29. The guest and the teachers
The boat had been found. That was the kind of news that everyone had waited for, hoped for. For too long already there had not been a tangible trace of the Dreamwalkers who presented such a problem.
Puvomun observed the eating man, who had introduced himself as Potìray. His skin tone was slightly lighter than that of the Omatikaya. His eyes never seemed to stop moving from his food to the people around him and back, as if he felt chased or under pressure.
"You can relax, ma 'eylan," the teacher said to the man. "Nobody here wishes you harm. Why are you so nervous?"
"We usually do not venture this far from our forest," Potìray said. "Our clan stays to its own territory, so for me to be here among strange trees and people is... upsetting."
Nusumea looked at Potìra. "Do you need some herbs to make you feel better? We have those."
"No, no, our Tsahik is opposed to these ways," the forest clan man said. His eyes kept going about nervously in a way that Puvomun did not feel comfortable with.
Puvomun glanced at Ateyo and Neytiri, and then at Nusumea. Did they sense the same strange behaviour in this man? The singer teacher was convinced that Nusumea Tirea did.
Nusumea caught Puvomun's eye for a moment, and the singer teacher was convinced that they both had the same feeling about Potìray. The man was too nervous, too insecure. This was not the way a Na'vi should behave among kin.
"And there was the Medusa," Potiray blurted out. "It almost got me."
"Medusa? Did you see a lonataya near here?" Ateyo asked. These large floating animals were not spotted often in this area.
"Kehe, not near here, further to the south. But it was coming this way," Potìray said, "and I had to push my hì'pa'li to the limit to stay ahead of it."
That explained something, Puvomun thought. Medusas were dangerous, and terrifying to see. Once they got one of their long tentacles wrapped around a person, there was little chance they would survive.
Jake wondered about the possibility of the Medusa coming all the way to the village. "Perhaps we should have a few people keep watch tonight, just to be safe."
One of the warriors got to his feet and said he would arrange that. "I will also send out a few on ikran, to see if the lonataya is approaching."
Jake agreed with that. "Don't let them go out too long. Most of them were away today, I don't want them or their ikrans to fall from the sky. We all need rest."
Everyone watched the warrior as he walked off.
Then he turned to Potìray again. "Where did you find the boat? We've been looking in your area and did not find anything. And did you see any of the uniltrr..."
A scowl on Jake's face coincided with a frown on that of Potìray, and Puvomun as well as Neytiri said 'uniltìranyu' out of habit. It surprised their guest and seemed to relax him more than anything they had said so far.
Potìray actually smiled for a moment, before he replied. "A few of our children were making a float near the lake. They were looking for a good spot to put their float in the water when they saw the large boat. They then called a few of the elders. And so I was told to come here and let you know, as two of your people had been to our village."
"Yes, Puvomun and I were there," Ateyo nodded.
"We looked at the boat," Potìray then said. "There were many footmarks, but we did not find the people who had made them."
"We'll go to your clan tomorrow," Jake decided. "For now I want you to be our guest. We'll show you were you can sleep."
"Irayo, ma Jake." Potìray nodded gratefully. "I appreciate the kind welcome of the Omatikaya."
Amhul offered to show the man his sleeping place, and together they went up the great tree.
"Finally we have a break," said Jake. "Maybe tomorrow we can start putting an end to all this."
Puvomun just nodded. There was something on his mind that bothered him, but he could not point it out. Perhaps, he guessed, he was just tired. Following that feeling, he went to sleep.
The morning came with rain. All around, the sound of drops falling on leaves mixed with the complaining sounds of animals. Puvomun remained silent as he listened, enjoying the pure music of nature. This was also a song of Eywa.
"You are listening as well," Amhul's soft voice whispered.
"Yes."
Together they listened for a while longer.
"If there was a Medusa," Amhul said as they left their hammock, "it will be gone now. They don't like the rain."
Potìray was already awake and talking with some people when the two teacher singers came down the tree. A small fire had been made, away from the rain, where Lolet and Rakan were roasting small bits of meat.
"Rewon lefpom, good morning," said Potìray. He looked much better after a good night of sleep.
"Rewon lefpom, ma Potìray," said Puvomun. He sat down and picked up the plate with food that Lolet pushed towards him.
Ateyo, who was there also, sitting by himself, said: "The warriors who went to look for the Medusa did not find one." It almost sounded like an accusation directed at the man from the forest clan.
"Aylonataya do not like rain, Ateyo. They seem to sense when it comes. Maybe that is why they did not find one." Amhul looked at Ateyo, calm but stern.
The warrior looked at Amhul. He did not like to be put in his place like that, but Puvomun knew it was necessary. Ateyo grumbled something and left, taking his food outside, where the rain was reducing to a mere drizzle.
The sound of children's voices tearing up the calm morning made everyone look up. The teachers grinned as a small swarm ran past them, into the wet outside.
"Maybe we can take them to a waterhole," Amhul suggested, "and watch the animals there. The wet air will make it easy to come closer before they smell us."
"You are haryu?" Potìray asked. As the two confirmed that, he smiled. "My sister is a teacher too. I recognised her smile in how you look at the children."
"You noticed well, ma Potìray," said Puvomun. "Is your sister also rolyu, a singer?"
"No, she is not. But she is a very good teacher."
Amhul smiled as she heard how the guests quickly defended his sister's abilities.
Puvomun then said: "We could indeed do that, ma Amhul, if Jake does not want us to do something else."
"I think there are enough ikran aymaktoyu here now, he won't need us."
Potìray stared at them. "Ikran aymaktoyu? But you are teachers!"
Puvomun was surprised about Potìray stating this. His face probably betrayed that, because Potìray grinned and explained: "We keep much to ourselves, but we are not unknowing of many things, ma Puvomun. The people who ride ikrans are famous and well known. That is why I am so surprised."
Before the teachers were able to tell him how they had found their ikrans, Jake and Neytiri walked in and said they wanted to speak with their guest from the forest clan, so Potìray joined them.
Shortly after that, Lolet and Rakan were called to fly out with Jake and Neytiri. Ateyo was told to find a few more people and look around the area between Kelutral and Ayutral tskxe, the Trees of Stone.
Potìray had mounted his horse by then, after saying goodbye, and started his journey back home.
Puvomun and Amhul were not asked or told to do anything, so it was clear they had a day to be just teachers again.
The village looked empty with so many people gone. The mefaryu, the two teachers, called out asking for children who wanted to join them on a 'hunting trip' to the nearby water hole. Their calling was not in vain: within ten breaths they were surrounded by a small clan.
Just for safety, Amhul and Puvomun had their bows and arrows with them. Several of the older children had run to fetch theirs as well, so there was quite a well armed troupe going out into the forest.
Amhul had told Mo'at what they were going to do, and the Tsahik had said: "I heard you when you called the children, ma Amhul. I am old perhaps, but my ears are as good as yours." Then Mo'at had smiled one of her sparse smiles, and added: "Be careful, and have fun."
Trips to the water hole were always wonderful. There was something new to see every time. There were fresh tracks of animals everywhere, and the children did their best to identify them. There were special flowers blooming that only opened after hard rain, and the challenge was who discovered one first.
Amhul played a game with the youngest children to see how well they could move through the forest without leaving tracks, after which Puvomun and the older children tried to find the younger ones. The two of them had worked out this game together, and they had found that the children all enjoyed it, and it was a fantastic way to sharpen their senses and skills.
Another game was that one by one the children were to walk over a muddy path, making as little noise as they could. Everyone except the walker would stand with their back to the path as one of them walked the path. The older the children were, the better they had gotten at this, of course, but at times there was a very small child who moved so gracefully and silent that even the teachers could not hear him or her.
Na'vi - English.
'Angtsìk - hammerhead
Atokirina - seeds of the Sacred Tree
At'sha - "Archer" (name of the man, chapter 14)
Ayewan - young ones
Ayfkio - many tetrapteron, four-winged flying animals
Ayfo lu tstunwi - They are kind
Ayfo makto nìwin - They ride too fast
Ayikran - plural of ikran
Aynivi - plural of nivi
Ayoeyä atxkxe - our land
Aysa'nok - mothers
Aysaronyu - plural of taronyu (also 'saronyu')
Aysawtute/sawtute - Sky people, the humans
Aysko / sko - bows
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 ayoehu - Eywa be with us
Eywa ngahu - Eywa be with you
Fa'li/ayfa'li - plural of pa'li - horses
Fngap - metal
Fngapä ta'leng - metal skin, AMP suits
Hayalovay - See you!
Hetuwong - plural of ketuwong - aliens
Heyn - to sit
Hì'i - small
Hì'pa'li - small horses
Ikran - mountain banshee
Ikran makto - ikran rider
Ikranay - forest banshee
Irayo - thank you
'Ite - daughter
Kaltxì - hello
Karyu - teacher
Kava - alcoholic drink
Kämakto - go ride
Ke nìltsan - not well
Kefyak? - right?
Kehe - no
Kelutral - Hometree, where the Na'vi clan lives
Kelku lefngap - house of metal
Ketuwong - alien
Kìyevame - May we see each other again
Koaka karyu - old teacher
Kxam - middle
Kxawm - maybe, perhaps
Kxetse - tail
Kxi'txah - Na'vi phonetics for guitar
Lonataya - Medusa, large floating animal with deadly tentacles
Lu - is, to be
Ma yawne - (my) love
Makto zong - travel safely
Mawey - calm down
Mesawtute - two Sky people
Meveng - two children
Mllte - to agree
Nantang - six-legged direwolf
Nga - you
Nga yawne lu oer - You are my beloved
Ngeyä - your (ngeyä sa'nok - your mother)
Nìltsan - well
Nìprrte - you're welcome
Nivi - hammock
Numeyu - Student
Oe 'efu pa'li - I feel the horse
Oe irayo si Eywaru - My thanks to Eywa
Oe ke lu - I am not
Oel omum - I know
Oe tsleram - I understand
Oeyä koaka 'eylan - my old friend
Olo'eyktan - clan leader
Pa'li - six-legged direhorse
Palulukan - giant six-legged feline predator
Po lu - he is
Pxasìk - very bad curse-word
Pxora'pam - explosion
Rewon lefpom - good morning (lit. morning good)
Riti - stingbat
Rolyu - singer
Rolun - Na'vi equivalent of "Eureka", I got it!
'Rrta - Earth
Sa'nok - mother
Saronyu - hunters
Sempul - father
Set - now
Sì - and (used in listing things)
Sìltsan - good
Skxawng - moron, idiot
Sran, srane - yes
Srung - help (n)
Srung si - to help
Swizaw - arrow
Syaksyuk - Prolemuris
Tam - Good, okay
Taronyu - hunter
Taw - sky
Tawsìp - Airship, flying machine
Tawtute - Sky person, one human
Teylu akerusey - larvae of death
Tokx - body
Tsa'u lu sìltsan - that is good
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
Tokx - body
Txon lefpom - good night (lit. night good)
Txonam - last evening
Txumtsä'wll - poison squirting plant
Ulte - and (used to combine sentences)
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
Yawne - loved one
Yerik - six-legged kind of deer
