Hi everyone! Long time no see, but now I'm back again! Thank you a thousand times for the favoritings/story alerts! I never believed it would be so many of them! It's awesome! :D
I would love to get some reviews about the story so far too. Is it good/not good, and why/why not?
Please share your thoughts because that's what counts, right? I want to make a good story!
Here's chapter 2, hope you like it. The next one is going to be quite interesting so I hope you want to continue read this story!
Chapter 2. Doubled up personality
I felt the adrenaline rush through my body as I headed for the final obstacles in the long course. I crawled under the barrier and got up and ran to the goal and stopped my timer at the spot. I felt victorious when I saw that I had been three seconds faster than last week, and as I caught my breath I looked out over the big camp area where the rest of the avatars were training and enjoying the beautiful day. Then, suddenly, something caught my eye. One of the doors that lead out of the lab flung open and a blue silhouette rushed out from it. I squinted as I started jogging in the direction that would cross the path he was on. And yes, I already knew who it was, the stubborn and a bit cocky part two of Jake Sully. Although I knew it was fully possible, it still amazed me to see him running, and I did nothing to stop him, because someone else had already taken that responsibility.
I grinned at Jake as he passed me, and looked the other way to find Norm coming in a slightly slower pace, shouting at Jake.
"Hey, Norm! Slow down, you're not supposed to run like that on your first day!", I shouted at him jokily and waved with my arm to block him from continuing. He looked relieved to get to slow down to walking and came up to my side panting.
"I know", he breathed heavily. "That's what I try to tell Jake, but… He doesn't listen."
I laughed sarcastically before I answered him.
"Why am I not surprised?"
We began to walk towards Jake, who had stopped for about 50 meters away.
"How long have you known each other?", I asked and glanced over at Norm.
"Only these two days actually", he said and chuckled. "But I knew his brother well."
"Oh", I said, and got a bit off guard. "I should've been smart enough to think that out for myself."
"How do you mean?"
"Well, a scientist and a marine, that's not really close at all, but I admire your friendship. It shows that nothing is impossible, even though some people around here think that."
Norm looked at me with a curious expression, waiting for me to continue, but I knew that saying too much would put me into trouble so I just said 'You'll see soon'. And at that moment we reached Jake, where he stood and talked to my mum. She seemed to be more positive about him today than yesterday. That was of course a good sign, and she nodded and smiled at me and Norm before she went away through the big bushes next to us. Jake turned to face us and raised his eyebrows as he saw me.
"Hello there, maniac", I said and smirked at him, and he nodded back.
"Yeah, that's a good nickname for you!", Norm agreed and Jake rolled his eyes.
"What would you do if your legs suddenly started to work again after so many years?"
"He has a point", I said to Norm and he shrugged. "Well, maybe we should get you two some clothes so that you don't scare away the ladies."
"It doesn't seem to be too bad, though. I mean, you're still around", Jake said and made a superior expression. I shook my head and waved for them to follow me to the big shack in front of us. Once inside, I lead them to their beds where they had a little wardrobe each.
"In here you have your own clothes and other necessary things you may need", I told them and patted the boxes in front of every bed. "I'll go outside during the time you investigate your belongings and get dressed with something better than those covers."
I went out and sat down on the stairs of the small porch. The sun kissed my face and I dragged out the rubber band that held my hair in a ponytail and shook my head. I pulled my fingers through the thick black mane a few times before I put the rubber band back again, and leaned back on my hands and closed my eyes as I sighed.
"Listen up, everyone!", Ateyo shouted and rode up in front of our group on his direhorse. "You all have to keep your position so that the formation stays complete, otherwise the prey will be able to escape, and then it's your fault the whole clan don't get any food!"
Bakto moved nervously under me and I patted his neck calming. It felt like I was sitting on the back of a ticking bomb that was ready to explode in any moment now.
"Are you all ready? Remember, it's only practice for some of you, but please do your best and stick to the plan!", Ateyo said and turned his direhorse, which started galloping on the spot, and put one hand up in the air. He shouted for us to move forward as he pointed with his long arm, and the whole group threw themselves away after him. I let out a shrieking sound and Bakto reared up a bit before he too threw himself away after the others, out of the hiding trees into the bigger field. It was a lovely feeling, being one with such a big and powerful animal, especially when we flew over the grass so fast and majestic. I refocused on the task and looked around me to control my position. On my left, Ninat galloped a bit too slow for the formation, and when she met my gaze, I waved for her to catch up a little. She nodded and looked determined as she mumbled something to her horse, which started to stretch out longer with its legs.
"Left!", Ateyo suddenly shouted and headed left and gained more speed. We all rode after him, and I searched with my eyes to see what he had found, and then I heard the sound of movement somewhere in front of us. I controlled my position again and reached forward a bit, which Bakto answered with speeding up more. We caught up with the sound and I saw that there was a smaller herd of hexapedes right in front of us, running along the line between forest and field. Ateyo reached out his right arm as he turned to the left side and opened up the half moon that our group formed.
"Faster!", I heard Tsu'tey shout, and as I looked over at him at my right side, he pulled up his bow and arrow and got prepared. I did not have a bow myself, as for this was only my first hunt. But I made an important job in the back, not letting the prey sneak out that way, as the real hunters were positioned in the front and middle.
We reached the herd and succeeded in separating three animals from the rest, two adults and one calf. Peyral shoot one of the adults, it fell to the ground immediately in front of me and Bakto had to jump over it, which made me loose my position slightly. The hexapedes was known to be extremely fast, and the other adult proved that by trying to take advantage of my mistake. It made a total twirl around and tried to sneak out left to me, but I steered Bakto to fend off its escaping path and then it was hit by an arrow that came from the right. I glanced up and saw Tsu'tey picking up another arrow and shot the calf before he let out a victorious sound. Ateyo motioned for us to slow down and turn around to pick up what we had got. I let Bakto make a soft, small turn and came up next to Tsu'tey as we trotted back slowly.
"Nice shooting", I said to him and glanced up at him cautiously.
"Thanks! You did a great job too", he said and gave me a big smile, which I could not do anything else than answer back of course. "Quite impressing for being one of the Sky People."
"You think?"
"Yeah."
We stopped and got off our horses and I watched as Tsu'tey pulled out the arrow from the unconscious calf before he took out his knife.
"Your spirit will now be with Eywa, but your body will remain for the People", he mumbled as he killed it easily. It was kind of a beautiful scene, even though I felt sorry for the little calf, not even getting the chance to grow up before dying. Tsu'tey brought his direhorse closer and got prepared to lift the calf.
"You want some help?", I asked and he stopped on his way down and looked up at me.
"This one's not so heavy, but if you want to help you're welcome", he answered and I reached down to the ground and gripped the hind legs of it and we lifted it up together and placed it on the back of his horse, in front of the saddle. Just as he had told me it was not heavy, and I am sure he could have managed it all by himself, but I did not just want to stand there doing nothing. It was also nice cooperating with him for once, instead of being constantly picked on.
"Marlene?", Peyral called, and I looked up at her questioning. "We need Bakto to carry this one; you'll have to ride back to the village with someone else."
I took Bakto and handed him over to Peyral, and then stopped and looked around for an alternative companion that I could ride back with. They were all occupied with binding and loading the kills onto the horses. I heard hooves coming up next to me and looked up at Tsu'tey.
"You can ride with me", he said and nodded at the horse's back. I hesitated for a second, surprised by his offer, before I jumped up behind him. It still amazed me how nice he was right now, and for the first time I could understand why I felt so much for him.
The sound of footsteps and familiar voices woke me up from my daydream. Norm and Jake had come out with some real clothes on and were holding the old covers. I reached out and took them and got up to put them in the trashcan next to the doorway. Then I turned around to face them.
"So", I said and clutched my hands together. "What do you want to do now?"
"I would love to play some basketball, haven't done it in a while you know", Jake said and we all laughed a bit.
"Well, let's go see if Ryan and Molly want to play a game or two!"
"That was awesome", Jake said as we headed to dinner.
"You mean the basketball?", Norm said in a joking tone and I laughed as Jake beat him lightly on the arm.
"Whatever it is that's awesome, I'm glad you liked it", I said and saw in the corner of my eye how he smiled at me. It was followed by a longer silence, and I thought about what I had said, if it sounded wrong or anything.
"Sooo", Norm said, trying to break the quiet situation which he obviously felt a bit awkward with. "What's up for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, you, my mother and I will fly out into the woods and you will get the chance to show us your knowledge", I said as we sat down at the table. Norm shined up like a sun and was for a moment speechless, unlike Jake, who had a lot to say after my announcement.
"But hey, what about me?", he said and looked at me with a disappointed expression.
"Jake, you have no experience-", Norm began but he was interrupted.
"It's supposed to be the most dangerous place outside there, I think the one with no experience of that are you", he said to Norm and I could feel the tension build up between the two of them.
"Okay, calm down. You'll get the chance to show what you've got later on, Jake", I said and he looked at me and took a deep breath, his jaw tightening. Then he nodded and I sighed with relief.
"Don't make me regret admiring your friendship", I said and Norm smiled, but Jake looked a bit confused, so I told him about the relation between the two major groups of people in this place. That we were two completely different kinds of people who were forced to work towards the same goal, but in different ways, and that made conflicts between us now and then.
"But you're free to choose with whom you want to put your loyalty to, but I think it's safer with us if you want to be able to trust people", I ended up, and Jake looked like he had gotten something to think about, or, maybe he was just acting like that was the case. It was kind of hard to know when it came to that man.
"Hi people", Trudy greeted as she sat down next to me. That made Norm look like he had won on the lottery and I had to look down at my food to not begin to laugh.
"So", Jake said and turned to Trudy. "You're one of the bad guys around here?"
"Huh?", Trudy said and looked from him to me and back again, obviously confused.
"No, no. Trudy is on the good side. Or, in the middle may be a more correct description", I cleared out and she chuckled.
"I think we both are in the middle, then. You're tougher than all these lab rats together!"
Jake, Trudy and I laughed at that commentary while Norm looked a bit offended, but he would have to get used to it if he was going to hang out with the three of us and manage to be outside the security fences. Because on the outside you could never predict what would or could happen.