6. More claw
A few days went by without much happening. The people were getting settled in the new home. The weavers had made enough hammocks for everyone to sleep comfortably, and even the children were attending their lessons in the usual fashion.
Sometimes Puvomun had to leave Amhul alone with the group, when Jake needed assistance, but then Ninat, Ekirä or Lolet were always willing to help with the little ones.
One afternoon, Puvomun and Amhul had been singing with the children, Amhul suddenly told him she had to leave. As he asked her why, she said there was something important she had to do.
"Is there something I can help with?" Puvomun asked, wondering why Amhul seemed in such a hurry suddenly. She had been gone regularly over the past days already and did not tell him where she was going.
"No, it is all fine. It's just... I have to take care of something. Or try to." She touched his cheek for a moment, then got to her feet and walked off.
"Where is she going, Puvomun?" Txetse asked. The boy was playing with something.
"I don't know. She will be back soon," the teacher replied. He recognised the bit of claw that the boy had found some days ago. Rakan had confirmed that it was from an ikran, and he was equally puzzled how it had gotten there, in the water.
"Let's sing another song!" Turit begged. The girl loved to sing, and had a wonderful voice.
Everyone agreed with her, so they sang about the ayeltungawng, the glow worms that made the water shine so bright in the nights, one of Turit's favourite songs. After a few more songs, Puvomun sent the pack running and playing, something they gladly did.
As he walked to where he had been working on a new bow, Ninat stopped him. "They are adjusting well to their new home, don't they?"
"They do. Most of us do. Are you feeling well here, Ninat?"
"Srane, oe lu nìltsan. I am happy here. Eyamsiyu is a good mate, he provides for so much. Did you know he is making a flute?"
"I did not. How wonderful." Puvomun smiled. Yes. Some new flutes for the Omatikaya would be a fantastic thing.
"Oh... maybe I should not have mentioned it then," Ninat said. "Maybe he wants to surprise you and the musicians."
"Don't worry, Ninat. I will be surprised," Puvomun promised. "Have you seen Jake?"
"No, I have not. He's been away so much lately." The female singer sighed. "Neytiri still has her hands full with him."
"I know." Puvomun thanked her and went looking for Nusumea Tirea, to learn that the healer-hunter had indeed spoken with Jake earlier.
"They are away again, trying to find the missing ayuntiltìranyu," Nusumea said. "Norm Spellman has not found them yet either." Then he looked at his friend. With a tilted head, he said: "There is something bothering you, ma tsmukan."
Puvomun knew that Nusumea could see things in people that nobody else except Mo'at could. "Yes. It's Amhul. She is leaving so often. Every day. She says it is important, but she does not say what it is. And that is not like her."
The healer-hunter nodded, he knew Amhul well.
"If only I knew where she was..."
"Come with me, ma Puvomun. I may be able to find her."
They walked to Nusumea's workplace and sat down. The healer burnt a few herbs and closed his eyes.
"What's he doing?" Amaya's gentle whisper sounded as she kneeled with Puvomun.
"Trying to find Amhul."
"Ah. Yes. She is away often," Amaya nodded. She was not surprised about Puvomun's words either. Everyone knew about the strange ability Nusumea possessed.
In silence they sat and waited for Nusumea to open his eyes again.
"She is not far from here," the healer said. "She is not alone, but she is also at peace. It is a bit confusing. If you want to find her, go north and then cross the river."
"Not alone?" Puvomun did not understand that. "Who is with her?"
"I cannot tell you."
"Maybe she found the missing ayuniltìranyu? The missing Dreamwalkers?" Puvomun stood up. "Thank you, brother. North, you said. I will go and see if I can find her."
"I can come with you," Amaya said, "I have no work left for the day."
Amaya was someone who often ran out into the forest alone, so Puvomun accepted her offer. She'd know her way around better than he did.
"I'll tell anyone who asks for you that you will be back soon," Nusumea Tirea said. "Even when it is Amhul," he joked.
Puvomun and Amaya went to fetch their bows and arrows. Amaya also took her knife. It was best to be prepared. Then they set off into the jungle, following the winding river.
"Are you certain we are going in the right direction?" Puvomun asked as they had travelled for quite a while.
"Yes. He said north. We go north."
"He also said to cross the river and we have not done that yet."
"True. Have you seen a place where we can do that?" Amaya stopped and pointed at the river, which was rather wide now.
"Kehe. I have not. But I don't... oh, let's go on."
Amaya grinned and led the way again, until they came upon a spot where trees were sparse and the river not so wide. As if it had to be, there was a fallen tree, spanning the water.
"I think we can cross the river here," Amaya said, sounding far too pleased with herself. She started to walk towards the fallen tree, when Puvomun grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the thicket.
"Silent," he whispered.
They crouched low and waited. Puvomun's ears had not betrayed him: someone was coming.
When the figure walked over the tree, directly towards the two in hiding, Puvomun rose. "Amhul..."
The singer teacher stopped traversing the tree bridge. "Puvomun. Amaya... Why are you here? And how-" Slowly she walked towards her mate. "How did you know where to look for me?"
"I worried," Puvomun simply said. "And Nusumea tried to make me feel better by looking for you."
Amhul frowned. "That man. I need to have words with him." Then she took Puvomun's hand. "Come. We can go home now."
At that moment a loud cry sounded, from the other side of the river. Amhul looked back, a worried look upon her face. She let go of Puvomun's hand and said: "You should go back. I have to go and see..." Without waiting for a response, the woman jumped onto the fallen tree and almost ran over it.
Puvomun did not go back. He was not far behind Amhul, and Amaya was almost on his tail. They followed Amhul at a fast pace, as the woman raced through the trees. The run ended in a small open patch.
The two new arrivals stared speechlessly.
"Stay back, please," said Amhul. "They don't know you."
Slowly the teacher singer walked towards three ikrans who were resting on the ground. One of the animals lay in an awkward position that even Puvomun knew was not normal for its kind. The other two still sat normal, but did not look very well.
"Amhul... how did you find them?"
Amhul kneeled with the lying ikran, touching its head, talking to it gently. After a while she looked at the two waiting people. "I was looking for wood to make a few baskets when I heard them. That was after Txetse had found the claw. It is from this one." Gently she stroked the head that lay on the ground.
Carefully Puvomun came forward, but after only a few steps one of the more lively ikrans started snapping at him, so he returned to where he had been safe. Before he could do something, Amaya inched forward, holding out a hand with a root she'd picked up from the ground.
"Tam tam," the young woman whispered, "it is alright. Calm now, easy..."
"Amaya," Puvomun whispered, but she did not listen.
Amhul watched Amaya go, and the ikran did not snap at her. It grabbed the root and ate it, quickly. Its eyes stayed on Amaya, as she walked around the two animals. She kneeled down and watched, moved on, kneeled and watched again.
"They are hurt," she then said. "By aysawtute weapons."
Puvomun again tried to approach Amhul, but again he was chased back by the ikran that definitely was unfriendly towards him. He watched as Amaya kneeled down with Amhul and let her hands go over the animal on the ground.
Amaya shook her head. "This one is in very bad shape. We have to go back and tell the others. Nusumea has to know. And Mo'at. And Jake and Neytiri."
"Kehe," Amhul objected, "no, they will all want to see them and touch them, and then they will die."
"Amhul, you cannot cure them," Amaya insisted. "We have to find help, someone who can do something for them that is more than feeding them and giving them attention."
"Amaya is right, ma yawne," Puvomun agreed, "you cannot do this alone. Even the three of us couldn't."
The young woman stood up and pulled Amhul to her feet. "Come, we have to go quickly. It is better."
"Amhul, listen to her. Jake and Neytiri said that Amaya is good with animals. Listen to her."
Amhul looked at the lying animal again, then nodded. "Let's go then, fast." She touched the heads of the other two, whispered something, and then hurried along the invisible path and over the tree, the others in her wake. Instead of turning into the forest, from where Amaya and Puvomun had come, she climbed up a tree.
"What are you doing?" Puvomun wondered.
"This is faster," was her reply. "How do you think I could get here and back so quickly and spend time with the ayikran?"
"Tewti..."
The two followed Amhul up the tree and made their way to the village over the high branches in an amazing time.
Na'vi - English.
Atokirina - seeds of the Sacred Tree
Ayewan - young ones
Ayfo lu tstunwi - They are kind
Ayfo makto nìwin - They ride too fast
Aynivi - plural of nivi
Ayoeyä atxkxe - our land
Aysa'nok - mothers
Aysaronyu - plural of taronyu (also 'saronyu')
Aysawtute/sawtute - Sky people, the humans
Aysko / sko - bows
Ayuniltìranyu - plural of uniltìranyu, dreamwalkers
'Eveng - a child
Eveng - children
'Ewantu - young one
'Ewll - plant
'Eylan - friend
Eylan - plural of 'eylan
Eywa - the Goddess, nature, Gaia
Eywa ayoehu - Eywa be with us
Eywa ngahu - Eywa be with you
Fa'li/ayfa'li - plural of pa'li - horses
Fngap - metal
Fngapä ta'leng - metal skin, AMP suits
Hetuwong - plural of ketuwong - aliens
Heyn - to sit
Hì'i - small
Ikran - mountain banshee
Ikran makto - ikran rider
Irayo - thank you
'Ite - daughter
Kaltxì - hello
Karyu - teacher
Kava - alcoholic drink
Ke nìltsan - not well
Kefyak? - right?
Kehe - no
Kelutral - Hometree, where the Na'vi clan lives
Kelku lefngap - house of metal
Ketuwong - alien
Kìyevame - May we see each other again
Kxam - middle
Kxawm - maybe, perhaps
Kxetse - tail
Lu - is, to be
Ma yawne - (my) love
Makto zong - travel safely
Mawey - calm down
Mesawtute - two Sky people
Mllte - to agree
Nantang - six-legged direwolf
Nga - you
Nga yawne lu oer - You are my beloved
Nìltsan - well
Nìprrte - you're welcome
Ngeyä - your (ngeyä sa'nok - your mother)
Nivi - hammock
Numeyu - Student
Oe 'efu pa'li - I feel the horse
Oe irayo si Eywaru - My thanks to Eywa
Oe ke lu - I am not
Oel omum - I know
Oeyä koaka 'eylan - my old friend
Olo'eyktan - clan leader
Pa'li - six-legged direhorse
Palulukan - giant six-legged feline predator
Po lu - he is
Pxasìk - very bad curse-word
Rewon lefpom - good morning (lit. morning good)
Riti - stingbat
Rolyu - singer
'Rrta - Earth
Sa'nok - mother
Saronyu - hunters
Sempul - father
Set - now
Sì - and (used in listing things)
Sìltsan - good
Skxawng - moron, idiot
Sran, srane - yes
Srung - help (n)
Srung si - to help
Swizaw - arrow
Tam - Good, okay
Taronyu - hunter
Tawtute - Sky person, one human
Tokx - body
Tsa'u lu sìltsan - that is good
Tsaheylu - a mental bond, made by tendrils in a Na'vi braid to other living organisms on Pandora
Tsahik - spiritual leader, shaman
Tsamsiyu - warrior
Tsko - bow
Tsmuk - sibling
Tsmukan - brother
Tsmuke - sister
Tswin - queue, braid
Tokx - body
Txon lefpom - good night (lit. night good)
Ulte - and (used to combine sentences)
Uniltìrantokx - Avatar (dreamwalker) body
Uniltìranyu - Dreamwalker, a human in an Avatar body
Utral Aymokriyä - the Tree of Voices
Vitra - soul
Vitrautral - the Tree of Souls
Yerik - six-legged kind of deer