Songcord
Waytelem
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"Thank you for coming, Tspira, Kisa, Nay'al, and Tataw." Mo'at greeted. The fire glow illuminated her face, giving her a warm appearance. The enclosed tent provided enough quiet from the hard working na'vi outside.

Tspira was an older woman, about Mo'ats age. She had thinner eyes, shifting between her mate, Nay'al, and her Tsahik. Kisa and her mate Tataw were of similar age to the others, a little older.

"For a long time now, we have searched for someone to take in our dreamwalker Hia'ino." Mo'at began.

"We cannot, Mo'at." Tataw said, "you know where we stand." He said, looking to his mate. She blinked in agreement.

Mo'at looked to Tspira.

She shook her head.

"Then it is decided. I will give her a name. I will give her a mother as well." Mo'at stood, dusting herself off.

"Wouldn't you speak with Olo'eyktan first?" Nay'al asked. Putting his hand up to get her to reconsider.

"He and I have talked before about it. But I have seen the path. I am prepared." She said stubbornly, "who else would teach her to make her songcord?" Mo'at chuckled and collected a few bowls of beads and paint.

And so it was in motion.

Mo'at gathered the clan, her mate by her side. Tsu'tey was already there.

"Send for Hia'ino, Tsu'tey. Be quick." She ordered the warrior. He rushed off, and soon, Hia'ino came in a hurry, believing it to be an emergency.

She was under the eyes of the clan again, but her fear flooded when she saw smiles. She smiled at her Tsahik.

"I see you, Tsahik." She made the I see you gesture, greeting her joyfully. The Tsahik greeted her back, a smile on her face.

"I see you, child. You need not be so formal." Mo'at smiled knowingly.

"But you are Tsahik-" Hia began.

"To the clan yes, to you, I am now Mother. I am taking you in." She stepped forward, paint in one hand, and she touched Hia's shoulder.

"It is as Eywa wills it to be." She reassured.

She dipped her hand into the paint and drew a symbol on her forehead.

"You are Hia'ino te Kan'ina Mo'at'ite. Hia'ino, of the Kan'ina, my daughter. You are precise, you are adept at reading the forest. You are Omatikaya." Mo'at said warmly, finishing the paint.

The clan clicked with agreement, even yips of congratulations. Tsu'tey wore a great grin on his face. Even as she hadn't finished Iknimaya yet, she was already part of the people, if only for practical reasons.

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Excited to have any connection to the people, Hia adapted quickly to having Mo'at guide her. After all, Eywa wills it to be so. How could it be wrong?

"Start with your adoption. These beads mean new life." Mo'at strung two beads together, it was her family and Hia.

"Each bead represents a milestone and then the next will be your feelings about it. The meaning it has and then you thank Eywa for nights of life and days of life. Two beads and then one long bead to thank Eywa by name." Mo'at instructed.

Hia picked a warm colored bead for maternal love, another for rebirth, and another for luck. Uncertain times, two beads. Thanks for night, thanks for day, thanks for Eywa.

"That is the start of your songcord. It is the record of your life as Na'vi. You will add beads for every milestone and feeling. And all songcords have an ending bead. Never forget." Mo'at said, inspecting the beads, placing a long bead at the end: a spacial marker.

"Your song is short so far." She tied it off for the time being and left more string to add onto it when another milestone happens.

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"You should add your human life." Tsu'tey said, eyeing the songcord.

"No, I couldn't, it would be separate. I don't feel like who I was before." Hia smiled softly, taking back her songcord, tying it to her loincloth.

"What about you? Your songcord." She asked the warrior. He rolled his eyes and took his from his loincloth.

"Here." He held it up.

It was a white bead for birth, yellow for his health, a strong baby boy. The feelings he had. The light of hope. Beads for joy. Thanks for life in night and day, thanks to Eywa. His first kill, his hope for Iknimaya, his joy, new death, new change. Joyful times, thanks for life in night and day, thanks to Eywa. The death of Sylwanin, she was beloved to him. He wept much, his heart broke. The clan wept for their fallen children. New death, no hope. Thanks for life in day and night, thanks to Eywa.

What was new was a bead for a woman, a strange one. Some sort of fond feeling bead under it. Hope and joy. She brings hope. She brings joy. He is happy. Thanks to Eywa for life in day and in night.

"I don't record everything. There are gaps. But... tell me," he took back his songcord, "who were you? What would your songcord look like?" He asked, pushing the bowl of beads to her.

She put her hands up in surprise, hesitance.

"I..." she paused and began work.

White for her birth. Deep blue for poor health. A yellow bead for a happy family member, her grandmother. Her happy beginnings. Confused beginnings. Thanks to Eywa.

The next was joining the military, an unpainted bead. Her joy in two beads, her loss of her grandmother in the next two. Times of mourning. Thanks to Eywa.

Her service in Nigeria with a crimson bead for anger and loss, times of war. Her anger, her loss, her good times. Times of brotherhood. Thanks to Eywa.

Her blossoming love with a man, a warm toned bead. Her joy, their romance, their partnership. Times of peace and joy. Her heart sings. Thanks to Eywa.

A mournful black bead, a death of her partner, for lack of better terms, her mate. Her anger, sorrow and guilt. Her heart breaks. Thanks to Eywa.

An angry red bead, her father leaving. Her anger, determination, her need for guidance. A new beginning. Thanks to Eywa. The ending bead, white as her birth, signifying her death.

Tsu'tey took it within his hands, looking over it, trying to picture who she was. He couldn't see it, not fully. Hia looked down at her hands, she was picking at her nails when the silence hung heavy in the air.

"What were you called?" He asked, his eyes lingered on her visage. Her large blue green eyes gazed into his with a soft quality.

"I was Lieutenant Aria Cirice "Hood" Quaritch. I was a leader. My first name was Aria, my familial name is Quaritch, my second name is Cirice, Hood is what my squad called me. I was fierce. But I am no longer her, not while I am a daughter of the Omatikaya." She looked back down at her hands, almost shameful of her former name.

"Who are you now?" He asked, taking her hand, making her look back up with just a touch.

"Hia'ino of the Kan'ina, daughter of Mo'at. Warrior of Omatikaya." She said firmly.

"Never forget." Tsu'tey affirmed.