Hello everyone! I am so sorry for not updated in a while but I was very sick. I am feeling better now so hopefully I will be updated more regularly. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Chapter Four
Miles and his squad stood away from the women as they buried Zeva. They watched from a distance as Tlalli sang a song of mourning, what he assumed was something along the lines of last rites but in the Na'vi way. Her voice was haunting as she held her hands up, palms facing the sky.
As the song ended, she laid flowers over the form of Zeva, speaking words in Navi in a shaky voice.
"What is she saying?" asked Mansk as he watched along with the rest of them.
Spider sat on the ground, his legs bent and his arms resting over them as he watched sadly. Licking his lips, he turned slightly, "She's sending Zeva off to Eywa. She says she wishes that Zeva could have been placed in the plains with the rest of her people, but she is with them again, in the spiritual plane."
"She can do that?" Lyle asked, watching as Tlalli placed more flowers over Zeva's body, along with the other girls.
Spider rolled his eyes at the man's ignorance, "She's probably a tsahīk."
"Holy woman with a mean right hook," Miles muttered.
Spider grinned as he watched Quaritch rub his chin before turning back to the burial. His eyes widened as three atokirina gracefully floated down from the trees. One caressed against Tlalli's hand as she laid a final flower over Zeva's chest. A small, sad smile emerged on her lips as she watched the wood sprite glide down and touch her friend's form before all three lifted and floated away.
After a few moments, Tlalli and the others pushed the upended dirt over Zeva and laid a few flowers over her grave. Once they were done, they encircled one another, encasing their arms around each other. Tlalli eventually pulled away and turned to the squad of soldiers.
She could see the colonel leaning against a tree, talking to the one called Lyle.
She stopped a slight distance from them and looked at Miles, "We wish to go."
A dry chuckle escaped Miles' lips as he looked at Lyle for confirmation of her words before he turned to face her fully, "Well we can't just let you do that. Oh, and don't think I'm not gonna ask how you speak perfect English all of a sudden."
She crossed her arms across her chest and leans forward slightly, "I have always spoken English. Not that I owe you an explanation."
"Colonel Miles Quaritch," he said, giving her that grin she was starting to detest, as if he could smile and fix everything. Stupid smile on his stupid face.
"What?" she curled her lip as he pushed off the tree and swaggered lazily up to her.
He waved his hand nonchalantly at his side, still smirking at her, "My name, darlin'."
"I prefer asshole," she retorted, lifting her red brows as she gave him a sarcastic smile.
"Damn. The mouth, "Lyle chuckled, nudging Mansk and nodded towards Tlalli. Mansk just shook his head and remained silent, watching his superior speak to the local woman.
"Why so hostile, sweetheart?" he asked, holding out his arms defensively.
Tlalli scoffed and swiveled her hip, "I am not your sweetheart. Do not call me this."
"Then what is your name, sweetheart?" he asked emphatically.
"You don't need my name," she said plainly.
"Humor me," he pressed, taking a step closer.
Sighing deeply, she said, "Fine. Tlalli te Tsweysa Tsahra'ite."
He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows, "That's a mouthful. Got something a bit more manageable?"
Rolling her eyes, she breathed, "Tlalli."
His amber colored eyes moved across her face, studying her. "Tlalli."
The wind blew softly, carrying a sweet, flowery scent into the colonel's nose. He inhaled the scent deeply and realized it was coming from the woman in front of him. If he had been back on Earth, he would compare it to the smell of sweet pea.
Tlalli blinked, looking away from his scrutinizing gaze, "Colonel-"
"Miles-" he interrupted, "Call me Miles."
"Alright. Miles. We wish to go but we must bury the dead. It will take some time but if you and your people help, it will be faster. We do not want to run into the Palulukan Tsamsiyu again, and Tulukan will be with them," she explained, holding the crook of her arm with anxiousness.
"Why would we do that?" asked Lyle, crossing his arms as he stepped forward, looking at the dead warriors around them.
Tlalli turned to face him and was astonished at his dismissal of the dead, "Because they are the children of Eywa, and it is the right thing to do."
"Fuck that," Lyle muttered.
Filled with anger at his words and disrespect, she said through clenched teeth, "Then go!"
"Corporal, enough," Miles commanded, giving him a pointed look.
Lyle held up his hands and turned back to Mansk. Miles returned his gaze to Tlalli and said, "It would save time if we just left 'em."
She shook her head, "We cannot do that. It is not right. They deserve to return to Eywa, even if they have been misguided."
"Misguided…" he muttered.
Shifting from one foot to the other, Miles placed his hands on his hips and look at the ground briefly before he looked at her, "Before we do anything; mind telling me just who these assholes were?"
He could see she was uncomfortable by the way she fidgeted but kept looking at her expectingly. His eyes darted to her lips as her pink tongue darted out to wet them before speaking, "They are Tulukan's guard. He sent them to bring us back."
"Gathered that," he said, looking over at Lyle and Mansk, "but who's this Tulukan fella?"
"He is Olo'eyktan," she offered, her eyes darting out into the jungle, her ears flattening against her head, "the leader of the Reypayram clan."
Turning back, she pressed, "Will you help or not, Miles?"
She did not wait for his reply as she turned and began speaking with the other women. He couldn't make out what they were saying but watched in annoyance as they began digging with their hands to form a grave.
"Ah, hell…" he muttered under his breathe.
Moving towards his pack, he grabbed the collapsible shovel stuffed inside and marched over to the women. He could hear Lyle mumble, "Are you serious?" as he passed and stopped, narrowing his eyes at him before a sharp grin crossed his lips.
"Grab a shovel, corporal," he ordered as he turned and made his way over to the women.
They stopped and looked up at him. He looked down at the youngest; she really did look like her sister, sharing the same hair color and eyes. The only difference was her hair was straight like most Navi.
He offered her a grin, nudging her with his boot, "Move it pipsqueak."
"Tlila," she chirped, finally speaking to him for the first time.
Raising a brow, he asked, "Come again?"
"My name," she explained before moving away.
Spider came over and began speaking with her in Navi. The girl gave a giggle and followed him to begin digging another grave.
He pushed the spade into the ground and pushed his foot down to sink it further into the dirt. As he lifted the shovel, he noticed Tlalli watching him.
"What?"
Tlalli's eyes fell to the shovel and a slight smile crossed her lips before her blue green eyes rose to meet his. He looked away, evading her gaze. He called out to Z-Dog, "Get a move on! Faster we get this done, faster we get back to camp."
She tsked but did as she was ordered, heading over to Lyle and Mansk to gather the bodies of the fallen Reypayram warriors.
Warmth covered his hand, and he turned sharply to see Tlalli standing close, her hand over his. He looked down at where she touched him and noticed how the stripes on her powdery skin were like waves.
"I will dig, go help them bring the dead," she ordered, causing him to chuckle.
Bending down slightly to meet her eyes, he said, "Don't get used to ordering me around, sweetheart."
She pulled her face back when he came close and her eyes locked with his, noticing how they were like the sap that came from the rimutral, the golden trees that grew near her home, glowing with confidence and what she would call hunger. Her gaze fell to his lips as they rose to reveal a canine as he grinned.
Tlalli wiped at her brow with the back of her hand as she laid the shovel down as she allowed herself to sit on the soft grass. A hand appeared in front of her face, holding some kind of container. She looked up to see Spider.
"You should drink some water," he offered, extending the container.
She took it and sipped, feeling the cool water slide down her throat with a soothing touch. A stray drop slid down her chin and she wiped at it before returning the container to Spider.
"Irayo," she said, looking the young human boy over.
He sat next to her, and she noticed how small he was compared to her, which was funny because her people were smaller than other Na'vi. Miles and his people seemed to be of the forest from their midnight blue skin and stature, but it was clear they were not pure Na'vi by their hands and unusual eyebrows, features that Na'vi did not have. She and her siblings were always different because of the same traits. Her people loved them, but she always felt…other, abnormal. Tlila had always accepted herself, seeing how the people accepted her elder siblings. She did not feel the loneliness she and their brother had. Her thoughts drifted to Tonayan. He was the oldest, towering over most other Tswesya because of their blood. She did not inherit this trait and was small. He had always been protective of his sisters, especially after Tulukan came and made himself known to the Tswesya.
"Are you alright?"
She looked at Spider and gave a small smile, "I will be."
Looking away, her attention fell to the leader of the strange group of Na'vi. Miles was his name. She watched as he finished the final grave, standing tall and taking a step back. He had removed the vest that covered his shirt a while ago and she watched as he lifted the bottom of his tank top and raised it to wipe the sweat from his face, revealing his naval. Her eyes watched as a bead of sweat rolled over his defined stomach, flowing down the crevices of his abs.
Her eyes widened and she blinked when she realized she was staring, turning away sharply. Looking towards her sister, she saw Tlila watching her with a curious expression, her eyes darting from her to Miles and back to her, tilting her head with a tiny smirk.
"Happy now?" came the gruff voice of Miles, breaking her gaze with her sister.
Looking up at him, his body blotted out the sun, causing a shadow to fall over her. She stood to her feet, and she only came up to the center of his chest. She craned her neck up to look at him.
"Thank you, Miles," she said genuinely.
"We did what you asked, now it's time to return the favor," he was direct to the point, dusting his hands off his pants.
Hesitant, she looked over at the girls before asking, "What do you want?"
Crossing his arms, Miles peered down at the tiny Na'vi woman, "What did Spider mean when he said you were all his wives? Mates? From what the kid said, that isn't exactly normal."
"I was never his mate," Tlalli corrected, "and why does this concern you?"
"I need to know if this Tulukan is a threat," Miles affirmed.
"Of course he is," Tlalli looked at him with sad eyes, "he will kill you if he finds us with you. It is in your best interest to let us leave and to disappear from this place."
Miles smirked and let his arms drop to rest his hands on his hips, "Can't let you do that sweetheart."
Annoyance filled her face, and he found it amusing "Do not call me that, I said. We will go because we want to. You will not 'let us' do anything."
The smile fell from his face and his lips formed into a hard line, "Listen and listen good, cause I'm only going to say this one time-"
"We are not warriors for you to command-" she interrupted but he stepped into her space again. He did that quite a lot she noticed.
"Shut your pie hole," he commanded, eyes blazing down at her.
"You're right," he started, agreeing with her assessment, "you're not soldiers, just a couple of scares little girls running from some asshole you can't possibly defend yourselves against. Not without help."
She exhaled harshly, her nostrils flaring in anger.
"What do you want?" she finally asked.
"Tell me everything," Miles demanded.
Tlalli stared at him, studying him for moment, searching for something before she softly asked, "You will let us go?"
Miles gave her a charming smile, "If you answer all my question and I'm satisfied."
She signed before looking back at her companions. They were tired and watched them with uncertainty and fear. Turning back to Miles, she nodded, "Okay."
Tlalli and her companions accompanied the recoms back to their camp, which was set up near a small lake. The night sky was shining overhead and the bioluminescence of the world around them glowed beautifully.
She could see two tents set up and three recoms approached them.
Prager did a double take, "What do we have here?"
"Get another tent up, soldier," Miles commanded, "We have some guests."
Miles turned to her and the others, "Ladies, this is Prager."
Prager wore a green wrap around his head and wore a tight-fitting green shirt with short sleeves and camo pants. He gave a confused nod in greeting before leaving to do as the colonel ordered.
Next, Miles motioned towards two other males. The first had many tattoos over his body and he wore a short-sleeved camo shirt and matching pants. "This is Lopez."
Lopez waved and Miles pointed at the last male, "And this is Ja."
Ja wore a camo hat and a similar tight green shirt to Prager but had a vest over it, and the same long camo pants.
"What's up," he greeted, causing Tlalli to look up.
Miles chuckled, "It's just an expression."
"I see," she said, a little embarrassed.
Tlila pressed into her sister's side, watching as Lyle, Z-Dog, and Mansk walk past them into the camp area. Seeing the uncomfortable expression on her little sister's face caused Tlalli to take her hand and give a reassuring squeeze.
Miles motioned for her to follow him, "We'll get some shut eye tonight. In the morning, we can talk."
Tlalli stopped and motioned for Tlila to rejoin the others before approaching Miles speaking softly, "We should not wait. Tulukan will not."
Miles' eyes moved from her to her companions, "Your friends are exhausted. So are you."
"I'm fine."
She was stubborn he had to admit. He pointed to the tent Prager had just popped up and said, "You can rest in there."
"Can we please just get this over with so we can return home?" she asked hastily.
He didn't say anything as he stepped towards the tent and opened the flap for the women to enter. Sighing, she approached and allowed the others to enter the tent.
As she stepped to enter, he reached out and touched the crook of her elbow. She paused and looked up at him. He gave a pointed look, "Don't do anything stupid."
He watched as she followed her companions, and they entered the tent together. Ja walked past and Miles reached up, tapping him on the shoulder. Miles nodded towards the tent, "You got first watch."
"Yes sir," Ja said, gathering up his rifle and heading to stand just outside the entrance to the tent.
Miles reached up and massaged the back of his neck, groaning. He headed to one of the other tents to get a few hours of sleep
As he reached the tent, Lyle appeared holding a tablet, "Got a call from Ardmore, sir."
With a sigh, Miles took the tablet from Lyle. So much for rest. He peered down to see the face of General Frances Ardmore glowing on the tablet.
"Colonel," she greeted before getting straight to the point, "report."
Peering over at the tent containing their unexpected guests, Miles said, "We arrived at our assigned location, but we've run into some hostiles."
"Sully?" the general asked.
"Negative, ma'am. It seems that there is a rather aggressive group called the Reypayram, and well, they don't take kindly to strangers," Miles explained.
The general turned her head to look somewhere to her right and called out, "Gillespie!"
An older man with salt and pepper hair and large-rimmed glasses, with a bit of stubble on his chip appeared on the screen next to Ardmore. From what he could recall, the man was an anthropologist, with a focus on the Na'vi.
"What was the name of the clan?" Gillespie inquired.
"Reypayram."
The scientist's brow furrowed in confusion, "That's a mountain clan. Isolationists. They keep to their territory for the most part unless provoked."
Ardmore gave Miles a pointed look, "Was there any provocation, Colonel?"
Scratching at the corner of his mouth with his thumb, Miles hesitated for a moment before answering the general, "We came across a group of female Navi a few hours ago. They were fleeing these Reypayram."
Gillespie looked confused and asked, "That's highly unusual for members of the clan to leave. From my research, members of this particular clan never venture from the mountain."
"Yeah well, they weren't exactly members of the clan," Miles offered, "From what I've gathered, they were taken by force at some point and apparently, they were all the wives of their leader."
Gillespie choked on the coffee he had taken a sip of and looked at Miles through the camera, befuddled, "Polygamy hasn't been seen in any Navi clan! And you say these women were taken? From where?"
Miles shook his head, "Other clans I suppose. None of them look alike except for a pair of sisters, and what is even more interesting, is that they are hybrids."
Ardmore looked more alert at the mention of more hybrids and questioned, "Could they be related to Sully?"
"No way," Miles was adamant, "The eldest is too old to be his."
"Then how the hell are there hybrids running around Pandora?" the general asked, looking from Miles to Gillespie standing next to her.
"There are plenty of avatar drivers who chose to side with the Navi," Gillespie said, "It wouldn't be too farfetched to think they became mates with one."
"Who?" asked Ardmore, "Before Sully, were there any other drivers who went rogue?"
Neither Miles nor Gillespie answered her question, truly not knowing of any other drivers who left the RDA before Jake Sully.
A frown etched its way onto Ardmore's face, "It's interesting that you say you had a run in with an aggressive clan, Colonel."
"Why's that General?" Miles asked, furrowing his brow.
"A survey team has gone missing near your location, just at the base of the mountain range. They were sent there to see if there was any unobtanium or other useful elements in the rock. Haven't heard from them in twenty-four hours."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask, Miles said, "And you want us to check it out."
"Affirmative," Ardmore nodded before dismissing Gillespie, "I know this isn't your primary objective, but yours is the closest unit. You are to head that way at first light."
"Understood ma'am," Miles acknowledged.
"And Colonel," started Ardmore, "I want you to find out more about these hybrid females. See if they have any affiliation with Sully or not."
"And if they do?" he asked.
Ardmore's eyes were cold as she said, "Neutralize them. Use them as bait. I don't care. Just end Sully."
The general disappeared from the screen, and he lowered it to his side before looking over at Lyle, who stood close by.
"What's the plan, boss?" he asked Miles.
Miles walked past him towards their tent, "Get some sleep, then we head towards the mountains at daybreak."
"What about them?" Lyle nodded towards the tent holding the females and Miles stopped at the entrance of the tent. Folding back the flap to enter, he paused and looked over at the tent. He could make out the shadows of the women as they huddled inside the tent.
He could see the distinct silhouette of Tlalli in the light that emitted from the obvious amp inside. Smaller than the other women, she seemed to be checking on each of them, her shadow stopping near each of the other three females. Her own finally settled down and sat on the ground.
"Colonel."
Blinking, he looked back at Lyle, "I'll handle it."
With that, Miles entered the tent, letting the flap fall behind him. He bent down and pulled a Navi-sized bed roll out from his gear. He rolled it out and stepped back, reaching down and pulling his tank top over his head. He lowered to the ground and laid on top of the padded roll, resting his hands behind his head as he stared up at the roof of the tent until he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.
It was the warmth of the sun that caused him to open his eyes. Wincing from the brightness of the daylight, Miles lifted his hand to shield his face. He could feel the lush grass under his body as it grazed against his bare skin.
Confused, he took in his surroundings. He wasn't in the tent. Instead, he was leaning back against a tree as he sat on the ground. Lowering his hand, Mile felt the dewy blades of grass brush against it.
He looked down and was surprised, "What the hell?"
Gone was his camo pants and military garb. Jumping to his feet, he looked down at himself. Around his left forearm was a kind of guard made of some kind of pearlescent scales. Around his right bicep was a beaded armband made of amber-like stones with green and white stones in an intricate pattern. Bringing his hands to his chest, he looked down and saw he only wore a loincloth and no shoes on his feet.
"What the fuck?" he muttered, turning around to take in his surrounds. Behind him was the edge of a forest, a grove of large golden trees towered over him. The sound of rushing water made him turn to face a massive river.
Someone was there, on the edge of the river, facing the babbling water. His feet moved without his consent, and he found himself approaching. As he grew closer, he could make out the form of what appeared to be a child.
They turned and he saw the face of a little girl. Her hair was loose, a feather braided into her hair near her face. Her cheeks were adorably chubby, and she was tiny. A bright smile erupted from her lips, her teeth emerging as she let out a squeal and ran towards him.
"Whoa, whoa!"
Stepping back, he held out his hands to stop the child and she paused, tilting her head in curiosity. He straightened and studied the child. She appeared to be no older than four or five. He was taken aback by her eyes as they were two different colors; her left was a golden yellow and her right was a bluish green.
She approached again and he watched as she took his hand and pulled. His body responded by allowing the child to guide him. When they reached the river, she led him to a large rock and pulled him down to sit.
Where am I? Is this a dream?
"Of course this is a dream," the child chirped.
Looking down at her, he was shocked to hear English. He opened his mouth to question her but the child suddenly jumped up and waved her hand in the air excitedly.
"Sa'nu!"
He turned to see what the little girl was looking at, but his vision suddenly blurred, and a searing pain erupted on the right side of his face. His hand wrenched against his skin. It was as if something was ripping into his flesh. Standing, he fumbled over to the water and peered at his reflection.
A gash slashed across the side of the right side of his head, blood seeping down his neck for the wound. Hissing in pain, he reached up and covered it with his hand.
"You can't stop it."
Looking down, he saw the little girl staring at him sadly.
"What?" he muttered, confused at her words.
She stepped over the small rocks that littered the river edge, and laid a hand against his arm, "He is coming. You cannot stop it, but don't worry. Everything will be okay."
Her bright smile beamed up at him, "You can do it, sempu!"
Air erupted from his lungs as he snapped up from the bed roll. Eyes darting, he realized he was awake inside the tent.
"What the hell was that?" He mumbled, rubbing the side of his face. There was no pain, but the feeling of the searing cut reminded him of a similar injury that human Quaritch received on his first day on Pandora.
Rising from the bed roll, he grabbed a tank top and pulled it over his head. He wore camo shorts, having changed into them when it grew too hot, and no shoes. Scratching at the side of his head, Miles saw Lyle asleep across the tent. Mansk was absent, having taken over watch from Ja already.
Silently, Miles exited the tent. Scanning the small camp area, he saw the other tents were dark, the occupants asleep. Mansk stood near the tent holding their Na'vi guests, having taken over watch from Ja.
Seeing the colonel approach, the gunner nods.
Miles pats his shoulder, "I got it, get some shut eye."
Mansk nods, handing the colonel the rifle before heading to their shared tent. Miles watched as Mansk pushed past the flap of the tent before adjusting the rifle and moved to the side of the tent holding the Na'vi women.
As he stood there, his mind drifted back to the strange dream he woke from. What the hell was that about?
The sound of movement caused his eyes to snap to the tent behind him and he saw the form of Tlalli walking past him from where he stood on the side of the tent, hidden from view. She walked towards the lake on soft feet.
He opened his mouth to call out, to demand what she was doing, but was struck silent when her skirt fell to the ground. His eyes crawled up from her dainty feet, up her curved calves and over her thick thighs to lock on to her round, heart-shaped ass.
"Shit," he whispered, staring at her as she continued to remove her clothing. Her top was pulled up and over her head and she let her hair flow freely. He felt his shorts become tighter and his head snapped down to see the outline of his cock pressing against the inside of his shorts. The fuck?
He adjusted his stance, willing his hard on to go away but his eyes couldn't help but look back at the naked Na'vi woman. He couldn't look away as she dipped her foot into the water, and she shivered at the cold.
Her hand reached up and she pulled her hair over her shoulder to reveal her bare back, and the sight made his boner disappear and the blood rushed up to his head where rage erupted behind his eyes. A deep chested growl rumbled, and it echoed in the silence of the night.
A gasp fell from her lips, and she twisted around, eyes wide and filled with fear as she saw him watching her.
"Don't look at me! What is wrong with you?!" she yelled, snapping him out of his rage.
His eyes darted to the ground, and he argued, "What the hell are you doing, woman?"
She bent down and grabbed her long skirt, holding it over her front to hide her nakedness, "I was trying to bathe!"
"In the middle of the night? You don't have permission to be out of your tent!" he scolded, lifting his gaze once she was covered.
"Am I a prisoner?" she asked, glaring at him.
"It's not safe," he tried to explain but she rolled her eyes.
"I have lived here all my life! I know when it is safe or not, Colonel," she assured.
"Thought I told you to call me Miles," he said, stepping closer, his eyes glued to her own to keep himself from looking down at her body, "Besides, if you know when it's safe, how come you didn't notice me?"
Ignoring his comment, she turned her head slightly to nod towards the water, "May I bathe or not?"
That sharp grin emerged, and he lifted his chin towards the lake, "Go right ahead, sweetheart."
Fidgeting, she gripped her skirt against her chest, "Can you leave?"
Tilting his head, he asked, "Why would I do that?"
Wide-eyed, she stuttered, "I wish to bathe! I will be naked."
Chuckling, Miles said, "I thought you people didn't care about that? Running around in those loincloths and shit."
Her face grew darker blue, blushing as she said, "I wish to be alone."
He shook his head, "I'm on watch, can't do that. But you are more than welcome to go skinny-dipping, darlin'."
Seeing the challenge in his eye, she lifted her chin in defiance and let her skirt drop. She saw how his eyes darted back and forth across her face, breathing sharply through his bifurcated nose.
She turned and as quickly as her feet would carry her, she reached the water and stepped into the coldness.
"What happened?" his voice breathed, his voice sending vibrations down her back and to her toes, that curled into the sandy shore. How did he reach her so quickly, silently?
"Tlalli? You're hurt."
She felt the tip of his finger brush against her back, and she jumped forward into the water. She submerged under the water, letting the cold wash over her. Her eyes closed and she sank down, floating in the comforting embrace of the water.
After a moment, she floated up and revealed only her head as she moved her hands back and forth to balance within the water, her legs kicking gently. She was silent as she looked at Miles, who stood on the shore.
Her ears eased back against the side of her head in hesitation and uncertainty. Miles swung the rifle behind him and lowered himself to his haunches and watched her.
Raising her face from the water, she called out, "I thought you were supposed to be guarding the camp."
He smirked, "I am."
"By watching me?" she asked.
He looked away for a moment before returning his eyes to her, "Don't change the subject. I saw the marks."
She floated backwards and tilted her head to look up to the starry sky, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Tough shit," he called out, standing to his feet.
Her head snapped back at him and she hissed, "It is none of your busines-"
"Everything's my business!" he growled, his voice growing louder as it echoed over the water.
Silence fell between them, and she stared at him with uneasiness, sinking the bottom half of her face in the water to hide. Seeing this, he sighed and rested his hands on his hips in frustration. He kicked at the tiny rocks lining the shore and called out, "Was it Tulikun?"
She weaved her hands in the water before raising her lips from under the water, "Tul-ukan."
He looked at her when she spoke and he nodded, "Tulukan. Was it him?"
"What does it matter?" she said softly, looking away.
"Was it?" he pressed, stepping side to side in frustration. The distance the water put between them kept him from forcing her to look at him.
After a moment she nodded timidly. Don't ask anymore, she begged.
As if hearing her thoughts, he didn't ask anything else. Instead, he turned and walked back to camp. Confused, she remained where she was in the water, waiting for him to reappear but he didn't.
Taking the opportunity, she quickly bathed in the waters before swimming to the shore. She re-dressed and made her way back to the tent where the others slept only to run into Miles who appeared, holding a small box in his hand.
She looked at him, uncertain, and he lifted the box, "For your back."
When she didn't say anything, he forced her to turn around and she gasped, "Do not touch me."
"Quiet," he said gently, surprising her. She expected him to yell or say something sarcastic, but he didn't.
He led her forward to a fallen tree and said, "I'm just going to bandage you up, okay? Take off your top."
She was silent, watching him, thinking. He watched as she turned and hesitantly lowered to sit on the fallen tree, removing her top after facing away from him. He sat down next to her and reached out to move her wet hair over her shoulder, "Ready?"
He waited, asking for permission, which made her laugh because her experience with him so far had been that he does what he wants. Biting her lip, she nods and turns away fully.
The sight of her teeth biting her plump lip caused him to feel a twitch in his dick. He huffed and opened the small first aid kit he had retrieved from his bag. He studied her back and could see the anger that seeped from the wounds. Lash marks. She had been fucking whipped. Bruises of various stages of healing littered her back under the marks. He could see a literal fucking handprint etched in deep purple near the back of her left ribs.
He could not explain the rage to filled his chest. But it was there, and he wanted nothing more than to obliterate the motherfucker called Tulukan.
He cleaned the lacerations, causing her to whimper from the sudden sting and flinch. He leaned over and said, "Just cleaning it, sweetheart."
He took out some gauze and adhesive tape and quickly covered the marks. He eased away and closed the first aid kit, "Done."
She fixed her top and turned to face him, her knee brushing against his own. Resting her hands in her lap, she offered him a timid smile, "Thank you, Miles."
He nodded firmly, "Welcome. What happened?"
Ah. So, he was going to ask.
He bent forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he forced her to meet his gaze, waiting for her to answer him.
Sighing, she closed her eyes and let her head fall back in defeat. She opened her eyes and looked at him, "I refused him."
Furrowing his brow, he asked, "Refused him what?"
He saw how she fidgeted uncomfortably, rubbing her hands together. She cleared her throat and said, "He wanted to bond with me."
"Bond?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion.
She looked down at her lap, her hair creating a curtain between them, "Mate."
Now he understood.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Did he…"
She shook her head rapidly, her hair obscuring her face.
It was sudden when her heart started palpitating. Her eyes burned and her throat grew tight. She didn't realize her shoulders had begun to shake as a sob escaped her lips. She couldn't breathe. Gasping, she shut her eyes, her hand clenching her chest as she willed air to enter her lungs.
"Breathe."
The night air was cold against her wet skin, and she shivered. She could not breathe. It was not possible. Her chest felt heavy, and she felt dizziness wash over her.
"Hey!"
Miles took hold of her shoulders and gave her a firm shake, causing her to look up and her eyes widened as she continued to hyperventilate. His hands came to each side of her neck and his thumbs brushed against her cheeks, caressing her skin gently.
His amber eyes pierced her watery ones and he said firmly, "Fucking breathe."
He took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. Her lips wobbled as they exhaled, following his lead. He rubbed his thumbs against her cheeks, though he did not realize he was doing it as he watched her breathe.
Once she was calm enough, he moved back to put space between them, but she surprised him when she fell forward into his chest, covering her face with her hands and cried. He didn't know what to do with his hands, holding them out at his sides. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her upper back.
Tlalli remained there, crying into the chest of a man she didn't know. Everything was hitting her all at once. Her captivity, the treatment she endured, the death of Zeva; the pain was too much.
"I can't…I can't…" she wept, pulling away and looking at Miles, tears spilling from her eyes.
She flew to her feet, pulling away and fumbled her way towards the tent where the others slept. Pausing, she turned and looked at Miles, "Thank you."
Tlalli fled to the tent, leaving Miles alone near the lake. She flew into the tent and quietly lowered herself to the ground to lie next to Tlila, who slept peacefully. Wiping at her face, she tried to erase the evidence of her tears.
Closing her eyes, she prayed to Eywa to give her enough peace to sleep, to give her strength to make it home, to keep the girls safe on their journey.
Thank you for reading, reviews are greatly appreciated!
Vocabulary
tsahīk - spiritual leader of a Na'vi clan.
atokirina - seeds of sacred trees, believed to have a connection to Eywa and are seen as sacred to the Na'vi.
Olo'eyktan - leader of a Na'vi clan.
Irayo - thank you
Sa'nu! - mommy
Sempu - daddy
Original World Building:
Great River - the largest river in the Eastern Delta, located near the the Eastern Sea.
Eastern Delta - a massive system of rivers in with the Tswesya clan live.
Tswesya Clan - from the word meaning "current", a nomadic Na'vi clan who live off of the rivers in the Eastern Delta. They have powdery blue skin and are small in size than other Na'vi. However they have extremely fast reflexes and speed. Their eyes are usually shades of blue and green and are large, similar to the Metkayina of the reef clans and have the same nictitating membrane ( third eyelid) that allows them to see underwater more clearly. They have a rare genetic mutation of red hair. A cultural trait of theirs is piercings to either show coming of age or merely decorative.
Reypayram Clan -from the word, "reypay" meaning blood and "ram" meaning mountain, led by Tulukan. It is a fierce mountain clan known as violent and war-loving.
Palulukan Tsamsiyu - the elite warriors trained to guard and serve Tulukan.
Kilvantul - "River run" tests young Tsweysa Na'vi undergo to come of age.
tsang'awve - "first piercing" - young female Na'vi of the Tswesya clan receive this piercing just below their lower lip to show they are of age.
rimutral - " yellow tree" - golden colored trees that tend to grow in groves near the Great River.
Original characters -
Tlalli te Tswesya Tsahra'ite - A Na'vi female from the Tsweysa clan. She was abducted by Tulukan a year prior to the story's beginning. Stubborn but has great compassion.
Tlila te Tswesya Tsahra'ite - A fifteen year old Na'vi from the Tsweysa clan. Little sister to Tlalli. She was taken as well for being with Tlalli when she was abducted.
Zeva - A Na'vi female from the Plains. Strong-willed and tough.
Liriyi - A Na'vi female from one of the forest clans. She has a gentle spirit.
Tayal - A Na'vi female child of twelve years old. She comes from the reef clans.
Mireya - A Na'vi female from the Reypayram clan. She is the first wife of Tulukan and is fiercely loyal. She is currently pregnant.
Tulukan te Reylu Tulan'itan - Olo'eyktan of the Reypayram clan.
Reyku - leader of the Palulukan Tsamsiyu
Gillespie - RDA anthropologist
Tonayan - the elder brother of Tlalli and Tlila