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Post by Neytiri on Jun 4, 2010 0:18:09 GMT -5
Neytiri walked briskly down the well worn path to Hometree. The underbrush was dense here, so she was almost upon George's teacher before she knew it. She fell in step with Tsa'krrtep, who wouldn't meet her eyes. After all, it was Neytiri's fault that she was stuck with this insufferable alien presence!
It was time for the communal evening meal, and since Jake wasn't here yet, Neytiri hoped she could have a word with Tsa'krrtep about George. No such luck. As soon as they reached the dining area, Tsa'krrtep went her own way without a word, climbing toward a high sheltered area. She obviously didn't want company.
Neytiri scooped some teylu pudding onto her leaf and nibbled at it as she found the seating set aside for her and Jake. Her eyes roamed the hall.
Minutes later a slow moving shape entered the dining hall. George stood there and looked around, somewhat dazedly. A minute or two went by before he shuffled towards the food, taking a small helping, and finding a spot to sit alone. His leaf plate rested on his lap for a few minutes. His eyes were cast downward, not seeing anything. Finally he straightened his shoulders and began to eat slowly.
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Post by Toruk Makto on Jun 4, 2010 0:35:50 GMT -5
After leaving the thicket he walked down the light path that was forming between the thicket and new Hometree. It was about a ten minute walk and one can find their mind starts to wander. Jake's did, but not on idle thoughts, his were of the day ahead of them. What would tomorrow bring? War or peace? He also thought of his past, his time stationed under the man he would now be making demands of. A General, not something one does every day, and he, Jake, was still ranked as a Corporal in his records. He laughed to himself as he walked into the massive Hometree shadow. Even this close its trunks were flanked by the thick forest before him.
As he walked through the mighty towering roots that twisted into the two massive trunks that are Hometree, he walked straight to the spiral and up to the dining area. Music and chit chat were heard from the main floor. It was dinner time and he could not wait to sit by his mate and have some teylu pudding and some yerik, which would peel from the bones like a well barbecued chicken.
He got to the top of the spiral and the scents of the food and the smoke from the cooking fire pits filled the air. He stood there for a few seconds glancing around to see if he found any faces he recognized. His mate was on a root-like ledge against the far wall where they liked to sit. The area had been adorned with weavings and trinkets of all kinds after the clan figured this was their spot for eating. He approached her, passing George along the way and noticed that Tsa'krrtep was on a high ledge overlooking the eating area. This is a place where children tended to eat although none were there at this time.
He bent down and picked up a large leaf to serve as a plate then spooned out some of his favorite teylu stew mixed with yerik and fresh stingbat. Standing up, he walked over to his mate and sat next to her on the root. Holding her serving leaf in one hand, she scooted closer to him, putting her free arm around him and leaning in for a kiss.
He began to eat then stoped. "Nga yawne lu oer." She laughed and responded, "Nga yawne lu oer, ma muntxatan." He smiled back, then resumed eating his stew.
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 4, 2010 0:38:03 GMT -5
Neytiri finished her meal quickly. It seemed she had been much hungrier lately, and this delicious stew was quite filling. Leaning back against the wall of roots, she turned to Jake who was still absorbed in his meal.
"My love, I am afraid we have a problem." He looked alarmed, trying to swallow his last bite. She put a reassuring hand on his thigh and shook her head. "Not the baby. I'm afraid it's our newest uniltìranyu, George."
"Hmmm?" Jake resumed eating, giving her a questioning glance.
Sighing, Neytiri explained. "I watched Tsa'krrtep with him this afternoon. She knew I was there observing. I am afraid of what might have happened to him if I weren't there. Her anger is affecting the pa'li, making it nervous. Poor George can barely hang on. I think he has the basics, though he's not too good. But she makes it worse. I almost believe that's what she wants."
Jake finished his stew, wiping his fingers on another large leaf. He glanced upward and sure enough, Tsa'krrtep was still seated on her high perch, looking down at George the way a cat watches a mouse. George, he noticed, was sitting quietly by himself, an island of dejection. He was barely eating. Apparently the time had come for Jake to talk with both of them.
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Post by Toruk Makto on Jun 4, 2010 1:36:18 GMT -5
He stood up and offered his mate a hand, she took it and they left the dining area for their quarters two levels below. It was a hollowed out chamber of a root with much room in it. Small bladders emit light down here and there was always a fire burning in the center. To one side was their hammock. There was a small wall of bark from another root that divided their space where only when Neytiri was gone did he have meetings with his tsamsiyu and taronyu ayeyktan.
He addressed his Neytiri with a soft finger under her chin. "At sundown I want to see George, Tsa'krrtep, Norm and Katja on the main dais." She nodded then accepted a kiss from her mate.
This room was chosen for privacy, there were no other Omatikaya in this area and it was one of their most private areas to speak, especially when it involved matters such as the way Tsa'krrtep was treating George.
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 4, 2010 15:24:40 GMT -5
Finishing the final inspection of her Samson, satisfied that everything was in perfect working order with the automatic shutoff of the cooling systems, Katja packed it in for the evening and followed a faint trail back to Hometree.
As she reached the main trail she joined several family groups, laughing and chatting on their way to the evening meal. Unconsciously, her hand slipped to her belly and she smiled thinking of their child-to-be, just beginning its growth within her womb. It didn't matter whether it was male or female, just so long as it was healthy. Her brow furrowsed a little as she walked...no one really knew how second generation Na'vi-avatar matings would work out. It worried her a little.
As she entered the dining hall, a distraction came by way of a leaf heaped high with food, handed to her by her mate who had been patiently waiting for her there. Eylikan'a was a thoughtful mate - sometimes a little too solicitous. He often plied her with food now that she was pregnant, and tonight was no exception. Some of the meal oozed over the leaf's edge and left a trail of drips on the woven flooring. Eylikan'a gave her a chagrined look and headed off for something to clean up the mess while Katja found seating for them amongst the groups already eating.
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Post by Makto Fa'lihu on Jun 4, 2010 15:25:53 GMT -5
George sighed to himself as he walked out from Hometree. He noticed several bows and some arrows leaning on an exterior root. He chose one of the bows as well as several arrows. Continuing out into the field beyond Hometree he discovered the main targeting area. Rough circles had been drawn on some large downed limbs and marks from arrow impacts were all over the sides within the drawn rings. He took aim and droped an arrow just inside the outer ring. The bowstring pulling at the underside of his fingers caused a tingling pain.
He nocked another arrow and made note of how his fingers drew back on the bowstring. He slowly drew and released again. This time the arrow was closer to its mark. After several minutes of this he managed to split one of his previous arrows, closest to the center of the circle. He regarded it silently for a few seconds then slowly lowered himself to the ground, placing the bow and remaining arrows at his side. Sighing he thought to himself, "I'd like to know what I have done to her. I have done my best."
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 4, 2010 16:57:52 GMT -5
Leaving Jake in their private chambers, Neytiri climbed nimbly back to the dining hall. Her pregnancy had not yet slowed her down. As she expected, she found Katja and Eylikan'a chatting and eating. She told them quickly that Jake would like to see them at sundown on the main dais, and they nodded as she left them to finish their meal. She had already spoken with Norm, who was eating with Peyral and a group of other uniltìranyu and their Na'vi mates.
George was nowhere to be seen. Tsa'krrtep, on the other hand, had descended from her perch and was eating. Seeing Neytiri walking towards her, she began to gulp the food down, obviously hoping to finish and move on before there was any confrontation.
"Tsa'krrtep? Jake would like to see you on the main dais at sundown," Neytiri said briefly, giving the Na'vi a slight smile. Tsa'krrtep grimaced. Nodded.
"Have you seen George?" asked Neytiri, knowing that if anyone was keeping tabs on him, it would be his karyu.
The teacher rolled her eyes and jerked her head toward the outside, a disapproving gesture.
Outside and in an open space to the east of Hometree, she spotted George practicing with a longbow. He was absorbed in the task, and she watched from behind him as he hit his mark several times, once even impressively splitting a previous arrow. He finally lowered himself to the ground and sat with his head in his hands, the bow beside him. She read his sadness in the droop of his shoulders and his downcast appearance.
"Ma George?" She approached him from the side, not wanting to startle him again.
He straightened up, his hands dropping to his knees. "Ma Neytiri" he acknowledged, and got to his feet. "Is there something I can do for you?"
Her smile reassured him. "Jake has asked you to meet with him on the main dais at sunset tonight. Your teacher will be there too."
A look of confusion and concern crossed his face. "Why? What have I done now?" he asked.
"You have done nothing wrong. Don't worry. Jake would like to talk with you and Tsa'krrtep about plans for tomorrow, and for many days in the future."
George was relieved, but still mildly apprehensive. He knew Neytiri was trying to help and he spontaneously reached out to give her a hug in gratitude.
She quickly leapt back, shaking her head. "Kehe," she says, making it clear he is not to do this. "You are still uniltìranyu and do not know our ways. This is not permitted. You will learn our customs before your Uniltaron, your Dream Hunt, when you become Omatikaya. Then you will understand." With another quick smile, she turned and headed back to Hometree.
He stood still and looked after her. It seems he is always doing something wrong, not quite understanding what is expected of him. Sighing, he shook his head. Yet he knew he had allies and that most of the Omatikaya will welcome him into their midst. If only Tsa'krrtep were one of them! Beautiful and very skilled in hunting and war, he admired and respected her, and even once thought wistfully - and very briefly - of a future together. He sigheds again, more deeply this time. If only....
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Post by Toruk Makto on Jun 4, 2010 23:11:20 GMT -5
Sundown was coming earlier and earlier each day, the Pandoran solstice was not far off and Jakesully stood on the dais. The clan was busy with indoor stuff now and the night taronyu were on the hunt.
Fires and bioluminescent bladders provided light, the smell from the earlier meal still hung strong in the air and some Na'vi were heading back for seconds. Jake noticed as Norm and Peyral met them first, both with smiles on their faces. They were happy that they were chosen to go to Hell's Gate even though it was reoccupied by the sawtute, because they had already had an appointment to see Max about Peyral's pregnancy.
"Jake, thanks for bringing us along," Norm said as he approached and the two did a forearm handshake. Peyral bowed her head and touched her brow in a gesture of oel ngati kameie. He nodded the same to her.
His eyes rose off Peyral and he saw Katja and Eylikan'a coming from the same direction. Like Peyral, Katja had an appointment as well, and she was also really excited she would finally get the retrofit for her Samson so she could use the controls more comfortably with her Na'vi sized hands and feet.
Finally George came, followed by his karyu about three meters behind him, still having fire in her eyes; had she been looking at George he might have burst into flames. Once George stopped in front of Jake and Tsa'krrtep drew up alongside him, Jake spoke.
"So, we all know about the Gate and that I have a meeting in the morning. I am having you - gesturing to Norm and Katja - come along because of your appointments with Max. I know how important this is to you. In that regard, keep your eyes and ears open, take no action unless I order it."
He then turned towards George and sighed. "You have learned enough to ride your pa'li to the Gate, it is a long ride and you will leave with other pa'li aymaktoyu and your karyu before sunrise, so get your rest." He dismissed the others with a nod and wave of the hand. "You know your places and when to be there. Kä." He then looked at Tsa'krrtep. "Come." He turned his back and headed out of Hometree. She followed, a frown on her face. Once outside Hometree they both stopped, he turned and faced her. She could only raise her eyes to meet his gaze and then she shied away again. He had a very disappointed look on his face and she couldn't stand it.
"Tsa'krrtep, you are one of my finest aytaronyu and samsiyu. Mo'at tells me it is rare for someone of your age to even be an taronyu eyktan. For that I am glad, and saddened. I hoped you would have jumped at the chance to teach an unìltarontokx. Yet you constantly belittle and completely disrespect him. Why?"
Tsa'krrtep was silent.
"I demand an answer!"
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 5, 2010 0:14:33 GMT -5
She raised her eyes to look into Jake's, but she could not hold his gaze. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She hung her head. "Ma olo'eyktan, I have my reasons for hating him," she said, her voice trembling. His arms were crossed and he looked at her sternly. She continued, "I saw Sylwanin die. I was standing there with Neytiri and watched HIS PEOPLE, sawtute, slaughter her and others like animals!"
Her voice caught, and she hid her face in her hands. Jake could see her shoulders begin to shake with sobs. "And my parents never escaped from Hometree. They never left, couldn't believe their home would be gone, that anyone could be so heartless they'd destroy so many lives!" She was engulfed in emotion, tears running freely down her cheeks, her eyes finally riveted to Jake's as she poured out all her grief.
Jake allowed her to cry for awhile. When the tears began to slow, he said gently, "Ma Tsa'krrtep. You realize that I am the same as George, and yet I am your olo'eyktan. The Omatikaya gave me a chance. They realized that all sawtute are not the same. Not everyone's cup is full. I think you will find that George's cup is ready to be filled by a good teacher who can show him the ways of Our People. You may even learn to like him."
She looked at him and wiped the tears from her face. It was true. They all respected Jake, admired and honored him for what he had done for all Na'vi, not just the Omatikaya. He was Toruk Makto! Slowly she nodded.
"I will give him a chance, ma olo'eyktan. You are right. He is not like the kind who killed my parents or my friends." Tsa'krrtep straightened her back, took a deep breath and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I will be different with him. I will teach him the ways of Our People. Then we will see if he can become one of us, Omatikaya."
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Post by Toruk Makto on Jun 5, 2010 1:32:39 GMT -5
Jake walked over to Tsa'krrtep and put a strong hand on her shoulder. Her tension was gone now and he smiled. "Let us return for the night, tomorrow's journey is long for the pa'li aymaktoyu."
As they entered Hometree Neytiri was on the dais. Jake parted company with Tsa'krrtep and walked over to his mate. Neytiri noticed that Tsa'krrtep was much lighter on her feet, as if she had done a complete one-eighty on her attitude. Neytiri could not figure it out. "What did you say to her?" she asked him curiously.
"Just told her that I am the same as George. That all sawtute are not bad. I let her vent her emotions a bit about the loss of your sister and the loss of her family. After that, she told me that she would treat him differently...that's a quote by the way."
He placed his hands on either side of his mate's face and stood there smiling into her eyes. "Thank you for telling me the news of her and George. I see goodness in him, drive. Actually, a lot like Katja."
Neytiri placed her hands alongside his face and drew him to her for a kiss.
He accepted her kiss and it turned passionate. "We should get ready, I want to be back here in the morning to see the pa'li aymaktoyu off," he says to her.
She nodded and they went below to their alcove to get what they would need for the night: food, some wood for the fire and a woven mat that was already rolled up.
Once packed for their overnight journey into Iknimaya they headed up the branches towards their ikran. "I have a wonderful meal to prepare for you tonight," he said to her.
"I cannot wait, my love. This pregnancy is making me hungry all the time." She stopped for the briefest of moments to place a hand over her belly, not yet showing any baby bump.
He stopped and waited for her with a smile on his face, his eyes on her belly as she did this. He still cannot believe that he was going to be a father. Once she was done with this they continued up into the highest branches. He always let Neytiri call her ikran first, as this also brought Txur to the limb just behind. Nimue landed in front of Neytiri, her wings outspread, her head stretched toward her maktoyu in greeting. Neytiri grinned at her new ikran, a silver and lavender female. The riding gear was already in place, ready for her.
Txur, as always landed farther away, leaving Neytiri's new ikran to take the lead landing spot. Jake rounded Nimue and Neytiri and patted Txur Tsyal's head as the ikran leaned into him nearly knocking him over. "Easy boy." He got up laughing and took two pieces of yerik from the satchel over his shoulder and offered them one at a time to Txur, who happily chomped them down.
The two ikran cooed before both Na'vi and Olo'eyktan perform tsaheylu and boarded their mounts. The ikran were used to both of their riders now and without saying a word aloud, they were in the air, swooping down under the branches of their two Hometrees and heading east into Iknimaya.
It took only minutes to get into the floating mountains. It was dark now and Eywa lighted the way with the bioluminescence from the ground before, a path that the two followed many times now. They passed several large floating mountains then there it was, a moderately small, but still sizable floating rock, about the size of three football fields by Earth perspective.
The two landed at the same place they always did, between the waterfall and the entrance to the cavern. The pool and waterfall were also lit by Eywa, as were some of the plants here and there. Jake dismounted and unhitched the satchel on Txur's saddle. He walked over to Neytiri and offered her a hand down. Txur flapped his front wings and sent out a shriek before taking to the air and landing in a large tree on the other side of the pool. Nimue did the same after Neytiri claimed her belongings and the wood for the fire.
Jake first took the food and woven mat into the cavern then returned for the wood and carried that in. Neytiri was going through the supplies and was surprised to see an RDA food ration. Thanks to Grace's schooling, she understood the words on the package and realized she loved this meal. Halibut and what she called 'stripped potatoes', a term which made Jake smile every time he heard it..
Jake got to work building the fire and with a flint and rock he made it spark and smoke. He blew into the pit and the smaller sticks began to flame. The cooking fire was lit. Just have to wait for the large cooking stone to warm up over the fire and coals.
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Post by Makto Fa'lihu on Jun 5, 2010 2:20:53 GMT -5
On his way outside, George ran into Tsa'krrtep. He walked up to her and stood silently for a moment, gauging her mood.
"Ma Tsa'krrtep, I am sorry that I am not performing to your standards. I have never done this before." He let out a sigh. "I understand why you don't like me that much. I can't really blame you, but rest assured, I am not like them. If you give me a chance, I will prove myself. We all have lost people or things dear to us. I know that it is hard to get over death of our loved ones. I am here for you if you need to talk about it sometime."
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 5, 2010 12:37:50 GMT -5
She had been lost in quiet contemplation of Jake's words. At the sound of George's voice she looked up and saw him standing at a respectful distance, addressing her apologetically.
There was no hatred in her now, no animosity toward him. In fact, she was devoid of feeling. Empty, her own cup was waiting to be filled.
For a moment, she remained silent. Then she said, "Ma George, I have come to a new understanding of your position. I have not been fair with you. I have not given you a chance to prove your true worth. When I looked at you, I did not truly See you. For that I am wrong. Tomorrow begins a new day for all of us and I will try to See you for who you are." She regarded him steadily.
It wasn't much of an apology, but George was glad for her change of heart. Perhaps the new dawn would bring more than he thought into his life, and Tsa'krrtep would begin to see him in a new light.
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Post by Makto Fa'lihu on Jun 5, 2010 21:54:45 GMT -5
He smileed briefly and spoke, but with a more relieved tone.
"You know. I thought you purposely hated me for your personal enjoyment, but I see why you didn't like me. I will keep trying if you wish me to. I think I got the basics down. I just need to learn to balance better."
He started to laugh as his nerves relaxed more in her presence. He felt rather relieved that he had made a formal apology to her.
"Even though you may have had anger towards me, I had none toward you. I actually kinda looked forward to it a little bit, even though I didn't show it, but I must return to get rest. It is a big day tomorrow." He bowed his head in respect and made his exit.
He felt much better than before, knowing he made a formal apology, and had a nice little chat with her. He thought it was good for both of them and he knew he was right.
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 7, 2010 1:02:19 GMT -5
It had been two months since Jake surprised her with this remarkable place. Being in their special retreat always makes Neytiri very happy. It was the one place she had Jake to herself, where they could leave their clan leader roles behind and be free to explore each other's hearts. With Jake always so near, so completely hers alone, her spirit soared higher than an ikran.
As she passed the cavern entrance on her way to Jake, strange noises attracted Neytiri's attention. She paused by the opening, her ears focusing on the sounds, alert for their origin. It was quickly obvious that the ikrans had become very active in the tree beyond the pool. It was hard to see through the dim light, but she could tell from Nimue's greeting to Txur and the sounds of restless activity that something unusual was happening.
After a few moments of watching, Neytiri began to suspect what was going on. This, Jake should see. Walking over to him as he was bending over the fire, she touched him softly on the shoulder. He turned his head toward her as he continued to feed sticks into the fire pit, and looked at her questioningly.
"Jake? Tìng nari, look!" She gestured to the entrance.
Jake dropped his last few sticks in the fire pit, brushed his hands on his thighs and joined her at the cavern's entrance. As he followed her gaze to the large tree, her hand stole around his waist and her head leaned on his shoulder. He smiled, looking down at her, and put his arm around her waist in turn.
Turning back to the tree, he was surprised to see Txur glide in for a landing, carrying large sticks in his jaws. He peered through the fading light but saw little else, though he could hear unfamiliar noises coming from that area which showed that the ikrans are doing something.
Neytiri suddenly took his hand and they made their way cautiously toward the tree. Standing beneath it, they made out the rough shape of a nest on one of the stronger branches in the tree's midsection. Nimue was busily arranging and rearranging the broken sticks while Txur watched from a higher branch.The ikrans were cooing, and there was much rustling amongst the leaves.
Neytiri's face had a strange look, incredulous, excited. Grinning, Jake pulled her closer and whispered, "You know what they're doing, don't you?"
Eyes wide, Neytiri turned to Jake. "They are nesting? We do not see this at Kelutral. It is not possible." she said.
For a moment, he was silent, then he said thoughtfully, "Remember what you told me beneath the Mother Tree? Perhaps this is Eywa protecting the balance of life." Neytiri gave him a sharp glance. It was not like her Jake to talk of spirit.
He leaned down so his lips touched her ear and whispered, "Does it remind you of anyone, my love?"
A quizzical expression gave way to a grin as she realized he meant they may have been the inspiration for the ikrans' behavior, their intense feelings for each other transmitted through tsaheylu to their mounts.
He reached for her and drew her close within his embrace, his eyes mirroring the feeling in hers, their foreheads touching. Gently he kissed her, and she returned the kiss with more passion, her arms stealing up his back and pressing him more tightly against her.
Stepping back, he seated himself upon a boulder by the verge of the pool, Neytiri astride his lap. "Nga yawne lu oer," she whispered, her arms around him and her lips touching his ear sending shock waves down his thighs. He pulled her forward until there was nothing separating them, his warm blue skin against hers. Her hands framed his face, holding it still so that he could not escape her passionate kisses. As if he would try.
A squawk from above startled them and they looked up to see Nimue peering down at them, Txur by her side.
Laughing, Neytiri took Jake's hand and drew him back toward the cavern. There, they would be assured of more privacy. Dinner would have to wait.
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Post by Neytiri on Jun 7, 2010 3:04:52 GMT -5
Tsa'krrtep watched as George made his way to the Vlink pod, his step lighter and more buoyant than it had been all day. Had anyone told her this day would end in a civil conversation with her numeyu, her student, she would have called them liar. Jake's confrontation, his demand for her to give George the same chance he had, was more than reasonable. It was one more reason he was obviously the best choice for olo'eyktan.
Thinking it over, Tsa'krrtep shook her head."My cup may be empty for now, but so is my heart. I feel nothing." It was a new feeling for her, almost a sense of relief. She wondered about it.
It was long past time for sleep. She followed George's lead and returned to Hometree and her hammock.
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