Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-eight of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter has Lo'ak/Tsireya. The Cove of the Ancestors will also appear along with the Spirit Tree in the next one. Their first smutty scene will be in the one after the next. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-nine.
XXXXX
Chapter 38: Going Along
Lo'ak and Tsireya were walking along the beach in the late evening. The wind started to pick up somewhat, causing their hair to move sideways. They looked toward the sky to see it was nearly covered by clouds. They stopped to watch them move. He put his hands on his sides before taking two steps forward. She moved next to him, her tail touching his.
"It looks like we might get some rain later," he suggested.
"Yeah," she agreed while crossing her arms. "It has not rained here in two weeks."
"Before then, it rained every day for a week," Lo'ak pointed out with raised eyebrows. "Deserts are notorious for getting little rain. When it does rain, it comes down in sheets.
"This area will have a major cyclone come once a year. They bring waterspouts with them. Sometimes, the weak ones will spawn them. The waterspouts suck up fish. When they dissipate, the fish fall on the shore as if it is raining them," Tsireya commented.
"We should consider ourselves lucky we do not have to deal with cold weather at all," Lo'ak whispered and squinted his eye. He rubbed it gingerly. He groaned annoyingly when he got an eyelash out of it. "Shit. I hate it when I get eyelashes in my eyes. Sometimes, it is pretty hard to get them out."
"I know what you mean," Tsireya said with a soft chuckle. She pulled her hair behind her neck. "Our so-called third eyelid reduces the risk of getting eyelashes in our eyes."
"Tuk was dared by Neteyam to pluck a hair from Max's beard while he was napping in his lab chair back at High Camp. She almost succeeded when he woke up and freaked her out. He demanded to know she was doing. She explained Neteyam's dare. He fussed at him over that," Lo'ak explained and clicked his tongue twice. "Mom and Dad found out. They grounded Neteyam for a few days. Tuk was not let off the hook because she agreed to the dare."
"You once told me Neteyam rarely made dares, but he pulled pranks sometimes," Tsireya said, a giggle leaving her mouth.
"He never dared anyone to do something dangerous," Lo'ak murmured.
"Like petting a nantang," Tsireya responded, touching his arm.
"That is exactly what my aunt Sylwanin did to Mom. Nantang may be small, but they pack a mean punch. A pack of them can bring down a much larger animal," Lo'ak admitted. "It was rather satisfying to see Neteyam get in trouble, though it was not often."
"Aonung and I get in trouble when we have fights. It does not matter who started the fight. Mom and Dad feel it is best we both get punished," Tsireya said and cleared her throat. "It isn't all that often, though."
"Mom and Dad act in a similar manner in regards to Spider, Kiri, Tuk, and me," Lo'ak said while touching the back of his neck. "It happens less now than it did in the past."
Lo'ak felt a tear form in his eye. He wiped it away, but another one formed and fell down his cheek. It splashed on the sand. He looked down at it, a sniffle coming from him.
"It has been a horrible day. A patient died before my eyes. I watched Rishi perish with you, Kiri, Aonung, Rotxo, and Riri at my side. Our mothers became victims of the war. Mine was severely wounded. Yours was wounded, but it was nowhere near as badly," Lo'ak said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I was so shocked to learn your mother was pregnant with twins," Tsireya commented, emitting a shuddering breath. "The thought of three lives being possibly lost is scary."
"Thank Eywa that Mom's attacker never hit her womb with his dagger," Lo'ak said, his voice expressing relief. "It is not every day a teen learns his mother is pregnant with another child."
"When Dad, Aonung, and I learned Mom was going to have another baby, we were nervous about it due to her having a few miscarriages after I was born. Once she made it past the two-month mark, we were able to breath a sigh of relief," Tsireya admitted in a soft voice.
"Mom was told she was at more risk of giving birth prematurely when she was pregnant with Zeus and Roxanne. This pregnancy will be no different," Lo'ak murmured.
She wrapped her arm around his. "I honestly believe she will survive her injuries."
"I do too. She has always been a fighter," Lo'ak commented and bit his lip. He suppressed a yawn. "The question is when she will wake up. It could be tomorrow or days from now."
"She will have many scars. They will always be a reminder of how brutal the attack on her was," Tsireya said, swallowing hard.
He sighed. "It is an unfortunate part of war."
He pulled his arm out of her grasp to put it around her shoulder. He rubbed her arm so lightly that it seemed he was not even doing it. She placed her hand over his heart. She rubbed that spot gingerly.
"I know Rishi would have been horrified to see Mom in her weak state. She loved seeing her so strong," he commented.
"Yeah," she said with a heavy sigh. "She will be forever remembered for her bravery in sacrificing her life to save Rotxo."
"I have little doubt those Green Spears who attacked us and my mother have no regrets about what they did," Lo'ak hissed angrily.
"We should never have blamed Nekx for what happened," Tsireya commented very regretfully. "Then again, being upset makes made us act irrationally."
"Dad was so disappointed in Kiri over her saying he deserved to be rearranged. I had never heard her talk like that before," Lo'ak replied, his body shaking a little bit.
"Kiri may have a calm and gentle nature, but she is capable of getting really mad. This is especially true when it comes to someone that she cares about being harmed," Tsireya murmured, her ears moving back a little bit.
"She jokingly told me Dad would ground me for life over taking her, Tuk, and Spider to the old shack," Lo'ak said, chuckling to himself. "Before then, Spider asked why I brought Tuk along. I called her a crybaby and mocked how she said she'd tell Mom and Dad if I did not let her come. She stuck her tongue out at me."
"I would have laughed at that," Tsireya said and blinked twice.
He exhaled in a light way. "She got the sticking-out-tongue from Kiri. Kiri is known for doing that, especially to people who annoy her."
She laid her head on his shoulder. "It is better than threatening to beat them up. That's for sure."
Lo'ak hugged Tsireya a little more tightly. He rocked her from side to side while whispering inaudible words to her. She moved her hand up and down his chest at such a slow pace that it seemed she was not even doing that. She slipped a lock of hair behind her ear.
"What do you say we go see Rishi in the Spirit Tree?" Tsireya suggested.
"I would like that," Lo'ak said, letting go of her. He emitted a soft sniffle and licked his lips. "I would like that very much."
"I am so glad," Tsireya said, warmth lining her voice.
"I remember going to see Neteyam there several weeks ago. I told him what was happening and how hard the war has been on everyone. He encouraged me to stay strong and to always expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to the enemy," Lo'ak explained.
"Nekx's arrival in the village was unexpected. So was his putting his animosity toward us aside to assist with providing medical care to patients," Tsireya said while rubbing her nose. She let out a small yawn. "It is obvious Kuai became the catalyst for his change."
"He saw the grisly sight of the war up close. He began to regret it," Lo'ak commented and looked upward. "He even called out Julay for dismissing Rishi's death."
"That was really brave of him," Tsireya responded, a smile forming on her face. She took her hand into his. She gave it a gentle squeeze before rubbing the top of it with her other one. "It isn't always easy to stand up to those who bring nothing but trouble to others."
"I stood up to Loki every time he and his buddies picked on Kiri and me for having human features," Lo'ak grumbled with a roll of his eyes. He mumbled obscenities in Na'vi. He curled his hand into a fist. "It is likely he has not changed his mischievous ways since the last time my family and I visited. That was a year ago."
"That was right around the time that tensions started rising between the Metkayina and the Green Spears. Mom and Dad told you about this after you returned home. They revealed the history of their rivalry as well," Tsireya added.
"Yeah," Lo'ak agreed with a nod. "We'd better get going. We have no idea if it will rain or not."
"Okay," Tsireya whispered and took a deep breath. They began heading back to the village. She glanced at him with raised eye ridges. "I bet I will be the first one to encounter Rishi."
"That's what you think," Lo'ak said while shaking his head rapidly. They picked up their pace as the ilu and dolphin headed out to sea.