Author's Note: And another one! Sorry about the wait!
Tsyeyk went with the hunters, feeling them watching him, murmuring to each other behind his back. But he just skips through the forest, holding Tsu'tey's hand, singing softly to himself. Mother sings alongside him, in the chirps of birds and bugs and the sway of the trees in the breeze. Tsyeyk just loved it. Tsu'tey doesn't seem to mind Tsyeyk and all the noise that he's making, even though it's going to be hard for him to hunt if he's being so loud. He stops eventually and after a while of walking, tilting his head to catch the sounds of something rustling about in the underbrush nearby.
Tsyeyk releases his grip on Tsu'tey, gripping the bow steadily between both hands, doubling over so that he can still move efficiently but not be so easily spotted. The other hunters fall in behind him as he makes his way through the thicket, following the sound. He carefully knocks an arrow and pulls the bowstring taut. The others follow his lead, moving stealthily. He moves through the brush, getting ready to shoot the beast grazing before him, its ears swiveling.
Pulling just a bit more on his bowstring he goes through the motions that Eytukan taught him. Over and over and over again in his head to mentally prepare for this moment. His eyes locate the weak point on the beast, along the ribs or where it breathes from, considering at the angle they are in, which he should aim for, before he stops.
Slowly, he loosens his hold on the string, more and more until it's at rest.
Tsu'tey tilts his head slightly, eyes questioning.
Tsyeyk reattaches the arrow to the bow and kneels down, motioning for Tsu'tey to inch closer. He offers the older boy just enough space to peak through the underbrush hiding him and the other hunters. For him to come close enough to see as Tsyeyk does. One palm slides up the back of Tsyeyk's shawl, following the curve from his hips up to the space between his shoulders along the length of his spine.
Any tension in Tsu'tey's shoulders loosen as Tsyeyk wraps his arms around him, purring softly as the beast eats another mouthful of grass, her young, attached to her, drinking its fill.
Tsyeyk didn't make a kill that day. Too excited about seeing the baby, talking animatedly about it for the rest of the hunt. "Tsu'tey! Tsu'tey, it's baby!" Over and over again in joy. He would tug and pull at the older teen, wanting to drag him back so that they could watch it more, but Tsu'tey eventually ushered him away.
"Want baby, Tsu'tey," Tsyeyk says, making the other male faulter slightly. Some of the hunters' snicker at his expense. Tsu'tey's tail twirls a bit as he looks over at Tsyeyk, whose eyes are scanning the forest as if able to see the baby again.
"You're too young for a baby, Tsyeyk," Eytukan says firmly to Tsu'tey's relief, as he wasn't sure his mouth was going to work for him properly.
Tsyeyk wilts, ears pressing against his skull. "Want baby, okay?"
Tsu'tey rubs at his forehead, face aflame, as Eytukan shakes his head. "Not okay. You need more time to learn without having a child on your arm. You and Tsu'tey will have plenty of time to have children."
Tsyeyk pouts, mumbling something in his strange babble while pressing into Tsu'tey's side, burrowing his nose into the teen's shoulder as they make their way back towards Hometree. They walk in silence for a few minutes before he moved over to Eytukan, linking arms with him and argued in half nonsense. A lot of, "It's okay, okay?"
To which Eytukan would look at him and say, "Not until I say." His arm curling around Tsyeyk's.
"It's okay, okay?" He would pout harder, upset that Eytukan wasn't giving him what he wanted. Tsu'tey's face was burning too hot to even think about exactly what that was, not sure Tsyeyk even fully knew. And the other hunters snickering and jabbing at him, not thwarted by his bared teeth, wasn't helping him either.
"No, it's not."
They stopped for a rest, as Tsyeyk just wasn't interested in hunting anymore, too distracted by other things, so when they stopped, he sat peacefully on a rock by the hunters, eyes bright with joy as a series of butterfly fluttered around him. Blood butterflies, to Tsu'tey's horror. They were extremely dangerous with little stingers that could kill a full grown Na'vi male in days if left untreated. That was with one butterfly, Tsyeyk had three.
But life loved Tsyeyk. So, he sat there with them fluttering around him, resting on his shawl-covered shoulder, his knee and even resting on his nose. They allowed him to "ooh" and "ahh" over them, stretching out their wings for his purview. Despite how nervous it makes Tsu'tey when this stuff happens, he can never get over how beautiful his mate looks when it does. Feral and ethereal. Like all life around him sees him for what he is.
By the time they return, Tsyeyk seems to have forgotten all about how upset he was earlier, and excitedly passes out flowers that he collected to every clansman that gets too close to him.
"He needs more time, I think," Tsu'tey says to Eytukan, no longer embarrassed.
"He has it in him," Eytukan agrees. "It's not about him needing more time, I think, but to be brought out at the right time. He's extremely sensitive. He will probably only chance a kill when the time is right for him."
Tsu'tey nods slowly. He casts a long look after his future mate, smiling faintly when Tsyeyk, with a squeal of joy, excitedly hugs a gatherer who traded the flower for his favorite fruit. He turns to Tsu'tey, holding up the fruit, tail swaying happily.
"Fruit, Tsu'tey!" He calls. "Share for Tsyeyk, okay?"
Tsu'tey smiles, tipping his chin. "Of course, my love." Then, back to Eytukan, he says, "I think so too. He needs more than we do to act, I suspect."
Sylwanin appears at Tsyeyk's side, smiling kindly while holding his fruit so that he can happily tangle flowers into her hair in an honestly shameful caricature of a flower crown, but Eytukan's eldest daughter smiles in joy at it.
"Good luck."
Tsu'tey blinks, turning to look at the clan chief with a confused expression. "With?"
"Wanting kids already?" Eytukan says, shaking his head with a little laugh, a rare smile on his lips.
Tsu'tey rubs his face, flushing a bit. "I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, he spends most of his days with kids. I mean, his reaction to them... I'm just surprised that he would say that."
"Don't want kids?" Eytukan asks, no judgment in his voice.
Tsu'tey shakes his head. "It isn't that. I will adopt as many children as he wants. I think he would be an amazing - " he pauses, smiling as Uvay runs up to Tsyeyk, wrapping her arms around his hips. He squeals in joy, plopping down onto his butt, pulling her into his arms to cuddle her lovingly. She tells him something, a huge smile gracing her scarred face as Tsyeyk tries to stick flowers into her hair. Umrr standing a few feet back, smiling softly at them, admiration and love all over his expression.
"It's been a long time since that little girl has been so happy," Eytukan says, leaning on his bow.
"Or her father," Tsu'tey murmurs in agreement.
Eytukan nods, another little smile spreading across his lips. "We are fortunate, Tsu'tey. We are fortunate that it was you the Great Mother chose as Tsyeyk's mate. To tie the two of you together. He has brought great joy to the clan - and to you."
Tsu'tey glances over at him, tail flicking a bit. Carefully, quietly, he admits, "Yes. I find great joy in my time with him. And I am happy to see that the clan favors him too. If he will be by my side for the rest of our lives, the clan needs to be able to accept him. The fact that they have so easily... well, I'm thankful."
Eytukan hums in agreement. He pats Tsu'tey's arm before slinging his bow over his shoulder and heads towards the entrance of Hometree. Tsu'tey watches him go for a moment, before turning his gaze back to Tsyeyk, spotting Sylwanin staring at him, a flower drooping down by her eye. She carefully pulls it out of her hair and just holds it, staring at him with this strangely content but resigned look on her face.
Tsu'tey tilts his head, curiously, but she smiles, and it doesn't reach her eyes, as she turns to look down at Tsyeyk and Uvay.
A little boy, about seven, sits on Tsyeyk's stomach during dinner that night, telling him a very fragmented but scary story. Every time the little boy would stress his voice to emphasize the scary parts, Tsyeyk would stiffen, eyes wide in fear, mouth agape as he stared up at the little boy. The little boy's mom sat a foot away, rolling her eyes at her son's theatrics.
"It was scary," the little boy says at the end of his story.
Tsyeyk nods, eyes nearly bugged out of his head, whispering, "Yeah, scary..."
Sylwanin laughs softly behind her hand while Neytiri rolls her eyes. The little boy's mom plucks him up off Tsyeyk despite both of their protesting.
"Sorry, Tsyeyk, he won't let you eat if you indulge him," she says, smiling knowingly at the full leaf by Tsu'tey, Tsyeyk's meal, left untouched. He was so preoccupied listening to the boy's story that he completely abandoned his food, and instead just laid down to relax with his head on Tsu'tey's thigh. He pouts as the mother takes her son away so that he will stop "bothering" Tsyeyk.
Tsyeyk sits up, turning to the group, stimming his hands in excitement before picking up some worms from his leaf and happily eating. While listening to the conversation between Tsu'tey, Neytiri, Eytukan and Sylwanin, Tsyeyk just eats quietly to himself, pressing into Tsu'tey's side. And like it always does, Tsu'tey's hand slides up under his shawl, running his fingers along Tsyeyk's ribs, his waist, his hip before sliding up his spine. Transitioning between the backs of his fingers, his blunt nails, to his fingers again. Soothing, loving. Tsyeyk loves it. He loves feeling Tsu'tey touch him, kiss his cheek, neck, shoulder - pushing the shawl down so that his lips can touch Tsyeyk's skin, even his ear.
Tsyeyk smiles at him, the warmth in his stomach making him giddy. He presses as close to the future Olo'eyktan as he can so that he can twine his tail with Tsu'tey. He grins happily at Tsu'tey when he smiles crookedly back at him. He holds up his sour fruit, eyes wide as he flashes dual white fangs.
"Want bite?"
Tsu'tey looks at the fruit, face faltering slightly at it. Tsyeyk is already laughing as Tsu'tey shakes his head. "No, my love. You eat your fruit. It was an equal trade, and it belongs to you." He blinks at Tsyeyk's laugh before leaning forward, pressing kisses along his cheek and jaw, amused. "Oh, you're teasing me, my love?"
"Tsu'tey not be with like fruit," Tsyeyk laughs, pressing closer.
"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I can't have sour fruit as often as you can." He lets out a little chuckle, that hand sliding up to his ribs, then around to his stomach, feather light touches along the smooth skin there. Tseyeyk mimics him, sliding his hand around Tsu'tey's hips and waist, skirting over the cummerbund at his rubs and rubbing at his shoulder blades.
Tsu'tey's tails curls tighter around Tsyeyk's, as if to pull him closer. Tsyeyk rests his cheek against Tsu'tey's arm and keeps eating his fruit as the other turns back to the conversation. Tsyeyk glances over at Sylwanin, as she leans into his peripheral. He smiles at her as she smiles back at him.
She leans forward and asks, "How was hunting today? I heard that you didn't make any sort of kill."
Tsyeyk nods. "Saw baby! Little beast! Very pretty!"
Sylwanin smiles. "Was it?" Tsyeyk nods excitedly. "I wish I could have seen it too."
"Come next," Tsyeyk says, smiling sweetly at her. Sylwanin smiles back a bit wider, her eyes sparkling at his words.
"Okay. I'll come next time you go out hunting. Maybe tomorrow?"
Tsyeyk nods, clapping his hands. "We go, Sylly, okay? Tomorrow, to hunt!"
Sylwanin laughs, her eyes flickering over to her dad, who tunes in at the feeling of her gaze. "You want to go out again tomorrow? Do you think that you can do it?"
Tsyeyk takes another bite of his fruit, considering before nodding. "I don't know." Sylwanin laughs again, shaking her head, growing a little louder at the exasperated look that Eytukan sends him.
It's then that Mo'at walks up, carrying her own leaf with food. She sits between her youngest daughter and mate. By way of greeting, she says to Eytukan, "We will hold the farewell ceremony tomorrow morning, at daybreak. Alun'ii said that she'll be ready by then."
Eytukan nods in understanding. "If that is her wish."
That night, Tsyeyk and Tsu'tey lay face to face, just staring at each other, that wonderful hand lightly skittering up from Tsyeyk's hip to his waist, ribs and up over his shoulder before sliding back down. Soothingly. Over and over again. Tsyeyk places his hand on Tsu'tey's chest, taking a moment to just feel his heartbeat, before sliding it up to the junction between his neck and shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" Tsu'tey whispers, studying his face in the darkness of their little cubby hole. Father isn't there with them tonight, which isn't so strange. Not anymore.
He asks that a lot when they are alone. He always wants to know what Tsyeyk's thinking and he's not really sure why.
"Tsu'tey is pretty," Tsyeyk says in the darkness, eyes tracing the pattern of his beautiful glowing freckles. He still can't believe, after all this time, that Mother would make Tsu'tey for him, and so perfect at that. Tsyeyk adores everything about his haootra. His Tsu'tey. Or as Tsu'tey and the Omatikaya call it, his mate. Even though they haven't mated yet, but it just seems so right.
Tsu'tey smiles, it pulls harder on the left side of his mouth and then the right. "Tsyeyk is beautiful."
Tsyeyk presses close, running his nose against Tsu'tey's, feeling that hand move from his ribs up to his shoulder blades. Tsyeyk drags his fingers from Tsu'tey's neck up across the shaved part of the side of his head and into the long, beautiful braids. Tsyeyk couldn't ever sit there long enough for Tsu'tey to put his hair into braids like that, but he admired how utterly beautiful Tsu'tey looked in his own.
"Tsu'tey?"
"Yes, my love."
Tsyeyk nuzzles his nose a bit before whispering, "Tsu'tey and Tsyeyk be with love, yes?"
Tsu'tey nods, pulling him just a little bit closer. "Yes. I love you too."
Tsyeyk burrows closer, hiking his leg up over Tsu'tey's hips, to which his hand immediately drops from his back down to his thigh. Tsyeyk feels Tsu'tey's chest rumble in that sweet purr that Tsyeyk just loves. He purrs in return, sinking into a peaceful dream.
That morning, they had a farewell ceremony, a Rite of Passing, done only when someone in the clan passes away. Tsu'tey made sure to get Tsyeyk up extra early the following morning, knowing that he would be asleep on his feet during the ceremony otherwise. Tsyeyk fought tooth and nail, not wanting to wake up so early, but once he was up, he sat with Sylwanin and Neytiri, tucked between them and happily eating with them.
At the ceremony, Tsyeyk was shockingly quiet. He stood at Tsu'tey's side, their fingers laced together, and quietly listened as Mo'at went through the Rites with Sylwanin at her side. Tsu'tey kept watching Tsyeyk as those same glowing bugs from the day before settled across the skin of his arm. Tsyeyk just kept watching as his beautiful, feral boy watched the bugs, as if they were speaking to him. When Sylwanin got the atokirina and dropped it into the hole with Es'ak, Tsyeyk nodded, as if whatever the bugs were saying to him was accepted. As the clan said their goodbyes, Tsyeyk, still covered in the bugs, moves up to Alun'ii and her son, Rotu and Eeki, and the bugs fluttered off of Tsyeyk and onto Alun'ii.
Almost as if they too were waiting their turn. Or, perhaps, acted like a vessel for a final goodbye.
She gasps, eyes red from crying, as they land along her arms and chest, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks before they flutter away, off into the sky. She hugged Tsyeyk, and he was so gentle in holding her instead of his usual energetic excitement. She didn't want to let him go, and he didn't pull away until she was ready. She thanked him, and he smiled at her, but when they finally separated, he just leaned forward and kissed her cheeks and finally stepping away.
Tsyeyk is loving by his very nature and Tsu'tey loves him even more for it.
After the ceremony was over and the clan returned to its duties, Sylwanin, Tsu'tey, Neytiri and the other kids went off to Grace's school, promising to be back in a bit so that they could go hunting again together. Tsyeyk wanted to go with them, even making to follow, but Eytukan pulled him back, not minding as Tsyeyk pouted and whined to the Olo'eyktan about wanting to go too. Instead, Eytukan had Tsyeyk follow him around while he did his duties, and once he was done, they ate lunch together with Mo'at.
Tsyeyk told them about his gift to Tsu'tey, an armband that he and Uvay were working on in secret. He was just missing something for it. Something that would complete the look, but he couldn't express in the words that he knew what it was. If Uvay hadn't gone to school with the others today, they probably would have been working on it as she had become his little partner in crime.
Thinking about it made him upset, so he just pouted into his meal, tail drooping behind him.
"Has she been bothering you?"
Tsyeyk peaks up to see Mo'at staring at him while Eytukan was looking between them, sipping his water carefully. Tsyeyk tilts his head to the side in confusion at her words. "No. Mo'at not bother."
Mo'at smiles at that but shakes her head. "No, I mean her."
Tsyeyk follows her gaze through the crowd of gathered clansmen, seeing a man and woman sitting about ten or so feet from them, peering through the crowd back at them. Honestly, if Tsyeyk has seen either of them before it hadn't left a good enough impression for him to remember. Something was familiar but he wasn't sure what it was. He turned to look back at Mo'at, tilting her head again.
"No. Who that?"
Mo'at smiles again, pleased. "No one."
Eytukan looks at her disapprovingly, but she shrugs and returns to her meal. He looks at Tsyeyk and asks, "Tsu'tey hasn't brought you to meet them yet?"
They knew Tsu'tey? They were people that Tsu'tey would introduce Tsyeyk to?
"Tsu'tey?" Tsyeyk murmurs, as if the name was unfamiliar, which made Mo'at grin at him.
"Never mind," Eytukan says, dismissively. "If he has not seen fit to introduce the three of you, then his reasons are his own."
"He doesn't want to expose him to her," Mo'at says, chewing on a mushroom, ignoring the pointed look her mate sends shooting into the side of her head. "So long as Artsut isn't causing Tsyeyk any trouble, then I will leave it to Tsu'tey's discretion."
"We both will," Eytukan says with finality. Tsyeyk looks between them, not understanding.
Tsyeyk, Eytukan and some hunters were out in the forest by the time Tsu'tey, Neytiri and Sylwanin found them. After school they escorted the kids back to Hometree where Mo'at met with them and informed them that Tsyeyk and the others already took to the forest. So Tsu'tey and the sisters left the kids and Arvok to go looking for the hunting party.
The two older hunters let Neytiri lead them in tracking down her father, which she excitedly took to. And with deft precision, she managed to get them there in good time. The hunters were all relaxing in a small break in the trees, resting on roots and rocks, keeping stock of their kills and putting them away for safe travel.
"Any of those Tsyeyk's?" Neytiri asks to announce themselves to the hunting party as they drop down from the trees. Everyone exchanges polite greetings.
"No," Eytukan says, giving his younger daughter a flat look. The hunters smile in amusement, exchanging looks.
Tsu'tey frowns a bit, trying to keep his composure despite the immediate flare of amusement in his chest. Tsyeyk has done something, it seems. "What's wrong?"
Umrr laughs softly, pushing long braids over his shoulder as he stands up from where he was inspecting tracks in the dirt. "He spent this whole time tracking down that baby yerik."
Tsu'tey chokes on a laugh as one of the other hunters adds, "He tricked us good. Kept us just far enough back that we wouldn't realize he was leading up in circles around her and her mother."
"Oh no," Sylwanin laughs behind her hand. "How did he get caught?"
"How do you think?" Eytukan asks, exasperatedly. "His own excitement gave him away."
"He squealed, 'Baby!' after finding it again, because he had to keep scaring it off so that we wouldn't be sitting around wondering what was taking so long and then looked right at the chief with the guiltiest look on his face," another hunter says, shaking his head.
Umrr laughs again. "He knew he was caught, immediately."
"Wow," Neytiri laughs, grinning. She looks at her dad. "Mad?"
Eytukan shakes his head. "I'm more so curious how long he was going to have us go around in circles. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't slip up sooner."
"I just can't believe he found it again," a female hunter says, putting the last of the kills into a bag and passing it to a younger hunter next to her to carry.
"He's tenacious," Tsu'tey says softly, smiling.
"Father is around here somewhere too," Eytukan says, turning and scanning the forest. The others take a moment to do so too. But nothing. The trees don't shift unnaturally, the bugs and the beast sing the medley of life that the wind carries all around them. The hunter is well hidden if he truly was around here somewhere. Unless he was with Tsyeyk, which Tsu'tey noticed wasn't in the little circle of hunters.
"How do you know?" Neytiri asks, bringing her eyes back to the clan chief.
"Tsyeyk saw him, called out to him, excitedly. None of us saw him, but it's safe to assume he's probably right."
"Where is Tsyeyk?" Tsu'tey asks, nodding to himself and slinging his bow over his shoulder. Tsyeyk would probably know better if Father were around.
One of the hunter's nods to a break in the trees and Tsu'tey's eyes followed his line of sight. "Through there, he's watching the baby yerik. She came to him when he offered her some fruit. Unbelievable."
"We had to explain to him that she could only drink the juices as she didn't actually have teeth yet," Umrr says. "But the mom let him, crazy enough. But we made her timid, so Tsyeyk ushered us away."
"Unbelievable," Eytukan echoes, rolling his eyes. Neytiri and Sylwanin grin at their dad.
Neytiri opens his mouth, lips spread in an amused smile, when a strange hard thwack cuts her off, some scuffling and then the distinct sound of Tsyeyk crying. Tsu'tey's blood ran cold as all of their immediate reaction was to stiffen in shock. It wasn't Tsyeyk's usual, upset whimpering or the shaky sobs when he's scared. No, this was full-blown, agonized crying. A cry of pain. Tsu'tey has never heard Tsyeyk cry out in pain before.
Crying like that, loud and agonizing, was so incredibly dangerous out in the forest. Any predator would see that as a wounded animal ready to eat.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, the realization that it was Tsyeyk who was crying, did Tsu'tey break into a sprint towards his mate. His chest burning in fear and rage, ready to tear to shreds whatever dare harm his beautiful, feral boy.
Hand aching around the blade of his knife, Tsu'tey rationally knew that the others weren't far behind him, but everything seemed to slow down as Tsu'tey made it the twenty or so feet through a small winding path to take in the scene before him. There is a large root sticking up at waist height off the ground, a broken piece of a juicy sweet fruit a few feet from it and Tsyeyk a few feet further still.
Before fully taking in Tsyeyk, folded on the ground, curled up as small as he could make himself with his hands up guarding his face and his bow tossed on the opposite side to where Tsu'tey was standing, Tsu'tey looked to the figure standing on the root.
He was a Na'vi. More importantly, the eldest son of one of the nearby clans - Tayri - and future Olo'eyktan. He was a bit older than Tsu'tey, dressed up in the finest skins from a slew of different animals all mismatched together. Two of his faithful followers stand on either side of him up on the root, all three sneering down at the cowering teen in the dirt.
"Toryn!" Tsu'tey snarls, brandishing his blade. In between the rage bubbling in his blood, Tsu'tey contemplates slitting his throat like a wounded animal, or gutting him like a fish.
"Tsu'tey!" Toryn says, grinning maliciously at him. He hops down from the root to stand before the slightly younger male. "I didn't know you were here! Look what I caught? A demon hurting the wildlife."
"He wasn't hurting anything!" Sylwanin demands, her normally sweet and gentle face twisted in anger.
Assessing the threat, the hunters place themselves between Tsyeyk and the foreign Na'vi. Most are armed and ready to fight, but no doubt recognizes the young male and what hurting him would mean for the future of the clan.
"Dear, sweet, Sylwanin," Toryn says, sighing. "You just try to see the best in people. There is nothing good, or redeemable about the demons."
Tsyeyk sobs brokenly and Tsu'tey glances over his to see that his nose is bleeding. He squints at Tsu'tey in agony, hands pressed to his face as he sobs, "Owie, Tsu'tey! Sorry, okay? No hurt Tsyeyk. Sorry! Sorry! Be good. No hurt. Be good!"
Blinded by rage, Tsu'tey leaps forward grabbing onto the other male and sticking his knife flush against the pulse point in Toryn's neck, hissing, "How dare you lay your hands on him? You come to our lands and attack our people?"
Toryn's allies pull their bows on Tsu'tey, which causes the Omatikaya hunters to pull their bows on them in defense of their future Olo'eyktan. Toryn doesn't look afraid, glaring down ever so slightly into Tsu'tey's eyes, lip curled into a snarl.
"Your people invited those disgusting demons into our forest. You take to their teachings and meet with their people. You allow their infestation to grow and taint these lands. And now you're defending one that was clearly antagonizing the yerik? What has happened to the great and noble Omatikaya? Have you all truly fallen so far from the ways of Eywa?"
"You dare speak her name after you - " Tsu'tey snarls, knife digging in just a bit more. A bead of blood welling up where the knife broke skin. Be damned the consequences.
"Tsu'tey!"
The teen freezes, barely able to keep himself from ending the other heir before him. His hands shake slightly from the adrenaline and rage, realizing what he almost did with hardly a thought. All of his careful composure was lost to him.
Eytukan appears at his side, face grave. "Let him go." When Tsu'tey didn't so much as twitch, he commanded, sternly, "Now, Tsu'tey."
It took every ounce of control in Tsu'tey's body to obey, but he managed. He's angry now, but he knows that he'll be thankful for his chief's unshakable command over him. He didn't care about the consequences in that moment, but he knew, realistically, that he would in the next. Even if he still wanted to go after the other heir. At least pay back in kind for hurting Tsyeyk.
With Toryn out of immediate danger as Tsu'tey shoved him away, the two sides loosen a bit of their tension as Tsu'tey turns to care for a sobbing Tsyeyk, heart breaking at the sight of blood sliding down his face and terror in his eyes.
"Hurt, Tsu'tey!" Tsyeyk sobs. "Owie, Tsyeyk's nose!"
"Teach your demon properly," Toryn sneers, pulling himself up from where he was slouching against the root from where Tsu'tey pushed him. "He speaks like a baby."
Neytiri, who was next to Sylwanin, snarls, "You don't know anything! Why are you even here?"
Putting his knife away, lest he do something to regret it, Tsu'tey kneels down in front of Tsyeyk as Umrr, face cold in rage, kneels down at the sobbing teen's side. Tsyeyk hugs Tsu'tey tightly to him, crying harder and shaking. "Sorry," Tsyeyk cries, hiccupping and tenderly touching at his nose, just to cry more. "Sorry! Tsyeyk sorry!"
"Don't you apologize," Tsu'tey growls, hugging Tsyeyk close, rocking a bit to try and sooth him as the hunters close in more to hide them from the outsiders. "You did nothing wrong, Tsyeyk. Nothing."
"Why are you here, Toryn?" Eytukan asks, voice gravelly, trying to reign in his own anger. "We were not expecting you and your traders for a least another three days."
Tsu'tey sneers at that, of course the first time the chief of Tayri clan let his son handle the trade he would mess it up. The rest of their group must be a bit further off as not more came to Toryn's defense. So, they are somewhere nearby, and the heir hopes that Eytukan has made note of that. Tsu'tey, despite being younger, has done enough escorts for their traders to foreign clans and not once has he ever caused an incident like this. Not once!
As Toryn tries to explain himself, Tsu'tey focuses on Tsyeyk, who just cries uncontrollably. He won't let Tsu'tey or Sylwanin even so much as inspect his nose, just claiming that it really hurt and that he was sorry for being bad and to please not hurt him anymore. Tsu'tey just about lost it and gave into his desire to shoot an arrow into the chest of the heir behind him when Umrr stiffens in is peripheral, eyes blown wide.
Suddenly he turns to Tsyeyk and softly rubs at his back. "Tsyeyk, look at me."
Tsyeyk cries brokenly, bringing his hands up to rub roughly at his swelling eyes. "Not bad! Not bad!"
Umrr scoots closer, face pinched in fear. "Tsyeyk, please. I know you're in pain. Look at me." The edge of panic in his voice must have been enough for Tsyeyk to lower his hands a bit to look at the older male. Despite that panic, his next words are eerily calm and concise, "Tsyeyk, please call off Father."
Tsu'tey blood runs cold in his veins as all color drains for Sylwanin's face. Tsu'tey had completely forgotten about Father. It's only then that he realizes the forest is deathly silent, a tension hanging in the air near palpable.
Tsyeyk doesn't seem to understand. He just cries more, softer this time.
"Tsyeyk," Umrr says again, voice still gentle despite his jaw working and fear alight in his eyes. "Please, call off Father."
Brokenly, through a hiccup, Tsyeyk says, "Father?"
Like invoking the Great Mother herself, the forest shifts as dread washes over them. A predator is near.
All the Omatikaya stiffen, even Eytukan, as Tsyeyk looks forward, past Tsu'tey and whispers a raspy, "Father?"
Tsu'tey turns slowly, terror lining his veins as he peers past Toryn and his allies, still up on the root, eyeing them cautiously to see Father materialize from directly between them. Bleeding out of the darkness like death incarnate. His shoulder level with the top of their heads, so close if he shifts slightly in either direction, he'll brush them. But they don't react. They don't see him, ever so slightly out of their peripheral. They don't even sense him in their space.
Father stares down at the top of Toryn's head, face fans splayed out, teeth bared, trembling with rage as bloodthirsty hatred burns in those wintery blue eyes. Those massive paws carefully digging gouges into the root with deadly nails. In that moment, Father looked demonic. The Great Mother's rage born into their world. Saliva drips from sharp teeth thrunderously loud in the silent forest.
How could they not see him? How could they not feel him right there? So close. So dangerously close. Yet they didn't seem him. They don't react to him. Like when Mo'at and the hunters climbed down past Father to see Tsyeyk that first time, how they had been so close to a predator watching them and they had no idea. No full grasp of just how close they were. Not until after at least. But this might not be the same for the Tayri. Judging by the murderous intent rolling off of Father. There won't be a later if he has his way. Father doesn't intend on any of them - but especially Toryn, it seems - to be making it out of this alive.
Death literally standing at their backs... and they had no idea.