Post by Makto Fa'lihu on Jul 18, 2010 20:50:04 GMT -5
The rain was tapering off as though giving them a temporary reprieve, though Tsa'krrtep could see from the dark curtain sweeping toward them from the clouds' underbelly that it wouldn't last long.
George was quiet as his pa'li loped down the trail towards Hell's Gate, flinging sprays of mud from its hooves. He and his teacher Tsa'krrtep brought up the rear guard of the fa'li complement. His karyu rode slightly behind and to the side of him, the better to monitor his riding skills. She hadn't been convinced he was ready for such a long ride, but so far he had surprised her with his calm skill.
She could tell he was preoccupied with something. He was not as alert to his environment as usual and didn't even seem to notice the yerik which stared at them from the verge of the forest along the trail. Urging her pa'li forward until she came alongside him, she motioned for him to slow a little. His pa'li slowed to a trot and she matched the pace.
He looked at her questioningly. "Ma George," she began, "I heard you speaking to our smukan, the aynantang. Why did you do that?" Her question had a hard edge to it, almost a challenge.
"My mother, Toktor Grace," he said. "She taught me everything I know. I know Eywa brings good to all living things, and I respect her greatly." He bowed his head. "I am actually one of The People back on Earth. They are called Native American. I have lived their ways my whole life. I used to walk in the forests, play with animals, and felt truly one with nature. I have learned to respect all things no matter what they are. Eywa is wonderful and she has shown me amazing things. I have learned through her eyes that you must have a respect for all things in life, whether it would be a simple flower, or another being. I meditate about these things all the time, blessing all things here and things that others have lost."
He started to blush slightly as he continued on. A few tree sprites landed on his shoulder. He touched one gently and sent it on its way. "I feel something good is going to happen, and I cannot wait to see what it is."
Tsa'krrtep eyed him closely. Grace had no mate. "Toktor Grace had no child, ma numeyu. What do you mean, 'mother'?"
He let out a long sigh as he trekked on. "When I was very little, my mother and father were killed by the skypeople. Toktor Grace took me in as her adopted son so I could be raised the right way. I worked with her after I finished school. A short time later I came here and begin studying about the Na'vi, Eywa, how our Great Mother works." He rambled on and on.
"Grace disappeared after I had lost all communications at Site 34 H. I lost power after a thunderstorm stuck there while I was gone one day. I returned to find the satellite destroyed, and only had partial power. This was before the war ever happened. I tried restoring it the best I could but I had no luck. The only things I can have running is the fridge and the link pod for my Uniltìrantokx"
Nodding her head, Tsa'krrtep considered his words. She had not known this about George. In a strange way, George's history paralleled her own. Skypeople had killed his parents, too, as well as hers. And both of them were taken under wing by others who taught them the ways of their people. In George's case, it was obvious his teacher had been unusual for a skyperson, a tawtute who could teach him to see. Everyone who knew Toktor Grace knew she could see like one of the People. It was becoming less easy to see George as tawtute, and more easy to see him as one who understood Eywa and The People. This would be something she would have to think about for awhile.
A slow rain had been coming down for quite some time. Another yerik sprinted off into the woods as they trotted past. George's attention was drawn to an incongruous object near the edge of the woods, barely visible from the trail. It was an abandoned AMP suit, blood covered and not functional.
He stopped his pa'li and walked over to investigate it. It lay on its side amidst shattered glass and twisted wires. About half the cockpit was submerged from the pounding rain, and spattered with tawny mud. His eye caught a bright metallic glimmer and came to rest on a small medallion of some sort. He carefully reached into the wreckage and removed the object. He clicked it open and his sharp intake of breath startled Tsa'krrtep, who had also dismounted to investigate. She moved closer and looked over his shoulder. A photo of Toktor Grace stared back at them. George's ears perked up and his tail thrashed, as his gold eyes looked about the woods like an eagle searching for prey.
Tsa'krrtep stepped back, alert to George's reaction, watching him. George stuffed the medallion into an almost imperceptible pouch where he already carried another picture of Grace. The look on his face as he returned to his pa'li told Tsa'krrtep that his spirit was troubled. In one smooth movement, she sprang lightly onto her pa'li and made tsaheylu. Clicking her tongue, she motioned to George to follow suit. They would have to accelerate their pace to catch up to the samsiyu ahead of them now. She allowed George to reach the trail first, and then kept her eye on him as they urged their mounts into a gallop toward Hell's Gate.
George made tsaheylu and clicked his tongue, ordering the pa'li to go forward but at a faster pace to catch the other samsiyu that were ahead of them. His face remained blank as he looked at the ground, thinking about what might have happened to Grace. The rain had let up now and the noise of forest banshees could be heard as they trotted along. He stared at his karyu for a moment then turned his head to the trail before him. He began to wonder if this whole trip was worth the while. He closed his eyes as he meditated on what he had thought about so far. His pa'li flicked its ears back at him, confused at the images passing through their connection.
Not much further up the trail they heard another type of banshee shriek and looked up quickly to see a loose formation of ikran aymaktoyu bearing down on them. Tsa'krrtep recognized Jake's ikran Txur in the lead and raised her bow in salutation. Neytiri gave them a brief wave in passing, and then the ikran were gone, receding swiftly into the distance with only a strong current of air against their faces to mark their passage.
The karyu and her student swiftly caught up with the other aymaktoyu, though they remained at the end of the pa'li train. It was less than an hour later, as the gray dawn began to touch pale fingers to the Pandoran landscape, that the pa'li train finally galloped into sight of the Lookout Tree and Hell's Gate. Their destiny, their fate, would depend upon the outcome of today's meeting with Jake and the new sawtute leaders. The well-disciplined riders were nervous but resolute. Jake was their leader. They knew they were in good hands.
George was quiet as his pa'li loped down the trail towards Hell's Gate, flinging sprays of mud from its hooves. He and his teacher Tsa'krrtep brought up the rear guard of the fa'li complement. His karyu rode slightly behind and to the side of him, the better to monitor his riding skills. She hadn't been convinced he was ready for such a long ride, but so far he had surprised her with his calm skill.
She could tell he was preoccupied with something. He was not as alert to his environment as usual and didn't even seem to notice the yerik which stared at them from the verge of the forest along the trail. Urging her pa'li forward until she came alongside him, she motioned for him to slow a little. His pa'li slowed to a trot and she matched the pace.
He looked at her questioningly. "Ma George," she began, "I heard you speaking to our smukan, the aynantang. Why did you do that?" Her question had a hard edge to it, almost a challenge.
"My mother, Toktor Grace," he said. "She taught me everything I know. I know Eywa brings good to all living things, and I respect her greatly." He bowed his head. "I am actually one of The People back on Earth. They are called Native American. I have lived their ways my whole life. I used to walk in the forests, play with animals, and felt truly one with nature. I have learned to respect all things no matter what they are. Eywa is wonderful and she has shown me amazing things. I have learned through her eyes that you must have a respect for all things in life, whether it would be a simple flower, or another being. I meditate about these things all the time, blessing all things here and things that others have lost."
He started to blush slightly as he continued on. A few tree sprites landed on his shoulder. He touched one gently and sent it on its way. "I feel something good is going to happen, and I cannot wait to see what it is."
Tsa'krrtep eyed him closely. Grace had no mate. "Toktor Grace had no child, ma numeyu. What do you mean, 'mother'?"
He let out a long sigh as he trekked on. "When I was very little, my mother and father were killed by the skypeople. Toktor Grace took me in as her adopted son so I could be raised the right way. I worked with her after I finished school. A short time later I came here and begin studying about the Na'vi, Eywa, how our Great Mother works." He rambled on and on.
"Grace disappeared after I had lost all communications at Site 34 H. I lost power after a thunderstorm stuck there while I was gone one day. I returned to find the satellite destroyed, and only had partial power. This was before the war ever happened. I tried restoring it the best I could but I had no luck. The only things I can have running is the fridge and the link pod for my Uniltìrantokx"
Nodding her head, Tsa'krrtep considered his words. She had not known this about George. In a strange way, George's history paralleled her own. Skypeople had killed his parents, too, as well as hers. And both of them were taken under wing by others who taught them the ways of their people. In George's case, it was obvious his teacher had been unusual for a skyperson, a tawtute who could teach him to see. Everyone who knew Toktor Grace knew she could see like one of the People. It was becoming less easy to see George as tawtute, and more easy to see him as one who understood Eywa and The People. This would be something she would have to think about for awhile.
A slow rain had been coming down for quite some time. Another yerik sprinted off into the woods as they trotted past. George's attention was drawn to an incongruous object near the edge of the woods, barely visible from the trail. It was an abandoned AMP suit, blood covered and not functional.
He stopped his pa'li and walked over to investigate it. It lay on its side amidst shattered glass and twisted wires. About half the cockpit was submerged from the pounding rain, and spattered with tawny mud. His eye caught a bright metallic glimmer and came to rest on a small medallion of some sort. He carefully reached into the wreckage and removed the object. He clicked it open and his sharp intake of breath startled Tsa'krrtep, who had also dismounted to investigate. She moved closer and looked over his shoulder. A photo of Toktor Grace stared back at them. George's ears perked up and his tail thrashed, as his gold eyes looked about the woods like an eagle searching for prey.
Tsa'krrtep stepped back, alert to George's reaction, watching him. George stuffed the medallion into an almost imperceptible pouch where he already carried another picture of Grace. The look on his face as he returned to his pa'li told Tsa'krrtep that his spirit was troubled. In one smooth movement, she sprang lightly onto her pa'li and made tsaheylu. Clicking her tongue, she motioned to George to follow suit. They would have to accelerate their pace to catch up to the samsiyu ahead of them now. She allowed George to reach the trail first, and then kept her eye on him as they urged their mounts into a gallop toward Hell's Gate.
George made tsaheylu and clicked his tongue, ordering the pa'li to go forward but at a faster pace to catch the other samsiyu that were ahead of them. His face remained blank as he looked at the ground, thinking about what might have happened to Grace. The rain had let up now and the noise of forest banshees could be heard as they trotted along. He stared at his karyu for a moment then turned his head to the trail before him. He began to wonder if this whole trip was worth the while. He closed his eyes as he meditated on what he had thought about so far. His pa'li flicked its ears back at him, confused at the images passing through their connection.
Not much further up the trail they heard another type of banshee shriek and looked up quickly to see a loose formation of ikran aymaktoyu bearing down on them. Tsa'krrtep recognized Jake's ikran Txur in the lead and raised her bow in salutation. Neytiri gave them a brief wave in passing, and then the ikran were gone, receding swiftly into the distance with only a strong current of air against their faces to mark their passage.
The karyu and her student swiftly caught up with the other aymaktoyu, though they remained at the end of the pa'li train. It was less than an hour later, as the gray dawn began to touch pale fingers to the Pandoran landscape, that the pa'li train finally galloped into sight of the Lookout Tree and Hell's Gate. Their destiny, their fate, would depend upon the outcome of today's meeting with Jake and the new sawtute leaders. The well-disciplined riders were nervous but resolute. Jake was their leader. They knew they were in good hands.