Chapter Text
Out in the forest, it was too easy to pretend that everything was perfect. Within the Nantangs' calls and the Ritis' chirping and the Pa'lis stamping about, peace was not hard to find.
Leyra could forget about her life in the village for a few fleeting seconds here and there. But then the little reminders, such as her particularly makeshift bow, or her ratty clothes, or her unusual white skin, would send her crashing back into her reality like a tidal wave.
Said reality included spending most of her days alone, with trees for friends and bugs for company. Her father, the only clan member who would willingly converse with her, spent all his days hunting or planning hunts as Jake Sully's--the Omatikaya Olo'ektan's--second in command.
Sometimes she liked her father's position. She'd get a heads up on where not to go to avoid the hunting parties and training sessions, and he'd occasionally come home with interesting drama for her regarding the other clan members.
Her mother had died on the frontlines of the Battle of the Tree of Souls. She had been an amazing warrior, well-renowned in the clan. Leyra's father won't say it outright, but her mother had been devastated when she was born. A perfect warrior giving birth to an albino freak show. She didn't have to live with the shame for long, as she died only one month after Leyra had been born.
Her father had been an amazing parent to her, supporting her and taking care of her the best that he could under Mo'at's rules. He brought her portions of the meals to eat separate from the clan so she could avoid the stares and whispers that still occurred even though she was bordering on seventeen.
Over time, the forest had become her safe space where she spent most of her time, despite the amount of times it had almost killed her. Though, she had learned a lot through experience and developed her own way of surviving in it.
Currently, she was perched in a tree beside some harmless little birds and was watching the Pa'li stampede around and drink nectar.
The sound of twigs snapping caught both her attention and that of the Pa'li. Another crunch had the horse-like creatures began herding themselves away from the source of the sound. Leyra leaned back to look around the tree and see what animal had made the sound, only to find a young Na'vi boy stumbling his way through the underbrush.
He must be lost, she thought. Hopping down from the tree soundlessly, she approached the young boy.
"Hello," she spoke softly, startling the boy only a bit. "My name is Leyra," she flicked her finger away from her face in Na'vi greeting, "are you lost?"
Unbeknownst to them both, Neteyam had already spotted them, but kept his distance as he was surprised to see such a different-looking Na'vi teen.
The little boy returned the gesture sheepishly and muttered a, "yes, very."
She let out a small giggle at his honesty. "What were you doing out this far in the forest in the first place?"
"Neteyam agreed to take us kids out to see the hunters train, but I got distracted by a bug and was separated."
"Ah, I see. Would you like me to take you back to the village or to the training grounds?"
"You know the way?" He was bewildered. Leyra found it refreshing to speak to someone who had no hatred or pity or really any opinion at all of her.
"Yes, of course I do. I am not lost at all, I never am."
"Wow. But how? The forest all looks the same everywhere!"
"There are differences. I can teach you once you're older, if you want. That way, you'll never get lost again."
"Yes, please! Umm, could you take me back to the village? I sure would like to see my mom."
"Of course. It's this way, let's go."
The kid grabbed her hand, and it startled her. No one had made skin to skin contact with her in a long time. She tried to play it off and gripped his hand in return, which made him smile at her. It all but melted her fragile heart.
"There you are, Zi'um!" Neteyam finally emerged from the brush, a serious look on his face meant to scold the boy.
"Neteyam!" The boy leapt into the future Olo'ektan's arms. Neteyam chuckled, picking him up and holding the youngster over his hip.
Once the boy had comfortably settled, Neteyam's focus drifted to Leyra. He kept asking himself, since when had there been a white Na'vi in the clan? Had he really been so busy as to not notice such an extraordinary being? "Hello."
His presence was making her sweat. Her father always told her to avoid unnecessary attention, and here the future Olo'ektan was, trying to hold a conversation with her. "Hello, Neteyam."
Her voice was softer and nicer than he had been expecting from such an unusual creature. "Do I know you?"
"Oh, uh, no. I don't think you would. I just know of you, with you are the up-and-coming Olo'ektan and all."
He cursed himself for assuming they had met before and making things awkward for her. He had forgotten that his name was a well-known one. "Oh, right, yes. I think I would have remembered someone who looks like you."
A light blush tinted her cheeks in embarrassment and she looked down. Even the Olo'ektan's son was making fun of her. There really was no end to it all.
Neteyam took her blush to mean that his half-flirting attempt at pointing out her Eywa-given beauty had worked, and that she was flustered by his charm. He was, on this rare occasion, very wrong.
"Walk with us back to the village?"
Leyra was puzzled by him offering this after he had just insulted her, but she knew better than to try to disobey him. "Alright."
The three started off towards the mountainous village entrance. Neteyam shushed at Zi'um, who was now whimpering about seeing his mother and apologizing for wandering off. Neteyam reassured him on both accounts.
Leyra enjoyed getting to see the soft interaction between them. People usually reserved their worst selves for when she was near.
Not long into the journey, the emotionally exhausted child fell asleep in the warrior's arms.
"What were you doing out in the forest, all alone?" Neteyam questioned her in a whisper once he was sure Zi'um was going to stay asleep.
"Oh, I-" she wasn't sure of what response he was expecting, "I was exploring, like usual."
"So, you spend a lot of your time in the forest, then?"
Yes, her father dropped her off out of the mountain base on his ikran each morning after breakfast and picked her up each evening in time for dinner. "Yes, practically every day. I actually like having only the forest for company."
Neteyam hummed, intrigued by her response. In his eyes, the forest was a beautiful ecosystem best watched from afar. Too many dangers lurked just beyond one's line of vision. It was definitely a great circle, one that he was a part of, and it provided the clan with shelter and food. Though, he much preferred to look down on it from his ikran rather than from on the forest floor.
Leyra resisted the urge to ask him what exactly his indistinct hum had meant. Silence fell over the pair, and Leyra savored the adorably relaxed expression on the young boy's sleeping face.
She was smiling at the boy's face when Neteyam turned to look at her, wondering what she was thinking about in the silence. She averted her eyes upon making eye contact with him, the smile quickly fading.
Though, not before Neteyam saw it. And he decided he liked her smile.
They continued until they reached the bottom of the cave entrance and Neteyam called for his ikran to take himself and the boy up to basecamp.
As he mounted himself and Zi'um onto the animal, he opened his mouth to say something to Leyra, but nothing came out.
He didn't want her to walk off again and continue being alone in the forest. He knew firsthand how dangerous that was. Though, he could tell by her slightly turned away body that she had no interest in returning to the base with them.
"Be safe," he settled on, accompanied by a sturdy nod.
She smiled at him, but it wasn't like the smile he had gotten a glimpse of before. This was polite, obligatory.
"You too, Neteyam."