Chapter 4-Training the Dreamwalker

Jake was still asleep when I woke up. Good-that would delay training as much as possible. I didn't even think about waking him up. I just climbed out of my hammock, and walked down to breakfast. I grabbed a roll, and went to sit next to Tsu'tey.

"Good morning, Neytiri. How is the Dreamwalker?" Tsu'tey asked cheerfully.

"He is sleeping." I answered.

"One lesson he must learn is that all Na'vi get up early-there is lots to do." Father replied, frowning. "Tsu'tey, scout the area with your hunters. I do not doubt that they will search for him."

"Shall we kill them?"

"If you must." Father said "Perhaps they know he is here already."

"They probably do." I said as Tsu'tey got up and left, calling the other hunters as he went.

"Mother, Tsahik." I said, pleading "Why me?"

"It is the will of Eywa." She said firmly "You will teach him, Neytiri. He is your responsibility."

"UGH!"

Mother smiled. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

"Not that bad? He's a slaphappy jerk!"

"That teach not to be." Mother said simply.

"I'm a hunter! Not a teacher!"

"You are Na'vi." She said "And Na'vi listen to Eywa. I am Tsahik, and Eywa is telling me as Tsahik that you, Neytiri, are to teach Jake Sully the ways of a Na'vi."

"UGH!" I groaned again.

"Start with Shahaylu." she said. "His queue seems fuctional."

I got up, and left the hometree, wandering over to the where we kept the Direhorses. Tsu'tey and his hunters were mounting them, connecting there queues.

"You are teaching him to ride?" Tsu'tey said.

"Yes" I snapped, leaping onto one, and thinking canter forward.

As I approached the hometree, Jake was walking forward, grinning like an idiot the second he saw me.

The grin faded when he saw the direhorse I was leading.

He came forward slowly, and gripped the surcingle of his mare. I held down it's nose-ring whilst he climbed on, and looking at my connected queue's, grabbed his, and held it near the horses queue. Made a nervous sound. For a second, I considered that maybe I shouldn't have made Jake connect to a Direhorse first time round. Maybe I should have used a plant, or a hellfire wasp. And since skypeople didn't have queues, and vouldn't connect to others, the connection of sharing the direhorses thoughts must be...confusing? Frightening?

But I pushed the thoughts aside. He'd have to learn sometime. And he wasn't a child, even if he acted like one. "This is Shahaylu." I said, indicating towards the connected queues "The bond. Fell her heartbeat, her breath. Feel her strong legs."

Jake closed his eyes and nodded. He was enjoying this. He liked the sensation, after he'd got over the initial shock. Well, who didn't?

Tsu'tey and For'jon came riding out of the forest, and stopped by the pool, letting there horses drink. They watched Jake's riding lesson-Tsu'tey with disdain, For'jon with amusement.

"She's teaching him to ride a horse." For'jon said "Imagine that-he can't ride."

"He'll fall off-this is pointless." Tsu'tey agreed.

I ignored them, and continued. "You may her tell her what to do-" I touched my head, trying to work out what the word was "-Inside. For now, say where to go."

Jake nodded, understanding, and clutched the Direhorses neck, looking nervous, but determined. "Forward."

Immeadiatly, it galloped forward. Jake was thrown off, the bond separating. Obviously (although Grace told us the skypeople had direhorse like creatures on earth), he had never ridden one of them, and had no idea how to sit. I watched as he landed painfully in the mud.

"Ouch." I muttered. For'jon was in hysterics.

Tsu'tey sighed and rode across to where Jake was getting up, For'jon following. "You should go away." he said.

Jake blinked once, and then turned to me. "I knew this guy could talk English."

I sighed and grabbed his mare, and led it away from the mud. "Neytiri." Tsu'tey said "This alien will learn nothing. A rock see's more."

"I know." I sighed, and laughed slightly in agreement. This was entirely pointless. Trust mother to set me a pointless and impossible challenge.

Jake had got up, and stood by the Direhorse. "Again." I said, heartlessly. No doubt he'd fall off again.

He didn't improve by nightfall. I watched as he was thrown off each time, but admired him as he tried again and again without protest or frustration. I couldn't help thinking what a waste of a day it was, though.

Jake went to bed early, after eating hardly anything, saying he "preferred to be in a form that wasn't battered and covered in bruises." He admitted to me that was how he got out of his avatar, and why he was the last up this morning. I guess that only makes killing the Dreamwalkers harder. If you kill them, they come back as a skyperson in a mask.

"Father. Mother." I said "This is pointless. He will learn nothing."

"But will learn lots." Father said "And he claims to be different from the others. Now, Tsu'tey. Did you hunters find anyone?"

"No, Olo'eyktan. There are no dreamwalkers or skypeople in our land." he said "We saw a few doing what the usually do, but they were not in our land."

"Good. They must know he is safe." Mother said.

"Of course they do. That is why Jake has gone to bed." I said "When they go to sleep, or faint, or die, they "Wake up" as the Skyperson they are."

"That makes them hard to kill." Tsu'tey growled "If we kill them, they'll come back."

"But not impossible." Father said.

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