Ikinmaya Part 1 (Norm, Jake, Neytiri)
Several days had gone past since Norm's dream hunt. He was feeling on
top of the world. So many of the clan members were talking to him and
asking him to do many things. He had never felt so needed in his life.
And right next to him was Tanhí. She had never lost faith in him and
had encouraged him when he felt like he could go no further. She was
also expecting his child. Even though he had said it was a boy, he was
having his doubts. But the thing that gave him the most doubts was
Ikinmaya, when he was to choose his Ikran. The night before he was to
go, a dream nearly made him have a heart attack.
He was standing on a ledge high in the Halleluiah Mountains facing a
banshee. The banshee was bigger than the rest and had an odd
coloration of blue, black, and red. At the moment though he did not
notice the coloration, for the banshee lunged at him. He tried to move
out of the way and wrap the boo around its muzzle but was too slow.
The banshee caught his leg in its mouth and with a sickening crunch it
bit down. Norm's breath came ragged and in gasps because of the pain.
He could not put any weight on the leg and virtually could not move at
all. The banshee came over and picked him up in its teeth and shook
him. It then threw him off the cliff and dove after him.
All Norm could see coming at him was a screaming banshee. He reached
in front of him and grabbed his queue. As the banshee swooped toward
him, he managed to grasp an antenna and connect his queue as it flew
past him. He climbed on its back and the last thing he saw was the
ground rushing up at him.
Norm woke up panting in his bed back at Hell's Gate. He was drenched
in sweat. Slowly he peeled back his blankets and climbed out of bed,
unable to sleep any longer. He walked to his restroom and took a
shower. After climbing out of the shower, he decided to shave but
stopped short when he saw the image staring back at him in the mirror.
His eyes, which were once clear and blue, were sunken into his face
and bloodshot from lack of sleep. His face was gaunt from the weight
he was losing. Slowly but surely he was loosing himself, much as Jake
had done. And he did not want to go down the road Jake had gone down.
Ending up nothing but an empty shell.
Norm quickly shaved and went down to the sci-lab to get some work done
that he had neglected to do. When he walked in, Max was there hunched
over a microscope.
" Hello, Norm," Max said without looking up from the microscope. "
What brings you up to my humble lab?"
" How did you know it was me?" Norm asked hesitantly.
" Who else would be up at three in the morning?" Max replied. "
Besides that, I really didn't know it was you. I took a guess but a
well calculated guess."
" Ah. That explains it then." Norm said. " And I'm here because I
can't sleep."
Max looked up from his microscope to look at Norm who had taken a seat
across the lab bench.
" I keep having these nightmares," Norm continued," about what will
happen when I choose my ikran. This latest one was the ikran bites me
on the leg. My leg snaps in half. The ikran grabs me. Then proceeds to
shake me like a dog then toss me off the cliff. And to top it off, he
comes after me to finish me off. By that time I've gotten my wits
about me enough to grab the ikran's antenna as it fly's by and I put my
queue to it and I make the bond. The last thing I saw was the ground
rushing up at us. Then I woke up."
" At least you woke up before you hit the ground," Max said jokingly.
" This isn't funny," Norm replied sharply. " I don't want to lose my
life over some right of passage. And from the vision that I had during
my dream hunt that I told you about, I know I don't die but that
doesn't make this any easier. I guess once I get my ikran, I'll
actually be, truly be, in word and deed one of the People."
" Then what have you to fear," Max said. " If you know you don't die
then why worry? And I know what your answer will be but let me hear it
anyway."
" I just don't want Tanhí to see me fail," he replied quietly. " I
want to be the man I have to be for her and for my child. The problem
is I can't always be there. And I want to be. I'm wasting myself away
trying to be there every moment of every day. But there are certain
limits. Max, this body is dying, slowly dying, because of the pace
I've set for myself. And I'm not good with that. I mean eventually
this body is going to die but I would like that to happen when I take
the transfer not any sooner. How do I go on knowing that I'm killing
myself?"
" My friend," Max said seriously, looking Norm in the eye, " You are a
man divided. You want to keep this life and have your other life with
Tanhí. You can't have both at the same time so you subtract from one to
add to the other. And I see you realized this doesn't work very well.
My advice, and it's just that, would be to leave behind this life
behind. In this life, this body, you have nothing. No wife, kids or
even girlfriends. In your other life, your other body, you have a mate
with a child on the way. That is your future. You've seen it. Abandon
this life. Go to your mate and child. I know what it's like to be in
an Avatar. It's amazing, intoxicating. And for some, it's become their
life but that's not for me. I like my technology and my science. But
that's just me. I hope I helped you."
" Yes," Norm replied. " You've helped me a great deal. I know what I'm
doing now. Thank you. By the way, how did you make your Avatar so fast?"
" You were only with Grace for a little while," Max responded. " I was
with her for six years before you ever showed up. She taught me how to
make one in little under seven years. I started growing it right after
Grace showed me how. It just happened to be done when your Dream Hunt
was performed. And really it's not hard to make. We have samples of
DNA from the Na'vi. It's pretty simple to add your DNA to it and
voila, you have yourself an Avatar."
" I didn't realize it was that easy," Norm said. " So, in theory, if
my Avatar had died, I could have had you grow me another one?"
" Yes," Max said. " But remember we are dealing with life here. As
much as this makes us think we are God, we aren't. And we can never
be. So don't think that if you kill yourself on this little expedition
of yours that you'll be getting another Avatar."
" But-But.…" Norm began to say.
" No buts about it." Max replied. " I'm the only one on base with the
knowledge to make Avatars. I regard life with such a great respect
that I will not let it be so rashly taken. Got it?"
" Yeah," Norm replied sullenly. " I get. No extra lives to fall back
on. Thanks for the chat. I enjoyed it."
" Anytime, old friend," Max replied. " What are you going to do now?"
" I'm going back to enjoy a night with my mate," he replied with a
grin. " She deserves something."
Max began laughing while he pulled up the program for the link. Norm
climbed in and slowly the link closed.
He closed his eyes and the customary tunnel of light marked his entry
into his Avatar.
Norm awake in his hammock at the Well of Souls. Beside him was Tanhí.
She was fast asleep without showing any signs of waking. He slowly
climbed out of his hammock taking extra care not to shake it around
too much. After climbing out of his hammock and quietly making his way
out of the sleeping area he ran up to the cliff that overlooked the
Tree of Souls. He sat down on the edge and looked out over the ravine.
His mind was a blur. He still could not get over how Grace was alive.
He saw her die. In theory, she was dead. She was not seen again but
they knew her Avatar was alive. The signal never lied. Her Avatar was
alive. That meant she was alive. His thoughts shifted again. He was
going to be a father. That in and of itself was scary. He wasn't sure
he was ready to be a father. Jake had told him that he had taken care
of kids after the battle and it was not hard at all. Of course, him
being Toruk Makto had made it even easier. But Norm was not Toruk
Makto. He was, well, Norm. Plain ordinary Norm Spellman.
As he sat there deep in thought, another Na'vi silently crept up
behind him. Sensing someone behind him, Norm grasped his knife in his
hand and stood in one motion, bringing the knife around to defend
himself.
" Ganga," the Na'vi said quickly. " Ganga. It's me, Norm. Tanhí
Norm lowered his knife and stood erect. He walked over closer to the
Na'vi, only to see his mates bio-luminescent markings.
" Tanhí," he said, relief mixed with concern flooding his voice. " Are
you okay? Is anything wrong?"
" Nothing is wrong," she replied. " I'm fine. When you woke, I knew
something was wrong. Are you okay?"
" No," he said, walking over to the cliff edge and taking his seat. "
I am afraid. For the first time in my life, I'm afraid."
Tanhí walked over to her mate and sat down beside him. She took his
queue and connected it to hers, knowing he needed to relax.
Norm shuddered as his mate connected their queues. No matter how many
times they were bonded, he could not get over how intense the feeling
was. He could feel his mate. In essence he was her and she was him.
But then, after he thought he knew every square inch of her, he found
something new. His child. His child was a bright spot in his mother's
body. He reached out with his mind and touched the bright spot that
was his child. It instantly recoiled in on itself.
' It's all right, little one,' he said through the bond. ' I'm your
father. There is no reason to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I
love you now and always.'
His child opened himself completely to Norm. He radiated happiness and
joy. But then, Norm had a shock. His child was not male but female. He
had a daughter. A little girl, which meant he lost his bet with his
mate. And he hated losing. Worse he hated admitting he had lost.
After feeling the new life inside his mate, Norm found new resolve. He
decided that he would just go for it on anything he did. Knowing that
he wouldn't die made it easier. He had seen himself live on in his
dream hunt. The only thing he was afraid of now was the image of him
being struck down off of the thanator That troubled him greatly. He
pushed that to the back of his mind for the moment, because Tanhí
began talking.
" What are you afraid of, my love?" she asked tenderly, resting her
head on his shoulder.
" Nothing now, my love," he said with confidence. " I'm not afraid of
anything now. Except you."
" Why me?" she asked with surprise, looking up into his face at the
same time.
" Because I lost our bet," Norm said. " We have a daughter not a son."
" When are you going to learn to trust me?" Tanhí asked smiling.
" I think I'll start right now," he replied. " I'm done arguing with
you and your intuition."
" What is intuition?" she asked, puzzlement clouding her features.
" Intuition is," Norm began, " when you have a gut feeling about
something and it turns out to be right. I'm starting to learn to trust
you with that. Besides I hate it when I look like an ass."
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night.
The sounds of the night were soothing yet terrifying.
Tanhí moved closer to Norm and snuggled into his side. He wrapped his
arm around her and sat content for what felt like ages.
He stirred and looked down at his mate. Deep contentment and longing
rose within him.
" Since tomorrow I may die," he said with twinkle in his eye,"
let's make the most of tonight."
" I couldn't have said that any better," his mate replied.
She turned toward him and kissed him, deeply and passionately. He
returned the kiss.
Before he knew it she was on top of him straddling him, grinning widely.
" Let's begin," she whispered in his ear passionately.

Norm linked back the following morning to find himself in his hammock
with his mate at his side. As he repositioned himself, Tanhí stretched
and woke. He looked down on her with nothing but pure love.
" Sorry," he said. " I didn't mean to wake you."
" That is fine," she replied. " It was nice to wake and see you."
He leaned down and planted a kiss on her waiting lips.
' If it were night…' he thought to himself.
He pulled away from her but she would have none of it. She snuggled in
closer to him so that their bodies appeared as one.
" You know," she said after a few moments, " You don't have to get up
yet. We can say it's still night."
" As much as I'd love to say that," he replied, " I need to get up.
I'll stay for another ten minutes then I want to get some practice in
before we leave."
" Ten minutes is enough time for me," Tanhí said reaching for the
string that held his loincloth in place.
Twenty minutes later, Norm climbed out of his hammock. He reached down
and helped his mate out of the hammock. Both were covered in a
glistening sheen of sweat. After helping his mate out of the hammock,
Norm decided he would take her to the stream to bathe. They walked
down to a stream he had discovered a few days before. He had followed
the stream to its point of origin and had found a small lake.
When they reached the river, Norm directed them up stream rather than
jumping in right there. Tanhí noticed this instantly.
" Where are we going?" she asked.
" Some place special," he replied. " A place that makes the fan lizard
nest look ugly."
She probed and probed, asking inumberal questions trying to get Norm
to tell her where they were going. He was staunch on not revealing or
telling her anything.
They reached the edge of the lake and Norm slowed his pace. The lake
was surrounded by huge vines that hung down from the trees that also
encircled it, cutting off all view from land. The only way to see it
was by the air. He slowly parted the vines and let his mate walk
through first. As she walked through an amazing panorama hit her.
A small circular lake with a small waterfall at one end with trees
encompassing the entire perimeter. Various kinds of water plants lived
on the shore and animals milled aimlessly about and in the water.
Waterfowl flew overhead looking for a place to land. This was a
private get away. No one could get in without you knowing.
" So," He asked, " What do you think?"
" It's amazing." she replied." I've never seen anything like it."
" That's what I said when I first knew you," he said. " Now, let's go
get a bath. Shall we?"
They walked down to the water's edge and were preparing to get in when
a familiar shape cast its long shadow across the water. Norm and Tanhí
looked up and found Jake and Neytiri on Jake's Great Leonopteryx.
" Hell," Norm muttered under his breath. " Figures he'd find this
place too."
The Leonopteryx swooped low over the water and landed on the other
side of the lake. Norm saw Jake and Neytiri dismount.
" Race you to the other side?" he asked smiling.
" You're on," she replied gleefully as she ran down into the water and
started across the lake.
Norm laughed as he ran down and plunged into the lukewarm water. His
mate was a good ways ahead of him. She had always been the better
swimmer. And much to his regret, he could not catch up to her no
matter how hard he tried.
Tanhí reached the other shore first and climbed onto the land. She
walked over to Jake and Neytiri.
" I see you, olo'eyktan," she said to Jake then addressed Neytiri. " I
see you, Neytiri Moat'ite."
" I see you," both Neytiri and Jake replied at the same time.
" What brings you two up here?" Jake asked looming out over the lake
seeing Norm climbing out of the water and walking towards them.
" Norm told me he had something to show me before he left," she
replied. " This place was it."
" Jake told me the same thing," Neytiri said. " ' Come with me, my
love. I have something to show you that's almost as beautiful as you,'
he said."
" Norm used much of the same," Tanhí replied smiling. " Except his was
less romantic."
" Norm never was much of a romantic, were you?" Jake asked as Norm ran
up to them.
" Only when I want to be," he replied panting. The swim and the run
had effectively winded him. After Norm had caught his breath, he asked
a question that had been bugging him all morning.
" When are we leaving?" he asked.
" Well," Jake replied, " after we return from this little expedition.
You'll be taking the pa'li to the nesting grounds. You should be back
sometime tomorrow afternoon."
" You're not going with us?" Norm asked surprised.
" No, my friend," Jake said. " As much as I want to, alas I can't. My
duties as olo'eyktan require me to stay in the close confines of the
Well of Souls. It pains me because I can't go."
" Why?"
" Because Neytiri is going with you. She is choosing another ikran.
And I would like to be there. But alas I have other duties that
require my immediate attention."
" Well," Norm said ," it's high time we be going. I want to get some
practice in before we leave."
" See you back at home," Jake said as Norm and Tanhí turned and walked
away.
" See you there," Norm called back over his shoulder.

After Norm and Tanhí left, Jake and Neytiri stripped of their scanty
clothes and jewelry. They ran down to lake and plunged into the icy
water head first. Neytiri was the first in with Jake following after.
He laughed as he hit the water, circling and coming up behind his mate.
He grabbed hold of her and flipped her on her back. He adjusted his
position so that they were floating side by side, just drifting. After
a long time, Jake broke the silence of their bond of love.
" I know you're probably going to not listen to what I say next but I
want to say it anyway. Be careful. If I lost you, I don't know what I
would do. Besides I'd have to deal with Norm all by myself."
" Do not worry yourself, ma Jake. I know how to take care of myself. I
bonded with Seze before you were even around."
After a few moments, she began speaking in a slow hesitant voice.
" Ma Jake, I have something to tell you."
" What is it?" he asked lightly, not really thinking it was anything
serious.
" I am with child," she replied, refusing to meet his eye.
Jake turned over in the water and began to tread water. He was
absolutely stunned.
" Are… Are you sure?" he asked astonished.
" Yes," she said, still refusing to meet his eye. " When a Na'vi women
becomes pregnant, she can feel the child within her. It is like having
an internal queue."
" That's amazing." he replied. " Neytiri, why won't you look at me?"
For the first time since their talk began, she looked him in the eye.
" I did not want you to be angry with me," she replied. " The timing
is not as good as it could be."
" Ma Neytiri, Ma Neytiri," he said close to tears, " I could never be
mad at you. It's quite the opposite. I'm overjoyed. To be able to
bring a life into existence is almost too much to handle. But I
welcome it. As should you. C'mon, there's something I want to try."
Jake and Neytiri swam to the edge of the shore and climbed out onto
the bank. They laid there letting the sun dry their skin.
" What did you want to try?" Neytiri asked as they were being dried by
Polyphemus.
" This," he said as he took her queue in his hand and connected his
queue to it.
They both shivered as their minds became one. Jake could not get over
how intense the feeling was no matter how many times he made Tsahaylu
with his mate. But this time was different. He could feel Neytiri but
there was something else there too. A faint spark. His child.
" Is that… Is that our child?" he asked.
" Yes," Neytiri replied. " That is our child. "
" Is it a boy or girl? Can you tell?"
" It is still to early. Our child is only about two weeks old."
As he sat there, Jake felt complete. He had the woman of his dreams
lying next to him and his child within her. Nothing could have broken
that moment.
" I want you to be extra careful tomorrow," Jake said after a few
minutes. " Don't take any chances. I want you to come back alive and
with an ikran."
" I'll be careful," she replied. " Do not worry. I was not going to
tell you about my pregnancy until I came back and we bonded again but
I thought you might want to know since it's our child. I did not want
you to be angry with though so I held my tongue for as long as I could."
" I would never be mad at you for becoming pregnant," he said. " As I
said before I'm overjoyed. Never think I'll be mad at you for that."
They laid there in silence basking in the sun and in their love of
each other for hours. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Neytiri
stirred.
" Ma Jake," she said, " We must be heading back. There is still many
miles I must travel before I sleep."
" I understand," Jake replied sulking at the fact that his mate had to
leave him. " There are many things I must also attend to before I
sleep. Come. Let us go."
Jake and Neytiri re-clothed themselves then climbed on Jake's
Leonopteryx After flying for about ten minutes, the Well of Souls
came into view.

After Norm and Tanhí left Jake and Neytiri, they did not go directly
to the Well of Souls. Norm decided to take a round about course that
took them through the forest.
"'Why are we not going back to The Well of Souls?" Tanhí asked as he
deviated from his course.
" I just want to spend as much time with you as possible," he said. "
Besides, knowing Jake, he won't be back until sunset."
" And knowing Neytiri," his mate said. " They definitely won't be back
until sunset."
" Well, then," Norm said smiling and taking his mate's hand in his,"
We have a lot of time to be together before we have to be back."
A rustling off to their left snapped them back to reality. Norm slowly
pulled his bow from his back. Tanhí did the same. Thus armed they
moved toward the sound. Slowly Norm parted the leaf that had obscured
his vision and blocked his way. Ahead of him, about five hundred yards
was a dead thanator. The rustling they had heard had come from the cub
that was moving around its dead mother. All Norm could do was stare.
He was seeing his future unfold before his very eyes.
" Stay here," he said to his mate. " I'll be back."
Norm began walking across the long trek of ground to reach the cub. As
he closed the distance, a rumbling filled the earth and air. He
doubled his pace and reached the cub in no time. He bent down to grab
it and was surprised when it jumped into his waiting arms. It licked
his face and arms as if he had known Norm his whole life.
The rumbling Norm had heard earlier continued to grow in intensity as
he walked back toward Tanhí She had a very concerned look on her
face. Even though she had already heard this was going to happen from
Norm, she still had her doubts. Now all her doubts were banished, only
to be replaced by concern and worry.
" Hurry, Norm!" she yelled, her voice drowned out by the rumbling that
had increased.
Norm looked her way for a fraction of a second. His attention was
swept away by the herd of hammerhead titantothere that were barreling
toward him. They had burst through the undergrowth with only seconds
warning. And that warning was the rumble.
Norm saw the titantotheres charging him and realized there was no
where to go. He began running as fast as he could. There was going to
be no escape.
He remembered that Jake had once told him about something similar
happening to him. He and Neytiri were out hunting in the forest when a
herd of sturmbeast had nearly killed them. Jake had said they climbed
onto a tree branch.
Norm began looking frantically for a low lying limb. He spotted one up
ahead about fifty yards. He changed direction and began running toward
the branch. He leapt up at the last moment and was rewarded when his
feet hit the branch. He shifted the thanator cub to one arm and used
the other to steady himself. He lowered himself slowly to the branch,
clutching the cub to his chest. He finally caught his breath and leapt
down from the tree.
" Tanhí!" he yelled. " Tanhí! Where are you?"
" Over here," came the reply from off to his left.
Norm began jogging, trying to find her. Finally he did. She had just
climbed down from the tree that had given her refuge. She looked
winded but fine nonetheless.
When she saw the thanator cub in Norm's arms, she could only stare.
Here was one of the Na'vi's mortal enemies acting like a pet. How was
all she could wonder. Finally she found her voice.
" You're going to bring it back with you?" she asked already knowing
the answer.
" I can't just abandon him, can I?" he countered. " His mother's dead.
He'll die unless I care for him."
" Besides," he added after a moment," this is what Eywa showed me.
It's what I'm supposed to do."
" If Eywa showed you," Tanhí replied moving closer to Norm and the
thanator, " Then I have no problem."
She reached her hand out to touch the thanator. It pushed its head
into her hand and let her pet it. She laughed on the inside and out.
She was touching what she had thought was one of her mortal enemies.
All she could see was a loving tender beast that needed to be taken
care of.
" Want to hold him?" Norm asked.
Tanhí slowly shook her head yes. She slowly took the cub out of Norm's
arms and hugged it close to her chest. It looked up at her and started
to lick her face with its tongue
" I think he likes you," Norm said laughing.
" It is not a he but a she," Tanhí said after a minute.
" How do you know that?" Norm asked.
" Look," she replied flipping the cub on its back.
" Ah," Norm replied quickly. " I see. We have to give her a name. What
do you think of Grace?"
" I think its fitting." she replied. " You told me at times Dr.
Augustine could be loving and other times she could be as fierce as
a," she laughed as she said the next word thinking of the irony of
their situation, " thanator."
" Yes," Norm said chuckling. " She was all that and more. What do you
say we get back to the Well of Souls as fast as we can."
" Yes," Tanhí said. " Let us."
They started walking back the way they had come. Tanhí held Grace in
her arms, clutching her tight to her chest. Norm saw this but said
nothing. He had a nagging feeling that Grace was going to be with
Tanhí more than with him. And that was okay, for the moment.
As far as he knew, no Na'vi had ever ridden a thanator. As he thought
further on it, he remembered one person. And that person was an Avatar
who had almost lost his life fighting for the Na'vi. This person, his
name eluded Norm at the moment, was also the first Avatar to go rouge
and fight against his own race. His name came to Norm a moment later.
Captain "Able" Ryder. Ryder was now apparently one of the elders of
the Tipani clan on the eastern sea.
The Well of Souls came into view as they crested the cliff that Norm
had been sitting on the previous night. They stood there for a moment,
drinking in the scenery.
" You had better give me Grace," he said. " It would probably be
better for me to explain what happened than to have you explain."
" I understand," she said, holding Grace out to him. He grabber her
and clutched her to his chest. She had fallen asleep in Tanhì's arms
and when they transferred her to Norm's arms, she had only stirred then
curled closer to his chest.
Norm and Tanhí looked on with nothing but pure love. This cub was
going to bring them great joy but also great headache.
As they walked toward their sleeping place, many Na'vi stopped and
looked at them. Or more accurately Grace. Many gave them looks of
disapproval and scorn while others looked on with looks of pure
astonishment.
Norm saw Mo'at walking swiftly toward them. Her tail was twitching at
an unprecedented rate. She walked up to them and stopped. After
looking them over, her eyes came to rest on Grace who was now awake.
" What is the meaning of this?" Mo'at asked sternly. " You bring one
of most mortal enemies into our camp and expect welcome?"
" Mo'at," Norm replied, " This is my spirit animal. I saw her mother
dead and she was there moving around her waiting foe her to move. I
grabbed her and started back but not before I was almost run over by a
wall of hammerhead titantothere. I took refuge in a tree until they
passed. Then we made our way back here. Her name is Grace. Named after
Dr. Augustine"
" It is a fitting name," she replied. " I sense Eywa has truly given
you this gift of life. Treasure it. For what the Good Mother gives,
she can also take away. Has either of you tried to bond with her?"
" No," Norm replied troubled. " It never occurred to us. Would it be
like bonding with an ikran where the bond last for life or would it be
like bonding with the pa'li?"
" There is mention of this," Mo'at began, " in the Tipani clan. Able
Ryder bonded with an palulukan to fight off the Tawtute. It is said
that after he bonded with it, the palulukan never left him. I imagine
it's like bonding with an ikran."
" I should have time before Neytiri gets back," Norm said. " I could
try."
" Yes," Mo'at said. " Try. For if you do not, we will have. A wild
thanator capable of anything. Now it is up to you to train and take
care of her. You will be wholly responsible for anything she does. Do
you understand?"
" Yes," Norm replied. " I understand. Thank you, Tsahik."
" You are most welcome."
With that Mo'at turned and walked away. Norm watched her go and only
one word came to his mind: Dragonlady. The phrase Jake had used to
described her. And frankly the description fit.
Norm and Tanhí went back to their hammock. Instead of practicing like
he had told Jake, Norm decided to try bonding with Grace. Tanhí had
left a little while before saying that she was going to help weave a
tapestry.
Norm reached behind his back and grabbed his queue. He then reached
underneath Grace's neck spine and grabbed her antenna. Moving slowly
he pushed the two together. As their minds became one, Grace became
uneasy. She began growling and moving around in Norm's arms.
" Grace," Norm said gently and lovingly, " It's me Norm. Don't be
afraid. I'm going to care for you and I'll love you always."
Upon hearing this, Grace settled down. She curled up to Norm's chest
and radiated deep contentment. All Norm could do was smile.
After Grace had fallen asleep, he disconnected his queue from her and
slowly, yet carefully, climbed out of his hammock. He left Grace
sleeping for the time being. He had other things to do.
As he walked, many of the people turned and looked at him scornfully
and madly. Norm saw Jake and knew it was going to be time for him to
leave soon.
Neytiri spotted him and motioned for him to join them. To his
surprise, he found his mate there as well.
" I see you," Norm said to Jake and Neytiri in greeting as he took his
place next to his mate.
" I see you," Jake replied first then was followed by Neytiri.
" I hear you have yourself a thanator cub," Jake said looking at Norm.
" Tanhí told us all of what happened. I have to say you are one lucky
ass to be alive."
" I know," Norm said. " I am for sure. I take now that you're back, we
are leaving soon?"
" Yes," Neytiri replied. " We are leaving in five minutes. Say your
goodbyes and we will be on our way."
Norm turned his back on Neytiri to look at his mate.
" I'm goin' to miss you," he said. " Not to have you to curl up to
every night is going to be torture."
" And I'm going to miss you even more," Tanhí replied. " At least you
won't have Grace to take care of."
" Take care of yourself and her, ya hear me?" Norm said. " I'll be
back as soon as I can."
" I'll be waiting," his mate said.
He reached down and drew his hand across her face. He kissed her with
such passion that he thought his heart would burst. He drew away and
hugged her one last time then turned and mounted a waiting Pa'li.
Neytiri mounted her pa'li a moment later and began moving off into the
sunset without glancing back. Norm could see she was taking this hard
but he had no idea why.