Brotherhood Chapter 22...ftw
I should be brushing up on my medical terminology but am I? Well ok I am but I'm also taking a little posting break right now so...
here's chapter 22!
Whee, another chapter not even a week later! I rock! Well, or inspiration from having seen the re-release rocks, more like (I totally recommend it, btw, it even has a little girl who is so totally Laneya...can't wait until I get that scene on DVD so I can freezeframe it and watch her every tiny expression!)
I realized after I posted the last chapter that I didn't explain about the Tom and Jake being part Aussie thing...to me it just makes sense. I've heard people whining about Sam's Australian accent peeking through at various points in the movie, but that's just foolish. I mean, why do they assume he doesn't have some legitimate reason for having a bit of an accent? I grew up with the "boy next door" (literally, they were our neighbors to the north) whose mother was from Australia, and he had almost exactly the same kind of very faint accent, particularly when excited or stressed. Of course, now he's lived in Australia for years, since he got sent there to boarding school after grade eight when he started to get in with the wrong crowd so he has a total Aussie accent, and I haven't seen him in years, but I've always wondered if we might've gotten together in different circumstances...
ANYWAY, getting back to the topic at hand...time for a little more fun with the twins! Enjoy, all!
Brotherhood Chapter 22: Nights and Mornings
Tom linked up early that morning, with the intention of slipping out of the nivi before Ninat woke up and maybe doing some serious stretching in preparation for another day of riding. Those intentions were quickly derailed, though, as he became aware of his avatar's senses again. He reflexively tightened his arms a little as he began to wake and realized that they were wrapped around a warm body which nuzzled against him, making a soft, contented sound.
He warily cracked one eye open, and once he'd adjusted to the dim light it was easy to see what had happened. Somehow in the night Ninat had cuddled up against him, slipping into the circle of his arms, and now she was fast asleep and there was no way to escape without waking her, since his left arm was trapped under her body. Well damn. With a sigh he bowed to the inevitable and cuddled her into a better position where her shoulder wasn't making his hand numb. If he was stuck here until she woke up (and he didn't have any intention of waking her if he didn't have to, she deserved a restful sleep just as much as anyone did) he might as well enjoy the fleeting experience while he could.
He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, barely resisting the urge to stroke his fingers along the soft skin of her back. At least she was curled up in such a way that their chests weren't touching. He kept reminding himself it wasn't - couldn't be - real, that this body was only a shell he was borrowing and eventually he would have to "wake up" from the dream, but...well it felt pretty damned real.
He tucked her head comfortably under his chin and just breathed, resolving not to think about anything until she woke and just enjoy this brief opportunity. Because he couldn't let this happen again.
Ninat took a deep breath as she began to wake and reveled in the scent of him surrounding her. Truly, this was the way she wanted to wake every day from now on, although she knew it was too much to hope for just yet. She'd settle for every day on their travels, though. She didn't move yet. She could tell he was awake, because the position of his arms around her had changed, and his fingers were active, very lightly stroking her shoulder in an almost unconscious soothing gesture, and she was sure that if he knew she was awake he would stop.
She couldn't put off "waking up" forever though, and eventually she just had to shift a little as her curled-up position reminded her that certain things usually had to be dealt with upon waking. She tried to subtly uncurl and extend her laying-about time, but there was no way to do it while still seeming asleep. Tom's fingers stopped moving, and he moved his head so that she was no longer cuddled into the crook of his neck.
"Morning," he said softly, "you must've been cold in the night or something, you ended up tucked right against me. I would have gotten up to give you some privacy since I'm awake, but I didn't want to wake you up unnecessarily."
She tilted her head to smile up at him, "I am glad you did not," she said, "I enjoyed waking this morning with you. For Na'vi it is a more natural way, to sleep with others, together, letting the small touches of our bodies on each other bring reassurance."
That made him smile, and banished a good deal of the worry that had been hiding in his eyes. "Well now that we're both awake," he said, "I had better get up. I woke early intending to do a little stretching to relax my body and prepare for the day's ride."
That made Ninat giggle faintly. "That is probably a very good idea, yes," she agreed, "otherwise you will not be able to move by the time we arrive among the Anurai." She rolled slightly and moved to extend her legs in preparation for getting up, but his tail wrapped around her ankle stopped her.
"You don't have to get up yet," he smiled at her,"feel free to be lazy a bit longer. The sun hasn't even really risen yet, you can afford a little more lying-around time."
She patted his shoulder and shook her head slightly. "It is kind of you to offer, but no, now that I am awake, there are certain needs which must be taken care of. Besides, it would not hurt for me to stretch a little too."
"Alright then, suit yourself," he smiled, "I wouldn't mind the company, really."
She felt his tail release her and moved again to leave, even though she didn't really want to. She wanted to lie curled up with him for the rest of the day, but of course that wasn't going to happen. She'd been pushing her luck even with the time she had managed to get. At least he didn't seem so wary as usual this morning. Of course, she was sure that once he was really properly awake the wariness would come back, but it seemed each time it returned a little less strong, and for that she was glad. And nothing made her progress more evident than the way his tail flicked slightly against her hip as she rolled over onto her hands and knees to open the door of the travel nivi. He might be able to control his other limbs from touching her, but his tail still seemed to have a mind of its own. Not that she minded one little bit.
Back at Hell's Gate, there was a very, very secret conference taking place. It involved only scientists, and if certain military factions had been aware of it, the participants would likely have been taken up for treason against the company. If there even was such a thing. Well, it didn't matter. If there wasn't yet, there would be once they'd been convicted of it. Gotta love the looming threat of martial law.
What were they doing exactly? Well, quite truthfully, they were plotting. Being scientists, they generally took the long view of things, and right now, the "long view" was looking particularly dire. They all knew the mistakes that had been made on Earth, and they could tell the situation on Pandora was not going to be any better if things continued to follow the corporate model laid down by the RDA. Mindlessly bulldozing through the forest toward the home of an entire clan of indigenous Na'vi because it was "only a tree" and there were "plenty of trees" spoke to a vast lack of compassion, but more than that, a lack of true understanding of the intricately interconnected nature of this planet.
"Now, look," Max Patel said, glancing around the room at the assembled techs and avatar drivers, "I'm not saying I want a coup or anything like that; frankly I hope it never comes to that point, but you have all seen what's going on here, and I don't think either Selfridge or Quaritch are going to back away from this ridiculous self-delusion that the Omatikaya can just pick up and move at a moment's notice. I just want to make sure that we're all ready for the inevitable outcome of that conflict."
"As far as I'm concerned - and I know the rest of the drivers feel the same way - we're only here at the sufferance of the Na'vi anyway," Nala shook her head, "Quaritch is playing with fire, and he doesn't even know how much he'll burn not only himself but every human on this planet if he sets the Na'vi off. Just because they aren't technologically advanced, it doesn't mean they don't have the resources to drive us all back to the stars if they pool those resources; and destroying one clan's village could be the very thing that brings the rest of the clans into play.
"But what can we do? I mean, currently," a young man with curly blond hair - Dolan McCool, Max remembered after a moment's thought - asked, "It isn't as if we can just take over the base, we don't have anything close to those kind of resources or numbers, and as far as I've seen nobody actually thinks they should listen to the scientists."
"For now all we can do is watch, and try to find some way to give the Omatikaya advanced warning if we can," Max sighed, "I know that's part of what Tom Sully is supposed to be doing, but right now he isn't even at Hometree, so we'll have to take over for him until he gets back there."
"If it comes to it, you know we'll all do what we have to," the other McCool brother, Bailey, spoke up. "But for now, yes, I'm thinking we could all manage quite the little spy network. It isn't as though anyone pays attention to us; lab techs especially," he laughed, winking at his older brother, "We'll gather all the info we can, and you can decide what to do with it, Max. Since Grace isn't around, you'll do for the head of out little spy agency."
Max blushed, and a light round of laughter made its way through the secure meeting room they were using. "I'm honoured you would think of me like that," he protested, "but there are other people better suited..."
"None I can think of," Xander Montague, the Marine Biologist avatar driver shook his head, and his sentiment was echoed around the table, "You are head of the lab under Grace, after all."
Max sighed but acquiesced. "Alright then, fine," he said, "if you really want me to be in charge of all this, I'll take on that rather dubious honour, but I have to say I never imagined I would end up being the head of an underground spy ring working against the company that hired me."
Nandu Maran, one of the eldest among them, reached over to pat his arm. "Often one achieves honours one never expected as life goes on," he smiled, "but it is a wise man who trusts the judgement of those who have placed their trust in him. You are the right man for the job, Max, and we all know it."
Max shook his head ruefully. "My first suggestion as leader, then, is that for now, we keep this to ourselves. And by that I mean, don't trouble the Sulleys, Grace or any of the others currently at the outlying labs with our concerns. There's nothing Tom can do for now, as we said, and I don't like the thought of anyone listening in on communications to Grace. Until we have some kind of super-secure channel, we maintain radio silence on this issue and just act as though nothing has changed."
There was a general nodding of heads and murmuring of agreement around the room, and Max relaxed slightly. This was completely insane, but it somehow actually made him feel a little better about the situation. Doing something, he supposed, was always more reassuring than doing nothing.
"Right, unless anyone else has any suggestions, I think we'd better call this meeting adjourned then, before anyone comes looking for us and gets suspicious when the lab is completely empty," Max pointed out, "I'll let all of you know when the next meeting is to be held, until then, quietly gather as much information as you can. Maybe we'll actually find something we can work with to make a difference when this all goes to pot."
After the trading party had eaten, packed up and set off on their way, Ninat rode up next to Antsu, smiling at her older brother.
"May I talk to you a little away?" she asked, and he could hear the hint of hesitancy in her voice.
"Of course," he nodded and encouraged his pa'li to move ahead of the rest of the group, "What is troubling you, ma tsmuke?"
"I wondered if...if it bothers you that Ka'tsi tsmuke must leave every night when she sleeps; that her spirit is not there with you although her body remains?"
"Ah," he nodded thoughtfully. He suspected he knew the reason for her question, but he didn't ask. To love an uniltìranyu was not an easy thing, in some ways, and there were certain aspects of that relationship which one simply had to come to terms with in whatever way one could. He would not begrudge his little sister her heart's desire if that truly was how things lay between them, but Antsu would definitely be keeping a closer eye on him, to make sure all was as it should be.
"It is not always easy, I will admit," he began finally, after thinking about how to explain, "but for now at least it is simply the way of things. She cannot be always in this body even if she might wish that it could be so; she has to return to rest in her other form. It does not trouble me all that much, though," he smiled, "since usually I do not notice her spirit's absence when I am sleeping myself."
"I had not thought of that," Ninat nodded thoughtfully, "While you are sleeping your body still holds hers, and I suppose there is little difference between sleeping normally and sleeping empty of a soul."
"Very little," Antsu agreed, "at least until the time comes to wake up. I will admit there are times when I wish I could simply shake Ka'tsi's shoulder gently and have her open her eyes and smile at me at the time of my own choosing instead of when she is able to return her soul to this body again. Truly, though, I think it is harder for her than it is for me"
"Oh? Why is that?" Ninat asked, cocking her head curiously.
"For me, I still have her warm body to cuddle close to my own, even if her spirit roams elsewhere," he explained, "for her, she has no such comfort. When she goes back to her other body she must sleep alone."
Ninat bit her lip and glanced over to where Ka'tsi was riding beside Tom, laughing and presumably teasing him about his riding skills or some such thing. "I never realized," she shook her head, "although thinking about it now I should have."
Antsu reached over to pat her arm soothingly. "Do not let the thought of it trouble you, ma tsmuke," he reassured her, "I remind Ka'tsi every night that no matter where she is we are together, and I would not trade the small difficulties we face for a trouble-free relationship with another who is not her. All will be well for us in the end, I know it is so."
"Thank you, ma tsmukan," Ninat smiled at him, "for everything." She dropped back to join the rest of the party again and he watched her go, a small frown crossing his brow. He wanted her to find happiness as he had, but still, she was his little sister. Perhaps he ought to speak to Tom a little more and find out whether the feelings were mutual... But that could wait until they reached their destination and he had a better chance of true privacy for the discussion. Ninat would be cross with him if she thought he was trying to interfere, after all.
Flying through the forest rather than over it was, Jake quickly discovered, quite a bit more work. Mostly because of the constant banking around tree limbs, giant leaves, vines and a hundred other obstacles. Still, it was a ton of fun. He glanced over his shoulder at Neytiri flying just behind and to his left and she grinned back at him, then stood, balanced, drew her bow and took a shot, hitting a target painted high on a nearby tree as they passed it.
"Now you!" she called out to him.
As if the flying on its own wasn't tricky enough! But he was up to the challenge. He circled back around to get into position then carefully stood, his balance more than a little precarious. At least Luke was working with him, remaining in an incredibly stable glide as he drew his bow back, quickly aimed and released as they passed by the target.
"Woohoo!" he couldn't resist a small fist-pump when he caught sight of his arrow in the outer rings of the target.
"You did not bring it down," Neytiri shook her head, "go again."
"Right, right," he rolled his eyes, "we're going, jeez!" He grinned as he stroked Luke's neck, "Don't ever get involved with a female, boy, they're total slave-drivers."
He could feel the amusement through the link, and he shook his head. "Laugh about it later, we gotta concentrate now."
Luke banked gently and they swept around the corner, then Jake focused his attention down to a razor's edge as he crouched, preparing to get into position for the next run on the target.
Late that afternoon, Tom suddenly became aware that there were sounds of other people nearby. There was no way they had reached their final destination this soon, so he was confused at first, but then Cathy grinned at him.
"Looks like our path is taking us right by Site 12," she said with a little laugh, "we should probably stop in and say "hello" at the very least. Otherwise I'll never get a moment's sleep once I unlink."
"Louise never did really forgive you for not introducing Antsu properly," Tom agreed, laughing, "you'd better correct that oversight as soon as possible."
Cathy rolled her eyes at him, but rode quickly forward to speak with Antsu and the warrior who were leading their party, and then, after a brief conversation, Tom was surprised to see her ride off in the direction of the mobile link site on her own.
The rest of their party turned to follow her, or rather, their leaders did and everyone followed, and it wasn't long at all before they came out of the forest into what looked to be a natural clearing with a small linkup complex on the far side and rows of cultivated plants in the middle. Cathy had already dismounted before they got there, and for some reason had left her pa'li on their side of the clearing. Tom could see her talking to another avatar near what he presumed to be the avatars' sleeping area, and she waved at them, signalling them to stay where they were as she quickly strode back over to them.
Tom's pa'li snorted nervously as they waited for her, shying sideways a little. Clearly something was bothering it, but Tom didn't yet have a good enough understanding of the way the animal thought to pick up on anything more than that it was a "bad smell" which had unsettled it, and that could easily be explained by the human-created buildings. He sent a calming thought to it through the bond and stroked its neck. "Easy boy," he said, "nothing here is going to hurt you."
"Louise says we're more than welcome to visit," Cathy said with a smile as she reached them, "but that we should leave the fa'li here. She doesn't want them getting spooked by their... children."
Tom blinked at that. He was quite sure neither Louise nor Taka had children, and although he hadn't really spent much time talking to Carlos he had thought the man a confirmed bachelor, and besides all that, why would children upset the fa'li? Something seemed a little off, here, but he was sure everything would make sense once he'd had a chance to ask Louise what was going on.
Everyone dismounted, each instructing their particular pa'li not to stray before they headed across the clearing. They gathered around Louise and introductions were quickly made, then Louise looked at them all carefully.
"I want you to meet a very important part of my family," she said, "I will bring my children out to visit with you, but I must have your promise that none of you will try to hurt them. They are not...usual children, but I assure you they will not hurt you - they would not even think of it - and I will not allow them to be hurt simply because their appearance might frighten you."
A fair number of confused glances passed around the group, but everyone agreed that of course they would never hurt any child, even if the child was a little unusual.
"Alright Taka, you can bring them out now," Louise called over her shoulder, smiling but watching them carefully.
She seemed awfully concerned - more than was normal even for the most fragile child, but then Tom caught sight of the group coming out of the avatar bunkhouse, and he immediately realized why. They weren't human children, or even Na'vi children... they were baby thanators. Although the term "baby" was a bit deceptive given that they were probably about the size of Irish wolfhounds.
Most of the group jumped back almost instinctively, and there was a fair amount of hissing, although they did keep their word and no weapons were raised. Tom could feel Ninat trembling as she pressed close against his side, and he wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.
"They won't do anything to you," Taka said, stroking the baby that - Tom noticed - he was linked up to. "The worst they might do is beg for food, and that's just bad manners...so you won't do that, will you, chibi-tachi?"
All three babies nuzzled him affectionately before looking around at the group. Tom wasn't sure, but he coud've sworn all three were staring at him intently, then they came trotting over and he knew they must've been looking at him, because all three of them stopped right in front of him and made crooning noises, nuzzling his hands. One of them moved a little behind him and linked its queue to his, and he was startled at the sudden connection.
It seemed like the little one was startled as well. «Is not brought-meat uncle?» the cub asked, confusion clear in her mental voice, «Looks/smells like brought-meat uncle. Is littermate?»
"Did Jake meet these little guys?" Tom asked, looking over at Taka.
"He dropped by a couple days ago," Taka confirmed. "They must've thought you were him."
"Yup," Tom laughed. He looked down at the cub he was linked to, "I'm Tom," he said, "You're right, we are what you'd call littermates."
«Uncle Tom knows play stalk and pounce too? Brought-meat uncle was good at play stalk and pounce, Ama had fun!»
"Stalk and pounce?" Tom blinked, but he could well imagine what kind of game that would be, "maybe later, I've been traveling all day and am very tired right now."
«Okay, we play stalk and pounce when uncle Tom not tired,» the little one nuzzled him affectionately, «Ama go say hello to other uncles and aunties now, play later.»
It took a little time and a lot of what Tom was sure was peer pressure, but eventually all the Na'vi had talked with at least one of the thanator cubs. Surprisingly enough, they had actually managed to convince their escorting warriors into a game of "stalk and pounce", so while the warriors and the cubs played, Taka and Tom were chatting about various topics.
"They actually remind me a little of baby tigers," Tom smiled as he watched the game. "I don't know if I told you, just before I left there was a big kerfuffle on the news about an actually successful litter of Siberian tigers."
"They did it?" Taka asked excitedly, "Oh man...that's awesome news, even if it is a few years old. The lab that was working on that? That's where I grew up! My parents run it."
"Wait, seriously?" Tom laughed, "talk about small world...or maybe I should say small universe?"
"Something like that," Taka laughed, shaking his head. "He...really cares about her, doesn't he?" he said then, his tone more serious and quiet.
"Hm?" Tom followed his gaze, catching sight of Antsu and Cathy talking, their heads close together and their body language clear. "Yeah," he said, "he really does. And she cares just as much about him. From everything I've seen living among the Na'vi for the past month or so, the bond between mates is something far stronger than any human relationship I've ever known... and that includes my parents, who I'd always thought of as one of the most committed couples I had ever experienced."
"Even for an avatar?"
"Even for an avatar," Tom confirmed, "There's just something...different about the way relationships seem to work here. It probably has something to do with the physiological effects of tsaheylu, but it's likely that there's a cultural component as well. I mean, I suppose when one is unattached there is some amount of competition between potential suitors, just like with humans, but there seems to be a lot less concern behind it. I don't know," he shrugged, "maybe I just haven't been around long enough to really get a clear picture, but it just seems more... honest. It might have something to do with the fact that they believe if the mating is right, if it's meant to be, it will be blessed by Eywa, whatever that means. I tried asking Cathy, but she just smiled and told me it was a secret I'd have to find out for myself, whatever she means by that."
That made Taka grin. "Oh, I don't know, I think I know exactly what she meant by that," he said, but before Tom could ask what he was implying or dispute any wrong assumptions he might be making, both of them were distracted by the couple they had still been observing heading in the direction of the avatars' sleeping hut.
The two of them walked quickly over just in time to see Cathy lie down and unlink, the slumping of her avatar into unconsciousness being easily recognisable to both.
"Is there something wrong?" Tom asked Antsu.
"No, nothing is wrong," Antsu shook his head with a smile, "although it is good to know you would react so quickly in concern for my mate. No, I merely wondered what Ka'tsi's other form looked like, since she said this is the place where she keeps it."
A couple of minutes later, with a soft hiss of air exchange, the "real" Cathy walked out of the habmod, her exopack on and with a big grin on her face.
"So," she said, doing a slow twirl, "this is me. Pretty cute, hmm?"
"We've always thought so, haven't we, Taka?" Tom teased.
"Oh I don't know," Taka raised an eyebrow, "she's got some cute features I suppose, but I've always thought Louise was cuter."
"Well, neither of you really matters anyway," she rolled her eyes at them, then turned to Antsu, "Do I look anything like you imagined?"
He ran his fingers over her honey blonde hair, loosening it out of its ponytail to hang halfway down her back as he crouched down to her level. "Not quite as I imagined, but even in this form you are beautiful," he smiled at his mate. "I have never seen hair of such a colour before, and...your eyes are blue?"
Tom watched the two carefully as Cathy took a breath and slipped her mask up for a moment, letting Antsu run his fingers over her face. "She looks really tired," he said quietly to Taka, "How much rest has she been getting?"
"Probably not enough," Taka admitted, "I know I should probably remind her to spend a little more time unlinked and sleeping, but..."
"But now isn't the time," Tom nodded, "Once we're not on the road, I'll try and get on her case a bit about it. I'd hate to see her have a breakdown and have to spend days or weeks out of link...or worse."
"I'll keep on her about it as well," Taka agreed, "Even if I am a bit distracted at the moment, as team lead out here it is my responsibility to ensure all the members of my team are healthy and getting proper rest...well, or as close to proper rest as any avatar driver can ever be convinced to take. You know how it is."
"Oh definitely," Tom shook his head, "I'm very familiar with how little real rest we get."
Back at the Omatikaya Kelutral, Neytiri and Mo'at were deep in discussion as the clan prepared for the evening meal.
"You will see them again soon, will you not, ma 'ite?" Mo'at asked, her hands busy with a bundle of items, most of which Neytiri was familiar with. They were some of the most basic herbal medicines, as well as a few of the tools and herbs used only by those tsahìk-trained to assist in meditation and the understanding of Eywa's messages.
"I have promised to bring Jake and teach Taka more about hunting and butchering, so that he will be better able to take care of his family without needing to rely on the clan," she confirmed, "not that I have any objection to bringing meat to them myself, but he wished to be more independent, and I can understand the sentiment."
"Indeed," Mo'at nodded. "In that case, perhaps when you go, you could bring him these small gifts from me and give him some instruction on how to use them. In my meditations on his situation, the Great Mother showed me that he will have need of them in the future, and it is best that he begin to learn now, to be prepared before the need arises rather than trying to learn in a hurry when the need is great and the risk as well."
"If that is what you ask of me, ma Sa'nok, then of course I will give him some basic instruction," Neytiri nodded, a little surprised. "You believe he has the ability to undertake tsahìk training, then?"
"Surprisingly enough, yes, I do," Mo'at nodded, "although only enough so that he will not be overcome by confusion when the Great Mother guides him as her instrument. He will likely never become a fully trained tsahìk, but ability without training is far more dangerous than training without ability."
"Of course, ma Sa'nok," Neytiri bowed her head, "as always, your wisdom far outstrips mine."
Jake was a little surprised but not all that concerned when Neytiri didn't meet him at the eating area for dinner. She'd been summoned to talk to Mo'at about something, and Jake knew that sometimes those "somethings" took longer to work out than initially expected. Especially when it was two women discussing them. Girls weren't like guys in that regard, they had a really bad tendency toward tangents...
He sat down near his usual spot after gathering a plate of food, being sure to leave enough room for Neytiri when she did arrive, and settled in to eat. It had been a busy day, most of which had been spent in the air, and he was more than ready for some serious chowing down.
He had just started into his teylu when someone sat down in the empty spot, and he looked over with a smile for Neytiri, but...
"I See you, Jhake," Peyral said with a smile, "I hope you do not mind me joining you for a meal."
"Oh, um, sure," Jake shrugged, turning back to his food, "Oel ngatì kameie, Peyral," he added, gesturing politely.
"You fly well, Jhake," she said, her tail flicking casually against his as she lifted her own plate and began to eat, "I watched you today as you flew with Neytiri. She has taught you well. Perhaps I will join you tomorrow. It is always good for a new ikran to meet many others he may be flying with for hunts, and given your skill, I have no doubt we will hunt together much in the future."
"I guess," Jake nodded, "I don't have a problem with it, but you'll have to ask Neytiri. She's still the one in charge of my training and whatnot." He tried not to react as her tail slid along his. It might be accidental or subconscious, but either way, it didn't make him feel particularly comfortable. Peyral reminded him a lot of one of his closest friends among the Marines, Meilin, who'd been like a little sister to him, and had been injured at the same time he was, so the thought of her flirting with him, even if that wasn't what she was doing (he couldn't be sure) was more than a little weird.
"I do not mind if you join us, Peyral," Neytiri said from behind them, "as long as you are not a distraction to my student."
Jake turned to grin at her and quickly shoved over, making room for Neytiri to sit between Peyral and himself. "I wondered if you were gonna make it to dinner at all," he said as she squeezed into the space he'd made, setting down her plate briefly to settle herself more comfortably before beginning to eat.
"Mother had much to say," she shrugged, "I hope I did not interrupt your bonding of friendship."
"Not at all, tsmuke," Peyral grinned, and the slightly feral nature of it made Jake shiver involuntarily, "I am sure Jhake and I will become quite good friends, as you and I have always been, or perhaps even closer. He is quite extraordinary, after all."
"I am not sure that is quite the word I would use," Neytiri laughed, and Jake breathed a sigh of relief as the brief tension he'd felt seemed to wash away, leaving a much more normal dinner conversation between hunters.
That night, as she lay in her nivi, Neytiri was finding it very hard to fall asleep. The events at dinner kept running through her mind over and over, even though it was ridiculous that they should bother her so much. So Peyral had been flirting with Jake...that was a good thing, right? Peyral never flirted with the males, even though she had many potential suitors, and Sa'nok had more than once expressed her concern that their strongest huntress would someday leave them for another clan, chasing after the mate she had yet to meet... so Neytiri, as future tsahìk, ought to be glad at the thought of her clan sister finding a man among their own, if Jake could be considered such.
Besides, she reminded herself, she had decided even before Jake's iknimaya that she must look for potential mates for him among the clan, and Peyral and he would be a good match, both strong hunters and with similar senses of humour... So why was this troubling her so much?
She gazed over at Jake's sleeping form in the nivi next to hers and sighed. It was troubling her because when she had come up behind them and seen Peyral's tail sliding so possessively along Jake's and him not rejecting her advances automatically, her heart had hurt and, if she was being honest, she had felt more than a hint of jealousy. Which was stupid. Jake wasn't hers, he never would be, he couldn't be. Still, she had been more than unduly relieved when Jake moved to allow her to sit as a buffer between them as soon as he knew she was there, and the relieved smile on his face at the sight of her had been both gratifying and very soothing...and if she had continued to sit pressed close against Jake's side even when Peyral had shifted to give her a little more room, well, he would never know, so what would it hurt?
Poor Neytiri, still in denial, although she's starting to slip up more and more... She shouldn't worry though, he doesn't think of Peyral in that way at all! Which won't stop Peyral from trying, of course. LOL she is a skilled huntress, after all.
And now for everyone's favourite section...
Vocab:
Na'vi:
nivi - hammock
pa'li /fa'li - direhorse(s)
tsmuke - sister
uniltìranyu - dreamwalker, avatar
tsmukan - brother
tsaheylu - the bond...a wonderful thing we all wish we could experience for ourselves
Kelutral - Hometree
'ite - daughter
tsahìk - spiritual leader
sa'nok - mother
teylu - yummy edible grubs
Oel ngatì kameie - "I See you"
ikran - banshee (I want one!)
iknimaya - rite of passage where you get a banshee
Japanese:
chibi-tachi - little ones
here's chapter 22!
Whee, another chapter not even a week later! I rock! Well, or inspiration from having seen the re-release rocks, more like (I totally recommend it, btw, it even has a little girl who is so totally Laneya...can't wait until I get that scene on DVD so I can freezeframe it and watch her every tiny expression!)
I realized after I posted the last chapter that I didn't explain about the Tom and Jake being part Aussie thing...to me it just makes sense. I've heard people whining about Sam's Australian accent peeking through at various points in the movie, but that's just foolish. I mean, why do they assume he doesn't have some legitimate reason for having a bit of an accent? I grew up with the "boy next door" (literally, they were our neighbors to the north) whose mother was from Australia, and he had almost exactly the same kind of very faint accent, particularly when excited or stressed. Of course, now he's lived in Australia for years, since he got sent there to boarding school after grade eight when he started to get in with the wrong crowd so he has a total Aussie accent, and I haven't seen him in years, but I've always wondered if we might've gotten together in different circumstances...
ANYWAY, getting back to the topic at hand...time for a little more fun with the twins! Enjoy, all!
Brotherhood Chapter 22: Nights and Mornings
Tom linked up early that morning, with the intention of slipping out of the nivi before Ninat woke up and maybe doing some serious stretching in preparation for another day of riding. Those intentions were quickly derailed, though, as he became aware of his avatar's senses again. He reflexively tightened his arms a little as he began to wake and realized that they were wrapped around a warm body which nuzzled against him, making a soft, contented sound.
He warily cracked one eye open, and once he'd adjusted to the dim light it was easy to see what had happened. Somehow in the night Ninat had cuddled up against him, slipping into the circle of his arms, and now she was fast asleep and there was no way to escape without waking her, since his left arm was trapped under her body. Well damn. With a sigh he bowed to the inevitable and cuddled her into a better position where her shoulder wasn't making his hand numb. If he was stuck here until she woke up (and he didn't have any intention of waking her if he didn't have to, she deserved a restful sleep just as much as anyone did) he might as well enjoy the fleeting experience while he could.
He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her, barely resisting the urge to stroke his fingers along the soft skin of her back. At least she was curled up in such a way that their chests weren't touching. He kept reminding himself it wasn't - couldn't be - real, that this body was only a shell he was borrowing and eventually he would have to "wake up" from the dream, but...well it felt pretty damned real.
He tucked her head comfortably under his chin and just breathed, resolving not to think about anything until she woke and just enjoy this brief opportunity. Because he couldn't let this happen again.
Ninat took a deep breath as she began to wake and reveled in the scent of him surrounding her. Truly, this was the way she wanted to wake every day from now on, although she knew it was too much to hope for just yet. She'd settle for every day on their travels, though. She didn't move yet. She could tell he was awake, because the position of his arms around her had changed, and his fingers were active, very lightly stroking her shoulder in an almost unconscious soothing gesture, and she was sure that if he knew she was awake he would stop.
She couldn't put off "waking up" forever though, and eventually she just had to shift a little as her curled-up position reminded her that certain things usually had to be dealt with upon waking. She tried to subtly uncurl and extend her laying-about time, but there was no way to do it while still seeming asleep. Tom's fingers stopped moving, and he moved his head so that she was no longer cuddled into the crook of his neck.
"Morning," he said softly, "you must've been cold in the night or something, you ended up tucked right against me. I would have gotten up to give you some privacy since I'm awake, but I didn't want to wake you up unnecessarily."
She tilted her head to smile up at him, "I am glad you did not," she said, "I enjoyed waking this morning with you. For Na'vi it is a more natural way, to sleep with others, together, letting the small touches of our bodies on each other bring reassurance."
That made him smile, and banished a good deal of the worry that had been hiding in his eyes. "Well now that we're both awake," he said, "I had better get up. I woke early intending to do a little stretching to relax my body and prepare for the day's ride."
That made Ninat giggle faintly. "That is probably a very good idea, yes," she agreed, "otherwise you will not be able to move by the time we arrive among the Anurai." She rolled slightly and moved to extend her legs in preparation for getting up, but his tail wrapped around her ankle stopped her.
"You don't have to get up yet," he smiled at her,"feel free to be lazy a bit longer. The sun hasn't even really risen yet, you can afford a little more lying-around time."
She patted his shoulder and shook her head slightly. "It is kind of you to offer, but no, now that I am awake, there are certain needs which must be taken care of. Besides, it would not hurt for me to stretch a little too."
"Alright then, suit yourself," he smiled, "I wouldn't mind the company, really."
She felt his tail release her and moved again to leave, even though she didn't really want to. She wanted to lie curled up with him for the rest of the day, but of course that wasn't going to happen. She'd been pushing her luck even with the time she had managed to get. At least he didn't seem so wary as usual this morning. Of course, she was sure that once he was really properly awake the wariness would come back, but it seemed each time it returned a little less strong, and for that she was glad. And nothing made her progress more evident than the way his tail flicked slightly against her hip as she rolled over onto her hands and knees to open the door of the travel nivi. He might be able to control his other limbs from touching her, but his tail still seemed to have a mind of its own. Not that she minded one little bit.
Back at Hell's Gate, there was a very, very secret conference taking place. It involved only scientists, and if certain military factions had been aware of it, the participants would likely have been taken up for treason against the company. If there even was such a thing. Well, it didn't matter. If there wasn't yet, there would be once they'd been convicted of it. Gotta love the looming threat of martial law.
What were they doing exactly? Well, quite truthfully, they were plotting. Being scientists, they generally took the long view of things, and right now, the "long view" was looking particularly dire. They all knew the mistakes that had been made on Earth, and they could tell the situation on Pandora was not going to be any better if things continued to follow the corporate model laid down by the RDA. Mindlessly bulldozing through the forest toward the home of an entire clan of indigenous Na'vi because it was "only a tree" and there were "plenty of trees" spoke to a vast lack of compassion, but more than that, a lack of true understanding of the intricately interconnected nature of this planet.
"Now, look," Max Patel said, glancing around the room at the assembled techs and avatar drivers, "I'm not saying I want a coup or anything like that; frankly I hope it never comes to that point, but you have all seen what's going on here, and I don't think either Selfridge or Quaritch are going to back away from this ridiculous self-delusion that the Omatikaya can just pick up and move at a moment's notice. I just want to make sure that we're all ready for the inevitable outcome of that conflict."
"As far as I'm concerned - and I know the rest of the drivers feel the same way - we're only here at the sufferance of the Na'vi anyway," Nala shook her head, "Quaritch is playing with fire, and he doesn't even know how much he'll burn not only himself but every human on this planet if he sets the Na'vi off. Just because they aren't technologically advanced, it doesn't mean they don't have the resources to drive us all back to the stars if they pool those resources; and destroying one clan's village could be the very thing that brings the rest of the clans into play.
"But what can we do? I mean, currently," a young man with curly blond hair - Dolan McCool, Max remembered after a moment's thought - asked, "It isn't as if we can just take over the base, we don't have anything close to those kind of resources or numbers, and as far as I've seen nobody actually thinks they should listen to the scientists."
"For now all we can do is watch, and try to find some way to give the Omatikaya advanced warning if we can," Max sighed, "I know that's part of what Tom Sully is supposed to be doing, but right now he isn't even at Hometree, so we'll have to take over for him until he gets back there."
"If it comes to it, you know we'll all do what we have to," the other McCool brother, Bailey, spoke up. "But for now, yes, I'm thinking we could all manage quite the little spy network. It isn't as though anyone pays attention to us; lab techs especially," he laughed, winking at his older brother, "We'll gather all the info we can, and you can decide what to do with it, Max. Since Grace isn't around, you'll do for the head of out little spy agency."
Max blushed, and a light round of laughter made its way through the secure meeting room they were using. "I'm honoured you would think of me like that," he protested, "but there are other people better suited..."
"None I can think of," Xander Montague, the Marine Biologist avatar driver shook his head, and his sentiment was echoed around the table, "You are head of the lab under Grace, after all."
Max sighed but acquiesced. "Alright then, fine," he said, "if you really want me to be in charge of all this, I'll take on that rather dubious honour, but I have to say I never imagined I would end up being the head of an underground spy ring working against the company that hired me."
Nandu Maran, one of the eldest among them, reached over to pat his arm. "Often one achieves honours one never expected as life goes on," he smiled, "but it is a wise man who trusts the judgement of those who have placed their trust in him. You are the right man for the job, Max, and we all know it."
Max shook his head ruefully. "My first suggestion as leader, then, is that for now, we keep this to ourselves. And by that I mean, don't trouble the Sulleys, Grace or any of the others currently at the outlying labs with our concerns. There's nothing Tom can do for now, as we said, and I don't like the thought of anyone listening in on communications to Grace. Until we have some kind of super-secure channel, we maintain radio silence on this issue and just act as though nothing has changed."
There was a general nodding of heads and murmuring of agreement around the room, and Max relaxed slightly. This was completely insane, but it somehow actually made him feel a little better about the situation. Doing something, he supposed, was always more reassuring than doing nothing.
"Right, unless anyone else has any suggestions, I think we'd better call this meeting adjourned then, before anyone comes looking for us and gets suspicious when the lab is completely empty," Max pointed out, "I'll let all of you know when the next meeting is to be held, until then, quietly gather as much information as you can. Maybe we'll actually find something we can work with to make a difference when this all goes to pot."
After the trading party had eaten, packed up and set off on their way, Ninat rode up next to Antsu, smiling at her older brother.
"May I talk to you a little away?" she asked, and he could hear the hint of hesitancy in her voice.
"Of course," he nodded and encouraged his pa'li to move ahead of the rest of the group, "What is troubling you, ma tsmuke?"
"I wondered if...if it bothers you that Ka'tsi tsmuke must leave every night when she sleeps; that her spirit is not there with you although her body remains?"
"Ah," he nodded thoughtfully. He suspected he knew the reason for her question, but he didn't ask. To love an uniltìranyu was not an easy thing, in some ways, and there were certain aspects of that relationship which one simply had to come to terms with in whatever way one could. He would not begrudge his little sister her heart's desire if that truly was how things lay between them, but Antsu would definitely be keeping a closer eye on him, to make sure all was as it should be.
"It is not always easy, I will admit," he began finally, after thinking about how to explain, "but for now at least it is simply the way of things. She cannot be always in this body even if she might wish that it could be so; she has to return to rest in her other form. It does not trouble me all that much, though," he smiled, "since usually I do not notice her spirit's absence when I am sleeping myself."
"I had not thought of that," Ninat nodded thoughtfully, "While you are sleeping your body still holds hers, and I suppose there is little difference between sleeping normally and sleeping empty of a soul."
"Very little," Antsu agreed, "at least until the time comes to wake up. I will admit there are times when I wish I could simply shake Ka'tsi's shoulder gently and have her open her eyes and smile at me at the time of my own choosing instead of when she is able to return her soul to this body again. Truly, though, I think it is harder for her than it is for me"
"Oh? Why is that?" Ninat asked, cocking her head curiously.
"For me, I still have her warm body to cuddle close to my own, even if her spirit roams elsewhere," he explained, "for her, she has no such comfort. When she goes back to her other body she must sleep alone."
Ninat bit her lip and glanced over to where Ka'tsi was riding beside Tom, laughing and presumably teasing him about his riding skills or some such thing. "I never realized," she shook her head, "although thinking about it now I should have."
Antsu reached over to pat her arm soothingly. "Do not let the thought of it trouble you, ma tsmuke," he reassured her, "I remind Ka'tsi every night that no matter where she is we are together, and I would not trade the small difficulties we face for a trouble-free relationship with another who is not her. All will be well for us in the end, I know it is so."
"Thank you, ma tsmukan," Ninat smiled at him, "for everything." She dropped back to join the rest of the party again and he watched her go, a small frown crossing his brow. He wanted her to find happiness as he had, but still, she was his little sister. Perhaps he ought to speak to Tom a little more and find out whether the feelings were mutual... But that could wait until they reached their destination and he had a better chance of true privacy for the discussion. Ninat would be cross with him if she thought he was trying to interfere, after all.
Flying through the forest rather than over it was, Jake quickly discovered, quite a bit more work. Mostly because of the constant banking around tree limbs, giant leaves, vines and a hundred other obstacles. Still, it was a ton of fun. He glanced over his shoulder at Neytiri flying just behind and to his left and she grinned back at him, then stood, balanced, drew her bow and took a shot, hitting a target painted high on a nearby tree as they passed it.
"Now you!" she called out to him.
As if the flying on its own wasn't tricky enough! But he was up to the challenge. He circled back around to get into position then carefully stood, his balance more than a little precarious. At least Luke was working with him, remaining in an incredibly stable glide as he drew his bow back, quickly aimed and released as they passed by the target.
"Woohoo!" he couldn't resist a small fist-pump when he caught sight of his arrow in the outer rings of the target.
"You did not bring it down," Neytiri shook her head, "go again."
"Right, right," he rolled his eyes, "we're going, jeez!" He grinned as he stroked Luke's neck, "Don't ever get involved with a female, boy, they're total slave-drivers."
He could feel the amusement through the link, and he shook his head. "Laugh about it later, we gotta concentrate now."
Luke banked gently and they swept around the corner, then Jake focused his attention down to a razor's edge as he crouched, preparing to get into position for the next run on the target.
Late that afternoon, Tom suddenly became aware that there were sounds of other people nearby. There was no way they had reached their final destination this soon, so he was confused at first, but then Cathy grinned at him.
"Looks like our path is taking us right by Site 12," she said with a little laugh, "we should probably stop in and say "hello" at the very least. Otherwise I'll never get a moment's sleep once I unlink."
"Louise never did really forgive you for not introducing Antsu properly," Tom agreed, laughing, "you'd better correct that oversight as soon as possible."
Cathy rolled her eyes at him, but rode quickly forward to speak with Antsu and the warrior who were leading their party, and then, after a brief conversation, Tom was surprised to see her ride off in the direction of the mobile link site on her own.
The rest of their party turned to follow her, or rather, their leaders did and everyone followed, and it wasn't long at all before they came out of the forest into what looked to be a natural clearing with a small linkup complex on the far side and rows of cultivated plants in the middle. Cathy had already dismounted before they got there, and for some reason had left her pa'li on their side of the clearing. Tom could see her talking to another avatar near what he presumed to be the avatars' sleeping area, and she waved at them, signalling them to stay where they were as she quickly strode back over to them.
Tom's pa'li snorted nervously as they waited for her, shying sideways a little. Clearly something was bothering it, but Tom didn't yet have a good enough understanding of the way the animal thought to pick up on anything more than that it was a "bad smell" which had unsettled it, and that could easily be explained by the human-created buildings. He sent a calming thought to it through the bond and stroked its neck. "Easy boy," he said, "nothing here is going to hurt you."
"Louise says we're more than welcome to visit," Cathy said with a smile as she reached them, "but that we should leave the fa'li here. She doesn't want them getting spooked by their... children."
Tom blinked at that. He was quite sure neither Louise nor Taka had children, and although he hadn't really spent much time talking to Carlos he had thought the man a confirmed bachelor, and besides all that, why would children upset the fa'li? Something seemed a little off, here, but he was sure everything would make sense once he'd had a chance to ask Louise what was going on.
Everyone dismounted, each instructing their particular pa'li not to stray before they headed across the clearing. They gathered around Louise and introductions were quickly made, then Louise looked at them all carefully.
"I want you to meet a very important part of my family," she said, "I will bring my children out to visit with you, but I must have your promise that none of you will try to hurt them. They are not...usual children, but I assure you they will not hurt you - they would not even think of it - and I will not allow them to be hurt simply because their appearance might frighten you."
A fair number of confused glances passed around the group, but everyone agreed that of course they would never hurt any child, even if the child was a little unusual.
"Alright Taka, you can bring them out now," Louise called over her shoulder, smiling but watching them carefully.
She seemed awfully concerned - more than was normal even for the most fragile child, but then Tom caught sight of the group coming out of the avatar bunkhouse, and he immediately realized why. They weren't human children, or even Na'vi children... they were baby thanators. Although the term "baby" was a bit deceptive given that they were probably about the size of Irish wolfhounds.
Most of the group jumped back almost instinctively, and there was a fair amount of hissing, although they did keep their word and no weapons were raised. Tom could feel Ninat trembling as she pressed close against his side, and he wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.
"They won't do anything to you," Taka said, stroking the baby that - Tom noticed - he was linked up to. "The worst they might do is beg for food, and that's just bad manners...so you won't do that, will you, chibi-tachi?"
All three babies nuzzled him affectionately before looking around at the group. Tom wasn't sure, but he coud've sworn all three were staring at him intently, then they came trotting over and he knew they must've been looking at him, because all three of them stopped right in front of him and made crooning noises, nuzzling his hands. One of them moved a little behind him and linked its queue to his, and he was startled at the sudden connection.
It seemed like the little one was startled as well. «Is not brought-meat uncle?» the cub asked, confusion clear in her mental voice, «Looks/smells like brought-meat uncle. Is littermate?»
"Did Jake meet these little guys?" Tom asked, looking over at Taka.
"He dropped by a couple days ago," Taka confirmed. "They must've thought you were him."
"Yup," Tom laughed. He looked down at the cub he was linked to, "I'm Tom," he said, "You're right, we are what you'd call littermates."
«Uncle Tom knows play stalk and pounce too? Brought-meat uncle was good at play stalk and pounce, Ama had fun!»
"Stalk and pounce?" Tom blinked, but he could well imagine what kind of game that would be, "maybe later, I've been traveling all day and am very tired right now."
«Okay, we play stalk and pounce when uncle Tom not tired,» the little one nuzzled him affectionately, «Ama go say hello to other uncles and aunties now, play later.»
It took a little time and a lot of what Tom was sure was peer pressure, but eventually all the Na'vi had talked with at least one of the thanator cubs. Surprisingly enough, they had actually managed to convince their escorting warriors into a game of "stalk and pounce", so while the warriors and the cubs played, Taka and Tom were chatting about various topics.
"They actually remind me a little of baby tigers," Tom smiled as he watched the game. "I don't know if I told you, just before I left there was a big kerfuffle on the news about an actually successful litter of Siberian tigers."
"They did it?" Taka asked excitedly, "Oh man...that's awesome news, even if it is a few years old. The lab that was working on that? That's where I grew up! My parents run it."
"Wait, seriously?" Tom laughed, "talk about small world...or maybe I should say small universe?"
"Something like that," Taka laughed, shaking his head. "He...really cares about her, doesn't he?" he said then, his tone more serious and quiet.
"Hm?" Tom followed his gaze, catching sight of Antsu and Cathy talking, their heads close together and their body language clear. "Yeah," he said, "he really does. And she cares just as much about him. From everything I've seen living among the Na'vi for the past month or so, the bond between mates is something far stronger than any human relationship I've ever known... and that includes my parents, who I'd always thought of as one of the most committed couples I had ever experienced."
"Even for an avatar?"
"Even for an avatar," Tom confirmed, "There's just something...different about the way relationships seem to work here. It probably has something to do with the physiological effects of tsaheylu, but it's likely that there's a cultural component as well. I mean, I suppose when one is unattached there is some amount of competition between potential suitors, just like with humans, but there seems to be a lot less concern behind it. I don't know," he shrugged, "maybe I just haven't been around long enough to really get a clear picture, but it just seems more... honest. It might have something to do with the fact that they believe if the mating is right, if it's meant to be, it will be blessed by Eywa, whatever that means. I tried asking Cathy, but she just smiled and told me it was a secret I'd have to find out for myself, whatever she means by that."
That made Taka grin. "Oh, I don't know, I think I know exactly what she meant by that," he said, but before Tom could ask what he was implying or dispute any wrong assumptions he might be making, both of them were distracted by the couple they had still been observing heading in the direction of the avatars' sleeping hut.
The two of them walked quickly over just in time to see Cathy lie down and unlink, the slumping of her avatar into unconsciousness being easily recognisable to both.
"Is there something wrong?" Tom asked Antsu.
"No, nothing is wrong," Antsu shook his head with a smile, "although it is good to know you would react so quickly in concern for my mate. No, I merely wondered what Ka'tsi's other form looked like, since she said this is the place where she keeps it."
A couple of minutes later, with a soft hiss of air exchange, the "real" Cathy walked out of the habmod, her exopack on and with a big grin on her face.
"So," she said, doing a slow twirl, "this is me. Pretty cute, hmm?"
"We've always thought so, haven't we, Taka?" Tom teased.
"Oh I don't know," Taka raised an eyebrow, "she's got some cute features I suppose, but I've always thought Louise was cuter."
"Well, neither of you really matters anyway," she rolled her eyes at them, then turned to Antsu, "Do I look anything like you imagined?"
He ran his fingers over her honey blonde hair, loosening it out of its ponytail to hang halfway down her back as he crouched down to her level. "Not quite as I imagined, but even in this form you are beautiful," he smiled at his mate. "I have never seen hair of such a colour before, and...your eyes are blue?"
Tom watched the two carefully as Cathy took a breath and slipped her mask up for a moment, letting Antsu run his fingers over her face. "She looks really tired," he said quietly to Taka, "How much rest has she been getting?"
"Probably not enough," Taka admitted, "I know I should probably remind her to spend a little more time unlinked and sleeping, but..."
"But now isn't the time," Tom nodded, "Once we're not on the road, I'll try and get on her case a bit about it. I'd hate to see her have a breakdown and have to spend days or weeks out of link...or worse."
"I'll keep on her about it as well," Taka agreed, "Even if I am a bit distracted at the moment, as team lead out here it is my responsibility to ensure all the members of my team are healthy and getting proper rest...well, or as close to proper rest as any avatar driver can ever be convinced to take. You know how it is."
"Oh definitely," Tom shook his head, "I'm very familiar with how little real rest we get."
Back at the Omatikaya Kelutral, Neytiri and Mo'at were deep in discussion as the clan prepared for the evening meal.
"You will see them again soon, will you not, ma 'ite?" Mo'at asked, her hands busy with a bundle of items, most of which Neytiri was familiar with. They were some of the most basic herbal medicines, as well as a few of the tools and herbs used only by those tsahìk-trained to assist in meditation and the understanding of Eywa's messages.
"I have promised to bring Jake and teach Taka more about hunting and butchering, so that he will be better able to take care of his family without needing to rely on the clan," she confirmed, "not that I have any objection to bringing meat to them myself, but he wished to be more independent, and I can understand the sentiment."
"Indeed," Mo'at nodded. "In that case, perhaps when you go, you could bring him these small gifts from me and give him some instruction on how to use them. In my meditations on his situation, the Great Mother showed me that he will have need of them in the future, and it is best that he begin to learn now, to be prepared before the need arises rather than trying to learn in a hurry when the need is great and the risk as well."
"If that is what you ask of me, ma Sa'nok, then of course I will give him some basic instruction," Neytiri nodded, a little surprised. "You believe he has the ability to undertake tsahìk training, then?"
"Surprisingly enough, yes, I do," Mo'at nodded, "although only enough so that he will not be overcome by confusion when the Great Mother guides him as her instrument. He will likely never become a fully trained tsahìk, but ability without training is far more dangerous than training without ability."
"Of course, ma Sa'nok," Neytiri bowed her head, "as always, your wisdom far outstrips mine."
Jake was a little surprised but not all that concerned when Neytiri didn't meet him at the eating area for dinner. She'd been summoned to talk to Mo'at about something, and Jake knew that sometimes those "somethings" took longer to work out than initially expected. Especially when it was two women discussing them. Girls weren't like guys in that regard, they had a really bad tendency toward tangents...
He sat down near his usual spot after gathering a plate of food, being sure to leave enough room for Neytiri when she did arrive, and settled in to eat. It had been a busy day, most of which had been spent in the air, and he was more than ready for some serious chowing down.
He had just started into his teylu when someone sat down in the empty spot, and he looked over with a smile for Neytiri, but...
"I See you, Jhake," Peyral said with a smile, "I hope you do not mind me joining you for a meal."
"Oh, um, sure," Jake shrugged, turning back to his food, "Oel ngatì kameie, Peyral," he added, gesturing politely.
"You fly well, Jhake," she said, her tail flicking casually against his as she lifted her own plate and began to eat, "I watched you today as you flew with Neytiri. She has taught you well. Perhaps I will join you tomorrow. It is always good for a new ikran to meet many others he may be flying with for hunts, and given your skill, I have no doubt we will hunt together much in the future."
"I guess," Jake nodded, "I don't have a problem with it, but you'll have to ask Neytiri. She's still the one in charge of my training and whatnot." He tried not to react as her tail slid along his. It might be accidental or subconscious, but either way, it didn't make him feel particularly comfortable. Peyral reminded him a lot of one of his closest friends among the Marines, Meilin, who'd been like a little sister to him, and had been injured at the same time he was, so the thought of her flirting with him, even if that wasn't what she was doing (he couldn't be sure) was more than a little weird.
"I do not mind if you join us, Peyral," Neytiri said from behind them, "as long as you are not a distraction to my student."
Jake turned to grin at her and quickly shoved over, making room for Neytiri to sit between Peyral and himself. "I wondered if you were gonna make it to dinner at all," he said as she squeezed into the space he'd made, setting down her plate briefly to settle herself more comfortably before beginning to eat.
"Mother had much to say," she shrugged, "I hope I did not interrupt your bonding of friendship."
"Not at all, tsmuke," Peyral grinned, and the slightly feral nature of it made Jake shiver involuntarily, "I am sure Jhake and I will become quite good friends, as you and I have always been, or perhaps even closer. He is quite extraordinary, after all."
"I am not sure that is quite the word I would use," Neytiri laughed, and Jake breathed a sigh of relief as the brief tension he'd felt seemed to wash away, leaving a much more normal dinner conversation between hunters.
That night, as she lay in her nivi, Neytiri was finding it very hard to fall asleep. The events at dinner kept running through her mind over and over, even though it was ridiculous that they should bother her so much. So Peyral had been flirting with Jake...that was a good thing, right? Peyral never flirted with the males, even though she had many potential suitors, and Sa'nok had more than once expressed her concern that their strongest huntress would someday leave them for another clan, chasing after the mate she had yet to meet... so Neytiri, as future tsahìk, ought to be glad at the thought of her clan sister finding a man among their own, if Jake could be considered such.
Besides, she reminded herself, she had decided even before Jake's iknimaya that she must look for potential mates for him among the clan, and Peyral and he would be a good match, both strong hunters and with similar senses of humour... So why was this troubling her so much?
She gazed over at Jake's sleeping form in the nivi next to hers and sighed. It was troubling her because when she had come up behind them and seen Peyral's tail sliding so possessively along Jake's and him not rejecting her advances automatically, her heart had hurt and, if she was being honest, she had felt more than a hint of jealousy. Which was stupid. Jake wasn't hers, he never would be, he couldn't be. Still, she had been more than unduly relieved when Jake moved to allow her to sit as a buffer between them as soon as he knew she was there, and the relieved smile on his face at the sight of her had been both gratifying and very soothing...and if she had continued to sit pressed close against Jake's side even when Peyral had shifted to give her a little more room, well, he would never know, so what would it hurt?
Poor Neytiri, still in denial, although she's starting to slip up more and more... She shouldn't worry though, he doesn't think of Peyral in that way at all! Which won't stop Peyral from trying, of course. LOL she is a skilled huntress, after all.
And now for everyone's favourite section...
Vocab:
Na'vi:
nivi - hammock
pa'li /fa'li - direhorse(s)
tsmuke - sister
uniltìranyu - dreamwalker, avatar
tsmukan - brother
tsaheylu - the bond...a wonderful thing we all wish we could experience for ourselves
Kelutral - Hometree
'ite - daughter
tsahìk - spiritual leader
sa'nok - mother
teylu - yummy edible grubs
Oel ngatì kameie - "I See you"
ikran - banshee (I want one!)
iknimaya - rite of passage where you get a banshee
Japanese:
chibi-tachi - little ones