Alai allowed Pa'kan to get up and move around when she was reasonably certain that the deep wounds in his back could withstand normal movement. They remained tightly bandaged, but he could walk around without too much difficulty. "You are to come see me every day so that I can check them and change the bandages. Here are some herbs for the pain; put this much," she took a large pinch in her hand to show him the appropriate amount, "in warm water and drink it when you become too uncomfortable. You are not to hunt, and you are not to pick up or carry anything heavier than your food and drink until I say so. Return here to sleep at night; your back is not yet healed enough for a hammock. Sit in the sun as much as you can, it will help your body to heal faster." So instructed, she waved him away.

He moved quite gingerly; everything was still sore. Pain quickly taught him how not to move. Still, it was a great relief to be able to get up and about. He spent several days on the river bank near the base of the Tree. It was comforting to lie belly down on the sand while the warm sun gently bathed his injured back and shoulders.

He'd expected the whispers and surreptitious stares. He was the only person among the Omatikaya in living memory who had gone to Ikinmaya against the advice of the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan, and he knew that parents would hold him up to their children as an object lesson for some time. Generations, probably, he thought ruefully. After a while most people seemed to write it off to misplaced enthusiasm and youthful impatience, and the scrutiny lessened.

The real reason behind his actions, however, remained. When the eyes of the clan's gossipers moved on to other things, the hunter began hanging around the clothcrafters' area where Kiree worked, staying out of sight as best he could and just within earshot of the young woman.

Most of what he heard was innocent gossip; compliments regarding a new bead, or bracelet, or new-braided hair, talk about friends, family, the Olo'eyktan's new war-training. But a conversation he overheard a dozen days after Alai had released him from the infimary turned everything upside down again.

He'd barely settled himself in his usual niche before Kiree and her friend Kiyeri arrived from the morning meal chattering together in high excitement.

Janni's niece almost squealed, "I think he will ask soon!"

Kiyeri took her friend's hands in equal anticipation, "Do you really think he will?"

Kiree nodded emphatically, "There is to be a talioang hunt in three days. Sir'tey told ma'sempul and the other hunters yesterday that the Olo'eyktan wants a store of meat ready for the war parties from the other clans when they arrive. They will be very busy learning the new war-trainings, and of course our hunter-warriors will be doing much of the teaching."

"That makes sense," Kiyeri approved, "If there is already a good supply of meat then they will be able to focus on the war-practice much more."

Kiree added with glee, "If Ta'sit gets a talioang he will have proved his hunting skills to the elders and they will have no objection to his asking an Omatikaya woman to be his mate!"

"And better that he asks before the war-parties arrive! Who knows how many unattached men will show up then?" her best friend commented.

The two young women started excitedly speculating who among their friends and acquaintances might possibly find mates with all the newcomers showing up soon.

As soon as the conversation turned to other Na'vi, Pa'kan heard none of it. He slipped away as quickly as he could to hide himself somewhere so that no one could see his shock. When he had secreted himself in an out-of-the-way hollow his thoughts ran rampant. No! This is a disaster! I cannot heal and make another attempt at Ikinmaya before then! The pain that shot through him at an attempt to flex his shoulders was more than enough to convince him of that. What am I going to do? He cannot have her! Kiree must be mine!

Similar despairing thoughts occupied him while he sat there the rest of the day and kept him up most of the night before he finally decided on what to do about it.

Kiree and Kiyeri were surprised to see the young hunter waiting for them when they arrived at their customary working-spot the next day.

"Oel ngati kameie, Pa'kan," Kiyeri greeted him politely.

He returned the greeting, "Oel ngati kameie, Kiyeri. I hope you are well."

"I am, irayo. How can we help you today?" was the reply.

The hunter turned to her companion, "I would like to speak to Kiree."

The girl was mystified. She couldn't think of anything that the young man might want to talk about. Surely he can't want cloth-work from me – I am only an apprentice, and there are many whose work is much finer than mine. So there was a definite tone of puzzlement to her voice when she replied "What would you like to speak about?"

Pa'kan drew a deep breath and launched into the course he had decided upon in the early hours of the morning. "I ask you to be my mate," was the shocking answer. Both womens' jaws dropped and he hurried to follow up on his request. "I know that I have not yet bonded to my ikran, and so perhaps you have not yet considered me as a potential mate, but I am convinced that if you will make tsaheylu with me so that you can See me truly, you would gladly choose to be my woman." The two before him were speechless.

He reached out and took Kiree by the wrist, "I ask you to come with me now. We will find two ikran macto and have them take us to the Tree of Souls. There we will make tsaheylu and you will gladly have me for your man. I will spend my entire life working to make you happy."

The pull on her wrist finally brought the girl out of her shock; there was no doubt that the hunter was entirely serious. She pulled back but was unsuccessful at freeing herself and that finally got her tongue working. "Pa'kan, let me go! I do not want to go with you and I do not want to be your mate!"

Pain lanced through Pa'kan's shoulders as the woman started to struggle, but her words made him almost oblivious to it. No! I cannot be too late! I cannot! "I know that you do not See me truly now, but come make tsaheylu with me and I promise you will change your mind about me," he begged, and tugged harder.

Kiree's voice rose to a near-scream, "Pa'kan, no! Let me go!"

Between the two young people there was suddenly a multicolored flash and a whistle of air, then a crack! as Jake's bowstaff came down hard on the hunter's wrist. The hunter gasped in new pain, but didn't have time to voice it before he was flung violently backward by the Olo'eyktan's foot in his chest. Pa'kan flew backwards nearly three times his body length – and screamed when he landed on his back, opening up the newly-healed wounds.

The thunder of his hunter-warriors' feet running to the scene couldn't penetrate the pounding of his blood in his ears as Jake stepped in front of Kiree and took a square stance with his staff in both hands to block Pa'kan from his target. It was all he could do not to attack the young man. Fury whitened the Olo'eyktan's thoughts, the most prominent one of which was, If it was my daughter….

Jake had seen his share of violence against women during his time in the Marines. Even then it had sickened him. He'd refused to have anyone with that kind of inclination in his squad. They got transferred out, or they regrettably were lost during action. No one commented on the location of the bullet holes.

When he had joined with Neytiri, he'd found out for the first time in his life what sacredness was. The entire core of it revolved around her willingness to freely join everything that she was to everything that he was, spots and all. The very idea that someone would even think of trying to compel that willingness, much less actually act on it, had Jake in a near-killing fury. His hands trembled with his efforts to restrain himself, and his canines were exposed in a snarl that struck fear in more than one of the newly-arriving clansmen.

Jake growled through clenched teeth at the warriors pouring in to the scene, "Pick him up." Two burly Na'vi immediately did so, and he snarled at the youth, "No one attacks a clansman like that."

Then he shocked everyone, "Pa'kan is no longer Omatikaya. Take him to the edge of our territory and leave him there. If he tries to return to New Hometree, shoot him." The judgment was delivered in a tone of absolute finality. The boy didn't even have a chance to protest as the two warriors manhandled him away forthwith, glad for the excuse to get out of range of Toruk Macto's fury themselves.

Sir'tey had been one of the first to arrive – the hunters' meeting had barely started when the Olo'eyktan had jumped up like a shot and ran off. Jake snarled a command, "Sir'tey, send ikran macto to all the nearby clans. Tell them that Pa'kan has been made outcast, and tell them why." The senior hunter bowed in immediate acquiescence and turned to gesture to several in the growing crowd.

Jake got a leash on his fury when he saw his orders being obeyed, and turned towards the object of the aborted attack. "Clan-daughter, are you all right? Did he hurt you?

Kiree was obviously shaken. Mo'at supported her on one side and Kiyeri on the other. "Ir... Irayo... Olo'eyktan… I… I will be … all right … irayo…." The clan leader's presence and strength was enormously comforting to the shocked girl.

He looked to his mother-in-law, "She should have hot food and drink, and a warm place to rest." Jake turned to the crowd, "Someone go fetch her parents, and have Alai check her, just to be safe." Several people immediately hared off.

"Come, child," Mo'at said in a kindly tone, "Let us go get you something warm to drink, as the Olo'eyktan says. It will help a great deal. Rest for the remainder of the day. Pa'kan will not bother you again." The Tsahik gave her son-in-law a significant look as she supported Kiree inside. There was no doubt that a serious discussion was in the wind, but now wasn't the time for it.

While the warriors were marveling that a single move of Jake's had sent a near-grown Na'vi flying, and the gossip got started even before he could get the crowd to begin to disperse, the marine's conscience started making itself known.