Chapter IV: The Storm Rider

"And you just let him go?" Quaritch looked at her like she was a sick dog he'd love to put down. Everyone was in the main command center, standing around the circular holographic display which showed them sections of Pandoran jungle.

Grace rubbed her temples, "We don't even know if it was him or not, and they were already on edge about hearing your team openly discussing more forest clearing." She crossed her arms, cocking her hip to the side defiantly.

"Wait, wait, wait, you mean they knew?" Selfridge leaned against the display, arms and legs crossed, small compared to the burly soldier still trying to stare Dr. Augustine down.

Grace nodded her head, "As far as I could tell he understood English and overheard, but you may want to ask your own team before you start pointing fingers, Parker, remember they called me." Selfridge glared, but said nothing more.

Quaritch however looked like he was ready and willing to break both their necks, "We're talking about that same guy right? The Retard tester?"

Grace bristled and fixed him a glare that could wither most men, "Yeah, you know, the guy you murdered?"

Selfridge rolled his eyes. "Come on, Grace, no one was able to prove it was because of opening the chamber, and if it was so dangerous you should have had-had locks on them. He had unknown medical problems he hid from us, and we all miss him terribly, lets just bury the hatchet alright?" Quaritch enjoyed the imagery.

Grace let herself smile, "Well I guess we'll find out. We're meeting again in three days, and if it is him I'm sure he'll have something to say to you and the company." She glared once more, Parker's lips tightened, Quaritch didn't look away.

"Now hold on, you're going to meet up and do what exactly? Bring them all back here for show and tell?" Quaritch nearly sneered.

Grace looked baffled, "Where else am I going to run the tests to know if it's really him?"

Quaritch looked smug, "Well that's you're problem but nobody's bringing hostiles onto my base, even if they bring the Avatard with them." Grace looked ready to assault him.

Selfridge jumped up, holding his hands out and moving slightly between them, "Alright let's cool the jets here shall we? Grace, you can bring him here, but I just don't see why, we should let any of the others come in."

Grace removed her cold stare from Quaritch and looked to Parker, "Look, you want this to succeed don't you?" Parker looked wary. "Well you're going to have to show some trust if you want any in return, we just made first contact with another tribe. The Omaticaya are already unhappy about the mining your doing and we aren't even near their land. If you don't want these people to start attacking your troops or workers then you're going to have to make a better first impression." She said firmly. Selfridge looked uneasy, Quaritch looked disgusted, probably because he knew Parker wouldn't argue.

"Alright." Parker conceded, Quaritch sneered. "But no more then four and they'll be escorted at all times." He pointed to both of them to remind them he was still in charge and control. When Grace left, Quaritch was still sneering, Selfridge turned to him and leaned in. "Make sure they don't learn about the expansion plans, and do what ever you have to to make sure this doesn't come back and bite me."

Quaritch smiled, "I can do that." Once again Parker felt uneasy under the Colonel's unflinching, uncompromising gaze.

Trudy was waiting for Grace in the hallway, "That sounded promising." She said flatly.

Grace huffed in annoyance, "It's like talking to a monkey stuck in a brick wall."

Trudy followed closely behind the Doctor's agitated pace, "Can it really be him Doc? I mean, you saw him, if he was a cat he must have used up six of his lives."

Grace couldn't help the slight rise of the edge of her mouth, reminded of all the cat jokes he use to pull, then the moment left her, "We've got bigger problems. It sounded like Parker was sending out scouting teams for more mining."

Trudy licked her lips. She wasn't about to openly oppose the RDA, but she considered the Doctor her friend, "That won't make the natives very happy will it?" She said carefully. Grace didn't answer, instead picking up her pace. When she reached the labs, Max was waiting for her. His face was hopeful. Grace waited a moment before filling them in on the meeting, looking over the link chambers encircling them. Many of them still had Avatar drivers in them; 'coffins' as he use to call them. They had locks now, and wouldn't open unless you shut down the machines first, which included a huge red button so nothing like the tragedy of a year ago could happen again.

"Alright, here's the deal."

The Ikran people of the Eastern Sea were not happy about the news. The sky people were too close to their sky hunting lands for comfort, especially after the warning that had received from others tribes moving through the area. A traveling band had recently left the Omaticaya, stopping in with the Ikran people for a few weeks on their way back home. They spoke of the strange beings known as the sky people, tiny things who moved, spoke, and dressed strangely. They knew the sky people had terrible weapons and were eager to get back to their own people, this was many years ago however and the Ikran People had not heard anything of the Omaticaya nor the sky people since. Kn'indy had been hunting far towards their land when she rescued me, so it was not a hard connection to make. It was apparent I had come from the Omaticaya, or perhaps was one among the traveling peoples, but there were dreaded whispers that perhaps I was also a Na'vi who lived among the sky people. But if any of this were so, why would they leave me bleeding and bond cut?

The fact that the sky people were so close now and that I understood their words made the matter harder to judge. I waited while the elders debated, and Kn'indy tried to keep me from simply going off on my own but even she could not withstand my infectious excitement about learning more. For two days I could barely sit still, and felt such elation as to sing again. The clan was overrun with the talk of my storms now, questioning, some excited as I was and others afraid. Kn'indy kept most of them back from outright mobbing me, but she too wished to question me thoroughly. The elders called me in several times to ask me about these things I saw or heard upon my storm. They asked about the sky people, asked all I could tell them, and finally asked if I truly felt it wise to return. Obviously something terrible had happened for me to have my bond cut, but it obviously meant a great deal to me to find out why or what really happened. I tried my best not to seem impatient, but it did little to stop my bubbling excitement from showing. Finally the clan chief said they would speak on it for another day and tell us their decision the next; which is why Kn'indy had asked for three, she knew it would take them as long too decided.

The evening of the second day, when they were done speaking to me, I sat alone with Kn'indy outside the great tents. We simply sat, listening to the waves break upon the cliffs but I found myself humming. Kn'indy looked to me warmly. "I know how much it means to you No'name, to find your past… but I fear the answers."

I smiled at her, barely able to contain bouncing my knees. "I do not think Grace can be the cause for my pains, she is too kind and warm, the feelings I have for her tell me she is friend."

Kn'indy watched me look up into the night sky and placed her hand upon mine, "Just a friend?"

I looked to her and ceased my humming. The look in her eyes spoke of trust, and a fear which only now I realized was not just about me being hurt from my past. She looked into my eyes, searching, and for many moments neither of us spoke. "Are you asking if she could be my mate?" I finally said, for both of us. Kn'indy did not reply at once, but I could see the hidden pain on her face. I lowered my head; the possibility was there, after all, she looked at me with familiarity. Yet… "I do not think it is so… she did not recognize me, and though I am scarred, surely she would know me… if we were…" I let the words fall upon the wind as the waves crashed, my hand touching the slightly smoother lines of white flesh upon my face. "Did you notice?" I said quietly, "She had five fingers."

Kn'indy frowned, "As you have five toes, but you do not have five fingers; like all of our people."

My mind swam in ice water, "But look here, these scars…." I motioned to the ones running the length of my forearms, "Could my other fingers have been cut from me?"

Kn'indy arched her brown sadly, "We do not know if she has five toes as you My-" She stopped, almost jumping at the affectionate additive to a name I didn't have.

I looked to her, smiling softly. Slowly I reached out and took her hand with my own, "No Kn'indy, I can not think she is mine. I did not see the recognition and longing of bonded mate within her eyes, even as she seemed to know my voice. I do not think I would have changed so from simply being bond c-" But I stopped too …what if it was possible? Maybe I had been an entirely different person before being cut. Most do not survive the cutting of the bond, so great is the pain, and misery that followed survivors of the pain. It was so rare, who knew the lasting affects? Kn'indy sensed my doubt, and showed it on her face as well. Suddenly the cold of the night was colder, and the howl of the winds along the cliffs lonelier.

Then, she grabbed my hand, hard, "My storm rider, no matter what may come of meeting the sky people, no matter what may come of tomorrow; I will always ride the winds for you, my heart will always wait for you, and I will always watch you."

I looked to her then, marveling at her for the thousandth time, "My Kn', you are the light to my darkness, it is only you I see now and I can not think of looking away from you. Come what may, you will always be the light in my heart." With near tears from her golden pools, she leaned forward and pulled me close, our lips met again, but broke from this in slow moments later. She knew I would go no further, too afraid was I to try, but none the less we held each other and the night did not seem so cold. The wind did not seem so lonely, and something came to me from the distance storm: I whistled. The tune was high and clear, startling Kn'indy and unknown to me, several in the camp behind us. Their ears perked up at the strange new noise never before heard. She looked at me in wonder as I again continued the notes, following a haunting but also cheerful song I heard upon my storm. As the song continued, the sentries, and those in the tents settled back into sleep as they recognized the sounds of a song. Kn'indy could only look on as I continued the melancholy drifting hopeful utterance. We held each other still as the night went on, the song echoing off the cliffs below and into the emptiness.

The next day the Elders were quick to come to a decision; we would meet the sky people and learn of their world, and, flyers would be sent to the Omaticaya clan to learn what they could. Naturally I was sent among them to learn, but we were escorted by a pack of flyers, six total counting Kn'indy. Again we made our way to the clearing, the Ikran took to the trees and waited fussily for the strange plane to come. I was pacing below, my tail lashing, as Kn'indy watched me crouched beneath the foliage. "What if they can not find this place again?" I puzzled, Kn'indy shook her head, knowing I knew I was just worrying and thus only had to give me one of her half smiling looks for answer. I sighed through my teeth and promptly sat in the grass on my butt. The riders in the trees were nervous as well, but hid it stoically, they were also excited. Near midday we heard the familiar buzz of the sky people's plane, like an angry wasp coming in over the trees. Kn'indy ceased braiding grass into the tips of my hair and we both leapt up.

"The plane! The plane!" I cried, and Kn'indy laughed at my excitement. As the plane grew closer, it hesitated, but by then we could see Grace in its belly waving and pointing down to us. Then slowly it landed.

Grace came out, eagerness in her eyes to see us once again; when she saw me she looked relieved, "Mighty ones, thank you for coming I had feared-" She stopped, wondering if she was being insulting.

"Hail, Grace of the skypeople!" I said in English. Kn'indy arched her brow at the strange greeting.

Grace smiled softly and returned it, "Hail… ah… Warrior, what do I call you?" She frowned.

I smiled brightly, "Kea'Peyral is what most call me."

Grace chewed her lower lip, "Kea'Peyral, Kn'indy." She looked to both of us. "My people have agreed to see you, but the, chief of my people will only let one of you come in our home." Each of us looked to each other, stiffening at the news, it was a bad sign not to welcome all of us. But then, the sky people were small, perhaps they were afraid of so many? I and Kn'indy exchanged looks.

"Surely they will not fear just two?" I said.

Grace looked uncomfortable, as if she was speaking something opposite to what she felt, "He has said for just yourself…"

Kn'indy took me by the arm, and we both frowned. "..he is chief, it is his right to say who may come into his home."

I shook my head however, "Right, but not polite… why do they fear us so?"

Grace finally stepped forward, "Kn'indy, I do not see why you can not come with us. I shall answer to my chief on your behalf." We both looked to her, Kn'indy looking slightly surprised and at the same time suspicious. We conferred with the other riders, and eventually it was agreed upon that three would head back to tell of what happened, and three -including Kn'indy- would fly after us, at least to keep guard outside the home of the Sky people or send alarm if something should happen to us. Carefully I sat inside the strange plane, Grace showed me how to tie myself in, and she signaled for the sky person to set off with us. The ride was stranger still, moving upwards, haltingly, and then forwards. There was no flow to it at first, jolting, unsteady, much like the sky people moved. This creature did not follow the ways of the air, it fought against it and used it to do what it wished, it turned, and stopped in place in ways our Ikran could not. The riders who flanked us had to swoop and dive, turning with the wind and could not come too close to the plane for the way the winds seem to thrash around it, like at the break of the sea against the cliff.

From this, a simple mode of transportation, I knew the sky people were great indeed, possibly greater than my own people, for I also recognized the deadly guns spaced about the strange plane. This beast had a sting worse then our arrows, yet was tamed by the sky people. It was a strange world. Grace smiled at me when I looked to her, though I had long caught her starring into me questioningly. "Thank you, for trusting us, Kea'Peyral."

I smiled back to her, it was difficult to speak over the noise their plane made. It was a magnificent beast, but one could not hunt with it. The noise was far too loud, unless, unless that was why they created such guns to kill from very far. These thoughts flew through me, and I spoke suddenly. "Grace, do you know me?"

She was surprised by the question. Finally she shook her head. "I do not know, No'Name… something in you I feel I do, but I can not know for sure." She grit her teeth then, "But I do know a way of finding out, if you will let us."

I smiled at her still, but knit my brow, "If I will let you?" She took a deep breath and began to explain as we flew. They wished to test me somehow with these things called 'machines' a word I recognized as English, but took a while to remember fully. She told me these machines could definitely tell me if she knew me for certain and for that, I readily agreed. The storm held many questions, rolling across my mind as we neared their home, but when I looked upon it still more shook me terribly. Their home was harsh, cut like the fields, barren as the cliffs and lined with huts and tents far too massive to be made yet far too unnatural to be grown. We flew a single circle as Grace watched me and my people look upon the sky peoples' home in awe and sorrow. They were a great people, to be so small yet make so much, but they fought against the land, and for that, the land fought against them.

I could distantly hear the crackle of the farvoice as Grace spoke to them of 'not firing, they were friendlies, escorts to an important guest.' I feared for my people, but Grace reassured me. Yet her scent spoke of the same fear. We landed without trouble however, by a home with a small garden. We set down right on the grass and our Ikran followed. Several of the sky people came out to watch us, and still more of the Na'vi came to see us too. There were many of them, dressed as the sky people, moving as the sky people. The riders and Kn'indy settled their Ikran as Grace and I stepped from the plane. A flurry of sky people came running out then, moving in formation. Each of them wore the strange clear masks, and each of them carried the deadly guns. Grace looked angered. She motioned for me to wait as she moved to intercept the sky people coming toward us. I went to Kn'indy as she spoke to them with strong hand motions. "My Kn', Grace has said to me there is a way to know who I am!"

Kn'indy looked surprised, patting Ean'Taw, her Ikran. "My Storm rider, I fear for you, these people fight against the land, they carry terrible things and tame terrible beasts, I do not know if you are safe."

I smiled to her, taking her hands, "Grace protects us, as does Eywa." She frowned still, but said no more. At length Grace came back to us with a sky person standing stiffly, his face placid yet smelling greatly of fear.

"Kea'Peyral, Kn'indy, this is a high warrior of the sky people, he brings some of our people to watch us and keep us safe." The way she said it was strange, her words did not match her voice or her face. The small sky person barked loudly, mangling the English so I could not understand it. The others seem to know it though, as they moved in uniform. They turned as one and then slowly surrounded us. Grace's lips were tight, but she tried to smile for us. "If you will come with me, I can show you these machines we spoke of."

I shrugged to Kn'indy, "We go were you take us, we are your guests." Grace did not drop the tight smile, but motioned for us to follow. Kn'indy spoke a few kind words to Ean'Taw, who nudged me as well, and then left her with the other two Riders. A small group of the sky people stayed behind with them, and the others followed us. We passed large groups of equipment, wooden beams with ropes, and tracks, and strange paths made of flat stone. We came to one of the huts of the sky people as Grace spoke to us of the things around us. Explaining they were exercise tools, and Kn'indy and I found it funny they should need to make their own when they could have gotten the same play from being outside in the real world. The hut had a strange door upon it, and the entire thing was made of the same odd strong stone they made everything with. Kn'indy tapped it with her hand and she spoke to Grace of its thickness, stronger then the skin of the 'Titanothere' they called them. Grace then told us we were going to enter a room that was made for looking at the sky people who bonded with the Na'vi. Kn'indy and I were confused by this, but then Grace said;

"It is also the place where we can test to see if you are who we think you are." And all other thoughts left me. The eerie familiarity with the strange world, the place, as if I had been there before did not leave me however. I held no memories of any of it, but felt like I should, the storm rolled and deepened within my mind. Grace opened the door and stepped in before us, I and then Kn'indy followed. The room was square as was everything the sky people made, and had large panes of 'glass' I knew it was called, which allowed us to look into the larger room were several sky people without the masks looked at us. Grace motioned to them and the escort of sky people slowly entered the room behind us taking positions against the wall. Kn'indy twitched her tail nervously, as did I. There were two sky people in the room as well, wearing the masks, and covered in white cloth much like the coats but covering their full body. Grace smiled to us, an excitement and eagerness in her voice. "Peyral, if you will let us, we can test you here." She motioned to the table.

A surge of excitement and fear swept through me and for a moment I was frozen in the spot. Now that it came too it, now that the answers were possibly before me, I was afraid… Kn'indy took my hand, I looked to her. She starred into my eyes and I starred into hers' and I, without a word, I sat upon the table. I didn't know what to expect when Grace put the odd 'wires' onto me. She placed them in several positions, and the two in white suits aided her. Grace smiled to me so warmly, but then her face grew worried. "Peyral, I'm going to show you something now, because I need to you understand and see. We Na'vi of the sky people are, bonded, made, from ourselves. This is not my true form you see." I and Kn'indy narrowed our brows, but we didn't interrupt. Grace crossed over and sat on the other table, "I'm going to lay down, and my body will sleep. You will then see me over there." She pointed beyond the glass, "Only you will see a sky person, not a Na'vi."

I looked to Kn'indy, and she to me, then I spoke. "You mean, you ride, in a Na'vi?"

Grace nodded slowly, "The sky people have a 'machine' which lets them be in two bodies. While one body sleeps, we walk in the other, do you understand?" I did not totally, but it sounded much like when I bonded with Palulukan and Pa'li… all sky people became one with their bond? Then, was I not a sky person?

"But which is the true you?" Kn'indy asked her.

Grace answered, "If you mean which body we were born with, it is the 'human' body you see around you, the small ones."

"Are there among the sky people those born as the Na'vi?" I asked.

Grace looked to me sadly, "No." And I felt a heaviness within my heart. Kn'indy held my hand firmly, and I knew we were both frightened. Grace watched us both, but the excitement was apparent upon her. "I shall sleep now Peyral, and show you." She waited for us to answer, so I nodded. Kn'indy nodded too, and Grace finally lay back. Her body lay still for a while, and we wondered if there would be some kind of sign. A few moments later however, we heard her voice again, but her lips did not move. "Peyral, Kn'indy, I'm here." We looked for the source of the voice, and heard a tapping on the glass. I turned my head and saw her then, a sky person, pale as the others yet with hair red as flame. She waved as us, smiling with a small mouth. Her face looked older in this body, but the moment I saw her, another surge of feeling flew over me.

One which gripped my hands and feet, and made me shiver; I felt I knew her. I felt this more strongly then I felt anything else, she was real to me in a way I could not explain nor understand. I knew her. But the storms were rolling, too much, too fast. I could barely turn to Kn'indy as my hands began to shake. "Kn'help m-" She griped me by the arms, but it was too late, the world began to fade and suddenly, I did not know where I was. The storm raged.