A full month passed beneath the open sky and shifting tides of the Metkayina.
For Nussudle, time did not move in days but in repetition. Each sunrise brought the same salt-heavy wind, the same rolling surf, the same rhythm of life shaped by water rather than forest floor. What had first felt alien slowly became familiar.
By the end of the first week, he no longer fought the skimwing.
By the end of the second, he rode the Skimwing alike to a direhorse but in water instead.
The skimwing moved as an extension of his intent, its broad fins cutting across the water's surface with sharp precision. When it dove, he followed without hesitation. When it leapt, he shifted his weight instinctively, trusting the creature's strength and speed. The sea no longer felt like a wall.
Some of the Metkayina noticed.
They watched him during training, during hunts, during long hours spent beneath the water, learning how currents spoke through pressure and movement. He learned which fish could be taken without offence, which plants were left untouched, and how food was shared not by status but by contribution.
Fish replaced meat and fruits. Dapophet, a plant used to soothe burns, was constantly applied. His once deep blue skin turned light purple from the burns of constantly being in the sun.
He listened more than he spoke.
That earned him quiet respect.
Tonowari's father and mother were cautious but fair. They questioned him openly, not with suspicion but expectation. They wanted to know, really, why a forest Na'vi had crossed so much sky and sea. Nussudle answered honestly. He spoke of his spirit bonding being a slinger and that something within him drove him to explore and learn from others.
They approved of that. One for following your spirit path and another for being so honest with strangers.
Tonowari, however, didn't show such an open attitude even after his mother's scolding.
The young warrior kept his distance, polite in public, cold in private. He trained harder when Nussudle was present, pushed himself during hunts, and spoke little unless required. The Metkayina trusted Nussudle more each day, yet they still watched Nova closely.
A mighty ikran did not belong near the sea.
Nova sensed it too.
He perched away from the main village, choosing stone spires and high ledges instead of woven platforms. The sea breeze unsettled him, though he endured it for Nussudle's sake. Some of the Metkayina youths whispered when he passed. Others simply stared.
The bond between rider and beast remained strong, but the tribe's trust did not extend to Nova.
Nussudle accepted that, and so he did not push the matter.
Yet one day the sea became active, not calm, but attentive.
The Metkayina felt it first. Conversations stopped. Heads turned toward the horizon as a low sound carried across the waves, deep and resonant, more felt than heard. Some began prematurely celebrating as some chanted and sang, whilst others prepared for their arrival.
The tulkun had arrived.
The village stirred with sudden purpose. Hunters moved to the water's edge. Children dived into the sea. Elders moved with vigour, not alike with their age, as all members of the Metkayina strove into the cove to meet the Tulun.
Unfortunately, Nussudle had been assigned by Arvek to follow Tonowari during the meeting with the Tulkun.
They swam just a few metres from the village before massive forms rolled and rose, their dark backs glistening beneath the sun. Blasts of water sprayed into the air as the celebration began.
Calls echoed across the water. Arms lifted in greeting. Drums beat with fervour. The ocean itself carried the moment.
Tonowari stepped forward and raised his arms.
"An'On'Maw," he called.
The tulkun responded.
A vast head surfaced, eyes youthful and calm. The creature's presence was overwhelming, not in size alone but in awareness. It watched the gathered Na'vi as one might watch a family returning after a long absence.
Nussudle felt the weight of it settle into his chest.
Tonowari turned slightly. "This is my spirit brother." A faint smile played on his lips as he glanced at Nussudle's awe of his brother.
He began to sign.
The language was slow, deliberate, shaped by movement. Nussudle followed every gesture, every shift of posture. He had spent weeks learning it underwater, guided by Arvek and seasoned warriors. Where once his hands had stumbled, now they moved with the currents of the ocean.
An'On'Maw noticed.
The tulkun's eye shifted toward Nussudle. A low rumble passed through the water.
A greeting.
Tonowari glanced at him, surprised despite himself. He continued signing, introducing the forest Na'vi, explaining his presence, his reasons for coming.
Nussudle responded in kind.
Moving his hand respectfully and carefully so as not to offend the Tulkun.
An'On'Maw dipped his head once.
From behind, movement broke the moment. A figure leapt forward and collided with Tonowari in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
"Hello, Tono," Ronal said brightly, clinging to him.
Tonowari groaned. "Get off, Ronal."
Ronal laughed and then turned her sharp gaze toward Nussudle. "Hi, Nuss."
Nussudle inclined his head slightly. "Hello Ronal, are you okay today?"
She smiled at that. "I'm doing amazing, my spirit sister should be arriving soon. You should meet her."
A tulkun circled forward as it lightly passed An'On and raised its head, greeting Ronal.
Ronal in kind signed 'hello' to her sister before introducing Nussudle, before Ronal and her sister moved away from Tonowari, An'On and Nussudle.
The celebration continued, quieter now, filled with shared stories and food. Nussudle stood at the edge of it all, watching.
He did not mind.
Although many have trust in him now, he is still seen as an outsider.
That evening, the village settled into a gentle calm as children played.
Fires burned low. Fish dried on racks. The sound of water replaced voices as the dominant presence. Nussudle sat on a woven platform overlooking the sea, feet dangling just above the tide.
Nova perched on a distant rock, wings folded tight. He watched the horizon, alert, unmoving.
Nussudle understood the feeling.
He had learned much in a month. How to breathe longer beneath the water. How to read currents like paths through a forest. How Metkayina's life revolved not around roots and trunks but reefs and migrations.
Yet some things remained distant.
The Metkayina accepted him as a guest. Some trusted him as an ally. Few saw him as one of their own. Nova's presence reminded them daily that he belonged to the sky and forest, not the sea.
Tonowari approached quietly.
"You spoke well today," he said.
Nussudle nodded. "Your brother looks impressive, Tonowari."
"He always has," Tonowari spoke proudly before he paused. "You have learned our ways faster than most would."
"And I still have more to learn," Nussudle replied.
Tonowari studied him for a moment, then looked toward Nova, still perched atop a rocky pillar. "The ikran makes some uneasy."
"I know."
"But you do not hide him."
"I won't, he has the same connection to me as you do to your brother," Nussudle said simply.
Tonowari exhaled slowly. "Very well, Nussudle."
They stood together in silence, watching the stars reflect across the water's surface. Somewhere beneath them, the tulkun sang, their voices carrying far beyond sight.
Nussudle felt the pull of two worlds within him. The forest called through memory and bond. The sea spoke through rhythm and patience.
He did not know yet which path would shape him more.
But he knew this month had changed him.