Mrs. Sully gave a small grin as she read that line again. "Took me forever to get her name…" Maybe this was where she would get to meet this Neytiri. She hoped so anyway.

I had gotten separated from Grace and Norman while we were out in our avatars. They were off doing their science thing and I had a whole new jungle to explore. Sadly, that same jungle has a whole bunch of six legged animals to run into. First a rhino like creature gets pissed at me for messing with these cool orange spiral plants (Grace told me their names but I don't remember) then a Thantor (looks kind of like a giant panther) decides that I'm on the menu. And once I escape from the Thantor by jumping off a cliff into water I'm attacked by a pack of viper wolves and I have lost all of my supplies ... all I had really was a newly carved and ignited torch.

Mrs. Sully read all that again and shook her head. Typical Jake, getting into as much trouble as possible without even trying. What an adventurous first day out in a new world. But she frowned, thinking and asking herself where Grace and Norman were during all this; shouldn't they have helped him? That had been her son getting attacked by strange six legged creatures!

I tried to defend myself from one that leapt up at me, but it ended up stiffening with a cry of pain. And I saw an arrow sticking out from it. I was torn between relief that I wasn't facing these things alone and pure alarm at the fact that there was someone around shooting poison dart arrows. And that's when she leapt into the picture. Literally. In one fluid movement a young Na'vi woman appeared landing on the ground and released another arrow that was positioned in her bow. Damn it was impressive. Her grace and ferocity reminded me of the Thantor that I had just escaped from. All I could do was watch. If I tried to help, I had a feeling I would be in the way. The girl hissed at the remaining pack, warning them away. They fled. Wish it would be that easy for me…

She muttered under her breath in what must have been Na'vi, because I couldn't understand a word of it. And then she tossed my torch into the water. Despite my protests. She just ignored me and leaned over the dead creatures and started to mutter more Na'vi. Her tone was like that of a prayer. I knew she had little chance of speaking English, but I attempt to thank her anyway and I reached out to catch her attention… and get slapped on the head with that lovely little bow she was holding. And she spoke English – accented and angry English, but very clear nevertheless.

Well, this was certainly an interesting first meeting. Mrs. Sully wasn't quite sure rather to be amused at the fact that Jake had had to be saved or had been hit by a bow when he had attempted to touch her.

To sum up what she said, she basically blamed me for the things attacking me and having her kill them to save me; backwards right? She went off on a tangent too… I basically kept a close watch on her bow that was too close for comfort and tried to sound soothing at the same time. If felt like calming down a pissed off teenager (which she looks about eighteen… nineteen maybe). So when I asked why she did save me she gave me an answer I didn't expect. Instead she said I had a strong heart, no fear. I had expected more along the lines of how pathetic I looked, but I took the compliment.

Smiling, Mrs. Sully read the one phrase again: "she said I had a strong heart, no fear." That sounded like Jake alright… how had the girl noticed right away though? She had to be pretty special. She read on.

But I guess she has a talent of complimenting someone and insulting them in one breath because then she added that I was stupid, ignorant and acted like in her words 'a baby.' And she started to leave. And I followed; I had had enough of trying to be eaten by weird animals for the night. So I'm trying to introduce myself to make her comfortable and she's trying to ditch me when

The writing stopped there. Frowning Mrs. Sully turned to the next page. On it was a new entry.

May 4, 2154 cont.

Grace stole my journal and ordered me to do a log and stuff some food into me. So I guess I'll finish my last one and be grateful that Grace isn't the colonel…

She would watch the log later, after she finished what happened between Jake and this Na'vi girl.

It has to be quick since village life for the Na'vi start early and Neytiri would be pissed if I woke up late for training (she's already unhappy about tutoring me as is).

So I'm trying to keep up with Neytiri (the girl who I hadn't gotten her name quite yet) when all of a sudden these bright white floating seeds—and I mean A LOT of these seeds—land all over my body. Which is freaky weird, and Neytiri thought so to… actually she looked like she was in—awe. Almost fearful. And next thing I know she's ordering me to come. And so I follow her once more just this time with her permission. I decide to ask for her and start to when I'm ambushed by a passing hunting party. Neytiri saves me (again) and the hunt party's leader grabs me by the braid (that hurt and I think he knew it) and I'm led to their home, which is called Hometree. And it's one BIG tree.

Anyway, the gathering clan gave me a bunch of weird looks, and the chief (which I learned was Neytiri's father) was trying to decide to kill me or not when this other Na'vi (Neytiri's mother, some sort of spiritual leader) came and inspected me. And she came to the conclusion that I was to learn their ways with Neytiri as my guide. Neytiri threw a miniature fit.

Oh dear, it was clearly an interesting first meeting with the in-laws too. And they were leaders of the clan, which would make Neytiri a Pandora version of Pocahontas. Mrs. Sully was amused as well as surprised.

I finally got a chance to ask for her name when she led me away to bandage a cut on my arm. At first she said it really fast, and then when I asked for it again, she said it really slow, making sure to pronounce each and every sound. Like I was the baby she accused me of being. I had a feeling she was trying to provoke me so I just ignored it. Oh well, at least I got her name: Neytiri. Different, but beautiful. It fits her quite well.

When I unlink, Grace was amazed at where my avatar is. Can't say I blame her; I'm pretty astounded myself. I went to see Quartitch and Selfridge and got yet another job. Apparently they want to mine Hometree, but Neytiri's clan won't move and they want someone to convince them to move or else it's going to be all force.

Mrs. Sully frowned once more; they didn't ask him… it was too much already that he was being asked to spy…

They want me to find iron out all the wrinkles between our two races and negotiate terms for them leaving Hometree… in a time limit of three months. I have three months to learn a whole new way of life and convince a clan to move from their home that has been theirs for… well forever.

So to sum up my situation. I'm a former marine avatar driver acting as a spy, negotiator, and ambassador. My lovely young tutor Neytiri clearly distrusts just about everything about me (can't say I blame her considering…) and there's something that I don't know about that was the cause of all this tension and distrust between the humans and the Na'vi that I have a feeling would explain a lot to me, but no one is talking about it. I'm working under a three month deadline to relearn life as I know it or a whole clan's home is going to be timber and ash.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Reaching out for the video logs, Mrs. Sully couldn't help but think the same exact thing: what had Jake gotten into?