Okay, before you even THINK about reviewing, know that I am well aware of how pitifully short this chapter is...dont even mention it, because I KNOW! I just felt like I had to spit some ideas out. This should be considered more of a transition chapter rather than a real solid plot mover.

But with all that aside, I hope you like it, and please review!!!

I seriously didn't think that this story would attract this much attention, and I want to say thanks to each and every one of my reviewers!

...

okay, I'm a bit too lazy to list all of you by name, but know that every time you review my day get's instantly brighter!

Thanks!

:D

We ran lightly down the slope, the rock and dirt being so loose that we lost our footing – well, to be honest, it was me a good percentage of the time – and often had to grab onto thick roots that stretched down from trees up above us to regain our balance.

"Do you really think that she fell into the river?" I asked quietly, staring at the large and gently flowing river that wound around the nearest tree and went farther into the forest.

Kinak sighed before answering, his eyes staring up at the sky that had just a few minutes ago been clear of clouds. Now, though, it was stormy gray and rumbling with rain. I kept my eyes on the distorted earth beneath us, and followed the small footprints that were unsteady and messy towards the rushing river.

"It's possible. I doubt she had very good footing on this soil…"

I bit my lip as we reached the bottom, which led straight into the river, and we looked downriver, which led only in one direction. If Sevin fell into the water, then at least we knew which direction she went in.

Not a very good thought, and what was even sadder was that that thought was the most optimistic thought I had right now. That's me, your friendly neighborhood pessimist…

I felt a drop of water hit my shoulder, and looked up to see a large sheet of water falling towards us, so close that I could see the individual droplets. I was at least prepared for the rush of rain, but Kinak was not, and so I got to laugh at him when he jumped horribly at the coldness of the water.

Kinak glared at me – I was still laughing – before making his way quickly along the shore of the river, pushing aside leaves and vines so he could follow the flow of water. I hastened to follow, and my ears swiveled around constantly at the sound of water hitting the wide leaves of the plant-life.

The air was cold and wet as the rain continued to pour down on the forest, and though we were partially protected by the thick canopy overhead, we still got completely soaked from head to toe within five minutes. I went on one side of the river, and Kinak went on the other, both of us searching for the form of a little Na'vi girl. If I was right in guessing that Sevin had twisted her ankle, she couldn't have strayed far from the river. If she had…

I didn't want to think about it. The forests of Pandora were dangerous enough for us adults, I couldn't imagine how much more dangerous it would be for a defenseless child.

The temperature dropped as we searched, and although it wasn't unpleasant in this tropical environment, it was enough to make me painfully aware of the fact that we had been searching for a while now…and we still haven't found Sevin. The end of the river was in sight, and I felt desolate sorrow settling in my chest as we slowed to a stop. Kinak's jaw was tight, his eyes narrowed in the way that I had come to recognize, the way that he always did when he was at his wit's end. It wasn't often that he was out of options, and to have that occur now was even more depressing.

"She's not in the river." I choked out, and Kinak must've heard something in my voice, because he turned to me with a frown.

"That doesn't mean that she isn't around here somewhere." His golden eyes flickered around the surrounding forest, as if hoping that by wishing the girl to be here, she would appear.

I sniffed, and wiped my nose hurriedly before he could see. I stared into the river, and bit my lip as the idea began to materialize in my mind. I turned to Kinak once more.

"I've got an idea, but to do it I need you to go back to Hometree, and get something that belonged to Sevin. A favorite necklace, an eating dish, anything. Tanhì can track her down, but we need to do it quickly, before the rain washes away too much of the scent. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, but–"

"Then do it. Please, Kinak." I said, jumping over the river and taking his hands. He growled, and I touched his face with hesitant fingers, still getting my head around the idea that I could touch him whenever I wanted. I waited until he looked down at me before speaking. "I'll be okay. I'm a little bit better at staying alive then I was when we met."

"No, you're not."

Kinak's cold tone surprised me, and I frowned as his mouth turned down in a scowl. But then his hands were fiercely clutching my face, and his mouth was hard and desperate on mine. I closed my eyes to better enjoy the feeling, but it was over as soon as it started, and Kinak was running off into the forest, back the way we had come.

I was left to stand in the rain, wondering what the hell just happened. Kinak had just said that I wasn't more likely to keep myself alive then I was when I first came here – practically saying that I was still useless and weak – and then he kissed me, and I mean really kissed me. And then he ran off in a huff.

Ugh.

Men. You always love them, but do you always understand them?

Hell no.

I'm not trying to insinuate that women are always understood, because trust me; I've met plenty of confusing women in my lifetime. But let's not get into the whole conflicting gender thing, okay? I've got enough on my plate as it is.

I sighed, and put my fingers to my lips. I whistled for Tanhì as loud as I could, and seeing as we couldn't be more than a few miles away from Hometree, I assumed that my baby would hear it. I hoped that she would hear it, anyway.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, I heard the familiar crashing and growling of Tanhì as she made her way through the undergrowth. I ran towards the sound, almost falling on my face in the slick grass that seemed to mold itself to my feet. Tanhì leapt on a root that stretched overhead, and she slid downward to land with a loud snarl at the foot of the tree. The rain would take her a while to get used to, so I wasn't surprised to see her slip and stumble as she ran towards me. I laughed, and hugged her around the neck, feeling her powerful muscles flex as she licked my shoulder.

I stood there for a while, and was distracted by Tanhì pulling away and sniffing at something on the ground. I looked around at her, and smiled slightly at her snuffling.

"What's up, girl?"

I walked over to where she was sniffing, and something shiny and glittering caught my eye, halfway submerged into the dirt that was quickly becoming mud under the constant downpour. I blinked water out of my eyes, wiping a hand across my brow quickly before kneeling to examine the glittering object better.

It was a small anklet, made of braided leather and various beads. It was broken at one end, and some of the threads had come undone now that it was no longer whole. I stared down at it, and saw for the first time tiny footprints that led deeper into the brush, away from the river. It was partially covered by the leaves, it was no wonder Kinak and I couldn't see it at first.

I glanced back to where Kinak had disappeared, and then back to the footprints.

Tanhì butted my arm with her nose, and I sighed, gently picking up the anklet and holding it up for the thanator to curiously sniff.

"Find her, Tanhì." I murmured, as my baby's eyes became more focused as she sniffed the water filled footprints. Suddenly, her head jerked up, and she bolted in the direction the footsteps led, leaving me to scramble after her. Without my noticing it, the anklet slipped out of my fingers, onto the forest floor once more, right beside the river.

The beads shone brightly compared to the seemingly dim ground around it, almost as bright as the little girl's smile had been when her mother had given it to her.

Kinak shook his head furiously to try and rid his hair of the water as he entered Kelutral, with little success. People were crowding around Sänume, speaking in anxious tones. A woman – Sevin's mother – was twisting her hair between her fingers; her mouth wrinkled at the corners with age, her wise golden eyes frantic.

Sänume caught sight of Kinak, and waved off the people with a flick of her fingers, making her way over to the young man with a worried scowl on her fierce face.

"Kinak, where is Sara? And have you found Sevin yet?"

"No, but Tanhì is with Sara now, and I need something of Sevin's so they can track the scent."

Sevin's mother, who was close enough to hear the conversation, leapt forward with a cry. "I have a mat she made just yesterday, will that do?"

Kinak nodded, and the woman rushed off, her hair flying behind her. Sänume sighed, rubbing her temples furiously, her face tense. "Where is Sara?"

"She's waiting at the end of the river just outside Kelutral."

Sänume hissed, and Kinak frowned at her unexpected reaction. Sänume glared at him for a moment before looking away, and her fangs gleamed as she stared out at the rain.

"The children say that they saw her fall into the river, so she either got out of the river or she drowned. There is no other path for her to take."

"We didn't find a body–"

"This means that she managed to get out of the river. You realize that with Tanhì, Sara can find a trail that cannot be seen. You and Sara may have not seen any evidence of a trail, because the rain washed away any obvious marks on the leaves or trees. If they found a trail, do you really think that Sara would wait for you?"

Kinak's face was smooth, his eyes slits of comprehension. His hand tightened around his bow, and Sänume turned away from him.

"I will send a group of hunters out to look for her, but if they do not find either of them by the time night falls, they will return to Kelutral, and we will perform Eywa's Rite of Passing for both of them. You will accompany them. This has gone on too long, if Sara chooses to go on her own, so be it."

"But what if she manages to find Sevin and needs help? We can't–"

"Sara must learn to rely on her own strength, Kinak. You won't always be there to protect her, even if you do plan to make her your mate." Kinak flushed, and a trace of a smile crossed Sänume's lips before vanishing.

"Now go gather five pa'li. I will send the warriors out in a minute."

It was a clear dismissal, and Kinak followed her instructions with a heavy heart, walking out into the rain, staring up at the raindrops that quickly soaked his semi-dry hair.

It was the way that things had always been…if a clan member went missing or was dragged off by a predator, and the search party didn't find them by nightfall; it was assumed that they were dead. If they managed to return by some miracle, then it was by the grace of Eywa, and they were welcomed back with much relief and rejoicing. But it was very rare for someone that went missing to return, and that fact made Kinak's stomach turn in anxious worry.

Sara was still so ignorant and blind, even though she had progressed exponentially from her first day with the Tipani. She didn't know half about the predators and other dangers of the forest that Kinak did, which was only natural. Kinak had been taught in the ways of the Na'vi since he was very small, while Sara had only months to base her experience on.

Kinak felt the cold water trickling down his neck and chest, and a deep frown creased his brow as he led five pa'li – who were slightly annoyed at being taken from their dry overhang that had been built in anticipation of the constant rain – to the entrance of Hometree, his feet making deep imprints in the muddy ground. His sister was among the warriors chosen for the search, but Kinak couldn't bring himself to look at her, instead mounting his pa'li without a word and making his way towards the river.

There was a chance that Sara was alive…there was always a chance.

Kinak clung to that thought, for he knew that the others around him were expecting the worst.

The rain continued to fall, and Tanhì was much too fast for me to actively keep up with her. I often had to call her back so I could follow the trail, but with that lost time the rain was effective in weakening the scent of Sevin, and it took more time for Tanhì to find the trail once more.

I was close to losing all hope when I called Tanhì back an hour later, only to find that she could not find the scent. Her amber eyes flickered around quickly, but after a moment she sat on her haunches with a confused growl, and I whirled around to slam my palm against a rotting tree root that wrapped securely around the girth of a fallen log.

"Dammit!"

Here I was, so cocky, so confident that I would save the day…and look at me now. I was an idiot, and I bet Kinak would tell me that in great detail when he found me.

I knew he would find me, because if he didn't, he wouldn't have anyone to vent his worry and anger on.

A piercing scream filled the air, slightly echoed and faraway, but close enough to make my ears ring and my heartbeat quicken frantically.

I stared out at the forest, and then at Tanhì. Sevin was being attacked by something, and there was no way in hell that I was going to get there in time if I used my own two feet.

I ran towards the thanator, and leapt on her back, reaching for my braid and gently pushing our neural strands – her antenna was hidden behind her spines – together.

My vision exploded into a wave of color and senses, so unlike the bond of a direhorse or a banshee, so unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like I was on that stone ledge all over again, staring down my banshee before our battle for supremacy began. It was like staring into the web of roots to find that tiny baby cub, like staring into her amber eyes for the first time. The excitement, the fear, the love. Emotions waved over me, so fast and so violent that I couldn't breathe. I could feel her powerful muscles shifting beneath her thick skin, and couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I felt powerful, strong…fierce, like a lion feels as it stalks the unknowing prey.

Tanhì was unprepared for my sudden connection, and she jumped so violently that I was almost jolted off balance.

But I stroked her shoulders and murmured comfortingly to her until she calmed down once more. She was still my baby, my little star, even more so now that I could feel her trust in me, her love for the mother that now sat on her shoulders. Tanhì wasn't full grown, but she was nearly adult size, my legs easily finding the right way to grip her sides and my hands unerringly finding the two pieces of bone to grip onto.

I leaned low over her neck, and with a roar of challenge, Tanhì bounded forward.