The Ancients

I gratefully acknowledge one of the foremost creative geniuses of our times, James Cameron, for conceiving the lush moon Pandora and the "noble savages," the Na'vi, that inhabit it. This story uses the characters and setting he created for his movie, Avatar. I have not received any money for my work based on Avatar. If I could get paid by the hour for these stories, I would retire and spend all my time dancing and writing in comfort.

Chapter 2: Greetings

Mo'at walks down the trail to the bathing beach arm in arm with Wrrtll. Tonight is one of those particularly dark nights when Polyphemus is out of sight, and that makes many more stars visible and the glow from the vegetation more spectacular, but makes the rough new trails around New Hometree more treacherous. The travelers are standing as a group by the liquid soap dispensers unique to the Omatikaya Clan. One of the travelers separates from the rest and heads up the trail towards Mo'at and Wrrtll.

Mo'at and Wrrtll stop, and she makes the greeting gesture, "I See you, Akwey."

Akwey replies in kind, "I See you, Mo'at and Wrrtll."

"Why are you here? Did you escort an Ancient to us?" Mo'at smiles broadly, with her amusement causing twinkles in her eyes and tanhi.

Akwey gets a stunned look on his face, and answers, "I didn't tell Wrrtll or anyone else here, and I know you passed your responsibilities on to your daughter, but you still have that tsahìk insight I find scary. My mate always delights in surprising me, and I don't like it. Since I never know what Eywa's part is in these surprises, I try not to let them bother me."

"Your surprise was obvious, and so is your visit. When I heard that you led a group here for an unscheduled visit, a group of older people and not younger warriors, and rode hard all the way here, I knew it had to be something unusual, like escorting an Ancient. Don't let my guess upset you."

"I asked for you because I know you know what has to be done."

Mo'at nods. "Yes, I already mentioned the coming of an Ancient to my daughter and her mate, and I am sure they continued discussing it after I left." She turns to her escort and says, "Wrrtll, we have an Ancient to welcome into our clan, and escorts in need of our hospitality. Please let the others know as soon as you can, including the singers so they have plenty of time to remember and rehearse their songs for the Rite of Acceptance. I will stay out here with our guests until they are ready to enter our home."

Wrrtll nods and says, "Right away, Mo'at." He turns and runs back towards New Hometree.

Akwey holds out his arm and says, "I'll take you down to the rest. My mate is explaining the infamous soaps of the Omatikaya to them."

Mo'at grasps Akwey's arm and they begin walking down the path. "I'm glad she's doing that, she will give the Ancient some idea of what there is to find here."

"I like the traditional soap. I guess the others are good for those that want to use them, but they are not for me."

"Yes, I understand. All Na'vi yearn to be different from everyone else. We like our hair a certain way, braided or not braided, covering our head or shaved in many ways and lengths, putting in beads or feathers, and so on. Most wear unique ornaments on their bodies, like necklaces or bracelets. You have that bone through your nose. You are the only person I know with a bone through their nose."

Akwey smiles. "I know what you are doing. I like the fierceness that bone gives me. My parents were not happy when I first stuck a bone through my nose, especially after they heard my warrior friends put me up to it."

"I remember being unhappy when my daughter put a hole through her ear lobe to hold a ring. Children often do things that annoy their parents, but these things are usually harmless."

"I agree with the annoying part."

"Who gets hurt by using different soaps?"

"My nose does not like some of those soaps. The bone doesn't stop the odor."

"Do you know how we got started with those soaps?"

"Something about a skin rash?"

"After we moved into New Hometree and took in more of The People not born on Eywa'eveng, they complained of rashes after using our soaps. Their scientists who understand how soaps, medicines, colors, and smells work made several different liquid soaps for them to try out. These soaps cleared up the rashes, and also became popular with our younger clan members because of their various scents. The traditional soap smells bad compared to what they brought us, and the hunter's soap is really bad."

"Have they made a better hunter's soap?"

"Yes, but I've never tried it. Many hunters say the new soap is better than our traditional soap. But we still make our traditional soaps, just so the skills needed to make them are not lost. There are many in the clan still using the old soaps."

"And I know they never hunted until they arrived here."

"Yes, that is another long and difficult story, and very unappetizing, how they make their food."

"I have been in their village, and seen the fruits and vegetables growing in straight lines out in the open, not in the way Eywa intends for these plants to thrive."

"That is the least troublesome way they make food. They use tiny plants grown in water to make most of their food, and that makes me uneasy thinking about it. Reminds me of the smelly green scum floating on stagnant puddles of water."

"I know what you mean, that's disgusting."

"Sometimes they have parties eating foods unknown to us, and most have unusual tastes. I tried something they call piza. It was very different, not to my liking, but they enjoyed it. Their scientists have been studying our foods so they can change them into foods they can eat, and they are also trying to make flavors in our foods that are like theirs. Sometime ago, they held a ritual they call a barbecue. The day before, they flew out some machines called smokers, and dug some fire pits that they covered with flat metal meshes. The next day, they brought huge bags of round disks of fluffy food, and tools that cut through bones and chops meat up into tiny bits. Fires were made in the smokers and pits. They cut strips of meat across the ribs and put those in the smokers after covering them in powders and sauces. After chopping up the rest of the meat and making meat disks the same size as the fluffy disks, they cooked them over the fire on the meshes. They also brought many different powders, red, yellow, brown, and white sauces, and many kinds of chopped up vegetables. They put a meat disk inside a fluffy disk, and put the powders, sauces, and vegetables inside on the meat. One of them said this was how a large group of clans celebrate some of their days of remembrance in one area on 'Rrta. To complete the barbecue, they stood in a circle with their right hands over their hearts and said some words together and sang some songs about this place. Then they shot exploding fire high in the sky that was very colorful and louder than thunder. They finished by singing and dancing to a box that makes music, and many got drunk. I thought some of their music is obnoxious noise, and some is beautiful, with much in between. Most of my clan liked this ritual, but the fluffy disks and other foods they brought are not something we can make. They took their tools and foods back with them and have not shared the recipes or ingredients, for fear of offending Eywa."

"The less of their world in ours, the better, I think. At least they are aware of Eywa."

Mo'at and Akwey approach the group of travelers, who stop and turn towards the pair. Mo'at makes the greeting gesture and says, "I See you, travelers. Welcome to New Hometree, the home of the Omatikaya."

Akwey's wife responds, "I See you, Mo'at. It is good to see you again."

"Salamìnä, welcome back. Who did you bring to my home?"

"Let me make the introductions." She turns around to face the group and says, "This is Mo'at, the former Tsahìk of the Omatikaya. Her daughter Neytiri is now Tsahìk, and is the first Palulukan Makto. Her mate Jakesully is now Clan Leader and is the sixth Toruk Makto. He was not born on Eywa'eveng, but has taken our form. Mo'at performed the Transference Ceremony at the Tree of Souls twice to move his spirit permanently into his present form. Akwey and I were there for both ceremonies, his first body had some issues that were cleared up in his second body, that is why he looks so young now. Za'ki assisted with the first ceremony for Toruk Makto."

Mo'at interrupts, "I tried once and failed before getting help from Za'ki. All successes since then are because of her help."

Za'ki responds, "Thank you Mo'at. All I did was talk to the Tsahìks who last performed the ceremony during the Time of the First Songs, and passed on their instructions. The key is having enough Na'vi bonded to the Tree of Souls to let Eywa know that the spirit transfer will be good for The People."

Salamìnä continues, "Za'ki lives with the clan on the edge of the Plains that is led by the son of her son. The travelers appeared at her clan's village, and she led them to our home."

Mo'at adds, "I'm very glad you are here, Za'ki. We have much catching up to do." Za'ki nods in response.

Salamìnä says, "Besides Akwey and myself, there are two other retired clan leader and tsahìk couples with us. This is Neme and Vorì from the Standing Rocks Clan from beyond the far edge of the Plains, in the forest on the coastal mountains where it rains every day. They brought the travelers to the Plains after they appeared in their village."

"Welcome, Neme and Vorì. I have heard of your homeland by the sea where it rains every day. This forest gets more rain that the plains, but not every day like your forest."

Vorì says, "We look forward to seeing your Hometree. We have many very tall trees on our mountain lands, but none large enough that we can live in."

"The New Hometree of the Omatikaya is the largest of a stand we call The Sisters. Several of these trees are still as Eywa made them, you should climb into them to better appreciate them. I have a special place in one where I go when I feel the need to get away and think about my lost mate and child."

After a slight pause, Salamìnä continues, "This is Puzìpì and Nìmì from the Coral Island Clan that last hosted the Ancient. Their home is out in the great sea between the two continents. Their first son became the apprentice to the Ancient, and stayed behind to travel among the island clans and help them recover from a great storm."

"Glad to meet you, Puzìpì and Nìmì. You need to talk with my daughter and her mate, they are both apprehensive about losing one of the children in the clan to the Ancient, particularly one of their own."

Nìmì says, "We, too, were concerned when the Ancient arrived shortly after a great wave ravaged much of our island. We had so much to do besides bother with him. But in time we saw the wisdom of Eywa. The Ancient was very helpful, and he chose our first son as his apprentice. We wanted our first son to become clan leader, but when he became the apprentice to the Ancient, that let our second son become clan leader, and both are much happier this way."

"And finally, this is Zozasko, the Ancient who is here to join and learn from the Omatikaya."

He makes the gesture to Mo'at and says, "I See you, Mo'at, the mighty mother of the Omatikaya. After I heard the songs and stories about the recent history of your clan, I knew I had to seek out you and your clan."

Mo'at replies, "Welcome, Zozasko, to the home of the Omatikaya. What clan were you born into?"

"I was born and raised in the Smoking Mountain Clan, in the mountains in the central part of the other continent. I was the son of the leader of the hunters and her mate. An Ancient came to my clan after a series of great landslides caused by a volcano erupting after many years of sleep. Many clans in the mountains were affected, and she came to help with moving clans to safer locations and restoring our lives. I was very young, hadn't begun hunter training yet, when she picked me. My parents had other plans, but felt better about me becoming an Ancient after my mentor explained that I would be helping many clans, not just theirs. Since that time, I have traveled across my home continent, over the sea by going from island to island, and now into this continent, helping every clan that Eywa sends me to."

"This clan has suffered much in the past for being so near those people that come from beyond our skies. Now we are being affected in many subtle ways by their presence, even though they are working very hard to learn our ways. You will find challenges here that are unlike any other place on Ewya'eveng."

Almost on cue, a bright light appears high above in the heights of the tallest tree, a fire brighter than any natural fire possible in a treetop.

"That is something our clan leader Jakesully had built shortly after we moved into New Hometree. He calls it a clan recall signal fire. It is our way of letting those away from home know that they should return at once."

Zozasko asks, "How do they know when to return quickly or with caution?"

"There are only three trails into the valley holding the The Sisters. My son had everyone search along those trails, and a hidden cave was found off of each. When that return signal is lit, everyone outside the area around New Hometree is to get to one of those caves as quickly as possible. If it is safe, there will be a sentry or a sign that sends them home. If it is not safe, they are to gather in the cave, and plan their return."

"Very smart. Why caves?"

"He says our enemy has tools that detect moving objects and body heat. They can distinguish between animals and Na'vi in the thickest vegetation. The caves let them hide from those tools for a short time."

"I've never heard of such a thing. I look forward to talking to your clan leader."

"Akwey told me that Salamìnä explained our soaps to you. Do you have any questions?"

"I know that sometimes mistakes happen while soap is being made, and then it can irritate sensitive skin. These newcomers are adults, their skin should not be so sensitive unless they are very old."

"Jakesully said his body was two days old when he first met Neytiri. Somehow, they know how to make a body, and it is almost an adult when they first use it. I have seen these bodies growing inside transparent containers full of water, including the body Jake is now using."

"I don't know how that is possible. That explains why those adults got rashes, though, with skin that new. Did he develop a rash?"

"He did get a rash on his first body, but he did not complain. Neytiri saw his rash, and took him to the healers for a salve. Later on, those that came out here developed rashes. One of them brought soap to heal the rashes, but it had an unpleasant odor. After some complaints, Jake asked the scientists to make medicated soaps that have more acceptable fragrances." Mo'at laughs. "He didn't realize what he asked for. They worked with our healers to identify medicinal plants and substances that heal rashes, and flowers and fruits that have pleasant smells. Somehow, they mixed those into their soaps, and brought many different kinds out here for us to try out. No one knew so many different soaps could be made. We always have visiting warriors here to learn hand to hand combat, and they always want to take some back to their clans. Some of the human healers are concerned about the widespread use of the soaps, so we do not trade or give the soaps away."

"How can they make so many things?"

"Their people do not have Eywa where they were born, a place called 'Rrta, and that makes them question everything. They pass on their knowledge by drawing out words and numbers in ways that all of them can understand. Over many generations, they have seen things that the Na'vi have not seen. They have even drawn out our words so that they can learn about us. Some of our clan can speak their language, and can make and understand these drawings of words and numbers, ours and theirs. I know this is difficult to understand, we will have to show you. To their credit, they worry about what they can pass on, they do not want to upset Eywa."

"That is very interesting. I can see how they could completely ignore Eywa, since they could not know Her until they traveled here. I look forward to many discussions about these things. It seemed your clan was eating dinner and waiting for the singers to start when we arrived. I don't want to keep everyone waiting while we talk."

"We were not prepared for your arrival, so I'm taking time talking to you now so our singers can prepare, and Jake and Neytiri can finish their meals, take care of their children, and, I hope, find time to change into something more appropriate for the ceremony. Since Jake can't train the warriors while wearing his clan leader clothing, he often looks like any hunter back from the jungle, especially at night."

"I'm impressed, a clan leader that is not concerned with letting everyone know he is in charge."

"I think he never dreamed of being such a leader, but he has done well as Toruk Makto and clan leader."

"Another thing to ask him. I see a warrior running to join us."

Mo'at turns around, and as Wrrtll pulls up beside her, she says, "Wrrtll, this is Zozasko, the Ancient. Zozasko, this is Wrrtll, the deputy leader of the warriors, and one of Jake's oldest and closest friends."

Wrrtll makes the gesture and says, "I See you, Zozasko. Welcome to the Omatikaya clan."

Zozasko replies, "I See you, Wrrtll. You are the closest friend of Toruk Makto?"

Wrrtll laughs and replies, "Yes, after Neytiri. She taught him the basics of hunting, and then she asked me and the woman who is now my mate to help train him with capturing an ikran. The three of us climbed Iknimaya together and caught our ikran on the same day." He smiles, and continues, "I have some good stories about Jakesully, if you're interested."

"By all means. Did you come down here to tell us it is time to enter."

"Yes, everyone is about ready. Even Jake got dressed up in his full clan leader regalia, think Neytiri made him change and he didn't argue, for once. There's no rush, everyone inside is excited, we're just hoping more hunters get back in time to see this ceremony. The singers say they are ready, so Neytiri asked me to come get you."

"Let us finish dressing, and then we'll be ready to start." The Ancient looks around at his traveling party. "Any questions now before we enter their home?" No one answers, so he says, "Good. Let's get our best outfits on and then we'll enter their home and begin the rite."