Back at the top of the cliff, Neytiri, The Na'vi warriors and Tsu'tey waited for Jake and Emersyn to fly up in success.
Fear was sprouting inside the Na'vi princess as she waited for her student to come up with Emersyn. He never gave her time to explain before he dived in after his sibling.
Please Ewya...
The Na'vi princess held the edge of the cliff in a tight grip. Though Neytiri and the Na'vi hunters have sharp and keen eyes, they failed to notice the grip on Tsu'tey's bow was tightening as the minutes dragged by.
Suddenly, loud screeches resounded below and two ikrans came flying up with their two riders screaming. Neytiri quickly yelled.
"Think! Fly!"
~oOo~
I heard Neytiri yell something out but I was too far to actually hear it "God Dammit!" I cursed as I tried to control my ilran's crazy flight. I winced, once I saw from the corner of my eye, Jake and his ikran crash landing on the rocks.
This ikran's screeching was really starting to annoy me "Oh Shut Up And Fly Straight!" As if it had understood what I had just said, the ikran started to fly in a straight pattern, Finally!
"Bank Right!"
It banked right but it banked a little too much, I grunted.
Level Out!
As if it heard my thoughts, it leveled out, giving me time to correct my stance. Jake flew up beside me and we share exhilarating smiles and laughed out loud. I felt pure happiness and excitement of flying course through me, one coming from me and the other coming from a totally different being.
I heard some Na'vi cheering for us and Tsu'tey snarling at them to shut up. I grinned, same old Tsu'tey. He never worries.
I patted my ikran's head affectionately and she responded with a slight purr on her growl. We heard a call and Neytiri flew beside Jake.
"Hey..."
Neytiri called to Jake, her voice going high pitch. Jake grinned "Hey!" Jake made a move to wave but ended up slipping onto his ikran's neck. Real smooth Romeo Sully.
"Let's go!"
Jake called as he glided pass a waterfall. I laughed as Jake tried to glide as close to Neytiri as possible. He let out a yell "Yeah Baby I Got This!" Neytiri gave a warning call of an oncoming boulder and Jake cursed while I laughed at him.
Jake and I may not be much of pa'li riders but we were so born to do this!
We did a few acrobatic flying, one time Jake almost fell of for banking so hard, before we landed with wide smiles.
~oOo~
While the last two Na'vi hunters haul up their own ikran, I watched as Jake and Neytiri tall excitedly on their flight. They were starting to act like kids who earned a lot of attention.
By the time we all had our ikrans, we flew back to Hometree in which I could picture Tom and Ni'nat waiting by at the entrance for our arrival.
Tom pacing like a mother waiting for her child to come home and Ni'nat comforting him like a sister. Though in my case, I could think it was mates.
~oOo~
"Thank goodness you two are alright!"
Tom sighed as he ran up to meet us, Ni'nat following him with an amused look on her face "He has been pacing and waiting for arrival" I grinned and pushed Tom away walking straight to Ni'nat "Your English is getting better!" Ni'nat blushed.
"Tomsully has train me in inglish language"
I smiled and looked at Tom who was searching for any injuries on Jake "When I first sensed your fears and worry accelerating, I began to panic! You have no idea the stress I had gone through!" Jake rolled his eyes and pushed him back to Hometree.
"Stop worrying about that and start worrying about what the hell your going to be singing at Inkinimaya"
If possible, Tom paled all the more and started pacing and muttering incoherent words. Ni'nat laughed and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"sngum si ke Tomsully,ngengakem si hìno krra sä'eoiosngä'i"
Tom smiled before putting up a confident face and walked back towards the Hometree. My attention went to Jake "I never got to ask, what's up with you and Neytiri?" Jake froze and looked back at Neytiri who was busy talking to Tsu'tey and a few hunters.
"What do you mean?" He's twitching...Oh brother, you can't fool your own sister. I looked at him squarely in the eyes with an amused look on my face.
"The wierd looks you give her, the shy smile of hers, the need to impress?"
By now, Jake was already looking at Neytiri who was slowly making her way towards him. He glared at me and pressed a finger close to his mouth and walked away from me towards Neytiri with a grin. I shook my head, looks like my brother's got a crush on someone he can't have. Talk about Romeo and Juliet in blue.
~oOo~
When night had fallen, all Na'vi had gathered around to celebrate the success of every young hunter that had bonded with their ikrans. Tom stood among the singers while Jake and I sat with Neytiri and a few Na'vi, Tsu'tey sat beside Eytukan and Mo'at. Norm and Trudy had decided to join in the ceremony and most Na'vi were eyeing at Trudy curiously and some warily but that didn't bother her.
Jake kept on making faces at a nervous Tom while I kept on jabbing him in the ribs for doing that which he grunted, making Neytiri turn towards us and we both would hold innocent expressions before her attention is somewhere else and it would start all over again.
"Will you stop making faces at Tom, he looks nervous enough!" I growled and Jake chuckled, rubbing the parts of his body where my jabs landed "I'm just making faces for his frown to turn upside down" I somehow find that statement hard to believe.
Eytukan strode forward, looking tall and regal and he began reciting a few words in Na'vi that I have yet to know but I do caught the words "taronyu" and something about asking someone to tell something about our experience.
The leader of the singers, The High Singer Kiyeri, stood up and began speaking rapidly. Neytiri quickly explained that it was time for the singers to sing. I watched as the singers began to sing and the children as well as the adults quickly started to dance, each acing out a life path the singers described in their song. Then, their tones changed and the children that were acting out as playing started to pretend they were hunting, other children pretended to be prey and then reversing the roles.
I saw Tom tense up when the chorus of the song began to drift away and I was a bit worried he might have a panic attack because of singing which happened when we were just kids in elementary. Jake struck his tongue out and I jabbed him immediately which caused his to accidentally bite his tongue and hold back a whine. I gave Tom an encouraging smile and Ni'nat raised her hand to his back in support. Tom took a deep breath, opened his mouth and sang.
Jake and I watched our brother sing once againand to be honest, we were shocked at how much his voice had changed. Tom grew once again nervous once he realized Jake and my mouths were a bit open.
I snapped out of my thoughts and smiled encouragingly at him. Jake grinned and it urged Tom to sing to the Na'vi their story.
He sang about a young woman in a native clan back from home and how a young singer (it was the only way Tom could describe scientist to them) from another clan met and fell in love.
Soon enough, he sang to them how the young woman gave birth to three children and how perfect their family was.
Tom's voice drastically changed low as he sang about the children sibling's injury and how it affected the female child. He then sang the illness that befell on the mother and how she died in their arms on one night.
By now, most children were already huddling to their parents and the parents pressed themselves close to their young ones. The mated pairs held on to each other for support at Tom's tragic song.
What an impact. Way ta go Tommy-boy.
Tom then sang how the father suffered greatly and couldn't look at his own children for he would only be reminded of the woman he had lost and the children had to fend for themselves.
He then sang how the female sibling could not handle the pressure any longer that she unexpectedly left, severing all family ties she had.
Tom breathed in and he sang about a new hope for the children as they were reunited as adults and how they went off to an adventure. He last then sang his brother and sister's determination to become part of the clan and how he wished they would me er have to part again.
The next Na'vi then started to sing and Tom tried to stand without visibly shaking his legs. God, he almost shitted himself right there!
Nonetheless, he was glad his part was done, only two more to go.
~oOo~
Jake and I were...stunned, shocked, overwhelmed and all that surprise shit. We didn't even notice many Na'vi looking at us, we were far to focused on Tom who looked like he was ready to bail.
I smiled and Jake grinned once Tom's eyes locked on us. Through our bond, we sent him our pride and joy for singing in front of many Na'vi and happiness flowed through Tom's bond.
To say we were appreciated was an understatement, we were impressed.
~oOo~
When it was time for the singers to sing how we hunters had achieved in bonding with our ikran, Tom was ready and he began to sing in a clear strong voice how we hiked up the floating mountains to reach the ikran's roosting grounds and how Jake and I felt through our bond.
I did not notice a certain male Na'vi staring at me with an intense gaze.
~oOo~
He watched her as her brother sang of her skxawng tsmukan who went in first and had bonded with his ikran with a little complication.
Then it came to the point he heard her tsmukan sing to them how his tsmuke was caught by surprise by her ikran and ended up falling and her tsmukan followed after her.
He felt his entire body froze as he clenched his hands as he remembered her terrified yet determined face as she teetered off the cliff, how his entire mind went overdrive when she did not rise.
When her tsmukan sang how she and her skxawng tsmukan flew up successfully, his entire body relaxed. His gaze went to the young dreamwalker whose arms were around her tsmukan.
Was it wrong to think that it was he that was beside her?
~oOo~
Ni'nat was glad that all the singers had successfully sang the hunter's ikinamya without any trouble. She felt pride when her student sang with a little bit of hesitation.
She finally understood why Emirsen had said her brother was uncomfortable in dealing with crowds. Tomsully hated almost all eyes staring him.
Yet, his voice had shot straight to the hearts of the Na'vi, mostly the families and the mated ones.
She caught a few females staring at him and she felt a twinge of jealousy course through her. She blinked in surprise, she was never the one to feel jealous.
She caught Jake making faces at Tom and she giggled when Neytiri flocked his hear, hard. Jake and Emirsen had hissed and Tom flicked his ear, the same ear Neytiri had pinched Jake.
Maybe people born of the same day really have a strong bond to be able to feel their other halves emotion.
But enough of that, it was time to sing.
~oOo~
As the final trial began, Tom began to sing with Ni'nat. She had pressed her hand once more to his back and he felt her shudder at the contact which made child's run up to his spine.
He hadn't realized it but his tail found a way to wrap itself around Ni'nat's arm. It was only at the end did he realize and with his tanhi glowing like the Northern star, he pulled away, forcing down a pang of disappointment of losing contact.
~oOo~
I was making my way to Trudy and Norm who were busy talking to a few Na'vi, a woman with her child.
"I see ya hot stuff"
Trudy spoke once she spotted me walking over to them. I grinned "You do realize I barely get to be called hot stuff here" Trudy shrugged "Not with all the attention your getting, especially to the male population" My head swivelled to where the hunters were and I caught a few looking at me.
I looked away and shook my head. The Na'vi woman looked at me curiously "You must be Emersynsully, my son's student" My eyes widen, this was Tsu'tey's mother?!
The child scrambled up to meet me. We stared at one another before I heard Tsu'tey call out "Zrina, you should be in bed" The child stuck her tongue out in defiance.
"Don't listen to him little one, he's a real slave driver"
I spoke and he glared at me and I gave him a defiant glare. His little sister, Zrina, giggled at us both "You look like mate couple. Ma Tsmukan, you mate with tawtute?" My jaw dropped and Tsu'tey went silent.
"Zrina!" Tsu'tey's mother reprimanded "Tsmukan is promised to Neytiri" Zrina pouted but smiled "We meet soon!" She gave her brother a kiss and I held back a giggle when his tanhi brightened up a bit.
They left us alone "Well, I'm obviously not included in this student teacher romance thing. I'll go with Norm to chat with marine there and his brother" Norm scooped up a protesting Trudy and the odd couple left.
Student teacher romance thing...?
Really Trudy?
~oOo~
Tom yawned as the night dragged by and Jake noticed "You should probably get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow" Tom nodded and stood up and made his way to his nivi, stumbling in the process.
Ni'nat slung her arm around Tom "I shall take him to his nivi, have a nice night Jakesully" Jake grinned and waved and watched the two disappear up on Hometree.
~oOo~
Ni'nat lay Tom in his nivi before standing up to head to her own when Tom's tail instantly shot up and curl around her arm. Ni'nat froze and watched Tom's sleeping face as if he was going to wake up all of a sudden.
A fee minutes passed and Tom still refused to let her go, Ni'nat decided to sleep in here with him and that thought made her tanhi glow bright.
Finding a spot for herself, she settled next to Tom who unconsciously draped his arms around her. Ni'nat breathed in and closed her eyes, finding comfort in Tom's embrace.
The said Sully opened his eyes and smiled at Ni'nat before finally unlinking.
He was slowly falling in love with her.