Jake lay back on the soft moss in his sleeping-space that evening and propped himself up on one elbow to look at his mate. "Neytiri, how do the Omaticaya raise children?"
She was momentarily nonplussed. It took her a moment to remember that Jake was – or had been - a Sky Person. "A child stays with the mother for many weeks after it is born." she began. "If she works at something like weaving, she will usually keep the child with her once she recovers fully from the birthing and begins her work again."
Jake's eyes sparkled, "And if she is a hunter?" he teased.
Neytiri smiled wryly. "Taronyu is more difficult, and it takes longer before she is ready to hunt again. A hunter who has recovered from birthing but is not yet able to return to hunting will help the clan in other ways. She can help the child-watchers look after other children, or gather plants and fruits, or fish, until she is ready."
"And when she returns to hunting, what does she do with the child?" Jake was curious.
"When the child has nursed and is asleep, she will leave it with relatives or the child-watchers for a time. A woman learns how often her child needs to nurse, and if she has not made a kill before the time gets close, she will return to Hometree and feed it before going out again," his mate explained.
"So what happens as the child gets older?" he asked.
Neytiri seated herself comfortably on the moss next to him. "As soon as it becomes able to move on its own, it must be watched carefully. Everyone helps to make sure that it stays safe while it learns." She wrinkled her nose at him playfully, "When the child no longer nurses, the father is expected to feed it and care for it as often as the mother."
Jake laughed, "What then?"
"If both parents have duties that require them to be away from Hometree – say they are both hunters – then they will take turns, one hunting one day and caring for the child the next. Or relatives will watch while the parents are out. If it is needed, the child-watchers can care for it until the parents return," she explained.
He was interested, "Who are the child-watchers?"
She stretched her legs out in front of her. "There are people whom Eywa has gifted with a great love of children. They are the main child-watchers for the clan. There are also older children who help watch the younger ones, and adults – like women recovered from birth who cannot yet do their regular work – who help. If someone is tired from doing their usual duty, they often spend a few days child-watching to refresh their spirits and to give others a rest."
"Don't the children get upset when their parents leave them with the child-watchers?" Jake asked.
Neytiri smiled, reminiscing. "When my mother would bring me to the child-watchers, she would stay and wait until I was playing with the other children. Then she would interrupt me to say that she was going to do her work, and all I wanted was for her to be gone so I could keep playing!"
The Olo'eyctan chuckled, "Your mother is a wise woman!" He became thoughtful. "Who teaches the children, and what are they taught? How does a child decide what work it wants to do when it grows up?"
His mate leaned back and wrapped her hands around a knee comfortably. "Parents and family teach much, of course. The Singers visit the child-watchers every day; it is the task of the younger ones to sing teaching-songs to the children while a senior Singer supervises. Every day, one of the crafts will send a junior and senior member with some small thing for the older children to try. It soon becomes obvious if a child enjoys a particular craft. There is so much for the children to do that they sometimes do not want to leave when the parents return!"
"What about Tsahik?" he asked curiously, "Is that considered a craft?"
Neytiri made a yea-nay gesture. "In some ways yes, in other ways no." She thought for a moment and tried to explain her answer. "If I wanted to, I could learn how to weave well, or make things of leather. I know how to make a knife, a bow, and arrows. But doing these things would not improve my ability to hear Eywa. The Omaticaya have master weavers whose work is known among many Na'vi clans for its great beauty, but they cannot hear Eywa as clearly as I can – and I cannot weave a piece of cloth that will stay together for a day," she chuckled at her lack of textile skills.
Jake rolled over onto his belly and propped his chin up on his hands. "So being tsahik is more like having an extra sense, like hearing. You can sharpen it by practicing, but you can't create it if it isn't there to begin with."
She nodded emphatically, "Yes! When it became clear to Mother that I was tsahik, I spent time with her every day so that she could help me to listen better, as you say, but it was something that I was already able to do, not something I had to learn."
Neytiri then looked at him pointedly, "The Tsahik also visits the child-watchers often; she teaches the children about Eywa and answers the questions they have. Mother has said that I am to begin doing more of the teaching now. I will take you with me to the child-watchers tomorrow and you can see for yourself."
Jake smiled, "I'd like that, but won't I be a distraction?"
She shook her head emphatically. "The children must learn about the Olo'eyctan as well. They are taught how he is the greatest warrior in the clan, how he protects all of us, that his duty is the safety and well-being of the People and that his orders are to be obeyed for that reason. It is good that you come to the child-watchers; the children will have many questions for you. There may be a child there who will one day become Olo'eyctan, and hearing you will help him on his path. There will be a number of children who will become warriors when they are grown. Since you are the leader of the warriors, it is your duty to see that they are properly identified and trained. So this is an opportunity for you to meet your future warriors as well." Neytiri delicately did not refer to the Sky People ships that they both knew were coming.
She hesitated for a moment before bringing up a subject she knew Jake was uncomfortable with. The children were bound to ask him about it though, so he'd best be prepared. "You are also Toruk Makto, Jake. There are many in the clan, and not just the children, who are very curious."
She'd been right. Jake sighed, crossed his arms in front of him, and laid his head down on them. "It's no big deal. Lots of Omaticaya are ikran makto, they know what it's like to bond to a flying mount."
Neytiri felt a subtle prodding inside that she couldn't ignore and obeyed it. She spoke to her mate softly, "Jake, it is not the same. There have been very many Olo'eyctan since the First Songs were made, but only six Toruk Makto. You have bonded to both an ikran and Toruk. Are they the same?"
He flipped over onto his back and said shortly, "No."
She got very clearly that he was not ready to pursue the subject; her internal senses told her to back off. "I only mention it because I know that the children will ask. If it makes you uncomfortable, you could visit them another time."
Jake was chagrined for a moment. "No, it's okay, they're only kids. It's natural for them to be curious. I still want to go. I appreciate the heads-up though."
Neytiri was relieved. "Then we will visit them tomorrow, after the hunters' meeting." She laid down next to him and pillowed her head on his shoulder, laying an arm across his chest. After a few moments, he started gently stroking her forearm, tracing a line of phosphorescent spots out of habit. She snuggled up to him, making a pleased sound, and Jake relaxed.
"Sleep, my mate," he said softly in Na'vi. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, grateful that she was his, and they were both soon asleep.
