Chapter Text
"I heard skypeople eat hearts out of bodies after battle."
"He was with the skypeople when they were attacking island villages."
"They burned all their marui!"
"I heard he threw the torch himself!"
"I heard he doesn't sleep at all."
"Of course not, he looks for our weaknesses while we sleep."
"My mate and I are taking turns sleeping, we hold watch at the entrance. We urge you to do the same."
"One of the demons with a stolen Na'vi body was his father."
"Humans are stronger than they look so don't turn your backs to him. He is surely waiting for the right time to attack."
"Keep your kids away."
The Metkayina were terrible gossips. They were often found bonding through shared secrets or rumors of future mating pairs. Everyone from little kids to the elderly loved to share any little whispers they heard from the wind and then acted like they hadn't said a thing if the person in question happened to be passing by. It wasn't really malicious, just a cultural habit. Most rumors were positive and caused glee in those who heard them. But... Not the ones about Spider. At least not initially.
Nothing was said to hurt, and since everyone knew people would talk, they ended up pretty open and unreserved. No secret would stay a secret in the tribe. Now there were some who didn't take part, though they were few and far between, but they were the outliers.
Now their current whirlwind of gossip was about the boy the Sullies had brought with them from the battle. He was under constant vigilance. It started with all of them watching him with distrust, waiting for a movement just a tad too fast, or a dash for a weapon. They waited in vain, the boy never did anything aggressive, though they were still on the lookout for signs. A cruel look, an angry shout. A hiss maybe? But it never came.
In fact, the boy was more of a model villager than their own children were. He had a deep respect for his elders and the Tsahìk and Olo'eyktan. He was just as aware and watchful as they were, managing to grab a toddler who was about to fall off of a tree. He was witnessed using some quick thinking in the water to stop Tuktirey from stabbing herself onto a sharp coral and seemed very aware of where everyone was at all times. This set him apart from the rest of the Sullies. Sure Neytiri and Jake were a tad reserved and always on a bit of a lookout, but Spider was on an entirely different level. Though Jake had told their Olo'eyktan- who was a terrible gossip- that Spider grew up among the Omatikaya; the boy seemed more Metkayina than of the forest people.
He just didn't fit the mold of an Omatikaya at all.
Tixtsu had been watching the boy just as the others, but in her eyes was curiosity instead of uncertainty. By now it had been nearly two weeks since the eldest Sully boy went to Eywa, but with the addition of the skyperson child, the villagers were a bit distracted from the regular grieving progress. One could only hope that these cruel words wouldn't reach the ears of the skypeople boy's mother who was already grieving one son. It would be cruel to let her know her eldest child is not receiving proper treatment.
Tixtsu had heard the cries of the boy's mother a few times while passing the Sully family marui so she knew how hard the times were for the Omatikaya woman. Not that her children were doing too much better, though it seemed getting back their once-a-captive brother was easing the aches of the youngest.
Tuktirey never smiled unless she was with the skyperson boy. And how he could make her laugh!
A breath of fresh air, seeing them show signs of joy.
Tixtsu held a carving tool in hand and shaped a piece of wood into a ladle. She'd been perfecting this gift for a few days now. She was one of the best Metkayina carvers in the village. She wished to give something to aid the Sully family now that they were trying to get back to normal after the loss. She wasn't close with any of them, but she too had lost a child some years ago. She knew this pain rather well.
The wind today was a snapping burst of air in quick intervals. It made even her shiver every once in a while. The dampness of the sea had poofed up her hair during the night, and she kept having to throw it over her shoulders to see.
The boy passed by her and her eyes trailed after him.
After a moment's thought: "'Evan!" /boy/ He didn't react. "Tawtute'eveng!" /skyperson child/
"Srane?" /yes?/ The boy turned around with a kind smile, he had to crane his neck up intensely to be able to look at her in the eyes. She was seated on a tall rock, so the boy took a few steps back to see her better. "Oel ngati kameie:" /i See you/ He added gently once he was looking at her in the eyes. His hand movement for the greeting was perfect.
"Nga plltxe kawkxan:" /you speak clearly/ She begins, but the boy interrupts her train of thought with a chuckle.
"Na'vi lu oeyä txin lì'fya." /Na'vi is my main language/
"Fwa ke fyape oe yewn:" /that is not what I am expressing/ She tilts her head and the boy looks sheepish before apologizing. "Tsap'alute lu kelkin. Nga sweylu ke kaltxì si oel ngati kameie srefwa nga omum oeyä tstxo." /an apology is unnecessary. you should not say i See you before you know my name/ The boy shuffles one foot under the sand and shivers at a gust of wind. She roams her eyes over his arms and hair. He is well-built. Strong. His muscle tone is grand for someone his age. His hair is done like his father's. In thick dreads though his aren't as pristine. "Oeru syaw Tixtsu te Mìstaì Voaw'ite." /my name is Tixtsu of the Mìstaì family Voaw's daughter/
"Oel ngati kameie Tixtsu:" /i See you Tixtsu/ Spider rushes to say, looking surprised.
"Fyape syaw ngar?" /what is your name?/
"Spider te Socorro Paz'itan:" /Spider Socorro Paz's son/ His voice is strong though unwavering. The strange covering of his face releases a beep. Tixtsu blinks at it and her ears stand at attention. The sound was very quiet, but she had heard it anyway.
She blinks twice more, watching as the boy begins to fiddle with the face covering.
"Oel ngati kameie Spirr- Spaier- Spaidrr:" /i See you Spirr-/ She doesn't expect to struggle with his name, and yet her tongue trips her up. She scrunches her nose at the nuisance of not being able to say it correctly. What shakes her out of her attempts is how happy the boy suddenly looks. He has stopped touching his face covering and is just beaming up at her. She is quite sure she can see all of his teeth from up here. "Pelun kem si nga lrrtok si?" /why do you smile?/ Her brows bundle together as she gets a stern look on her face. "Nga hangham rooe!" /you laugh at me!/
How offended she feels. It is not her fault the boy had a skypeople name in a language she does not know. She had said she Saw the boy and now he thinks her funny for trying to kindle a friendship? How rude!
"Kehe, kehe!" /no, no!/ Spider quickly shouts, throwing his hands out palms out, and shaking them rigorously to backtrack on his reaction. A few nearby villagers tune in at this. The skyperson yelling was sure to attract attention. Tixtsu was very aware now that anything she said from here on out would be known by the whole tribe very quickly. Too many gossips. "Ngenga lu'awve te Metkayina tsonta plltxe fwa ne oe." /you be the first of the Metkayina to speak that (sat that) to me/ His hands slump back down to his sides. "Oe leytslam fìkem." /i appreciate it/
Slightly taken aback the angry look seeps off of Tixtsu's face. She slowly nods. This interaction is growing more awkward to the boy, but it is not a normal emotion for Tixtsu so her curiosity only grows. The buy digs another foot into the sang. He can't look her in the eyes now.
"Oe kin tstunkem te nga:" /i need a favor from you/ She speaks. She squares her shoulders a bit, set to test the child in a small way.
"Nitram tsonta srung si:" /happy to help/ He smiles up at her again. He has the deepest brown eyes. They look like dirt. That might be a rude thing to say on earth, but on Pandora, it was a high compliment. Dirt was important, as were all aspects of nature. Tixtsu found it hard to look away from them. Perhaps she could find out more about the boy. Spend some time with him. However, if he wasn't with his siblings then he was doing chores so it would be hard to catch him alone and available like this again.
She grabs the ladle off of the rock beside her and quickly blows on it to get the wood dust off. It was as good as ready: "Kämunge fì'u tsonta ngeyä sa'nok." /take this to your mother/ She chucks the ladle the boy's way, not thinking to count in its size compared to his body. The boy moves quickly however, his reflexes are agile and sharp, and catches her creation before it can hit the sand. It should be somewhat heavy for the boy, but he holds it as if it weighs nothing. Strong and poised he takes a closer look at it before opening and closing his mouth like a fish. He looks rather silly.
"Oe-" /i-/
Tixtsu doesn't wait for him to continue; hops down from the rock and begins to walk away. She sends one last look at the child over her shoulder. He looks caught off guard by the request, though it's simple enough for her to not care. It is a small ask. Now he simply must do.
"Tixtsu spoke to the boy."
"Did she really? What did she think of him?"
"I don't know, I was on my way to ask."
"Well, I heard he yelled at her and nipped at her feet."
"And who told you that Ngutsyä? Aonung, tskt?"
"I heard he carried out a task for her."
"Certainly not."
"I believe it. I have seen him doing many chores. He caught many fish for the community basket yesterday."
"Did he really?"
"I saw him carrying a full basket of them. My mate did not need to go fishing at all!"
"Truly?"
"No, no I was told that he scares off the children whenever they approach him. It is a game to him."
"I don't believe it."
"I do."