Chapter Nine: Dance of Life
A bright sapphire ikran shot through with bands of silver glided through the air, rising in slow circles to catch the warm draft of air rising from the steaming jungle. The hunter perched atop its back crouched, swaying with the movements of his mount, shifting their combined balance to ascend with the wind.
Gripping the handhold wrapped between the ikran's antennae in one hand, Maru'atwe raised his arm in a gesture of greeting.
They were still far, but from a distance Maru saw his sister raise her own hand, and wave it back and forth slowly. He could see that she was riding with the Dreamwalker, Hailei Kin'.
As he drew closer to them they began to bank, drawing the large spirals that would bring them down to earth. Tilting his own mount, Naela, he spun downwards, guiding the ikran into drawing his wings tighter to speed the descent. When they had caught up, they eased, and unfolded into their entire taut length.
Two ikran and three na'vi descended together, spiraling like kites in the wind.
The land began to become more defined. There had been four strips of colour before - the green of the jungle, the earthy gold of the field beyond, the grey of the rocky shore, and at last, the blue of the sparkling sea. In the light of the sun the gleam was almost unbearable to look directly at.
Closer still, and Hayley spotted a settlement clinging to the shore, sprawling back through the plains. The most prominent structures faced the sea; there were four of them, constructed from wood and covered with leather.
"What are those large buildings for?" she asked, reaching in front of Onui'lk to point them out.
"They are for gatherings, and rituals," Onui'lk replied, raising her voice above the roar of the wind.
The entire Ikran clan seemed to be assembled around the buildings, a small clearing in the center. Behind the main gathering, Hayley saw a small assembly of huts where, she assumed, the clan lived and slept in. The village extended back to the edge of the jungle.
"Do you ever go into the jungle?"
"Of course, to collect things and hunt, or to take shelter from land beasts like palulukan. We live by the shore because the ikran live there. Some, that are not hunters, choose to live in the trees nearby. You cannot see them from the sky, but they are there."
Turning out of the spiral, Onui'lk guided Eskareil into a smooth dive, which curved upwards to slow them. The ikran then began to bat its wings furiously, and they gradually hovered to the ground. Behind them, Maru and Naela were making a similar landing.
They had landed just behind the assembly. Onui'lk delinked and helped Hayley to the ground. Her legs were shaking still, after the exhilarating flight. She wondered to herself if flying ever got old with the na'vi. She couldn't imagine herself becoming bored with the feeling of gliding far above the earth – or Pandora, to be more precise.
"The messenger told me that you were bringing the dreamwalker." Maru said, after he had embraced his sister.
"Yes, and she can speak our language," Onu replied. "You may ask her anything you like. You do not have to go through me."
"I remember you from yesterday," Hayley said, as politely as she could. Now that Maru was no longer wearing his war paint, Hayley could get a better look at him. Maru's braids ran up from the sides of his head into a braided mane, running along the top of his skull, that fell off to one side. He had woven shells and beads into the braided mohawk. He had a flat, wide nose above full blue lips, and his eyes were light gold and intense. I see the resemblance, Hayley thought to herself.
"It is good to see you again," he said. "The clan knows about you. Some of them are wary of you coming here, but the acting chief approved Onu's request for you to come here. So pay them no mind," he smiled.
"Just be mindful that the clan is in mourning," Onu reminded them.
"I will," Hayley nodded, her lips set in a thin line.
As Hayley approached the others on the shore, she saw a red-painted na'vi lying still on the ground in the middle of the assembly. Standing in front of her was a man she could only assume was the spiritual leader, covered in bones and skulls and beads. He appeared to be just past middle age, and still stood tall and erect as he chanted, waving his hands over the body.
"This is our clan leader," Onui'lk said. Hayley turned to look at her, and she could see that her friend was struggling with her own emotions.
As Hayley stood there, in her tank top and cargo shorts, she realized that the others were staring at her. I'll have to change at some point. I don't like sticking out like this.
The rest of the people joined him, chanting and singing. Many began to weep, raising their hands to the sky. Hayley, overcome once again by the collective emotion, joined them in singing. Onui'lk raised her bow in the air in remembrance of the battle, and soon her brother and the rest of the hunters raised theirs.
After a time the spiritual leader motioned for them to stop, and they all grew silent. Silently, he lifted his arms, palms upturned, in the direction of the sea. Beyond them, in the setting sun, were outcroppings of dark rock springing up from the sea. Looking closer, Hayley could see a great flock of Ikran circling each, with many more roosting on the rock's surface.
Soon, however, the ikrans left the rocks and began to circle the shore, flocking above them. The shaman closed his eyes, lifted his hands high into the air, and then quickly brought them down.
A sky burial? Hayley wondered, a bit nervously. She was uncomfortable with the burial practiced by some extinct cultures on earth, which involved leaving the dead on a mountain for the birds to consume.
Several Ikran descended upon the body, lifting the prone form in their claws. They glided off the edge of the cliff, shrieking.
Pointing his hand towards the retreating body, the shaman cried out, and the Ikran loosened their grip. The clan matriarch fell through the air, landing in the water and quickly sinking beneath the surface.
A water burial.
"So we come from the water, and thus we return to the water," the shaman said, addressing the crowd.
The crowd repeated the mantra in union.
"Thus we come from the water, and thus we return to the water."
Onui'lk suddenly strode forward, making her way to the front of the crowd. She dipped her head, bowing slightly, bow in one hand.
"Erluei, may I speak with our people?"
The shaman nodded his head, and Onui'lk took several more steps, and then turned to face them.
"My brothers and sisters, we have fought well on this day and we are free. We must mourn the loss of the fallen, but we must also now rejoice, to bring back life into this world of death."
The crowd murmured, voicing their approval of this sentiment. Hayley heard several ululations ring out.
"And though we have lost much, my people, we have not lost as much as others. The Omaticaya, another family from the jungle and the clan of the Toruk Makto, have lost their children, their mothers, and their home. The dance of life will be difficult for them tonight, and thus I propose to you this, now; that we fly to the Omaticaya, with food and drink, and celebrate as two families the continuance of life. What do you say?"
"This is a good thing, Onui'lk," Erluei replied.
"I am not your leader," he continued, addressing the larger crowd, "but I hope to guide you in matters of the soul. This joining of the clans is good, and I ask you now to do as our huntress has spoken. Tomorrow we will elect our new leader, but tonight we will show the Omaticaya the extent of our hospitality."
The Eastern Ikran clan cheered, and the crowd quickly dispersed in preparation for the evening's festivities. Hayley came to Onui'lk's side.
"So, we're bringing the party to their place."
Onui'lk nodded, her familiar grin surfacing to her face.
"So it seems."
They found Jake Sully and the others by an enormous tree, in the heart of the jungle. The Omaticaya clan was making preparations to move into a new home. It would take centuries for them to properly shape the tree, but for the time being they had made it a hospitable enough place to live. Jake had already sent his people out to gather the supplies necessary to make new cooking pots, hammocks, a new loom, and countless other things they would use in daily living. Several hunters were already scouring the jungle looking for food, and some of the females were gathering fruits in the near vicinity.
One by one, the members of the Eastern Ikran clan descended to roost in the expanse of branches that extended far above the canopy. They scrambled through leaves and vines until they reached the trunk, making their way downwards to the heart of the tree. The mosses and other growth in the hollow centre had not yet been properly cleared, but it was easy enough to navigate through them.
They presented the Omaticaya with the food they had gathered, pouring the intoxicating fruit extract had on special occasions into drinking bowls they had brought with them. Others still had brought cooking supplies, which they intended to leave with the Omaticaya to help them establish themselves in their new home.
Soon there was drumming, and singing, and dancing. With each drink Hayley found that her movements became more fluid, albeit a little less predetermined. The drink left her mind feeling pleasantly fuzzy, and whenever she looked at the bioluminescent lanterns hung from the wood of the new Hometree, or the fire blazing in the centre of the tree's core, she could swear that she saw a faint aura of multicolored light glowing and swaying around them.
At first she danced with Onui'lk, who then clapped her on the back and assured her she would be back as soon as she had danced with the others, and left her on her own. It was hard to remember, but she might have danced with Maru'atwe. Yes – she could still feel the grip of his strong arms around her shoulders, his hands gripping hers as she spun around in her blissful state.
But then there was a blank, and she was alone again, as alone as one could be while being jostled about in a mass of twisting bodies and hands gripping sloshing bowls.
Goddamn, this stuff is strong.
"Hayley?" she could hear a familiar voice calling her name. It seemed to float lazily above the music and conversations. Hayley was mildly surprised that there were still conversations going on.
"Who…hold on, where are you…"
Five fingers wrapped around her arm, and she immediately recognized the lanky form of Norm's avatar. But it wasn't an avatar anymore, at least she remembered something happening and now he was –
"You came back," Norm said, smiling. Hayley was entranced by the way the orange light of the fire reflected over his azure skin.
She watched him as his eyes traveled up and down the length of her body, returning to her eyes.
"You look really different."
Hayley felt the heat of a blush rise into her cheeks, and hoped that the blue of her skin would mask the colour. Before they had left Onui'lk had insisted that she be dressed in a more traditional costume, which Hayley was grateful for. Disappearing into her hut, she had emerged with a glittering gauze covered in tiny emerald beads, which had covered only her breasts and tapered off into a small pendant swinging around her bellybutton. The loincloth she wore was made of the same material, and draped around her thighs in the fashion of a short skirt. Onui'lk had braided her hair, making zigzag patterns on her skull. She had taken a handful of wooden beads from a small box and placed several on the end of each braid. She was wearing green and white feathers as well, sticking out from one ear.
"Now you are beautiful," Onui'lk had concluded, after dressing her up.
"Not as beautiful as you." Maybe it was unfair to compare, but Hayley was a little jealous of Onui'lk's own dress of silvery beads, not to mention the way she swayed her body as she walked. Hayley had never quite gotten the hang of sex appeal. It wasn't something that was looked for in her line of work.
Dressing lightly, however, was more of a necessity than anything when living near the equator of a planet, in jungle and on the scorching savannah. Hayley realized that she would have to become comfortable showing off this much skin eventually.
"How are you?" she blurted out at last, fumbling with her clothes, making sure she was covered.
"I'm ok," Norm said. He looked around them. "Everything seems sort of like a dream now."
"I know what you mean." She was having trouble holding onto reality herself.
"How are things with your new tribe?"
"Good, good," she answered.
And, before she could check herself –
"Do you want to dance?"
Norm hesitated for a second, but he nodded.
"Sure."
It was strange, taking another hand like hers in her own after being around so many that were different.
They swayed together, a little awkwardly at first, but they soon grew accustomed to each other's movements and swayed together in unison.
"I miss her," he said, as they danced.
Hayley wasn't sure how to respond to that.
"I know, Norm. It will get easier with time. Not that I have any experience."
Norm nodded. He stopped dancing. Hayley came closer.
"I'm going to have to be one of the People now," he said, looking down. "I'm going to have to learn how to hunt and fly on a banshee and choose a woman of the clan."
Why is he saying this? Hayley put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, almost upsetting her balance.
"They're all strangers to me. They don't know me. I'm from a different planet, for Christ's sake. I don't have anything in common with anyone here."
"Norm…it's going to be ok…" She wasn't even sure of what she say saying.
"They don't find me attractive…they say I look too human. God, Hayley, what am I doing?"
And before she knew it, they were in each other's arms; lips pressed together, queues brushing up. There was only a spark, but with that spark Hayley felt her mind flooded with loneliness and grief, and pain.
Startled, she pulled back.
"Norm," she said, trying to recover herself, "we're drunk right now. Everything feels different. We can talk about it in the morning, if you want."
Norm nodded, still looking forlorn, but a little less so.
Then she felt Onui'lk pulling at her arm, guiding her away into the crowd and back into the festivities.