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betrayal

After her encounter in the medical hut a few days ago Leyra didn't came across the two boys often. Even though she enjoyed their touches she was more confused than ever with her feelings for both of them. She couldn't like both at the same time and she was a little glad she didn't had to talk with them about what happened.

She kept herself busy with hunting and doing warrior related jobs, so she actually didn't have time for the forest boys. But in reality she fled into her Marui as soon as she saw them and hid in there until she knew that they've been gone.

Neteyam noticed that she fled before they could say hello to her the first time immediately and was confused. Didn't she like what they did? Or didn't she like them? He always noticed when she was near him and it hurt deeply when she basically ran away from him when they made eye contact.

Lo'ak however didn't noticed it the first time as his brother but when he asked Leyra yesterday if she needed any help with hunting she simply looked at him briefly, collected her things and was gone in a second. He was irritated by this action and asked his brother what's up with her but he didn't have an idea either.

┅

"You wanted to talk to me?" Leyra asked as she arrived in the Marui of the chief's family.

"Yes. Sit down." Tonowari said and the three people inside sat down together in the middle of the Marui. Leyra waited for either Ronal or Tonowari to speak up. She didn't knew why they wanted to talk to her. Did she do something wrong?

"We want to talk about you and Aonung." Tonowari explained to her while looking at her. He couldn't imagine how she would react to their offer. He knew that she was a very good warrior and was loyal to their clan.

"What do you mean, Aonung and I?" She asked confused. They knew each other since they were children and were friends for a long time. Maybe they wanted to talk about his behavior with the Sully children.

"You know that he is going to be the next Olo'eyktan after me, right?" Of course Leyra knew that. Aonung never stopped talking about himself being the best leader of the clan in the future and it was usually that the chief's son is going to be the next leader. What has that to do with her?

"I'm sorry. I don't understand where this is going."

"He will need a strong woman at his side. To help him decide when important decisions have to be made. Someone who is connected with Eywa on a deeper level." Ronal spoke up and looked at Leyra with an unreadable expression.

"And you think I would be that woman?" Leyra asked in disbelief as she looked at the leader of the clan. "Why?"

"I hate to admit it but you would make a very good Tsahik, Leyra. You have a strong connection to Eywa. I've seen you with the animals and plants." Ronal told her. "You have some special powers."

flashback

"You poor little thing." A very young Leyra said sadly as she looked at a young skimwing in the shallow water. The skimwing got hurt, when it went beyond the reef with its parents, because a much bigger fish chased after them. Luckily they weren't killed and only had small wounds, but it hit the little one much worse.

The Tsahik came running to the injured skimwing and the girl, with healing supplies and kneeled beside them. She examined the wounds on the skimwing's back. "This is going to hurt. Leyra hold the skimwing in place." She said to the girl on her left.

"Its gonna be okay." Leyra smiled while she caressed the head of the animal. The Tsahik started working on the wounds and the small creature cried out in pain. "You have to endure it. You are going to feel better soon." The girl whispered as she looked into the beautiful green eyes of the animal.

The eyes of it were screaming for Leyra to help it. Leyra noticed the skimmings queue getting closer to her and she was scared for a second, because she never bonded with an animal before and she was way too young at that time to bond with the animal of a warrior. She overcame her fear and grabbed her braid from behind her and brought it forward.

"What are you doing?" Ronal yelled to Leyra and stopped cleaning the wounds for the animal.

"It needs my help." She simply said.

"How can you help? You are useless, Leyra."

The girl ignored the Tsahik and made the bond with the skimwing. Her pupils widened at the connection and she started breathing heavier as she felt the pain that the skimwing went trough at that moment. She felt the fast heartbeat of the animal and her own heartbeat fastened. She put her hands near the wounds on the back and closed her eyes. Leyra felt the pain of the animal stronger in her own body and she knew that she was taking the pain away from the skimwing by Eywa's help.

The Tsahik had watched the girl closely and understood what was happening in front of her. She got back to cleaning the wounds of the animal and the skimwing was much more relaxed and didn't cry in pain.

Leyras face was frowned and she couldn't hold the pain much longer because her small body wasn't strong enough as she was only a little girl. She opened her eyes to look at the thankful eyes of the skimwing.

"I'm gonna call you Tey'lar." She whispered before she passed out.

flashback end

"We want you to be the future Tsahik, when Aonung is Olo'eyktan. Ronal said sternly. Leyra couldn't believe it. They were asking her something so big.

"But shouldn't Tsireya be the future Tsahik?" Leyra asked uncertain. She thought it was decided as soon as Tsireya was born.

"It was like that, but she refused to take the place as the next Tsahik because she knows too, that your connection to Eywa is stronger than from any of us."

"But there must be a condition from your side, right?" Leyra knew they wouldn't just ask her that without her to stick to obligations.

"You must mate with Aonung." Tonowari said to her. "If you are mated, you will understand each other better and decisions will be made faster. It would be the best for our clan and they would respect you more."

She couldn't believe that they were asking her to mate with their son. With someone she didn't love, only out of duty.

"I'll think about it." She simply answered and stood up. With one last look at them she went out of the Marui. As she made her way to her own Marui she spotted Aonung at the beach with his friends and the young Sully's were with Tsireya and Rotxo at the other end of the beach. She was itching to talk with Aonung about what his parents had offered her just minutes ago. She needed to walk past the group and she could hear Tsireya calling her but she could have just imagined it. She came to halt behind Aonung.

"We need to talk. Now." He heard her voice behind him. He turned around and saw her very impatiently and kind of angry. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as she looked at him fiercely.

"Alright." He followed her a few meters away from the groups so they were out of earshot.

"Did you knew?" She asked harshly while her leg was trembling because of her rising anxiety.

"Did I knew what?" Aonung was actually confused because her question came really random.

"Your parents offered me to be Tsahik when you are Olo'eyktan in the future." She explained and she saw in his face that it clicked inside his head. "So you knew." She stated and laughed ironically.

"How long?"

"Leyra, I..." He tried to talk himself out of this.

"No. How long?" She almost shouted.

"For a while."

"Did you also know that we have to get mated?"

"Yes."

"So you were close to me all this time, just so you could manipulate me to be your mate and you'd be the perfect leader?" she shouted and looked at him disappointed. She really thought they were real friends or maybe something more.

"No. That's not how it was." He started saying but was silent again to think about his next words carefully.

"What we had. Was this all a lie?" she whispered. She was really hurt by him.

"No, I really like you." He responded and looked sincere but she couldn't believe it.

"I trusted you, with everything and you used me." She looked at him a last time and turned around, walking back where she came from. She made eye contact with Tsireya who looked guilty and Leyra understood that Tsireya knew the whole time. They were looking at each other, on the verge of tears and Leyra fled quickly.

The group was watching the heated conversation between Aonung and Leyra closely and wondered what it was about but Tsireya knew for a while now what her parents had planned for Leyra and she felt very guilty for not telling her best friend. She knew that she fucked up.

The two forest brothers were jealous at first because why would she go to Aonung and ignore them completely, but as soon as they saw that Leyra was screaming at him they were ready to run over and start a new fight. Tsireya hold them back, because she knew the two would only get into more trouble and Aonung and Leyra needed to talk about it alone. The look Leyra gave Tsireya before she left was enough for them to bombard Tsireya with questions about what happened but she refused to answer.

Neteyam stood up to go after her, but Kiri interrupted him.

"No. Sit down. You're just gonna make her more upset. I'll go and talk to her." Kiri said and walked into the direction where Leyra had gone.

┅

Leyra heard someone approaching her and because of the light footsteps she remained seated. Kiri sat beside Leyra and put her arm around her.

"What just happened with Aonung?" She asked gently.

"He used me to get me to mate with him in the future, so he could have a Tsahik by his side when he is the leader of the clan." Leyra answered truthfully. "His parents want that." Kiri remained silent as she didn't know how to comfort Leyra, because she never really had to comfort someone. Neteyam and Lo'ak had each other and Neytiri was always there for Tuk.

"Did you liked him like in a romantic way?" Kiri asked carefully.

"I mean as a child I obviously had a crush on him but I never loved him. But it does hurt if it's true that he would only use me for a benefit. I just want to mate with someone I really love in the future." Leyra explained as she looked down into the water where her feet were inches under the surface and where small yellow fishes were gathering around the feet of the two Na'vi.

"I understand. But I thought Tsireya would be the next Tsahik in the clan. Not to offend, but why would Ronal choose you?" Leyra was quiet for a few minutes, not sure if she should tell Kiri but she felt a connection to Kiri too.

"I know that it'll sound like I am crazy but I feel her. I feel Eywa." Leyra quietly said and Kiri knew exactly what she meant. She knew she had the connection with Eywa herself for a while now.

"It's not crazy. I feel her too." Kiri responded while looking at Leyra relieved that she is not the only one. Leyra's eyes widened at her words. She thought she is the only one and that something is wrong with her.

"I hear her breathing."

"And feel her heartbeat."

They looked at each other with a sad expression and fell into each others arms tightly. They were very similar to each other in so many ways. They both were the freaks of their clan and never belonged to them. They both were a lost soul who were wandering around Pandora without destiny and had a very strong connection to Eywa. No-one understood them and now they found a person who does. They are so special and no-one sees it except themselves.

"Eywa is so close, right? Just there..."

"Like a word that is abut to be spoken." Leyra clarified and Kiri nodded in agreement. Eywa was with them and within them. They just couldn't put it in words how strongly they felt her, like they were one with her.

"Her heartbeat is so strong."

"Mighty."

Leyra grabbed Kiri's hands and looked at her with tears in her eyes "You are my spirit sister, Kiri." Leyra whispered while a smile formed on her face. "I'm so glad that you came here."

Kiri smiled back. "You are my sister, Leyra." They hugged each other tightly again. They are glad they found each other.

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[art by me]