Rakan told everyone to spread out and stay among the trees. Going into the open, in the path that had been cleared, would mean the intruders could easily see them and use their many weapons on them.
Puvomun found a good position and shot his first arrow. It was aimed at one of the huge walking machines, but it bounced off. The machine stopped its advance though. Slowly the man inside made it turn around, to see where the arrow had come from.
The teacher already had a second arrow waiting, and this time he had more success: the arrow punched through the glass. It did not hit the man inside, but the driver of the machine had to grab his breathing thing. The man felt forced to retreat.
A giant car on huge wheels slowly rolled by. A large metal hand on it picked up the trees that had been brought down by a group of the metalskins that were using explosive things to make the tree collapse. Puvomun's rage flared up as he witnessed this senseless destruction again. In anger he shot a few arrows into one of the wheels, knowing that it would not make any difference. Puvomun heard Rakan yell something, but the noise of the machine that was thundering past him made it impossible to hear what the man said.
The teacher, now turned into an angry protector of his home, climbed up into a tree and from there he had the possibility to shoot another arrow into something on the large rolling machine. It did not make much difference for the machine, but one of the men on the machine had seen where Puvomun was sitting and fired their weapons at him. As the first small projectiles hit the tree, he jumped down and hid behind it.
"Puvomun!' Lolet's voice was barely audible over the noise of the machine and the rattling tawtute weapons. Then Puvomun saw her and Rakan, further into the forest. He dashed towards them, as this part of the battle was clearly a lost cause.
"Where is Anute?" he asked as he reached them.
"He is dead," Rakan said, his face full of anger. "I shot the skxawng who did it. We have to go round and attack them from behind!"
Another volley of shots rang through the forest, hitting leaves and branches near the three. The shots were reaching them more by chance than intent, but it was close enough for them to dive onto the ground and wait for the direct danger to be gone. Then they got up and ran through the forest, locating the place from where Tsu'tey and his group had started their attack.
There was a large group of aysawtute on foot walking along behind the large tree-collecting machines. They all were heavily armed, the Omatikaya people had seen enough of these things to recognise that. They quickly agreed what they were going to do.
The three, tsko and swizaw ready, ran onto the cleared path. Only a few intruders were still coming up behind the rolling machines. Three of them quickly left their lives there, in the clearing. Puvomun shot his last arrow at one of the large walking machines; the arrow shattered the glass, making it hard for the occupant of the thing to see where he was going.
With the end of his bow, and a knife in his hand, the angry teacher hit and slashed at the skypeople soldiers while running to the other side of the cleared area, until he reached the forest on the other side, where he disappeared from view and was out of reach of the weapons that were fired at him. As he came to a halt, his heart pounding and ready to turn around for another go at the intruders, he almost stumbled.
To his shock, Puvomun saw the body of Rai'tan, one of the men that had gone with Tsu'tey. Pain struck the teacher-singer's heart. Rai'uk had become a father not so long ago. His first emotion was to kneel down and cry, but then more anger flared up inside him.
"Puvomun!" Tawtewng came from behind a group of trees. "Stop. Don't go back. There are too many, we won't stand a chance."
Trembling, the teacher looked at him. "They killed Rai'tan. And Anute."
The young man shook Puvomun. "We took out many of them. But we have to be smart about this. Going back without arrows is stupid. Come with me. We have to go find the others."
Puvomun looked back at the silent body of Rai'tan. "Srane. You are probably right."
The war-party was reunited after quite a while of searching. The sad result was two dead and two quite severely wounded. The others had escaped more or less unharmed, save some scratches or cuts. Tsu'tey said that they all had done well. Puvomun was not so convinced about that, but he assumed he missed the heart of the warrior.
The aysawtute had moved on, after collecting their dead and taking the drivers of the walking machines. The war party went to collect the bodies of their fallen friends and made their way back to where the fa'li were waiting for them. Unfortunately, somehow one of the weapons of the intruders had released a projectile that had hit one of the animals and killed it.
"Palulukan or one of the other animals will not have to worry about food," Lolet said as she touched the head of the fallen animal for a moment. "You helped us well, ma tsmuk."
They mounted their horses, after securing the bodies of their friends on the back of one of the animals, and started back towards Kelutral in a sad procession, as the Sky people continued their path through the forest. The sound of the ongoing destruction only dimished very slowly, tearing up the hearts of the Omatikaya.
The arrival back in the village caused a lot of grief among the Omatikaya, as the bodies of of husbands, friends, fathers were carefully taken from the pa'li that had carried them.
Puvomun noticed that Jakesully had awoken; the man stood to the side, with Neytiri, while the villagers lamented, giving air to their grief. Together with Rakan he led the pa'li away.
"They died a brave death," Rakan said as they shoo-ed the horses into the woods.
Puvomun did not want to reply. Death. Was it ever brave, he wondered.
As they returned to the others, Rakan joined the others who had been in the group, as Tsu'tey spoke with the olo'eyktan. Puvomun went to help the people who were dealing with the dead.
Amhul was there too. "You look bad, oeyä 'eylan," she said as she saw him. "You should not be helping here."
"I have to," the teacher said. "They died where I was, so in a way I feel they died for me."
"Kehe, ma Puvomun, they died for us all. You cannot blame yourself for that."
"She is right, rolyu." Txewì said. "Your place is with the other singers, and teaching the eveng. You went along with us, which is brave."
Puvomun did not feel so brave. His mind was still revolting to accept what he had seen and done, as usual. As he let Amhul guide him away, they passed Tawtewng and Tsu'tey.
"You did well, rolyu," said Tsu'tey. It was quite high praise from him.
Tawtewng offered to help Amhul, so Puvomun walked between two people. It did not make him feel any better.
Once Amhul was treating the many small wounds and cuts he had not even noticed, the teacher understood why he felt so uncomfortable.
"Something I can do to help?"
Both teachers looked up in surprise. It was Jakesully who had asked the question.
"Only if you know how to treat wounds," Amhul said, trying to remain friendly.
"Not too good at that, sorry. Never got past basic training and the stuff they taught me there," the man said, an apology over his face. "And I'm really sorry all of you got so beat up. And two not surviving..." He seemed genuinely upset about that. Jakesully looked a bit lost all of a sudden. "I think I go see if I can help somewhere. Maybe Neytiri can..."
The rest of his words faded off as he walked off.
"He is no help," Amhul muttered. "Now lie still you."
Towards the evening, the clan assembled near two freshly dug graves. The bodies of the two who had died during the attempt to stop the aysawtute were placed in them, in the ritual resting position. A few atokirina had been collected and put on the silent shapes.
Mo'at spoke, telling the clan that these souls now were with Eywa, having giving back their life and energy to the world that had brought them into it. Then Puvomun and Amhul each kneeled with a grave, and together they sang the song of the Lost Soul and how it found its way back to Vitrautral.
Jakesully, who had helped dig the graves, stood to the back as the holes were filled with sand again. Neytiri stood next to him, whispering. She was explaining to him what was happening. His face was changing as she spoke, Puvomun noticed. Obviously he understood some things and had no idea about others, but occasionally he nodded.
I'awn and Txonway joined the teacher-singers after the end of the ceremony. "Can we talk with you?" I'awn asked them.
Together they walked off to a silent spot, where they sat down. Nusumea Tirea was sitting there as well. This could not be a coincidence.
"You tell them," I'awn said to her mate.
Txonway first looked at Nusumea Tirea, for a reason he alone seemed to know. "We have the idea to take you two out on the ikran tomorrow. Nusumea is allowed to fly with us."
"If Rìk still dares," I'awn joked, making everyone laugh.
Amhul and Puvomun stared at the two who had made this amazing offer, and then at each other.
"I will only fly if you come with us," Nusumea Tirea said. "Mo'at agreed that I can fly again. This flight should be special."
"That is wonderful, ma 'eylan," Amhul said. Her face showed honest happiness for the man who had been grounded for so long. "Puvomun, we have to fly."
"We want to fly," the teacher said with a grin. "We would really be very happy if you could take us up, dear friends."
"Sìltsan lu," I'awn said, "we will fly tomorrow. The five of us."
Na'vi - English.
Atokirina - seeds of the Sacred Tree
Ayfo makto nìwin - They ride too fast
Aynivi - plural of nivi
Aysaronyu - plural of taronyu
Aysawtute/sawtute - Sky people, the humans
Ayuniltìranyu - plural of uniltìranyu, dreamwalkers
'Eveng - a child
Eveng - children
'Ewantu - young one
'Ewll - plant
'Eylan - friend
Eylan - plural of 'eylan
Eywa - the Goddess, nature, Gaia
Eywa ngahu - Eywa be with you
Fa'li/ayfa'li - plural of pa'li - horses
Fngapä ta'leng - metal skin, AMP suits
Hetuwong - plural of ketuwong - aliens
Ikran - mountain banshee
Ikran makto - ikran rider
Irayo - thank you
'Ite - daughter
Kaltxì - hello
Karyu - teacher
Kava - alcoholic drink
Kehe - no
Kelutral - Hometree, where the Na'vi clan lives
Ketuwong - alien
Kxetse - tail
Lu - is, to be
Maktoyu - rider
Mllte - to agree
Nìprrte - you're welcome
Ngeyä - your (ngeyä sa'nok - your mother)
Nivi - hammock
Numeyu - Student
Oe 'efu pa'li - I feel the horse
Oeyä koaka 'eylan - my old friend
Olo'eyktan - clan leader
Pa'li - six-legged direhorse
Palulukan - giant six-legged feline predator
Pxasìk - very bad curse-word
Rewon lefpom - good morning (lit. morning good)
Riti - stingbat
Rolyu - singer
Sa'nok - mother
Sempul - father
Sìltsan - good
Skxawng - moron, idiot
Sran, srane - yes
Swizaw - arrow
Taronyu - hunter
Tawtute - Sky person, one human
Tokx - body
Tsaheylu - a mental bond, made by tendrils in a Na'vi braid to other living organisms on Pandora
Tsahik - spiritual leader, shaman
Tsamsiyu - warrior
Tsko - bow
Tsmuk - sibling
Tsmukan - brother
Tsmuke - sister
Tswin - queue, braid
Txon lefpom - good night (lit. night good)
Uniltìrantokx - Avatar (dreamwalker) body
Uniltìranyu - Dreamwalker, a human in an Avatar body
Utral Aymokriyä - the Tree of Voices
Vitra - soul
Vitrautral - the Tree of Souls
Yerik - six-legged kind of deer