37. All things ikran
"Are you sitting comfortably?" Puvomun asked.
"Uh... I am sitting." Amaya's voice said enough.
Puvomun remembered how uncomfortable he had been on the back of Txonway's ikran, but it had been worth it. "Hold on tight."
Nusumea had suggested that Kilvan would leave last, so she did not have to fly around and wait too long with two riders. He and Amhul had already left the tree, and now Kilvan jumped, extended her wings, and they were in the air as well.
Amaya shrieked as they went and Puvomun grinned. He imagined that Txonway had probably grinned as well, on that first flight.
Soon they were flying level, Kilvan amidst Taw and Rìk, and Amaya relaxed, allowing Puvomun to breathe again in a more normal way. She'd been holding on very tightly.
"We are flying!" Amaya yelled in his ear.
"I know, and I can hear you just fine," Puvomun told Amaya. He pointed out a few landmarks he knew. "And look over there. Vitrautral, the Tree of Souls."
They reached the sacred place soon, and took their time soaring over the immense stone arches and the huge tree. Amaya was very excited and kept telling Puvomun what she saw.
Then they turned and headed towards their home.
All too soon for Amaya the flight was over. As Puvomun helped her slide down Kilvan's shoulder and get onto the wide branch, she told him that she was trembling all over.
"I was really scared, ma Puvomun, but I loved it. I don't know how to thank you!"
Puvomun slid down to the branch also. He patted Kilvan's strong neck. "Irayo, ma Kilvan," he whispered, "for all the flying you did. Now you go and rest." He broke tsaheylu with his eyes closed, and as he and Amaya then stepped back, Kilvan flew up into the highest part of Kelutral.
"That was so wonderful to see," Amaya whispered. "How you and she are one, and how you talk with her."
"It's special, yes," Puvomun agreed.
On the way down they caught up with Amhul, who told them that Nusumea had already gone ahead.
"I think he was hungry," she grinned.
When they came down, all people were indeed around the fire.
"You are just in time," Ekirä grinned, "we are about to eat everything. Look there, Ikranari is our nantangtsyip!" She pointed at Ikranari, who was doing his best to stuff his mouth full with both hands.
The young boy looked up, surprised, as he heard his name. When he saw Puvomun, he grinned with all of his face. "Kaltxì, ma koaka tsmukan!"
"Kaltxì, ma 'ewana tsmukan," Puvomun said as he sat down with the young one. "Hello, little brother, do you think you can spare a few bites for Amhul and me?"
Everyone around them laughed, Ikranari loudest of all.
Ikranari was about to get up and fetch food for the teachers, but Puvomun held him back. "No, no, eat. We'll find something."
As they sat, they learnt that Jake had asked a few people to head over to where Lolet and Miktan were, to relieve them from their watch. "I wonder, could you lead them there? It's pretty difficult to find the spot when you've not been there, I assume."
Puvomun had to let that sink in for a moment. He had already been there once, he'd been to the base, and now another flight? He felt as if he would be more in the air than on the ground today. And also he wished he had not offered that flight to Amaya. Kilvan might be tired.
"Yes, I will take them there."
Puvomun, Lolet and Miktan returned to the village again when darkness was about to envelope the forest.
"No more flying today, ma Kilvan," he promised his ikran. They both were tired now.
"You will do nothing anymore," Amhul said, "you've been too busy today." She walked away after making sure Puvomun was sitting somewhere and returned with a cup of kava. There still was some left. "Here. You will drink this."
Puvomun was surprised. He hardly ever drank kava.
"It will help you relax, ma yawne," Amhul told him. "Nusumea and Eyamsiyu have been busy with the strange musical instrument again. They have something that makes sound now, but it needs work to become music. No, stay here!"
Amhul held Puvomun back as he wanted to get up and have a look at what the two had made so far. "You did enough for today, and they can do that themselves."
Jake laughed, as he had heard Amhul's words. He had been listening to Miktan and Lolet. "Just you keep him relaxed, Amhul," Jake commented, "he needs that."
Neytiri grinned and sat with the teachers for a while. "Amaya was really happy. You did take a risk, Puvomun, taking her to fly on Kilvan. When there is a strong wind and your ikran moves in a strange way, you know that because of tsaheylu and you can move accordingly, but your passenger will be in trouble."
Puvomun looked at Neytiri. "I had not thought of that." The sudden awareness left him feeling guilty.
Neytiri seemed to understand him. "Don't worry. It all went well. I just felt I had to tell you this, so you know for a next time. You made her very happy, and that is good." She smiled and then left them, to talk to a few other people.
Later that evening Amhul woke up Puvomun and told him that their hammock was a better place to sleep.
The next morning, Puvomun learnt that Lolet and Miktan had witnessed a lot of arguing and yelling in the camp of the Dreamwalkers. They had not understood what it had been about, but the men had not been of one mind. It was also surprising that they had not used the radio yet. Perhaps they could not agree on what they wanted in exchange for the children. That would be bad, because it would put the children, and also Mendelson, in more danger eventually.
He tried to put these worrying thoughts aside as he and Amhul took some of the older children for some shooting lessons. Ekirä joined the group and promised she would keep an eye on Amhul.
Amhul grinned and looked at Puvomun for a moment, and he grinned back. Ekirä would be surprised.
After the lesson, on the way back, Ekirä did indeed talk with Amhul. Puvomun did not hear what they said, as he was paying attention to the children. Especially Ikranari and Txetse, who had competed in shooting and ended in a draw, needed to be looked after, because now they tried to settle their match with words and shouting about how good their archery skills were.
The two boys were still arguing about it when they came into the village, and Puvomun warned them not to try their shooting alone. He knew Txetse would get funny ideas like that, and this particular one could end up with children or adults hurt.
The boys promised they would put away their tsko swizaw.
"Can we see your ikran then?" Ikranari asked.
Puvomun was slightly surprised by that request. The children usually did not ask hunters for that. But then, he and Amhul were no hunters.
"I will have to see about that," the teacher said. He felt he had to talk to Neytiri or another of the experienced ikran maktoyu before doing that.
"WOU!" the children cried as they ran to put away their bows.
"You played mean," Ekirä then surprised Puvomun. "I saw how she is shooting now, and she told me what you did. I can't teach her in a better way than that, ma Puvomun. It is a good thing you only do that with Amhul."
He laughed, remembering how they had made tsaheylu for the shooting lesson. "It worked well, though."
"It did." Ekirä grinned. "I will watch you then, and tell you how to shoot better, so you can teach Amhul again."
Amhul heard that and laughed also. "Maybe you can tell us both then, wouldn't that be easier?"
Puvomun had fun with that as well. Then he went to find Neytiri, who was sitting near Jake. Jake was talking in the radio, with Norm.
Puvomun asked her about the children seeing Kilvan, and perhaps Taw.
"You can do that, of course. But do not take too many children to see them at once. Three or four is good. And remember that they should not look into their eyes. Keep them far enough from the ikrans."
Puvomun asked her why that was, not looking in their eyes.
"An ikran will interpret that as a threat when its rider is there, and it will defend its rider," she explained.
The teacher understood the reason all too well. An ikran was a formidable opponent to fight, he was convinced of that.
"Irayo, ma Neytiri," he said and walked back to Amhul, who was surrounded by children again. The children cheered when he told them they could see the ikrans, in small groups.
In small groups, they took the children up. Txetse was one of the few who wanted to get closer to Taw. Too close. Taw snapped at the child, much to Amhul's shock, but Puvomun was there as well, and yanked the boy back.
"I told you not to be stupid, Txetse," he told the boy. "You know you should not go too close, we told you that the ikran will not like that, and what do you do? You try to get your head bitten off."
Txetse looked at the teacher, his eyes full of fear. He just nodded.
Ikranari put an arm around the his friend's shoulders. "Nga lu nìltsan, srak? You are well, aren't you?"
Txetse nodded and managed a grin. "Yes. I am fine."
The boy clearly had learnt a lesson in paying attention.
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
Fkio - tetrapteron, 4-winged animal
Fngap - metal
Fngapä ta'leng - metal skin, AMP suits
Hayalovay - See you!
Henten - fan lizards
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
Kenten - fan lizard
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
Meharyu - two teachers
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
Syuve - food
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