Journey to The Tree of Souls:
Questions:
I stood just outside the cave, my friends surrounding me and Creole landing on Polo so that he could be near as well. I glared at the people who seemed too awestruck to do anything. They looked from me to the animals. I was the first to move and talk.
"Fyape could aynga? Poe did ke'u wrong? Kempe is wrong hu aynga?" I asked them.
"Aynga omun our language? Fyape tsun aynga breathe? One of the People asked me.
"I was born on Earth, but my mother was stationed at Hellsgate. So she wouldn't lose sight of what her goals were the head of the RDA and the lead security guy, Col. Quarritch took me to a station way up in the mountains so that I would be isolated from my mother and anyone that tried to help. Three months ago, the food and word from Hellsgate stopped coming and Nina brought back proof that some kind of war went on. And for the other two questions, my mother taught me the language. And the only reason I can breathe the air is because the station I was staying in was slowly leaking the poisonous air in through a hole and I have been able to move about without a breathing mask since I was ten. I am now sixteen. And you obviously know 'Ìnglìsì."
"Yes, we know English. Why are you so mad that we got rid of a pest for you?"
"Cora was not a pest, her parents were killed a few years back and I started raising her as my own. All the animals had started living near me once they found out that I was alone. Nina here takes me out to get food and water and then we also go swimming together. Polo helps me collect water when it rains by keeping a bucket strapped to his back so that I always have fresh water. Levi here lets me ride him when I am too tired to walk back home. Creole up there makes sure that nobody is watching us as we make our way down the mountain and even brings back some fish every now and then for some food. Yes, it is true that I do not have a way to bond with any of the animals, but they have lived near me my whole life, well since I started living in the station and have come to respect me as one of their children, or so to say."
"Our leader will want to talk to you. Gather your belongings and come with us. We are headed to the Utral of Souls where we now live. We are a hunting party. He'll want to probably get you back to the Tawtute so that you can be able to eat and not have to live with the animals."
"But my animals friends will be able to stay with me won't they?"
"That will have to be decided by our spiritual leader. Gather your things and let's go. We need to be to the Utral by night fall."
With the help of the hunting party, we got my belongings out of the cave and back onto the backs of my friends. I buried Cora in the cave and told her that she was in the hands of the spirit now; that she would always be in my heart. I got onto Polo's back and then with the hunting party surrounding us and with Creole back in the sky, we started off for the Utral of Souls, something my mother had mentioned in her book about being the most sacred place of the Omaticaya People.
Silence of The Forest:
My friends walked next to Polo. My head hung down as I wrapped my arms around myself. I leaned on Polo's huge head and let myself fall asleep as he walked next to the Omaticaya People. Nina noticed how I'd gotten so quiet, and after having Polo stop, jumped onto his back to be near me. Polo started moving again and Nina did her best not to fall off. It was her actions that had me laughing. Nina jumped from Polo and I jumped onto her from Polo's back. I held on as she ran down the mountain. I was laughing, something I hadn't done in a long time. It had been so long since I had last laughed and the animals seemed to go wild while hearing it.
Though Polo and Levi both had gear on them, the Omaticaya People could see that they enjoyed seeing me happy. Creole swopped down and landed on Polo's back watching as Nina made me laugh. When we stopped and waited for the others to catch up, one of the Na'vi came up to me and took me off of Nina. Grabbing my hand, he continued to walk, as if I was nothing but a child.
"You seem to be happy around these animals. Did you not have visitors from Hellsgate?"
"Of course I did, but Trudy only came every month or so, so I had to figure out what to do in the meantime. Anyways, it's like having a whole lot of pets without anyone telling you that you shouldn't be friends with them. They stayed near me because I was the only human up there and I wasn't hurting their way of life. I learned to respect the animals that were always around and those that allowed me to name them never really disappeared, except when they went hunting. At night, they stood guard just in case something came that was unwanted. When Nina brought back proof that there had been a war, I was stunned. I didn't know if my mother or Trudy were alive, but I do know that they would have done everything in their power to keep the Omaticaya safe from whatever was happening."
"Our leader will know what happened to them. And our spiritual leader will know just how to tell if you'll ever be normal again. I am Nu'turi, my wife is Car'yna. We were unable to fight in the war because we had been injured when the RDA blew up our Hometree. The 'teargas' of your people does not sit well in our systems."
"I see. Do you think I am a child, you hold my hand as if I am."
"You act like a child, riding the Palulukan like a child would."
"Nina doesn't mind, she knew that I needed to laugh, that's how I deal with death. When someone grieves, they do it in their own way. My way of grieving is to remember that life does go on without or without the one they love. Cora would want me to be happy."
"Well, now that you put it that way, I understand a little more. Why don't you and Nina go back walk next to the Angtsik and stay back there for a couple minutes. It is better for the People if they see us first. You can come behind us. Our leader will know that we picked you up on our way home."
"That sounds like a good idea. Though, you can call them by the names I gave them."
"I do not know all the names that you have given them."
I left him standing there as Nina and I went back to Polo and I climbed onto Polo's back. We continue right along and it wasn't until I was on Polo's back that I understood why Nu'turi had told me to get onto his back. We were coming up on the Tree of Souls. It was such a beautiful sight that all I could was look in awe.
The Utral of Souls:
The hunting party descended into the valley first, followed by me and my animal friends. I was still looking up at the rings of the rock when Polo came to a stop. I looked down and noticed a lot of Omaticaya People standing around looking at me. I closed my mouth and looked around. There seemed to be a lot of activity up near the Utral of Souls and as I was trying to figure out what was going on, three Omaticaya came forward. I stayed only briefly on Polo's back before sliding down. Nina stayed between me and the People to tell them that she was very protective of me. But I made the first move and stuck out my hand.
"Hi, I'm Annie; you must be the leader Nu'turi has told me about."
"Yes, I'm Jake. How is it you can breathe the air? You are human."
"I've been breathing the air since I was ten. I'm sixteen now. And the station I was staying in had a hole in it so it was constantly leaking the air inside. That's why Trudy had to wear her mask indoors when she brought me food. But when the food and company stopped coming three months ago and Nina brought back evidence that there had been a war, I knew that nobody would know where I was so, with the help of my friends, I packed everything I owned up and we headed down the mountain. That's how we happened upon the hunting party."
"Annie, is it? The war you're talking about, we know about it. We waged it against the humans and won. Most of the humans are no longer on Pandora; we sent them back to Earth. Your mother must have forgotten you were up in the mountains when she was sent back to Earth."
"Do you know who your mother is Annie?" Nu'turi asked.
"What is your last name child?" Neytiri asked and as soon as she got a quizzical look from me stated, "I am Neytiri, Jake's wife."
"Oh, well then, other than Jake sounding like a name from Earth, which is kinda weird, my last name is Augastine. My mother's name was Grace. Too keep her from getting sidetracked while she worked for RDA, Quarritch took me to the Fikem Hawnu where I have lived since I was eight years old. Trudy was tasked with bringing me food and whatever else my mother wanted to send to me. We chatted a few times on the video screen, but after a while, those stopped as well. Then Trudy stopped showing up and Nina brought proof of the war and I knew I was alone, that nobody knew where I was."
"Then I'm sorry Annie, but I have some terrible news for you."
"She's dead isn't she?"
"She was killed by Quarritch when we fled Hellsgate to help the Omaticaya People fight back."
"Wait, you just said we."
"Yes, I used to be human; I chose my Avatar body over my human body because of my love for the Omaticaya."
"Well that explains why you have such a human name. But wait, what about Trudy? She was the only other person that knew where I was. Why wouldn't she come to get me?"
"The helicopter she used to help us fight the war was shot down and she was badly injured. She's back at Hellsgate and we head their daily to see how she is doing. If you want, you can come with us tomorrow. You can ride on the back of my Ikran with me."
"I would like to go with you to see Trudy, but no thanks on the ride. I will just ride Creole. He's my Ikran. I've been riding him for almost two years. Can my other friends come with?"
"Other than the Angtsik, Pa'li, Palulukan & Ikran, what other friends do you have?"
"Well, I had a Nantang, but the hunters killed her. I haven't got that reason out of them yet. But I am guessing they thought they were putting her out of her misery. You see, she was injured and I was nursing her back to health."
"So you like the creature of Pandora?" Neytiri asked.
"I've come to respect them and the forest around me. And it was easier to respect then to hate."
"She is a very smart young girl. Tell me, young one, would you ever consider going back to living with the humans?"
"Who are you?"
"I am the spiritual leader and Neytiri's mother."
"If I was forced to go back to living with them, then yes, but I wouldn't like it. I like living free, to do whatever I can possibly dream up. And if I had to go back, my friends would not be allowed to stay with me and I would miss them terribly."
"You definitely are one of a kind in your race. For someone that grew up so isolated from the rest of the humans, you have adapted well."
"Thank you Sa'nok."
"I am not your mother."
"No, but you are the mother of Neytiri, and I do not know your name and as far as I can tell, calling you Wise One or Grandmother is out of the question."
"Very well, you can call me Sa'nok. We were just about to eat, would you like to join us."
"Irayo."
With the help of Nu'turi, I sat down in a seat of honor. He was sitting with his wife and nodded at her and smiled. She turned her head to speak to Nu'turi and I was handed something to eat. I said thank you and then everyone began eating. Tomorrow was definitely going to be a big day. I would be heading back to Hellsgate, a place I hadn't been in nearly eight years. Would Trudy be awake? Would she even remember who I was?
Vocabulary:
Fyape: How
Aynga: You
Poe: She
Ke'u: Nothing
Kempe: What
Hu: With
Omun: Know
Tsun: Can
'Ìnglìsì: English
Utral: Tree
Tawtute: Sky People
Sa'nok: Mother
Irayo: Thank you
