She had fallen asleep where she sat up near the ikran nest. And a rare morning it was; after the exhaustive celebration and emotional turmoil that followed her awakening memories, she'd slept the whole morning through. Everyone is getting a late start today so the sun was already high in the sky when the first few ikran Hunters climb up to the nesting area and find her sleeping there.

Tse'tut, one of the new ikran riders and a good friend of Leytal's, nudges his fellow hunters and points at her with a huge grin on his face. Being of the mischievous sort, he crouches down low and carefully stalks his way silently over. A few moments later, with the tip of his tail twitching against her nose, she groans and her eyelids flicker. With a mighty roar that jerks her shockingly awake, he grabbs her shoulders and shaking her roughly, yells,

"Toruk is coming! Toruk will get us all!"

*************

"Toruk is coming! Toruk! Toruk!"

"Toruk! NOOOOO!!"

The canyon walls of the Well of Souls seem to echo with the grief of the Omaticaya Clan day and night. They had only arrived two days before and it seemed that every hour some new horror would manifest itself. Loud cries would pierce the air as the bodies of loved ones were found and flown in by the Ikran Riders. Now, a toruk had appeared in the sky, its shadow casting a long trail of darkness over everyone and everything. Alerted by commotion, she looked out from under the root where she was hiding. She watched with wide eyes and mouth open as the great red and black shape descended quickly from the sky, like a furiously screeching fireball of death.

Many na'vi were running from it, toward the Mother Tree. However, some of the Omaticaya, tears and soot streaking their faces, merely slumped with their heads back; waiting and accepting. She watched it all, struck frozen with terror, unable to crawl back to her hiding place. Her eyes were transfixed on the beast that haunted the nightmares of all children. She didn't even notice the blue figure riding it until the toruk had landed and the na'vi slid off its back.

Toruk Makto... he was striding right towards her, looking straight out of legend. She imagined that he had the face of her father and for a few glorious seconds her heart was as light as the tendrils of the Mother Tree. She gave a shout of joy and stood up from her crouch, reaching for the image... which strode right up to the Tsahik's daughter, some distance away from her. The image was shattered as she finally recognized the Dreamwalker that had been staying with the Omaticaya. Confused, she withdrew back under her root. This was not her father and he had not come back to her.

Fresh tears started to flow from her eyes, even as the fate of the Omaticaya Clan shifted. At the edge of the canyon, the toruk screamed...

*************

She lets out a small yell and still half asleep, scrambles quickly to the nearest thick trunk and flattens herself against it. The laughter of Tse'tut and the other Hunters bring her fully awake and she looks around, first in confusion and then in annoyed anger. She hisses at them, which make them laugh louder.

"Good day to you too!" Tse'tut winks at her. She narrows her eyes at him, but after a moment, has to concede he'd definitely gotten her, and she gives a begrudging grin in return and nods in his direction. Such amusements are common among na'vi children, who are used to rough and tumble sorts of play.

"I would have thought you'd be too old now for such playing." she says, throwing her chin up at him since he is a good head or two taller than she is.

"One is never too old for such things!" he grins and waves a dismissive four-fingered hand.

The other Ikran Riders have already flown off and Tse'tut now calls to his ikran with a couple of sharp cries and whistles. She bats at his tail as he passes her, but Tse'tut nimbly dodges the blow, shaking his finger at her. With a loud whoop, he leaps off the branch, barely waiting for the bond with his ikran to take hold. She watches as he flies off to join the others, remembering...

*************

...the wind was blowing wildly through her hair, and she gave a whooping cry as her father's ikran dipped down for the descent towards Hometree. She was strapped very tightly to his back and her small arms were tight around his neck. She was full of exhilaration, as the bright yellow-banded ikran banked sharply for landing. She'd begged her father for a whole cycle to take her flying and finally today they'd been able to sneak off.

Her father jumped from the back of his ikran onto a thick branch under the nesting area, and unlatching the straps, he twirled the small girl up into the air. She laughed and squealed.

"Liked that did you?" he said, ruffling her soft dark hair till it stood up all over. "You won't tell your mother will you?"

"Never! Can we go again tomorrow?!"

"I wish I'd known you were going today!" a stern voice sounded from below. Climbing up the nearest trunk was her mother, golden eyes flashing.

"I thought you had drowned in the river or something when I couldn't find you." Mother said, leaping up to join them. She and her father looked guiltily at each other, then they broke out into huge grins, and she started giggling. Her mother rolled her eyes, crossed her long arms, and harrumphed. She reached her arms out for Mother, who relented and dropped her stern appearance and then soon spun her up and over onto her own back. Nuzzling her mother's sweet smelling braids, she smiled at her father as they climbed down towards home...

*************

She leaps lightly down the last bit of the way to the common area, smiling to herself. Her smile catches the notice of Prijal, who smiles back and waves her over. She really admires Prijal, who is tall and willowy with a wiry strength in her long limbs. She can see that Prijal is smoothing the wood grain of a bow in her lap. Now that Prijal is a full warrior of the Omaticaya Clan, she is expected to make her bow from the wood of Hometree.

"Good day Prijal, how are you?"

"I'm so glad you are here; I need a critical eye before I present my new bow to the Clan Leader." Prijal holds up the weapon. "I still need to decorate it, but it's almost finished."

"So fast? You were only announced a full warrior two days ago!"

Prijal ducks her head and blushes slightly, "I have been working day and night since. I already had the piece picked out...". Prijal smiles and lovingly strokes the bow, "I think it came out well."

She watches as Prijal expertly draws the bow back, testing the string. There is no other na'vi better with their weapons than Prijal is. Her dedication to them and to her training was much talked about among the clan, and she was well on her way to surpassing the skill of even the most experienced Hunters. It was whispered in the clan that one day she would be master of all of them.

Her eyes are drawn to Prijal's hair...it is a very un-na'vi-like short style and the wind that blows through the common area barely touches it...

*************

Alerted by the frantic squawking of an ikran, she watched from under her root, as it flew right up to the base of the Mother Tree in the center of the Well of Souls. A male Hunter jumped off and rushed up to the Tsahik, a small limp form in his arms.

"I found her, I finally found her... Please, Tsahik, help her! She is very badly hurt!" The hunter gently lay the na'vi child down in front of Mo'at, who was beginning to chant while she started to prepare a dressing from some of the plants that were arranged close by. Mo'at probed the young girl's injuries then turned her over to continue. She drew back and gave a great hiss, and the healing acolytes that were looking on hissed as well. Neyteri, who was close, turned her head away, clutched her queue braid, and gasped softly,

"Great Eywa..."

The child's back was a massive burn, one that reached down to the top of her tail and halfway up her head. Most of her hair was gone, as was her queue. Mo'at looked up, her eyes dark and heavy.

"She will live...but the damage to her queue is great. It may never grow back again..."

*************

She realizes she has been staring and catches Prijal looking at her oddly. Quickly, she turns her eyes away, blushing. The clan has become accustomed to Prijal's condition, but the pitying whispers started again when they all watched Prijal's age-mates take the trip to become Ikran Hunters...something that Prijal would never be able to do. She starts a little when Prijal unexpectedly jumps up.

"I have to go. I need some leather." Prijal starts to walk away but a moment later she stops and looks back.

"Ah, I almost forgot. I was told to tell you when I saw you that the Clan Leader is looking for you."

She looks up in astonishment. The Clan Leader...?