Here's the next chapter! It was a pretty quick update, no? Hope you guys like it?
I feel REALLY iffy about this chapter, i might even re-write it...im still not sure.
So please answer this: Was this chapter too rushed? Was it too awkward character-wise/plot-wise? I really need some feedback, so if you could let me know that'd be GREAT!
Thanks!
I'm hoping that it's just my paranoia that's making me really wiggy about this chapter, but i want to be sure.
:D
Electronic Journal
Name: Sara Mason
Location: Tipani Clan Hometree
Date: December 21, 2154
***
Entry 7
I haven't written in so long…what has it been, a month? So much has been going on, and I haven't had the incentive to write in this thing for a while. But now I'm back on track – for the moment at least.
Let me go back to the night I came into the Tipani clan Hometree with a baby thanator in my arms.
As Kinak predicted, everyone had flipped out. Sänume had almost killed it on sight, and probably would've killed me as well if Lielu hadn't stepped in between us.
"What is this, Sara?" She shrieked, her red face paint glistening menacingly in the firelight. I remember swallowing hard, and cradling the shivering baby closer to my chest. Tanhì was the size of my forearm, and her little claws dug into my arm as she shook in fear. The loud noises frightened her, and her little cries filled the air along with the yells of confusion from the Tipani clan.
Sänume, after a moment, yelled for silence, and faced me with a face of such sudden calm that I almost wished that she was still yelling.
"Sara, explain."
I quickly did as she asked, describing my close call with the mother thanator and how Kinak had saved me. I don't know why, but I left out the fact that Kinak had left me all alone, instead making it seem like I was the one at fault. Don't ask me why, because I have no idea why I covered his sorry ass. Maybe I'll think about it later, if I remember.
Sänume didn't speak for a long time, and I heard Kinak's almost silent breaths behind me. Lielu had moved so she was standing by my side, but I saw that she was putting a lot of space between her and the baby cub in my arms.
They were scared of the baby in my arms.
Sänume moved forward to examine the cub, watching its tiny spines rise in warning, its amber eyes widening in fear, and the Tipani leader's golden eyes narrowed. She stood straight, her chin jutting out defiantly, and I knew that she was going to make me throw out my Tanhì, my baby.
I stepped forward, and quickly spoke. "Wait, please!"
She paused, and her golden eyes stared unblinkingly at me. She turned towards me from her position on the stage-like slab of stone that served as a raised platform with which to address the people within Hometree, waiting. I looked around at the silence, and then down at the thanator cub that was looking up at me, its head cocked in curiosity at the vibrations my chest made when I spoke.
I hesitated, but after a moment jumped up to stand beside Sänume on the speaking-stone.
I knew that it was untraditional to address the people like this – almost disrespectful, for it was without the permission of the leader. But I hoped that their assumption that I was horribly ignorant of their customs would save me from rebuke, and turned to the silent mass of Tipani, and spoke as loudly as I dared.
I also spoke in the language of the Na'vi, and although I knew that I made plenty of errors, I believe that they understood the gist of what I said.
"People of Eywa, of the Tipani Clan, I know that I am an outsider here, and that my words have little value among you." There was a murmur of agreement, and I almost lost my nerve. But I looked down at my Tanhì again, and her innocent croon gave me strength. I straightened. "But please, give me a chance to speak."
I looked over at Sänume, who gave me a curt nod, her golden eyes wary.
"In my past home, the land of the Sky People," Some of the warriors hissed, Kinak being one of them. "we have learned to…train…creatures of Eywa. They are our companions, our friends, like the bond you all make with the ikran, or even the pa'li."
A voice spoke out angrily, and Sänume, who was listening intently, whispered the full translation.
"Even if those weaklings did as you say, this killer is not ikran or pa'li! It is a palulukan! It will grow up to kill and devour our children! How can you be defending it?"
I smiled slightly, and pet Tanhì gently. "There is much reason behind your concern, but in the ways of the Sky People, they have trained many creatures that are just as dangerous as the palulukan. The trick is to begin their training at a young age, and then a bond is formed that is everlasting, like the rider and the ikran. They will obey their master's orders. I will train this cub to help the Tipani, and to obey my orders so that it doesn't harm anyone!"
I remember looking around, and then placed Tanhì on the ground, and she whimpered, looking small and pitiful on the ground at my feet.
"This is just a baby! How can it hurt anyone?"
There was silence, and I knelt to pick up Tanhì once more. "Please, my brothers and sisters, please consider what I have said, and look into your hearts. Please allow me to raise this palulukan."
Sänume stepped forward slowly. "And if this creature harms anyone?"
I raised my head, and stared at the leader with as much confidence as possible.
I was about to speak when Kinak's voice was heard, and I saw out of the corner of my eye that he was stepping up onto the stone.
"She will kill the palulukan herself."
I stared at Kinak with wide eyes, and closed my gaping mouth.
Had Kinak just…stood up for me? No, it wasn't possible, I was imagining that protective look in his eye as he stared at me, I was imagining it…
Sänume looked surprised at Kinak's intervention, but looked over at the cub in my arms once more, and then walked past me to stare out at her people.
"The palulukan will stay, and anyone who harms it will have me to answer to! It is to remain in the possession of Sara, and that is all I have to say about the matter."
I remember turning to thank Kinak after the crowd dispersed to go to sleep, only to find him gone.
All in all, Tanhì got to stay, and she was growing to be a bundle of both frustration and joy. In the three weeks that had passed since then, she had finally gotten over her shyness around people, and followed me around wherever I went.
Training her is difficult, but it's also a lot a fun. I still have my training, which is going much better than before, but I'm still working on a lot. Lielu and I have grown even closer, and as my language skills improve I find that she and I have more in common than I thought.
Kinak is still Kinak, but I'm not really surprised. I never found out why he spoke in my defense that night, but there were some things that I'd probably never know abut Kina. That was just fine with me.
I'm going to end it here, because I have to make Tanhì's morning meal, as she's giving me her growl that means that she's going to start gnawing on the vines that made up my bed if I don't get her some food.
dddsrewxzvds – sorry, that's Tanhì; she just crawled into my lap and stepped on the keyboard. I'm going to leave it in there to remind me of how dang adorable she is.
End of Entry 7
I quickly lifted Tanhì's heavy form off of the keyboard, and clicked it shut, slipping the laptop into the thick padded case. Tanhì squealed and whined, her tiny fangs showing as she pranced around. The hammock sank slightly under her weight, but didn't break. I laughed, and nuzzled her close. Tanhì loved this position, and always put her head in the crook of my elbow; it was the place she felt most secure.
I heard Lielu approaching behind me, and turned to smile at her. Lielu grinned back, and swung so she was sitting in the hammock directly beside mine.
"Are you two ready?" My friend asked, as Tanhì greeted her happily by jumping from my lap into hers, cuddling against her stomach with a purr. Lielu had been the first to get over her fear of the thanator cub, and Lielu hadn't been able to resist Tanhì's charm for long.
I nodded, and Tanhì, who seemed to sense that I was leaving, jumped back into my open arms, crooning for food.
"I know you're hungry, sweetie, let's go." I said with a smile, and Lielu smiled as well.
I let Tanhì down on the branch, and she bounced down the length of the branch and scrambled down the wooden stairs.
Lielu and I followed at a slower pace, and Lielu sighed.
"Tanhì is full size in half a year. But life span is…long. Like Na'vi life, a little less. Palulukan don't mate very…often, is that the word?" I nodded. "Only find one mate every lifetime, and only able to have two children in lifetime. So there is no palulukan…overpopulation."
My eyes widened at Lielu's words, and I stared at the tiny cub that was patiently waiting for us at the bottom, her bright eyes glowing in the light of the dawn. Her tail waved behind her, and her shiny black skin glistened. She was the size of a large dog after two weeks of living here, and she was still growing at a rapid rate. I couldn't imagine my baby being nearly twenty feet in length…larger than a direhorse…larger than I was. I just couldn't imagine it.
We reached the bottom, and Tanhì rubbed herself against my legs, and her sharp spines lifted up as she yawned, stretching her legs out with her behind high in the air. Her little purple tongue stretched out past her rows of teeth, and her amber eyes closed slowly, crinkling adorably. Lielu cooed, and couldn't resist the temptation to hug the baby thanator close for a moment.
Like I said before, no one could resist her charm for very long.
I set off, chatting with Lielu as we walked toward the entrance. I had learned to ignore the stares and whispers, but Tanhì was less inclined to do so. She felt the hostility in the air, and she would growl uncomfortably, staying close to my side
I knew that Tanhì would never hurt anyone. Because she had grown up around people, people were her kin. I had made sure to instill that message early on.
I followed Lielu through the brush as we ran towards the training grounds, and I felt a glow of pride at how easily Tanhì kept up with us. She was quickly transforming from a helpless infant to a powerful thanator that could take care of itself. But even so, she was still my baby, my little star.
I came to that spot where I never jumped, and, as always, I slid down while Lielu leaped down with ease, and Tanhì followed her down a web of roots, jumping efficiently to each one. When she was full-grown that twenty-foot drop would be nothing, a slight diversion that was easily batted aside.
The forest was alive and lush as always, though it was colder than usual. Lielu told me that it would get considerably colder as winter came closer, and prey would be scarcer as animals stayed in their shelters for longer hours of the day. The rainy season would also bring the risk of flooding – there was no possibility of snow on Pandora – and the clan had to prepare if they were going to prevail against the winter.
Citra was nowhere to be found – probably working in the forest with another trainee, and Kinak was coolly ignoring us, his back facing away from me, something long and thin in his hands, weighted on the end with a small stone.
"It is used during the iknimaya, or rite of passage." Lielu explained, and I nodded. Dr. Grace Augustine had called it a meresh'ti cau'pla, which literally meant nothing to see. It was used as a bola to subdue the mountain banshee in order to make the bond, and it took a great amount of skill to use it successfully during the rite of passage.
I had almost forgotten that Kinak was training to become a warrior, just like I was.
Tanhì squealed at the sight of Kinak, and raced over to pounce on his legs playfully. I growled as he slowly looked down at her, and knelt to gently pry her paws from his legs.
There was one lesson that unfortunately wouldn't stick with Tanhì. The lesson of avoiding Kinak at all costs. Instead, the opposite seemed to happen. Tanhì was so interested in him, like he was a new toy that she was continuously fascinated with and wouldn't stop associating herself with. It was so annoying!
Kinak was the only one in our little triangle of people Tanhì associated with that wouldn't pet or talk to her, though I saw that he was extremely patient and gentle with her.
You think you're surprised? You have no idea…
I quickly walked over to where Tanhì was prancing back and forth in front of Kinak, and nudged her away with my foot. Kinak didn't speak to me, and I ignored him as well. I turned away and led Tanhì back to where Lielu was waiting with a bow in hand.
"Let's go." She said, and handed me the bow. I nodded, and was about to start when I realized that Kinak was standing right behind me. I glanced back, and he quickly spoke.
"Lielu is to hunt for the palulukan today."
I opened my mouth to protest, but Lielu put her hand on my arm.
"It's alright, we'll be fine."
Tanhì growled happily, and gave me a purr as she nuzzled my legs for a moment before disappearing into the trees with Lielu. I sighed, resisting the urge to hang my head. I was actually getting pretty good at hunting, and I wanted a chance to show it. Now all I got to do was get criticized by Kinak.
Sigh…
I heard Kinak shift his weight behind me, and glanced back. He was handing me a strap that was similar to his, only a bit longer. I took it, and looked up to see that he was still staring at me. I put a hand on my hip.
"Yeah?"
"You must learn how to use this weapon, because the iknimaya will be taking place very soon…you have maybe a month left to master these skills. Sänume tried to lengthen the time, but Citra said that the rest of us have waited too long already, and that it would give you incentive to work harder."
Only a month?! What the hell? Even Jake had more time to learn before going through with the iknimaya!
Kinak slowly walked over to the large posts that were set so they were vertical to the ground. I frowned, forcing back my panic for a later time. What an odd way to place them…was there a reason for it, or was it some kind of mistake?
I looked at the weapon in my hand, and was surprised to see that it was not made of leather, instead of a thick frond that had ridges and was a dark green color. The edges were blunted, and I saw that one side was sticky. What the heck?
I was about to ask when Kinak suddenly whipped his hand around, and I saw a blur of green before the thick bola like frond was suddenly wrapped tightly around the wood. It all seemed to click as I saw the carvings on the wood that represented the head of a mountain banshee.
Oh.
It was used to tie the banshee's mouth closed so it wouldn't bite your head off while you made the bond. Clever. But it was so obvious that I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't figured it out sooner.
Kinak looked over at me, and I bit my lip, trying to mimic his rapid spinning of the bola, trying to jerk my arm at an angle to wrap it around the thick log so the jaw would be forced shut.
Of course, this is me we're talking about, so it's not surprising that I somehow managed to wrap the bola around my own leg, as far as possible from the actual target.
I felt heat rushing to my face at the smirk that crossed Kinak's lips as he watched me tug the bola – which was surprisingly sticky, more so than I had imagined – from my leg.
"You need to imagine the ikran jumping towards you, and position it so you almost meet the ikran with the meresh'ti cau'pla, so that if you miss, you have time to duck."
I nodded at his curt instructions, and tried to imagine the woodenhead opening its jaws, and jerked my hand to get the bola spinning rapidly. I felt the weight of the stone, and swung it towards the upper half of the log, feeling a bitter heaviness settle in my chest as it bounced off harmlessly. Cue the insults from a certain Na'vi guy who–
"You need to be less tense. Let it flow. Here, try it on me instead. Imagine that my arms are the jaws, and aim for the top jaw first, to close it on the other."
I gaped.
It was the first time that I had messed up and not had Kinak scolding me until my ears ached. He seemed calmer, and I scowled at him.
"What's with you? No insults, no nasty looks…its creeping me out…" I said with a raised eyebrow. Kinak shrugged.
"You're improving, there's less to insult you about."
I laughed. "Wait, are you actually giving me…a compliment?"
Kinak looked slightly embarrassed, and scowled darkly. I smiled at his embarrassment, and he held out his arms.
"Go." He ordered, and I swung the bola again, focusing on his arms. The top managed to wrap around his arm, but the other swung uselessly past his other arm, and he kept going until his hands were inches from my neck.
"You would be dead right now."
I was about to say something, but I realized how close he was. His arms were almost embracing me, and his chest was almost touching mine. I looked upward slightly to meet his eyes. His chest was rising and falling with his breathing, and his arms were motionless, like a statue. I tried to swallow, only to find that my throat was tight, and swallowing was almost painful.
He was still staring at me, searching my face with an expression I can't really define. It was an expression that I had never seen before. His lips were slightly parted, and I found myself looking down to escape his piercing eyes that made my heart race.
Kinak blinked, and stepped away with jerky movements, his eyes confused.
He slowly walked away, ignoring my yells, and leaped onto the nearest direhorse, galloping away so quickly that he was gone in the next second.
I was left standing there with my heart still racing.
What. The. Hell. Was. That?
I shook my head, and faced the posts again, swinging the bola furiously.
But no matter how hard I focused; I couldn't get the memory of Kinak's expression out of my head.
It was the look that I had often seen in Norm's eyes when I hugged him, the look that he had given me when we had said our goodbyes that day.
I closed my eyes, and couldn't help remembering the feeling that tingled in my arms as I felt his body heat almost radiating from him, the warm scent of his skin.
My eyes snapped open.
What the hell was wrong with me?
Was I actually…attracted to Kinak?
No, I couldn't be, he was an asshole!
I laughed at my foolishness, and focused on the bola once more. I'm such an idiot, getting all freaky about Kinak looking at me…he was probably thinking about how retarded I was in attempting to use the bola thingy.
Yeah…that was it.
It had to be it.
What else could it be?
