CHAPTER 11

       "Tuk - I am trying to make food," Neytiri sighed and held her head. Tuk had been bothering her for the past fifteen minutes, wanting her to come outside and watch as she swam around with her ilu.

"But mom - I'm really good! Come see!" Tuk pulled her mothers hand with all her might. She gave up a second later and groaned, sitting on the floor with her arms crossed, "You're so boring."

"Go play with your friends," Neytiri held her daughters hands in hers, "I need a moment."

"I don't have any friends," Tuk sighed and Neytiri looked at her sadly.

Erìhe had been sitting in the corner of the pod, working on the wooden miniature direhorse. She turned around to look at Tuk before standing up and crossing the room. "Come on, Tuk," she said and pulled the little girl to her feet, "Did you see the little pools by the seawall terraces? I bet there's really warm water there. Let's go check it out!"

Tuk immediately forgot her disappointment and sprung to her feet, her eyes lit up from excitement, "Sounds fun! Let's go!" The girl grabbed onto Erìhe's hand as she skipped out of the pod.

"Be back before eclipse!" Neytiri called after them. Before they turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Erìhe nodded and caught the woman's thankful smile.

Neteyam had been sitting on his mattress talking to Lo'ak and his eyes followed the two girls as they left. Erìhe had not noticed the look he gave her - it was pure resentment and anger.

"Look at me," Tuk demanded Erìhe's attention once they had reached the small pools by the seawall. She was walking along the narrow edges of the pools with her arms to her side, balancing herself as she carefully walked ahead of Erìhe.

Erìhe laughed as she followed her, "You're so good at this," she said as one of her feet sunk into the shallow pool. Having lived in the forest all her life, balancing on this was not tricky - but she enjoyed seeing Tuk happy.

Tuk giggled, "Better than you," she said as she looked at the older girl over her shoulder.

"Indeed," Erìhe agreed with a smile before stepping back on the edge.

"Erìhe!"

The two girls turned their heads to see a group of Metkayina girls in one of the many pools. It was one of the few pools that were situated lower and closer to the reef. "That's Níawi," Erìhe told Tuk.

"Your friend?" Tuk asked as she turned around.

"Yes," Erìhe said. She waved at the girl who grinned and waved back at them. "Shall we go over there?"

Tuk nodded in response before Erìhe scooped her up into her arms, walking through the pools to reach the group of girls, "Hello!" She greeted them while balancing Tuk on her hip. The three girls were sitting along the edges of the pool, smiling up at them.

"Care to join us?" Níawi asked as she propped her elbows on the edge to peer up at them. Erìhe stood so that her figure blocked the sun from her eyes, and she was easily able to see Tuk smiling.

Tuk and Erìhe looked at each other before the older girl set Tuk down in the water. She followed closely behind, stepping over the edge and sitting between Tuk and Níawi.

Níawi looked around at her friends, who were already looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to introduce them to each other. "Oh - This is Erìhe. She is one of the newcomers," she gestured to Erìhe who grinned and brought her fingers down from her forehead, greeting the other girls. They returned the gesture with smiles of their own. Níawi then motioned toward Tuk, who was looking up at the girls with a sweet smile. "And this is.." she trailed off, not knowing the girls name.

Erìhe chuckled and nudged Tuk, beckoning her to speak up, "What's your name?"

"Tuktirey," Tuk beamed.

"We all call her Tuk," Erìhe added, ruffling the little girl's hair.

The girls around them all laughed good-naturedly as Tuk tried swatting her hand away. Then one of the girls spoke, "Nice to meet you Tuk," she smiled at the young girl before turning her eyes to Erìhe, "Erìhe," she nodded her head. "I am Aluva," she introduced herself.

"And I'm Riik'o," the remaining girl smiled at them.

Eríhe was about to speak again but Tuk beat her to it. "What are you guys doing?" she asked as she pointed to one of the objects that hung from the edges of the pool.

Aluva grabbed one of them and held it up to show that it was a necklace - one that hung low to cover the chest. "We've been making these," she said with a smile. When Erìhe looked closer, she could see that the beaded clothing still had a thread hanging loose and a needle threaded through the string. It was in the process of being made.

Níawi grinned and leaned over to hand an item to Erìhe. When she accepted it and held it up she realized that it was a loincloth. She admired the beads and pearls than hung delicately from the waistband of it, "It is pretty," Erìhe told Níawi and started handing it back.

Níawi shook her head and pushed the clothing back towards her, "You should keep it. I made it for you."

"For me?" Erìhe repeated. When Níawi nodded, she smiled again as she looked back at the loincloth.

"I'll finish this up quickly and you may have it," Aluva told Erìhe as she turned around to continue her work.

Erìhe smiled and looked back and forth between the two pieces of clothing that she had been offered, "It's fine-"

The girls would not hear it. "If you are to live with us, why not dress like us?" Riik'o chuckled.

Erìhe thought for a moment before nodding. It was a fair point. "Thank you so much," she beamed.

"It is nothing to thank for," Aluva waved her off as she tied a knot with the thread. "When I am done with this, I can make something for little Tuk as well," she reached over to lightly pinch Tuk's cheek.

Instead of hitting her hand away as she usually did, Tuk smiled at her in return. "Thank you."

Erìhe smiled and was about to ruffle Tuk's hair again when she suddenly heard noises coming from the reef below. Turning her head, she could see Ao'nung, Rotxo and a few other boys swimming by on their ilu.

Riik'o and Níawi hurried to rest their chins on the edge of the pool to look over at them. Erìhe and Tuk exchanged looks before Erìhe looked over at Aluva to see that she was looking at them exactly the same. Not in a judging manner - but something of the sort.

"They are always like that," Aluva waved it off.

Níawi peeked over her shoulder at her friend, "We are not," she rolled her eyes, letting her gaze drift back to the boys. The group of boys seemed to notice them since Rotxo turned to wave and smile. Erìhe grinned - he seemed sweet.

Ao'nung however seemed a lot cockier. Once he noticed them watching, he merely smirked before turning his attention to his other two friends who had given the same reaction as him. Obviously everyone in that group apart from Rotxo were slightly full of themselves.

Ao'nung seemed to wave his hand toward his other friends before the group turned and started heading toward them.

"They are not even good looking," Tuk mumbled as she squinted, trying to get a better look at the boys who were some distance away.

Immediately Níawi and Riik'o gasped and turned to look at her, twinning expressions of shock on their faces. "That is not true," Riik'o disagreed, "Have you seen Ao'nung?" She turned back around to look at him dreamily, "Too bad he's Tsireya's brother.."

Erìhe bit her lip to not burst out laughing. "And Rotxo," Níawi added. Her and Riik'o shared a look that showed that they both agreed with her statement.

When Erìhe looked back at the boys, they had all left their ilu and were jumping over the eyes of the pools, making their way higher and toward them. Riik'o and Níawi could not contain their smiles as the boys approached.

"What is going on here?" Ao'nung asked as he neared, "Forest girl, I see you've already made friends." He grinned as he crouched down by the edge of the pool so that he was right in front of her.

Erìhe smiled at the name. He did not use it to make fun of her - he probably thought that it was charming and she found that fact amusing. "Mhm," she hummed and looked over her shoulder at the others. Níawi, Riik'o and Aluva were looking back at her with wide eyes.

Ao'nung had not so far shown any liking toward any of the forest people, yet here he was - talking with Erìhe.

Ao'nung looked down at the top that Aluva had been working on. It lay on the edge of the pool. "What's this?" He pointed to it. His friends had caught up with him, and Rotxo was now sitting next to Riik'o, his legs thrown over the edge and into the water.

"That is a top I am making for Erìhe," Aluva told Ao'nung.

Ao'nung smiled and turned his eyes back to Erìhe, "It will suit you."

The group of boys stayed for a while - talking and laughing with them for a decent amount of time until they noticed that it was almost eclipse. Erìhe had hurriedly taken Tuk's hand and ushered her out of the pool - she did not want to worry Neytiri by having Tuk back home later than when they had agreed. Tuk had been happy to meet the girls and Erìhe was beyond thankful for their new friends.

When they stepped inside the pod it was empty besides from Neteyam. Erìhe looked around, "Where is everyone else?"

Neteyam looked up at her, "Eating," he responded simply.

"Oh," Erìhe voiced before looking down at Tuk, "Let's go eat then." Tuk nodded and started pulling at her hand to lead her to the gathering when Neteyam stood up from his spot by the fire.

"What are you wearing?" He asked, frowning.

Erìhe sighed as she could sense that he would somehow turn this into a great deal. "Go find your parents, Tuk," she told the girl. Tuk looked back at her older brother before nodding again and scurrying off. When she was gone, Erìhe rested her hands on her hips and turned to look at Neteyam, "I'm wearing clothes."

"No shit," Neteyam scoffed, "I meant why are you wearing Metkayinan clothing? And why is your hair like theirs?"

Erìhe looked down at her new outfit as one of her hands reached up to feel the braids that Riik'o had done on her. She rather liked the many beads and pearls that adorned her skin and hair. She loved the way that they sparkled from the light that came from the fire. "My friends gave them to me."

"Friends?" Neteyam repeated.

Erìhe nodded smugly, "Turns out I am rather likable and it's only you who despises me."

Neteyam took a double take. Had she believed that she was unlikeable because of how he treated her? Brushing it off, he just gave her a hard look, "I'm just wondering why you're so quick to turn your back on your roots."

Erìhe looked dumbfounded, "Excuse me? I'm wearing different clothes. How is that turning my back to my roots?"

Neteyam shrugged, "It just seems like you don't miss home at all."

"Am I supposed to cry every night because I miss the fortress and my friends? I do miss them," Erìhe frowned, "I haven't seen you moping around either."

"Well-" Neteyam started to say something but then realized how ridiculous he sounded and shut his mouth again. He always found himself picking fights with the girl over the most laughable reasons - things that made no sense whatsoever.

Like right now. Who got mad at someone for wearing different kinds of clothes?

He watched as Erìhe looked at him incredulously. Her hands hung by her sides as her brows furrowed. He was starting to feel just as confused as she looked.

Neteyam's eyes drifted to her armband that she wore proudly on her left upper arm, and he knew that she was not so quick to give up her old life.

He nodded after a moment of silence. "Let's go eat," he said as he walked past her.

Erìhe scoffed and watched him walk away.

Seriously what had been his deal? He got so angry over nothing and then he became uncharacteristically quiet. As she watched him, she could see how his head hung slightly, how his eyes looked down at the ground. And suddenly she understood.

He missed home.

He missed it so much that he was taking it out on her.

"Wait for me," Erìhe finally called before hurrying to catch up. It was easy since Neteyam had stopped in his steps to turn to look at her as she made her way toward him.

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A/n:
2227 words-

Also the eyebrow thing is getting old guys.. I love you all so so so much (🤭🫶😚💗) but the anger that I feel when someone says "What eyebrows" - I can't even explain it. Try writing facial expressions without mentioning eyebrows, be my guest.

THAT SOUNDS SO PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE but also I'm being so fr.. like I'm a person who uses her eyebrows a lot to convey emotion and I also think every person is like that (which is also why the Na'vi often have STRIPES to act as eyebrows, cause otherwise we would not be able to see all that emotion) so I feel like I have to write things like "he raised his brows" !! Also I often use the word "brows" IN HOPES THAT I WILL NOT GET THAT COMMENT but I get it anyways.

So sorry for that teeny rant, I love you guys <33 even those of you who can't resist the urge to comment about the eyebrows <33