When Txopu dreamed, he could still hear the battle all around him. The Sky People's machines whizzing over his head, the sounds of fighting, screams of the People dying, the ikrans calling…

But in his dreams he could hear the sounds of Eywa weeping, begging for her children to stop the fighting. He rose to help her, but then felt a searing pain in his arm. He screamed and turned to see what had happened.

Ilyana stood behind him, eyes gleaming an angry red, her knife wet with his blood as she held half of his arm... he looked down to see blood pouring from the stump of what was left of his arm… above him, an ikran screamed.

He held his hand out to her. "Ilyana…"

She threw her knife, and it knocked him off his feet. He stared at the blade embedded in chest as she walked towards him and knelt. "Pleasant dreams, my shadow…"

*

Txopu awoke, the last vestiges of his scream dying on his lips. He sat up and fell out of his hammock onto the ground, groaning.

Zezor jumped from his hammock, unsheathing his knife. When he saw Txopu on the ground, he sighed. "At ease, my brothers- it's just the dark one moaning about."

Txopu sat up rubbing his forehead. "Sorry." He mumbled, pulling himself to his feet.

Zezor merely shrugged and climbed back into his hammock. "The next time you decide to wake us, make sure it's for a damn good reason."

Txopu nodded and waited until he was sure the others had gone to back to sleep, and then slid a little more gracefully out of his hammock to the floor, walking out and into the night.

*

He found a tree stump to sit on and did so, the phosphorescence of the forest around him making the light almost at bright as day. He sighed, hand idly playing with Ilyana's hoop in his braids.

Why did he still have that dream? And why did he dream it was Ilyana and not someone else who cut off his hand? At times it was his father, sometimes his mother, once or twice even his uncle, but never…

"Eywa," he mumbled, "help me find peace."

"Txopu?"

He started, whirling behind him and almost pulling his knife when he saw it was Ilyana. "Oh. Ilyana, you… you scared me."

She laughed lightly and walked to where he was sitting. "I am very good at sneaking up on people- having brothers taught me to always be prepared." She sat on the rock nearest him and put her hand on his knee. "What are you doing awake?"

"A… dream." He told her, placing his hand over hers. "It was a nightmare. I have had them since the Great War."

"I… have them too." Ilyana admitted. "What are yours of?"
"My arm. It is either cut off by a Sky Person, or someone very close to me." He sighed. "This time it was… you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Then, instead of waking up then, like I normally do, I dreamt you took your knife and… killed me." He whispered the last part, eyes closed and hand tense.

After a moment, he heard her move and looked to watch her kneel in front of him, take his hand and kiss the inside of his wrist. "My shadow," she murmured, "you know it was just a dream."

He nodded. "I… I know."

She scooted forward until she was sitting between his knees and laid her head on his thigh, looking up at him. "Mira says that dreams are simply Eywa telling us something we already know, and that nightmares are simply our mind's reaction to having this knowledge- it makes us afraid of that knowledge."

"So Eywa is telling me something?"

"According to Mira, at least. And oftentimes when she speaks of Eywa, she's right." Ilyana sighed, relaxing into his hand stroking her hair. "I don't think that I'm going to kill you though."

Txopu smiled. "Not unless you decide to smother me again." She swatted his knee and he laughed. "What? It's true. Though what a way to die…"

"I thought warriors of the Four Winds were supposed to die in battle." She grumbled.

"It is an honorable death to die in the arms of a woman if you have lived a long and full life. My grandfather did."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not! My grandmother was quite proud of the fact her man died in her arms and went to Eywa in a joyful state." Txopu grinned at the perplexed look on her face. "Do not the Coastal Riders believe in such things?"

"Well, yes, to a degree… we believe that death is sacred in all forms…" she looked up at him. "Your grandfather really died in bed?"

"Yes!" he laughed, feeling better than he had a while ago. "My grandfather and grandmother were quite active up until he died, obviously." He thought about it for a moment and his expression changed from mirthful to semi-serious. "If I had a choice, I would choose to die in your arms."

Ilyana blushed, extremely flattered and buried her face his thigh, not wanting to look up at him.

"What's this? Where is the witty retort? Where's the woman who had me pinned to the cave floor not hours ago? Come now my star, where is she?" Txopu teased, his hand stroking the skin of her neck.

She finally looked up at him. "She's right here, wondering how one could be so oblivious."

"Again? What have I done now?"

Ilyana rose to her knees and slid her arms around his neck, nuzzling his chin. "We are sitting here talking alone when we could be… otherwise occupied."

Txopu smirked. "Is that all you ever think about?" he slid his hand down and cupped her ass, squeezing.

"Mmm… when I have one as handsome as you, do you blame me?" She nipped his jaw and rocked her hips to prove her point.

He moaned, "Well, when you put it that way…" he kissed her, biting down on her bottom lip and sucking it, delighting in the groan she made as her body melted into his. "Ilyana…"

"Yes?"

He couldn't come up with a reply so he simply kissed her again, his hand ascending back up and around to her front to undo her top. It slid off and he broke away to lower his mouth to her breasts, nuzzling and licking the soft skin.

"Oooh, by the tides, Txopu…" she whimpered, arching into his mouth. "Please don't tease me…"

"What shall it be this time, my star?" he murmured against her breast, "shall I take you hard and fast against that tree over there? Or should I just suck at your breasts until you come? I could use my hand if you want…"

Oh, that voice. She could just come listening to him. "Anything, a-all of it." She was begging. Begging! If some of her former lovers could hear her now…

"That's quite a bit you have in mind," he whispered, "and we'll get to it, but I don't think now would be proper." He slid his hand up and under her skirt, teasing at the wetness. "Someone could find us."

Ilyana whimpered as he rubbed her, feeling more and more desperate by the second. "Please, oh Eywa, please, pleeeease, I n-need you inside me…"

Txopu leaned up and nipped her neck. "Legs around my waist," he ordered softly, knowing she probably knew exactly what he had in mind.

He was right; she pushed her skirt up and out of the way, grinding against him through his loincloth. He gasped when her hands moved the article in question and freed him, hand grasping and stroking. "I-Ilyana, d-don't do that…"

"When we are alone again," she promised, fondling him until he was hard and hot, "I will show you some of those tricks I learned."

"I-I look forward to it." He panted, body strung tight like a bow as his hand dug his nails into her back. A little shift, she leaned up and sank down onto him. He groaned, body rejoicing at their connection. She whimpered and began rocking her hips, the position allowing her plenty of control and letting her set the pace. He eagerly followed her, using his angle to meet her thrusts.

Ilyana opened her eyes and looked down into his nearly black with desire. His gaze never left hers, and she felt something stirring within her she thought she lost long ago… she didn't know what to make of it. Not that she had much time to process it- she felt herself fall over the edge and gasped, head falling back as she gave a mighty shudder.

He followed her a moment later, his head falling onto her shoulder. They sat like that for a long time, merely content in the other's presence.

Txopu looked up at her, smiling. "If it is going to be like this every time, I think I might have to look into those berries the Mountain Men claim give them such stamina. We manage, but I don't think the men of Four Winds are equipped to handle women from the Coastal Riders."

She laughed, nuzzling his cheek. "That's assuming I can handle keeping up with you."

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE SEVEN HELLS ARE YOU DOING?!"

Ilyana fell backwards, scrambling to cover herself as Txopu leapt up, unsure whether to pull his knife or not when he saw who it was standing in the edge of the clearing. "M-Mira."

Ilyana stood her eyes wide. "Mira? What are you—"

Tears filling her eyes, the young woman shook her head. "You lied to me!" she wailed, pointing at Ilyana. "You lied, you lied, and you lied!"

"Mira, I didn't—"

"NO! I never want to speak to you again!" Mira howled, turning and running off into the woods, her cries echoing long after she was gone.

Ilyana stood for a moment more, then sank to her knees, head in her hands. "Oh blessed seas, what have I done?"

"I don't…" Txopu knelt beside her, drawing her into a hug. "Don't worry. I'm sure Mira will forgive you."

Only Ilyana's sniffles answered him and he sighed, kissing the top of her head. "It will be all right my star. I promise." I hope.