Sad Beautiful Tragic
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Lo’ak slow down!” Tanhí whined, “You’re practically dragging me!”
Lo’ak slowed his walking pace for Tanhí, because he was going a bit fast, but stayed oddly quiet. So, Tanhí being the absolutely amazing little brother he was, decided it was his duty to try and get him to talk.
“How’re you liking it here?” The kid asked, “I really like it!! I think it’s cool, like a vacation.”
All he got in response was a nod.
“Think mom will freak out about my hand?” He laughed.
He got a shrug.
“She probably will, I just hope she still lets me play with Tuk.” He said.
Silence.
“Do you miss home?”
“Yeah, I do.” Lo’ak said, finally responding. “Do you?”
Tanhí grinned hearing his older brother finally speak, “Sometimes, but I like it here.”
“Just don’t get too comfortable, okay? We aren’t going to stay here much longer.” Lo’ak warned him, though in a kind way, not a harsh one.
Lo’ak had also been failing to tell this to his other family.
“We could come back and visit though, right?” Tanhí asked, looking up at Lo’ak. He was scared he’d never see Tuk again, the pair becoming close friends since they met.
“That’s a question for mom and dad, buddy” Lo’ak told him.
“Would you want to come back?”
The older brother shrugged, “Maybe, I’m not sure yet.”
“When you’re leader will you keep the peace treaty?” Tanhí asked.
“One: we’ve still got quite a while till that happens. Two: Of course I would. Three: we don’t know for sure I’ll be the next leader, someone might beat me.”
Tanhí shook his head, “No way anyone would beat you, you’re the best fighter, like, ever!”
Lo’ak smiled, proud his little brother thought that well of him, “You think so?”
“Mhm!!” Tanhí responded, “Besides, you’re gonna make a great leader.”
They had just reached their hut when it got completely dark. They had been going to sleep extra early in an attempt to eliminate the large gap between sleep schedules. Tanhí and Lo’ak joined their family sleep pile, the younger brother cuddling up to him.
Lo’ak knew then, that he would apologize tomorrow. He wasn’t going to be part of the target on his family's back. He would not be the reason Tanhí or Eza felt the same embarrassment of public humiliation that he felt. He swore this to himself, then eventually drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
Neytiri and Neteyam rushed back into the tent.
“I didn’t get to apologize,” Jake said, “I didn’t have time.” It was very obvious he was disappointed in himself.
Neytiri knelt down to comfort him, “It’s okay Ma Jake, there is still time to fix things.”
Usually, Neteyam would’ve offered to speak to Lo’ak for his father, he typically being more able to get through to his brother than their father was able to. This time however, Neteyam knew Jake and Lo’ak needed to have this conversation on their own. And If Lo’ak wouldn’t accept his apology like he claimed and their family would never be whole again, at least he would have his brother back.
Part of Neteyams mind wondered if getting closer with his brother's other family would make them more likely to accept him and his family. It was a good idea he thought, determined to spend the majority of the next day getting Eza to warm up to him. Tuk and Tanhí had obviously already gotten close, which was making the families interact more already. It was bound to work.
“I’ll just-“ Jake signed before he could finish his idea, “I’ll talk to him as soon as I can, but I’m not sure if he’ll listen to me or not.”
“You must make him listen, and please just try and understand him.” Neytiri said, scooping up Tuk who had crawled over to her tiredly. “But for now let’s get some sleep.”
The whole family agreed and all went to bed. Jake, once again struggling to sleep.
~~~~~~~~
Lo’ak woke up with a jump, a cold sweat all over his body and the feeling of being unable to breathe, like the breath had been drained from his lungs while he slept. He’d had the most awful dream. Well, it was definitely more like a nightmare.
In the nightmare, he was in the middle of the sea, out so far he couldn’t see a speck of land.
However, the sea wasn’t made of water. It was made of the bodies of thousands of Na’vi both red and blue, the ones being the most disfigured, bloody, and beaten being his family's corpses. It felt like he was drowning in all the dead bodies of the beaten Na’vi. He found himself unable to get his head to poke the surface. He could feel all the blood slick his body and his hands, making his desperate attempts to climb out even more difficult.
Worst part was, he could hear the sky people taunting him, Quatrichs voice being more recognizable than the others.Telling him that this wasn’t necessary, that he had caused all this to happen, that it was all his fault.
This dream may have formed from the fact that a few of the fire clans had recently been attacked by the sky people.
Once he woke up it took him a moment to be able to breathe again. He looked around to make sure his family was still there and safe, sleeping happily. Thankfully they were.
He let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. Since coming here he’s been more and more nervous about the sky people.
“Lo’ak? Are you okay?” asked a half awake Eza.
“I’m okay,” He reassured his sister, “Go back to sleep Eza.”
“Are you sure?” She asked one more time.
“Yes I’m sure,” He told her, putting a smile on so she’d believe him.
“Alright then, good night.” She said before she shrugged. Eza was perfectly fine with going right back to sleep, which she seemed to do almost instantly.
It was safe to say Lo’ak didn’t sleep for the rest of that night.