༺chapter two༻
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⇝ balance

It was like a lion staring at its prey, yellow eyes following its every movement not letting it disappear from her vision, that was on thing her father had taught her, one, to never look away when hunting and number two, to always stay focus and it will be an easier kill.

There she was standing across a rather large branch from above in the trees with her father right behind her quietly guiding her, nothing but small taps to the shoulder every once and awhile. "Shoot when you are ready."

Amiryat hands froze into place for a moment staring off into space, recalling those exact words her father had used when it was her first time learning how to use a bow, she was only still learning back then she was six and now she was fifteen.

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"Steady, hold, then aim."

Jake held his daughters arm back aiming her towards the direction of the fish swimming in the pond infront of them, Amiryat smaller hands gripped the bow as tight as she could, with a small shaky breath escaped her lips which didn't go unnoticed by Jake.

Jake moved forward crouching down enough to reach her face, lifting a hand to push back the hair blocking her view. "Listen, this is only the first week, okay, no pressure." Jake reassured her with a soft smile, Amiryat nods smiling back.

Pointing straight down into the pond, focusing on the orange fish as it munch on its food not knowing it's life was going to end, she released her bow which caught ends with the fish, Amiryat dropped her bow jumping into the pond.

"Dad! I did it, I actually did it!" Amirtay smile didn't leave her face as she picked up the fish bringing it over to her father as he kneeled down, helping her remove the arrow.

"I never doubted you, baby." Jake cupped her cheek, Amiryat leaned into his palm, making his smile soften. "you think this fish would be good enough for dinner?" He asked her taking her hand helping her out of the pond.

Amiryat laughed hugging the fish into her chest, "it better, or all that work would be for nothing." And with that she ran all the way home, thrilled to show her two brothers and sister what she caught.
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"Amiryat, good job!"

Amiryat snapped from her memory, turning to face her father, only to find that he wasn't there but down below near the animal that laid dead with an arrow sticking out of its stomach. Jakes smile said it all, he was proud of her, she was truly going to be the greatest hunter in his eyes. "Get down here."

Amiryat sat down swinging her legs off the branch landing on the ground, pushing the leaves as she walked towards her father. "Now, you have to... uh, end it's life, to feel it's heartbeat." Jake cleared his throat, he hated this part, he took her bow from her hands, bringing her own knife out from her side.

Amiryat hand glided up from the stomach to its chest, her eyes closing to hear its heartbeat beginning to slow down, taking the weapon from her fathers hand raising it above her head and piercing her knife straight down into its chest, he no longer had a heartbeat. "He's... dead."

Jake turned from the animal to his daughter, he knew that Amiryat didn't like to hunt and kill the animals it just wasn't the way she lived, before she was so use to it but now that she got older she admires the animals. Amiryat shook her thoughts ripping the knife out and stepping away from the animal. "I'm sorry sir."

It broke Jake's heart that his daughter had to apologize for something she didn't cause, he couldn't help but let her sadness consume him, letting himself wrap his arms around her body cupping the back of her head, turning them away from the animal. "No, it's okay, it's been a while since you and I went out hunting. I should have asked you if you were okay with it instead of dragging you out here."

Amirtay shook her head, rubbing her fathers back, "it's okay, I have to get use to it right?" She pulled away staring at him, Jake smile but it didn't reach his eyes, before he kissed the crown of her head. "It's not like Kiri would be up for it but maybe Tuk in a few years." Jake frown when Amiryat pulled away from his embrace taking her bow and slowly making her way back home.

—

"Bro, she's back." Lo'ak announced to his older brother, spotting his older sister coming out from the woods towards them. "What did you get, was it big? Oh, or was it small?" Neteyam interrupted pushing his brother out of the way following after his sister, into their homes.

"Ignored him, how was it?" Neteyam knew his sister like the back of his hand, even though she wouldn't always tell him everything, he just knew by the look on her face. "It was... okay, I guess, dad is carrying it back." Amirtay said patting his head moving past him into the hunt, Neteyam frowned going to follow when Lo'ak brought him back to their father.

Jake walked through dropping the animal down in front of his sons. "An emerald hexapede, right before our eyes." Lo'ak grins touching the head, Neteyam eyes turned from the animal to his father who was speaking rather close to his mother.

"Kiri, Tuk, come feel it." Lo'ak continued to speak, Kiri stood up from the tree she leaned on, watching her parents glancing back at her older sister, both wearing worried expressions. "Lo'ak it's dead, isn't that weird that you're touching a dead animal?"

Lo'ak turned to her with furrowed eyes. "....no."

-

Nightfall came down on them, the plants, leaves and the water glowed around them making it impossible to miss, Amiryat spent most of her days by the lake after hunting with her dad, Lo'ak would join her unless he was grounded because of his reckless behavior.

"ma Amiryat." Neytiri beautiful voice came around from the large trees, Amiryat turned her head at the sound of her mothers voice, listening to her feet as she got closer sitting down by her.

"Mom." Amiryat greeted crossing her legs admiring the water and the glowing plants staring back up at her. Neytiri reached out smoothing down her daughters head, Amiryat smiled leaning into her mothers embrace. "What is bothering you?"

So many things were bothering her, every time she would look at her father she always had a feeling that what she would never be enough and that terrifies her, all her life she needed to be this role-model for her siblings always needing to be the perfect daughter with no mistakes made.

Amiryat sigh twisting her mothers bracelet around, shaking the negative thoughts. "Many things... especially dad." Neytiri brushed her hair back bringing her daughters head to lay on her. "Your father can be tough when it comes to you, he still adapting to this life, and you are our first born, our first baby, when will it not be hard."

Amiryat knew that, her father had tough skin he came from earth not knowing that his life would be what it is today, on earth he didn't have anything, his parents died then his twin brother was killed, he no reason to stay on earth.

"I know, but what changed? He wasn't like that with me— he's just.. he's different around me." Amiryat tells her pulling back enough to read her mother's expression. "like today we killed an animal and he looked so proud but—" she paused shaking her head. "He didn't say it and I know it shouldn't matter but it does, it does to me and if Neteyam was the one who took the shot, he would have said it."

Neytiri didn't disagree with her. Jake had been a lot tougher on their daughter for the past year, but Jake has been trying to keep a balanced relationship between them but after an accident with Tuk, Jake couldn't look Amiryat in the eye for a week, it was that bad, Neytiri has tried to reason with her husband, it was an honest mistake that her daughter learn her lesson after grounding her from her own ikran.

"I'm sorry, mother, I shouldn't be tell these things, it's bad enough already, I'll see you back home." Amiryat smiled softly kissing her mothers cheek goodnight, standing up from the ground and making her way back home, leaving her mother and her thoughts.

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