Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twenty-six of 'Gone in the Dark.' I decided to have it be revealed that the tulkun celebrations were postponed due to the war, so I made changes to the prologue. I felt Tonowari, Ronal, Uzukay, and Nessa would want to keep the pods they were associated with safe from potential harm from either side. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-seven.
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Chapter 26: Hanging Around
Tuktiery held a blue ball as she stood on the pier outside the Sully mauri twenty minutes later. She had her eye on a white-spotted dolphin named Itchy. Itchy was larger than most white-spotted dolphins were. He had a scar over his right eye. Rake marks could be seen along his right side starting from under his dorsal and ending near the base of his tail. His right fluke contained two notches in it. His eyes were orange.
Tuktiery drew her arm back. She heaved the ball as hard she could. Itchy watched it fly over his head and dove downward. It landed in the water. He surfaced underneath it. He got the ball on his nose. He ducked and tossed it toward her. She caught it easily. She giggled in much delight as he did a tailwalk in place.
"Great throw, Itchy. You want another throw?" Tuktiery asked. She smiled when the dolphin nodded. "Okay. Here it goes."
Tuktiery threw the ball hard with a loud grunt. Itchy dove underwater and broke the surface. He hit the ball back to her. She held up her hands, but it went over her head. She looked over her shoulder as Lo'ak caught it. He formed a big smile on his face. He walked to her side.
"Itchy, you really shouldn't hit balls too hard. They go sailing over people's heads," Lo'ak said.
"Nice catch, Lo'ak," Tuktiery complimented.
"Thanks, Tuk," Lo'ak responded and played with one of her braids. "Why don't we do some waving to Itchy?"
"Okay," Tuktiery agreed. "Here we go."
Lo'ak stuck one hand in the air, as did Tuktiery with both of hers. They waved while whistling. Itchy lifted half his body out of the water. He wiggled his front flippers, delighted squeaks coming from him.
"Great job, Itchy," Lo'ak shouted in great happiness. "You really know how to wave."
"Let's do a pec slap," Tuktiery suggested.
He laughed. "Yeah."
Lo'ak and Tuktiery raised their arms high. Itchy rolled on his side to expose his flippers. They jerked their arms downward. He slapped his flippers on the water. He lifted them and did it again. He returned to right side up. He moved upward and did a tailwalk in a circle. He hit the water on his side, creating a small splash. They smiled widely.
"Itchy really knows how to have fun," she said.
"Yep," he responded. "Let's see him toss this ball back to me."
Tuktiery snickered. "Just don't let it hit you in the head."
Lo'ak stuck his tongue out at his sister. He narrowed his eyes at Itchy, who had returned to the surface. He grabbed the ball with his other hand. He moved his arms back, heaving it very hard. Itchy leapt upward, hitting it with his nose. It went back toward Lo'ak, who held up his hands. It hit him in the head instead. It fell on the pier and into the water. She broke into a fit of hysterical giggles.
"Now, that's what I call a hit!" Tuktiery blurted out amusingly.
"Ha, ha, ha. That was so funny that I forgot to laugh," Lo'ak said sarcastically as he glared at her.
"Dad was right about running gags being as much a part of real life as they are in fiction," Tuktiery commented. "I mean, you got hit in the head with a ball three times in less than twenty-four hours."
"You got hit in the butt with a ball knocked at you by a nantang twice back in the forest," Lo'ak pointed out.
"At least the butt is a soft area. The head is hard. That makes hits hurt more there," Tuktiery said, holding up her nose upward.
"I would not hold that nose too high. You might drown if it rained," Lo'ak teased while wiggling his eyebrows.
"Too bad," Tuktiery responded. "I will hold it as high as I want."
Lo'ak grabbed his sister's nose and moved her head from side to side three times. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. She placed it at his side. He dove into the water and grabbed the ball. He climbed back onto the pier.
"It's pretty cool we can play with the dolphins in the area," she said warmly. "We had never interacted with one until we got here."
"Earth's dolphins have only one set of flippers. These dolphins have two sets," he replied.
"According to Mom and Dad, having six limbs and four eyes shows a level of primitiveness. Having just two eyes and/or four limbs indicates a level of advancement. The syaksyuk has just two eyes. The orca has just one set of flippers," Tuktiery pointed out.
"The most intelligent species are very advanced. The Na'vi and humans are perfect examples of this," Lo'ak said with a snort.
Tuktiery twitched her ear. "The Na'vi use their intelligence to treat Pandora with love and respect. Humans use their intelligence to treat Earth with hate and disrespect."
"It sucks. Humans can learn so much from the People," Lo'ak grumbled and rolled his eyes. "Well, some have."
"Those humans have been very helpful to us. They provide medical care to the residents of High Camp," Tuktiery commented.
"You caused annoyance with your constant running around," Lo'ak teased.
"You caused annoyance by doing things you were not supposed to," Tuktiery said and poked him in the chest with her finger.
Lo'ak grabbed her finger and pulled it away. "Don't point that finger. It might go off."
Tuktiery imitated a loud gunshot. Lo'ak took one of her braids and tickled her cheek with it. He spoke baby talk before making a funny noise. She pushed his hand away.
"You better not touch my hair again, or I will—" Tuktiery started.
"You will do what, give me light punches to my stomach like you did last time?" Lo'ak teased.
"Something like that," Tuktiery said and took the ball from him.
"Hey, that's not nice!" Lo'ak snapped in annoyance.
"Hey, I was playing with this ball first," Tuktiery responded and blew a raspberry at him. She glanced at Itchy. "Itchy, here comes the pitch!"
Tuktiery tossed the ball into the air. Itchy dove underwater, his tail slapping on the surface. He leapt into the air, hitting it with his melon. It flew back to her, and she caught it easily.
"Nice catch, sis," Lo'ak complimented.
"Thanks," Tuktiery replied and tightened her grip on the ball. She took a deep breath as the game of catch continued.
00000
Lo'ak and Tuktiery were waving their hands in the air thirty minutes later. Itchy had his body sticking out of the water halfway. The ball was floating near him. He wiggled his front flippers. They put their hands down. He came down up to his head. They raised their arms. He rolled on his side to expose his flippers. They jerked their arms downward. He slapped his flippers against the water.
"Great work at behaviors, Itchy," he shouted.
"Let's do some more," she suggested. She frowned when the dolphin shook his head rapidly. "Aw!"
"Don't worry, sis," Lo'ak replied comfortingly. "He will do them again when he wants to."
"Okay," Tuktiery said with a nod. She suppressed a yawn and looked at him, as did he her. "Of all the dolphins, Itchy is the one who hangs around here the most."
"I know," Lo'ak agreed. "He just wants to—"
Suddenly, the ball hit Tuktiery in the temple. It landed on the pier and rolled off the edge. It hit the water with a tiny splash. She grabbed her temple and looked at Itchy, who chattered amusingly.
"Hey!" Tuktiery yelled annoyingly.
"That's why you always keep your eyes on your surroundings. You never know what will happen," Lo'ak said and snickered under his breath.
"Oh, shut up!" Tuktiery shouted while glaring at him.
"No, you shut up!" Lo'ak responded and flicked her forehead.
"How about you both shut up?" a male voiced asked and chuckled.
Lo'ak and Tuktiery looked over their shoulders to see Jake and Neytiri standing a short distance away from them. They furrowed their brows as they went over to them. Their parents tilted their heads before placing their hands on their sides.
"How long have you and Mom been standing there, Dad?" Lo'ak wondered.
"Long enough to see Tuk get hit in the head with that ball," Jake responded and stifled a snicker. "She looked like she was about to fall over."
"Who would've thought Itchy would toss a ball at her head?" Neytiri said and giggled.
Tuktiery hissed. "Oh, hush!"
"You hush, Tuk," Lo'ak retorted, looking down at her. He turned back to his parents and scratched the back of his neck. "So, how was your night in the forest?"
"The night went really well. Where are Spider and Kiri?" Neytiri whispered curiously.
"They went to help treat two new patients who were brought in right after breakfast. I heard the patients did not have serious injuries," Lo'ak explained gently.
"I see," Jake replied and suppressed a yawn. He smacked his lips before clearing his throat. "You wouldn't believe what happened in the forest when we were on our way back here."
"A nantang tried to use your tail as a chew toy," Tuktiery suggested and formed a big smile on her face.
"No. A syaksyuk threw two utumauti. I got hit by the first one. Your father was hit by the second one," Neytiri commented and smiled.
Lo'ak gasped in shock. "No way!"
"Who would've thought a syaksyuk would be mischievous?" Tuktiery blurted out in amusement. She held up a finger. "Syaksyuk never threw anything at us on the mainland."
"Island utumauti has a sweeter taste than the mainland version does," Neytiri added and swung her tail up and down. "Your father and I ate ours on the way home."
"Tonowari and Ronal never told us this area had utumauti," Lo'ak commented truthfully.
"You two were lucky to have gotten two, let alone one!" Tuktiery squealed delightfully.
Jake chuckled. "We sure were."
Neytiri crossed her arms. "No denying that."
Lo'ak and Tuktiery gave shrugs. They turned and ducked when the ball flew at them. It hit the top of the marui's doorway. It dropped to the floor. Jake went over to pick it up. He came to the edge of the pier, where Itchy was tailwalking in place.
"Itchy, you need to be careful. You could hit someone in the eye with this. You understand?" Jake said in a low but firm voice. Itchy came down and nodded slowly. "Good."
"You're good at keeping playful animals in line, Jake," Neytiri complimented as she crossed her arms.
Lo'ak smirked. "But he could never keep pa'li from kicking him in the ass."
"Hey, watch your mouth," Jake warned, looking over his shoulder at him. "Your sister is right there."
"Sorry," Lo'ak apologized and blew a raspberry. "Let's not forget you accidentally curse in front of her sometimes."
"He's got a point, Dad," Tuktiery agreed.
Jake rolled his eyes. "You both are right."
Lo'ak and Tuktiery looked at each other and high-fived. Jake shook his head in disbelief. He went over to them after putting the ball under his arm.
"You two are really something, aren't you?" Jake said, raising an eyebrow.
"We know you are, but what are we?" Tuktiery responded with a giggle.
"You are really something," Jake teased.
"We know you are, but what are we?" Lo'ak commented and punched him lightly in the arm.
"It takes one to know one," Jake said, standing tall and proud.
Neytiri snickered. "Jake, you will reach the sky if you stand any taller."
"Maybe we can stand on each other's shoulders and reach the sky that way," Jake said, relaxing his posture.
"Nah. I don't want to get pooped on by birds," Lo'ak said, shaking his head. "A fkio dropped a bomb on my head once."
Tuktiery grimaced. "That happened to me twice."
"Fkio poop stinks. That's for sure," Jake said, chuckling nervously and swallowing hard.
"The kids stunk even worse when they were babies," Neytiri pointed out.
Lo'ak looked at her. "Oh, hush."
Neytiri waved her son off. Lo'ak started talking about what he and his siblings did last night.