For the purposes of this story, Na'vi is written in standard, non-italicised English as it is the main character's native language. English is written as italicised English, since the main character does not know English despite being Jake's daughter.
DISCLAIMER:
I do not own Avatar, the Na'vi, Pandora or any character in this story who is also in the Avatar storyline. Mi'niri was created by me, if you want to borrow her as a character in your own Avatar fan fiction or crossover, ask me first, I'll probably say yes but ask anyway.
Enjoy reading!
Mi'niri drew in a deep breath, her eye as close to the long, fletched shaft as it could be. She breathed out slowly, gently, allowing her entire body to relax before she released the bowstring, sending the arrow flying through the air.
The sharpened tip buried itself in the red spot at the centre of the circular piece of wood that her father, Jakesully, had made into a target for her. For Mi'niri, archery was a way to relax and think about the day that had passed. She always practised in the hour before she slept, a habit which both of her parents were proud of.
A twig snapped behind her, and she tensed for a moment before she heard the familiar voice of Norm calling out to her.
"It's just me, don't shoot me please!" he called. Mi'niri laughed softly and turned around, placing her bow over her shoulder.
"Hello, Norm." She greeted him. He fidgeted, still uncomfortable in his tribal clothing.
"How'a the archery going?" He asked. Mi'niri grinned. Norm couldn't shoot a target with a bow even from two metres away.
"Fine. Would you like to try?"
"No, no I really wouldn't." For some reason, whenever Norm was nervous he started having trouble speaking. Mi'niri had been standing close enough to him once to hear him muttering strange words under his breath, and Mi'niri had always put that down to the fact that he was from a different clan.
A shrill screech reached their ears as Trudy landed her leonopteryx nearby. She shook her hair out after taking off the leather head cover she insisted on wearing despite various offers from other clansmen to make her a pair of flying goggles more suited to clan life, whatever that meant. What other life could something be suited to? Surely they should just say it was more suitable, and miss out the " for clan life" part?
Frustrated, she turned, drew and fired in a single motion, her arrow landing exactly next to the other one. Norm whistled his appreciation of the shot, and Trudy simply said "Nice shot."
Some Na'vi were more comfortable in the sky than they were on the land. Trudy was definitely one of those people. Norm, on the other hand, was timid and afraid of almost everything. No matter how hard the clan tried, no-one could help. Not even his own best friend.
"Norm!" a voice called from the other side of the clearing. The sound of running feet was soon confirmed by the sight of Mi'niri's father pulling Norm into a bear hug.
"Long time, no see, Jake." Norm greeted from the depths of the hug. Jakesully released him and simply asked the same question he always did when Norm showed up after being away for some time. Norm immediately sobered up.
"It's something Neytiri needs to know too. She's the Tsahik. You're the Olo'eyktan, so if you order me too I'll have to tell you now but I'd rather wait until I can speak to everyone."
"Is it that bad? Last time it was that the local Ikran population is on the wane, but that wasn't as bad as you made it out to be, so maybe this ti-"
"I spotted a ship, Jake," he interrupted, switching to his native language. Mi'niri expected her father to be confused, or to ask Norm to repeat it in Omaticaya Na'vi. So she was astonished to hear her father respond in the same, incomprehensible language.
"A ship?"
"A human ship. The Company is coming back."
"Oh no. Not again." Jakesully turned to Mi'niri.
"Call an assembly. I need everyone to come here as soon as they can. Mi'niri nodded once and ran off through the bioluminescent forest, leaping between the branches of trees until she reached the village of the Omaticaya clan.
"Everyone, listen!" Mi'niri shouted. Everyone turned to look at her, and her mother started to rush over to her.
"Dad's called an assembly!" she exclaimed loudly, stopping Neytiri in her tracks.
"Norm's back, and I think he's brought back some bad news." She turned to her mother.
"He wanted you to be there too, mum." Neyriri nodded and sped off in the direction Mi'niri had come from, with the rest of the clan and Mi'niri herself in hot pursuit.
When everyone had assembled, Jamesully stood up from where he sat on the ground and began to speak.
"I know I'm not known for making long speeches. Usually I leave the task of boring everyone to Neytiri," he began, prompting Neytiri to punch his arm playfully as the assembled Na'vi laughed, "but this time I may need to for the benefit of the children. Those of you who were around about twenty years ago will remember the war, and the last great battle which ended it. To you I speak now, as the message is simpler." He drew in a deep breath, calming himself.
"The Skypeople have returned."