༺chapter three༻
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⇝ fire forest

"Amiryat, you trust me don't you?"

this is the third time Lo'ak had been caught sneaking out and running into the forest with Tuk when he was told not to but who was he to listen, Jake had sent Amiryat to follow behind them, he was to tried to chase after lo'ak, but right at that moment Amiryat was cleaning up the cuts from the tumble lo'ak had taken to show Tuk that he was brave.

She held her brothers arm moving her head around to meet his eyes, knead her fingers over his bruise knuckles. "of course I trust, even when you get Tuk in dangerous situations." She laughed patting his jaw making him whine and sway her hand away.

Lo'ak continued his conversation as he let his sister tend to his wounds, he always did admire her since he could walk, she was always defending him against their father and sticking up for him when she needed to. "Give me your arm." She reached into the bowl spreading a herb over his arm. "Don't scratch it, it will heal in days."

"Amiryat," a child's voice came from their right. "Mom needs to talk to you." Tuk ran up to them taking pauses through her sentence, plopping down on the ground, hence why she was breathing heavily. "Did she say what for?" The older sully asked, lightly rubbing her brothers hands.

Tuk shook her head, throwing herself back staring up at the atokirina's that floated above her head. "Only to get there when you can." Amiryat nodded picking up the herbs and standing up from the ground. "Be careful, and Tuk, please take care of your brother."

Lo'ak groaned, staring up at his older sister. "I don't need a babysitter." Tuk happily moving behind her brother pressing her hands on his cheeks squishing them together, Amiryat laughed leaving the forest.

-

Once arriving home her father had been there with Neteyam as they both sat carving arrows, Amiryat walked in setting down the herbs on the table, spotting her mother preparing dinner. "Is he okay now?" Neytiri asked her daughter, she had worried about lo'ak after the fall.

Amiryat nods exhaling. "Yeah, Tuk is with him now." Kneeling down being my her mothers side, "Tuk told me you needed me for something." Amiryat reached forward helping with dinner.

Neytiri hums glancing up for a moment to lock eyes with Jake who was watching silently. "I know it's much to ask but, I was thinking if you could join your brother and father for their hunt."

Amiryat froze, staring straight down at the steam slipping her hand away from leaves, Neytiri turned to her daughter reading the blank expression on her face. Amiryat turned her gaze to her hand, blowing her hair away. "...uh, wh-why?"

Her heart was beating against her ears, doesn't her mother remember what happened the last time she went hunting, Tuk was there playing around with other children around her age, when she started to run towards where Amiryat and Jake were hunting, she came out of nowhere and the arrow went flying into the air almost striking Tuk in the face.

"Amiryat!"

Her father shouted as soon as the arrow was in the air, he immediately ran down after Tuk who was in a crouched position, he check her body for any signs of blood, she was okay but shaken up by the arrow.

"Dad— I'm sorry." Amiryat utters shocked as she clutched her stomach, everything happened so fast, she should've been more careful, Jake shook his head picking up his youngest carefully as she cling onto his body. "I'm okay, dad!" Tuk told him making him sign in relief returning the hug.

Jake turned catching the way Amiryat's face crumble with guilt but that didn't matter to him, not at that moment at least. "Head back home, now." Amiryat watery yellow eyes stared into his for a second seeing all the disappointment they held. "Amiryat, now." Jake called her name in a tone she didn't like.

Amiryat nod immediately running away from the scene, tears streaming down her face feeling drops of rain hit her face, the ground beneath her feet got muddy with each step she took, what a way to give her father a reason to not trust her.

"Jake, you need to calm yourself." Neytiri held her hands in his chest, she was informed about the accident that occurred a few minutes ago, she was very upset that Amiryat didn't check both ways before shooting her arrow, but it was an honest mistake, the girl is only thirteen she had so much to learn.

"No, I can't calm down," Jake was furious about the whole situation, pacing around the hut ignoring the fact that his eldest daughter sat in front of him pinching at the skin inside her hands, a habit that she used when she was anxious.

"Amiryat, you are grounded, you hear me?" Jake turned to her, hands staying on his hips. "Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you." He snapped down at her, Amiryat lifted her head staring straight into his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "No flying for a week and your forever grounded from hunting until I say."

Neytiri frown. "majake, don't you think you're going to far with this, she's only a child, she's learning the ways to life." Amiryat ears twitched back hearing whispering come from behind her, only to find Neteyam and lo'ak whispering harshly as they pushed each other.

Amiryat almost smiled at the sight, remembering why they were there in the first place, "Jake, she doesn't know what she's doing, and Tuk is fine nothing happened, she okay, please don't be so hard on her!" Her mother voice filled with heartache, any day she would defend her daughter even if it was against her husband.

Jake exhaled turning to meet Amiryat sad eyes. "Dad—" she cried pushing off the chair she sat on, his eyes softened at the dry tears on her cheeks, he stepped down kneeling i front of her taking her hands into his. "I'm sorry, I should have paid attention, it won't happen ever again sir, Im sorry."

Neytiri tilted her head, laying a hand over her heart smiling affectionately at the sight. Jake shook his head cupping her small face in his hands, "no, no, it's wasn't your fault baby, okay, I'm sorry I shouldn't have yelled at like that..." Jake press a kiss to her cheeks bring her down to cradle in his arms. "I'm sorry, babygirl."

Amiryat looked up at him twisting the necklace that laid on his chest, "am I still grounded?" She found herself asking him, Jake knew she had to understand that there were consequences to her actions, so he kiss her head and nods, "yes, you are baby but only from your ikran just a week."

Amiryat shook her head leaning back on her feet. "No, no, I can't— Kiri and I are going to see the waterfall." Amiryat made up a lie, hoping if either of her parents asked Kiri about it she would convince them it was true.

Jake closed his eyes stopping his movements from carving the arrow, Neteyam noticed turning to her mother and sister. "It won't be like last time, it's been a while since you and your father had gone hunting."

That was truth, Amiryat had gone hunting before but with lo'ak or Neteyam but with them it was all for fun nothing but two kids hanging around but she hasn't gone hunting with Jake since Tuk was five and that made her father rethink her punishment and how hard he was on her, even after her punishment she didn't ride her ikran until she was ready on her own.

"Amiryat." Jake called her name, he turned to Neteyam nudging his head to the open hut, the boy immediately understood standing up taking his bow and walked out the home. "Kiri would understand that you can't make it." Neytiri face her daughter.

"No, that's the thing I don't want to." Amiryat ignored when her father came over to them kneeling to her left. "I can't trust myself anymore even if Tuk won't be there, I— I can't, please respect that." Amiryat glanced over at her father, he sigh nodding his head.

"Okay, we're sorry," Jake gave in, though it pain him so much that she was slowly losing interest, Neytiri frown that wasn't how it was supposed to go, she remembered when her husband came to her talking about going hunting again with Amiryat, he wanted to try again.

"don't worry about me, even if I don't go hunting with you I can always go with lo'ak or Nete," Amiryat told him, wanting him to know that she never stopped hunting, removing the leave off the cooker. "Whenever we can, or I'll go alone I have been going alone recently since lo'ak is grounded and Neteyam is training with you."

Jake nods sharing a look with Neytiri, "that's good, I'm glad that you are still hunting even if it's on your own." He didn't hesitate reaching forward rubbing her cheek, Amiryat smiled back, their father and daughter relationship was getting better with time, they both knew they wanted to fix the bond they once had.

"Mom! Dad!" A child's voice came out from the hut, immediately knowing who it was. Tuk ran inside with lo'ak right behind her. "What happened?" Jake stood up, confused and concerned as his scanned his children.

Before any of them got a word Neteyam and Kiri ran inside panting. "The forest, it's— it's on fire!" Neytiri couldn't believe there words until she listen to the screaming from her people and the smoke. Amiryat stood up immediately going to her mom. "Mom, please focus! We have to leave!"

Jake took Tuk in his arms quickly gathering the important things, Amiryat ran up into her bedroom with Kiri grabbing her bow and some of Tuk belongings she knew the girl would want. "Come on, Kiri." Amiryat yells waving her arm, "sorry I couldn't find it." Kiri hurry pass her to meet their parents.

"Amiryat!" Lo'ak yells her name as he waited at the bottom for her, she jumped down landing in front of him, taking his hand as they both ran down from their home until they were in the woods.

"Is everyone here!" Jake yells counting the number of heads including the one in his arms, "we must all go to homestree" Mo'at told her daughters family, pointing downwards, Jake knew he had to stay back since he was the leader to their clan, the people were what matter to them.

Amiryat took Tuk in her arms seeing a discomfort look on her father's face, he knew what she was thinking. "I'll get us there don't worry, you should go, please be safe." She told him as her mother and grandmother along with Neteyam and Kiri left, Jake nodded running the opposite way.

"This way." Lo'ak took her arm as they ran towards the tree of voices, her head covering Tuk, keeping her close to her chest, once arriving there were many more families there crying as their homes were being destroyed.

"Where's your dad?" Neytiri asked her eldest while taking Tuk from her, Amirtay wrapped an arm around lo'ak shoulder keeping him close to her taller frame. "He'll be back, making arounds to see if anybody needs help."

Soon enough everyone from their villages came to the tree, some where coughing from the smoke entering their lungs, Neytiri held her oldest son and youngest son to her chest as she waited for her husband to return to her, Amiryat was keeping Tuk company by letting her braid her hair and Kiri, well she was tracing the tree with her hands.

"Daddy!" Amiryat looked up when Tuk ran up to her father, throwing her small hands around him, Jake smiled picking her-off the ground, "you okay?" Jake nods, "yes, I'm okay." Neytiri stood up at the sight of him along with her two boys, Kiri followed after them, Amiryat was suddenly yanked into the hug by Neteyam making her groan. "That one hurt." She mumbles earning a few laughs from them, Jake patted her head smiling down at her.

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