Hey evr ^^ I´m back, schools out and soon I´ll start working : ) I don´t have that much time to write but hope you forgive me :D Here I go with the new chapter and I know that most of you want to see some romance! Well, there will be a littlebit romance in this chapter but I decided to keep the reeeeaaaaal romance for later. :D Now please enjoy reading and maybe review ;).
Here I go!
Annas POV
It was early in the morning and the evening before my brother had insisted on Max checking my health situation before I could continue with my job as Avatar-operator. Luckily everything was alright and thought Jake had been still worried, I didn´t accept his excuses and arguments. Nothing would stop me from going back to hometree. It was time and I felt it.
I cringed when somebody knocked on the door. I was just ready with getting dressed in the bathroom and remained moveless for a moment to stare at the bathroom door. Then I opened it and listened. The person knocked again, obviously as impatient as me but impatient because of other reasons. „Anna, it´s me!", the he called and my petrification faded away. It was Norm.
I sighed in relief and looked into the mirror to put my hair up into a ponytail. „Here I go!", I thought, smiled at myself and noticed my hand was shaking when I reached it out for the door handle. „Calm down!", I ordered but my heart beated only even faster.
„Calm down, there´s nothing to be afraid of!"
Except the fact that I´m part of a secret alliance against my own race.
I gulped my fear down, closed the bathroom door behind me and stepped into our bed-living-room. Obviously Norm had been about to knock again, because he stopped in the middle of the movement and his hand was raised into the air a bit when I unlocked and opened. Of course he smiled. „Ready?", he asked and I felt a shaky smiled spread across my face. I didn´t know what to say which was actually answer enough. But Norm was as joyful and positive as ever and patted my shoulder calmingly.
„There´s nothing to be scared of. I walk you to the Link Unit center and nobody will dare to corner you." Then he closed the door behind me and gave me a soft push forwards. I really needed his energy because my legs felt as if they were made of iron and I was not strong enough to move them.
I was scared and didn´t know why and obviously Norm felt it; his strong hand lay on my back as if he suspected me to turn around and run into my room again. The rest of our scientist collegues seemed to inhabit the hallways as if they had no home. It was so crowded that Norm had a hard time to slash himself a way, but luckily they left me alone. I didn´t know where to look and tried to ignore the annoying glances the other scientists gave me. My t-shirt was too huge and my hair a ruffled mess and I knew they still babbled about my mysterious break-down, examining me like an experiment. But Norm walked next to me and a few doors further, Jake turned the corner and consorted with us.
My brother looked good, his face was a bit pale and he´d lost some weight, but he seemed awake and happy to see me upright. He gave me a calming wink but I saw the worry in his eyes when he came closer; Jake looked around and glared at our comrades as if they were the enemies and his secret tension disturbed me. Norm patted my shoulder again and I took a deep breath, forcing my legs to move towards the Link Units center. Obviously all this was planned: Norm picked me up and Jake followed us like a shadow to the laboratory.
And really: nobody dared to talk to me, in the end I wouldn´t have known how to react. I send them a nervous glance, it was strangely horrible and boring to be the center of attention. And then, finally, finally, we reached the Link Unit center.
Grace had planted herself in the doorway and grabbed me hastily as if she feared that someone would take me away from her. I let my catched breath escape, followed her submissively over to her desk and sank down onto a chair while Norm and Jake closed the doors to give me more privacy. I felt as if I´d just come through runnig the gauntlet. „Can I have a cup of coffee, please?", I panted and let my arms and legs go limp and Max handed me my coffee before I could´ve said „amen". He mustered me with this silent sympathie I´d often seen in his eyes before. He was not only the scientist but also the good friend who was worried.
The coffee was hot and black, I never drank it with milk or sugar, somehing nobody expected of me. I was a girl and every girl loved sweet café au lait. Every girl but me. My brother and Norm, Grace and Max, came over to me and sat down, surrounding me like a bunch of aggressive wolfs sheltering their prey from larcenous rivals. Jake mustered me from head to toe while I gulped my coffee down with one sip, then I put the cup onto the desk next to me. I felt save and relaxed for a moment, then I remembered why I needed to go.
I couldn´t stay here, suddenly an unknown unrest filled me.
„I guess I have no time to spare.", I thought and blinked in surprise when I noticed I´d said it out loud. Jake smiled and ruffled my hair. „You really are a working man.", he said and chuckled, then I lifted myself from the chair with a smile. The sooner I got back to hometree, the sooner we could do something against Quaritch who planned, and I was finally sure of that, to destroy the hometree. Mo`at would want to talk to me and I would ask Tsu`tey to take me back as student. The nervous shaking returned and made my hands shiver and shake. Was it because of Tsu`tey? My stomach answered my question with an excited jump. A treachery blush covered my face on my way over to the Link Unit.
I patted the cap as if I greeted an old good friend and hoped that the others hadn´t seen my flushed face. I lay down in the Link Unit and stared at the roof.
Tsu`tey.
After Eywa had touched me he´d been so nice and caring...would he be as cold and heartless as before? Would he be mad at me for staying away for so long? I bit my lips and a second later I shook my head unbelievingly. „Hey, what´s wrong with me? Why do I care so much about Tsu`teys opinion? He´s nothing but my teacher!" I was way too busy with my thinking session to notice Grace stepping infront of my Link Unit. „One second, young lady. You´re sure you´re able to do this? Nobody will reproach if you´ll stay here for another day. Not even Tsu`tey.", she said, still staring down at me. I needed a second to understand what she said, then an annoyed moan escapted my mouth.
„Holy shit, Grac! I told you that I´m alright, okay? Max gave me a professional check and I´m ready." I frowned luckily she didn´t try object. But of course it wasn´t over yet. Jake stopped his wheelchair next to her and helped me clapping the net mesh over my trunk.
„No matter if you´re in the middle of a fight training or a teatime with Mo`at: if something happens, you´ll come back. Do you udnerstand me?" I rolled my eyes and patted his head but he was not in the mood for jokes and grabbed it pretty hard. „This is not funny.", he said and frowned before he let go of my hand. He nearly bruised it. I frowned back and said: „I know, Jake. Patting your head was also not a joke."
Then I stared up at the roof again before I closed my eyes. Grace closed the cap and I was surrounded by darkness.
A dry cough escaped my lungs when I opened my eyes. I felt as if my throat was full of dust and tiny stones, it hurted like hell. „My...god...", I whispered because I was not able to speak louder. I sat up in my hammock and my body shook, overhelmed by a cough attack. Someone grabbed my searching hand, helped me standing up and my stomach looped a looping again when I looked up in my saviors face: Tsu`tey. „You´re late.", he said and slapped me softly onto the back to make the coughing stop. I was too confused to answer.
Why was he here? Did he spend his days with staring down at my Avatar, in case that I would come back? My swirling thoughts got cut off by another cough.
„What´s wrong...with me? I...cannot breath...", I gasped between two hectical, flat breaths while his hand still lay on my back. The touch made my heart beat faster. „It´s because your body lay moveless for three days. You need to move.", he said, took my arms and shook them as if this would help. I couldn´t help but stare at him while the procedure. What was going on in his head? I really wanted to know. But obviously, and though he was used to people staring at him, he found something strange in my staring.
„What´s wrong?", he asked harshly but I looked down, feeling insecure under his hard look. „Nothing.", I wanted to whisper but it disappeared in another cough attack. Damn it!
„Come, woman! Tsahìk will be able to help you." He put his bow onto his back, sneaked his arm around me and helped me walking up the homtree while I was still coughing, not able to yell at him for starting this „woman"-thing again. Tears blurred my eyes but still I could see the door to Mo`ats chambers when we entered. I felt Tsu`teys chest rise when he breathed in to speak, but obviously Mo`at had been waiting for us. She sat at the fire, watching a leather bowl hanging over the flames, which was filled with a purple liquor. Tsu`tey fell silent and just helped me sitting down across from Tsahìk.
„I see...", but my greeting was interrupted by another cough. „I also see you, my daughter.", Mo`at greeted with her full voice and without looking at me. „But maybe I should call you sister. You´re no longer an ordinary dreamwalker."
She grabbed a ladle which hung from the wall behind her and scooped some of the purple stuff into the bowl she handed me a second later. „Drink that, my sister. Drink it and you will feel better." Nearly blinded by the tears I grabbed the wooden object and gulped.
The liquor tasted like berries and pepper and was so strong that it literally burned my throat. I was tempted to spit it out but it would be awfully rude. Fighting another cough down, I gulped my first sip and released a surprised gasp when the dusty feeling in my throat vanished. Mo`at nodded approvingly. „I´m glad to see you upright and strong as before. Even stronger. It´s always a good thing to find an ally in this time of darkness." I looked at her surprised and cleared my throat, the I put the bowl onto the floor next to me.
„How is it that you always seem to know everything about me?", I asked and felt the blood pooling in my cheeks. Mo`at smiled. „You are a touched, just like me. We´re connected through Eywa forever. It´s natural that I get to know you better than everybody else. A lot of your feelings are no secret to me so I felt your relieve when you found your precious ally." Her eyes narrowed a bit and she stared at me while her hands still moved the ladle around in the liquor. „It´s a man.", she whispered and the heat in my face only doubled. „A young man, strong character. He´s very partial to you, a loyal friend and I believe that Eywa chose him as your protector. She knows him pretty good because he can feel her better than normal dreamwalkers."
She smiled but a small sound behind me made me cringe. Unluckily I knocked the half-full bowl next to me down and the purple liquor swamped the wooden floor. I´d totally forgotten about Tsu`tey being in the same room as me and Mo`at though he stood only one step behind me. „Oh...I´m sorry!", I stuttered and wiped up the wasted drink with the cloth Mo`at handed me silently. I didn´t dare to look up at Mo`at who was staring at Tsu`tey, neither did I dare to peek at Teu`teys face. There was no doubt that he´d been the origin of the noise: a reluctant, haughtily snort.
„My dear headwarrior, something displeases you?", Mo`at asked and I could literally feel Tsu`teys awkwarness in the air. I took a deep breath, then I turned around. I could see this strange insecure on his face momentarily, then he looked angry and stepped next to me. „Tsahìk, we cannot entrust the touched to a dreamwalkers care, he´s not worth and not strong enough to be her protector. We need to keep her away from her species so nobody gets the chance to abduct or convey her out of the way. Our enemies will soon notice that somebody´s working against them." I couldn´t help but stare up at him, not sure of what to do. All I felt was confusion. I send Mo`at a helpless look but the Tsahìk only smiled knowingly and somehow I got the feeling that her smile should make me blush. „Ma Tsu`tey, you seem very thrilled by fact that Anna´s bound to that man who´s chosen to be her guard. But what is your opinion? Who should be her keeper then?"
I sat there, not able to move and stared at the elder woman infront of me. Tsu`tey still stood next to me and I heard him gulp.
„Me, Tsahìk. I´ll be the guardian and her teacher."
My head shot up and my heart literally jumped out of my chest when Tsu`tey stared back and sent me a look full of emotions I could not name. But his eyes were filled with such an intensity that I was speechless. „Then you expressed your wish to go on with your education as warrior, Anna." It was a statement, not a question, as if she´d exptected me to do this.
I forced my eyes away from Tsu`teys face, though he still stared at me from above, and nodded in Mo`ats direction. „I did, because I believe that I´ll be a greater convenience if I´m able to fight and stand up for myself." I looked to the floor and fought with me for a second, but something deep inside of me told me that it was right to mention: „And there could be no better teacher than Tsu`tey." Then there was silence for a minute. Nobody moved nobody spoke a word, it became already scary when Mo`at finally said: „Well, then you´re dismissed for today. It was really important for me to know that otherwhise you would have learned only the art of healing. Now you´ll learn both. Ma Tsu`tey, I hope you and your student will prove proceedings." And with that she nodded and the conversation was finished. I felt Tsu`tey lay his hand onto my shoulder and so I stood up mechanically. I was still too confused. Tsu`teys strange behaviour irritated me and Mo`ats trust made me nearly despair. What did I get myself into!, I thought and followed Tsu`tey out of the Tsahìks chambers. She believes in my skills as if I´m the greatest warrior ever. As if I´m the Messiah! The curtains closed behind us ans Tsu`tey stopped. I stared into space until an impatient snort made me look up and right into the headwarriors eyes.
He stared at me and again his eyes were filled with a thousand nameless emotions. His hand still rested on my shoulder and his touch burned my skin. His face was so close to mine that it made me break out in sweat and the smile which made his face shine warmed me from deep inside.
„You made the right decision.", he whispered and squeezed my now shivering shoulder. Luckily he didn´t seem to notice. „Thank you."
The following weeks gave me the possibility to regret my decision. Though Tsu`tey was changed, the training was hard maybe too hard for my untrained body and sometimes it made me feels as if he planned to kill me. He watched me run and jump over obstacles, made me shoot with bow and arrows all day, gave me endless riding lessons and taught me track-reading and hunting until my arms and legs hurted like hell and my head buzzed from all the new impressions. The new Tsu`tey was rather friendly and more polite, he didn´t yell at me anymore and somehow he gave me the feeling of being equal.
Oh, he was so evil! At the beginning I was a disaster, stumbled over my feet, fell from the horse and literally passed out now and then. But Tsu`tey remained strict. „Eywa chose a heavy burden for you, a difficult quest and you cannot survive without being prepared." He smiled a bit and squeezed my shoulder, a gesture I got used to wheneve I lost my courage to go on. „Be prepared.", that became our slogan. And the longer he tortured me, the more I felt my body gain strenght. The longer I ran and the harder I fell I noticed my body was coming alive and soon I could pass Tsu`teys training without problems. I even caught myself doing the fighting moves while I showered, listen to the silence of our room as if I searched for prey and murmur: „Be prepared!", while I stood infront of the mirror and brushed my hair. And then I would feel Jakes eyes in my back. He was still worried but obviously Mo`at had requested Neytiri to keep Jake away from me so he wouldn´t interrup my training. Sometimes when we went to bed he send me a strange look as if he wondered who was the woman infront of him. I had changed, I knew it.
My bodys strenght gave me a never known confidence and suddenly Quaritch didn´t seem that dangerous and scary anymore. Sometimes he passed me by in the hallways, send me a nasty grin or ignored me. I always answered the grin with straightening myself and an icy glance, whenever he pretended to ignore me I did the same. Sometimes I caught him mustering me when I entered the cafeteria and sat down with my brother but he never dared to talk to me. Jake took care of that. He didn´t want Quaritch around me, was it because he feared that Quaritch would blow their plan in male arrogance or that he really thought Quaritch would do something to me. I didn´t know but thought I knew my brother worked secretly together with tha horrible man, I still loved him. And felt bad for having a secret.
But the weeks of training passed without any arguments or conflicts, Jake and I still lived in the same room and talked as always. But our daily routine diverged more and more from each other and some days I didn´t see him at all.
„Your brother is suspicious enough. He shall not see that you´re working twice as much as him and learn with Tsahìk.", Tsu`tey answered when I asked him about it. We sat on the grassy ground of the forest working on my Navi. That was the only lesson I mastered with ease and Tsu`tey was really satisfied with my proceedings. After a few lessons we could have whole conversations in Navi and whenever I spoke that language I listened very carefully to my voice. It sounded good. A few days ago I´d started my spiritual training with Mo`at and whenever my warrior-training ended, Tsu`tey would send me up the Hometree to Mo`ats chambers. And the spiritual side was way more exhausting than the warrior training: Mo`at made me sit with her around the fire and sing in a language I´d never heard before but still I knew the words and spoke them in the right way. She taught me cooking herb juices, take care of ills and how to connect with Eywa. Everyday I felt closer to the great spirit and though I was scared at the beginnig whenever she took control over my body and mind and flooded it with pictures, I learned how to trust her. Mo`at was very kind, waited patiently whenever I didn´t understand or could not apply a lesson.
But that day Tsu`tey put me off. „Tsahìk does not await you today.", was all he said, turned around and indicated to me to follow him. I was a bit surprised and
Hesitated for a second. „Where are we going?", I asked but Tsu`tey did not answer, he didn´t even turn around. I sighed, grabbed my bow and followed him. Tsu`tey was still the same thought he acted different towards me, he did not answer questions, he did not discuss, he never disclosed his feelings and thoughts so I never knew what he really thought about my training success. Sometimes I could read his feelings in his eyes but most of the time Tsu`tey avoided eye and physical contact. Strangely my not particularly talkative teacher led me out of the forest into the Hometrees direction. I was tempted to pelt him with questions again, when Tsu`tey held a huge leaf up for me so I was able to step out onto the meadow. „Tus`tey, where are we going?", I asked puzzled and stopped in the middle of my movements. A group of young Navi had converged on the green grass, all of them armed as warriors. Tsu`tey passed me by, grinning complacently. „Today, you´re going to tame your Ikran.", he answered and I felt me jaw drop.
He walked over to the youths and thought I felt like standing there and hyperventilate, I stormed after him and grabbed his arm so he was forced to stop. Something about my face seemed to amuse him because he grinned when I stepped closer to him. „Tsu`tey, are you out of your mind? What a silly idea! I´m not even able to control a horse so how can I fly an Ikran?" Tsu`tey started chuckling and started walking again with me clinging to his arm. It was nothing for him to ignore my weight on his arm and I felt pretty stupid especially when the Navi youths noticed us and started whispering and laughing. „You´re as good as any of them and especially for you it´s important to have an Ikran, Anna." He tried to free his arm from my hands but I held only stronger on to him. The closer we got to the group, the harder I tried to stop him.
„Tsu`tey, I don´t consider that a good idea. I know myself and no matter how strong or weak this Ikran is he will tear me to peaces." Hopeless.
Tsu`tey didn´t even listen anymore so I let go of his arm and kept my distance towards the other youths. They mustered me for a second, then they turned their attention over to Tsu`tey who stepped in the middle of their group and talked to them. Though his voice was loud, I couldn´t understand anything and finally gave up and came closer. Luckily nobody payed attention to my single person but when I reached them, Tsu`tey just said: „May Eywa be with you!", send me a grin and followed his students over to the horses. Damn it!, I though when I whistled for Sarléz and mustered the other youths around me. Some of them, especially the boys, boasted, some girls were close to tears or didn´t say anything. The friendly whickering stallion trotted over to me, nudged my forehead with his soft mouth and let me climb onto his back. Sarléz had become my closest friend and was always happy to see me. He was my horse and since I´ve been his only rider since a few weeks, he didn´t tolerate someone else on his back anymore. I watched the other youths tame their horses and looked over at Tsu`tey who sat on his mare Zué and waited until all of us were ready. Then the horses began to move and I prayed to Eywa. I would need her succor.
^^ Yeah, a cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Forgive me that it took so long! Hope you still review, I´m always open to honest criticism.
Love, LR!