eyes wide. Neteyam and Lo'ak share a look.
"Thank you, dad," Neteyam says softly, not wanting to further aggravate his papa.
"Don't thank me," Jake says, casting him an even look. The vulnerability and emotion from earlier is gone. The Olo'eyktan has returned and it's all business as usual. "Teaching is hard work. And these aren't other forest Na'vi. Their way of learning is going to be a lot different than our own. We are both different peoples. They were raised in the water, their natural skills and the ways they are set in, may prove to be a greater detriment to them, and to your attempts at teaching them. This'll be a true test, Neteyam. For you and your siblings."
Like a general giving a pep talk to his subordinates, all the children straighten their spines, nodding. Even Kiri has lost the bored look usually associated with these talks as they hold no interest to her. But it looks like she's going to be playing her part as well - at least, for as long as it has her attention.
"We won't let you down," Neteyam says, finding the eyes of his father and holding them. "You can count on us. I will get the Metkayina to their iknimaya. I will show them the ways of the Omatikaya. They will learn how to exist here, to be one with all that exists around them. They will learn the way of the forest."