A/N: So sorry for the late post! I know it took forever, but hopefully the length will make up for the time. I just wanted to say that I am so grateful for all of your reviews! Thank you so very much for reading!
Laila felt a low growl growing at the back of her throat and the corners of her lips twitched into a hardly concealed snarl. Two young male Na'vi halted in their tracks. One dropped into a crouch, his ears flattened in nervousness, while his counterpart's gaze widened. Even so, he dared to take a step closer. Laila's fist clenched at her sides and her tail swished sporadically around her legs, her eyes narrow and warning.
Laila had been confined in what she deemed as "the medicine room" for a week. During this time, her only company came from the Omatikaya Tsahik, who would stop by in the evenings to address the soldier's injuries. Much to Laila's surprise, the extent of her wounds were far less serious than she first thought. Her arm was not broken. The bone beneath her scabbed flesh was certainly bruised, possibly with a hairline fracture, but it would heal quickly. The gash along her forearm had finally closed and the infection had ebbed from her body. After being off her feet for consecutive days, the busted blisters upon the soles of her feet had become greatly apparent, though the plant Mo'at wrapped them in covered the pain with a cool numbing.
Despite Laila insisting upon her recovery, she was refused passage outside the medicine room. Mo'at had not informed Laila when her training would begin or when she could leave, and Na'vi guards had been placed outside her pelt-covered door. It made the soldier anxious, being confined within such a small space behind enemy lines surrounded by enemy personnel. Laila considered sneaking away in the dead of night, though she was unsure of the population outside, or even the layout of wherever she was. Sneaking away would be dangerous, but she still contemplated the option.
Then, early that morning before Laila had fully awoken, one of the guards came into her room. The woman told Laila that she was free to leave so long as she did not wander beyond the borders of Hometree, and that was that. Laila finally left the medicine room.
Laila Richardson had never seen anything like it before. Upon exiting the room, the brightness of the morning's sun momentarily blinded her and she casted her gaze to the floor. The texture below her feet was rough and bumpy, which sent a tingling sensation scrambling through her bandaged feet and up to her knees. After a moment, she recognized the floor as being made of bark, the same as the medicine room. She stretched and curled her toes while her eyes drew from her feet and up. When they fully adjusted upon the view before her, she gasped.
For as far as she could see from the ledge, the fortress she found herself within was made of bark. The walls stretched out far and wide, connecting to a ceiling some great distance above her head. Thick, coiling pillars grew from the walls and shot into the ground. Somewhere in the distance, Laila could see the bright flickers of the sun shining between the open spaces. Like the platform which she stood upon, the pillars and walls were the roots of Hometree, which acted as its hollow base that eventually supported its towering weight from above. The roots and their branches swirled and wound around themselves, forming spiral staircases that reached up higher and higher into the unknown. Along these staircases were natural alcoves, rooms of which Laila could see light flickering from under the pelt doors.
Of course, Laila knew she had to be at Hometree, but the rumors and the few pictures she had seen could do no justice to the reality of its beauty. Other than the odd flashes of white from the sun, the lighting was dull. However, the plants that lined the walls, hung from overhangs, and painted the floor casted a gorgeous bioluminescent glow of pinks, blues, and purples to light up the unimaginably large area. The entire tree was simply miraculous, and Laila faintly wondered how such a confounding thing could come into existence.
Many moments passed before she found her breath. She followed the downward slope of her ledge until her feet met the moss-covered floor, then she began to wander. At first, no one seemed to notice her as she swept through the room like a ghost, gawking at the gorgeous open area and the countless Na'vi that passed her by. Then the tail of a Na'vi woman touched her thigh, and everyone's attention was on her. The once oblivious crowd parted from her like the red sea before Moses' hand. Laila ducked her head, trying to once again disappear from the people completely, but it was too late to remain unsuspecting. Some followed her, others left the area completely, though their yellow eyes were all filled with the same mix of astonishment and curiosity, and with fear. A few even got close enough to touch her, which had happened roughly four times now.
Laila's nostrils flared as her gaze flickered towards the treeline. The two males crept closer. Somehow, during her exploring, Laila found an exit. She planned to take off into the forest trees if only to settle herself. Instead, she was stopped by the two men.
By this time, the clan's interest in Laila had begun to wear on her nerves. She would say her patience was over around the time someone yanked on her tail. She felt like an experiment with hundreds of scientists interested in her as a whole, yet fearful of her existence. Despite the harassment, she managed to keep her mouth shut. Any wrong word said could mean her death, and blowing up at some innocent Na'vi would certainly not bode well.
Impatiently, Laila offered the men her hand. She simply could not wait any longer. She would let these boys earn their bragging rights at touching a demon. Then, she would slip away and get some much-needed solitude. The closest male sniffed the air and leaned away from the woman, glaring in accusation at her appendage.
Her hand: something Laila had never put much thought to, though now she felt some embarrassment towards. Her hand was nothing more than a glaring warning sign. Subconsciously, Laila curled in her five fingers, hiding away the extra digit that marked one of numerous differences between the Na'vi and her Avatar.
The male reached out to her, then paused. His hand hovered just inches away from her blue knuckles. Laila could have touched him if she flexed her fingers. Then, the male slapped the back of her hand and darted away, tripping over his startled friend in the process. Laila yelped and bounced back on her toes.
"That little," she grumbled and flicked her wrist, trying to shake out the sting in her hand. From the corner of her eye, she saw another Na'vi step beside her and she snarled. Laila spun on her heel and took the tall man by the shoulder. Without a proper thought, she pushed him. "Look here, buddy-" she swallowed her words and her ears drooped.
Tsu'tey stared down his nose at the woman, the heat to his glare accompanied by a lopsided sneer. Laila bit her tongue. Warmth flooded the soldier's cheeks as her mind went completely blank. Nothing came to mind that might have saved her from the awkward situation.
After what felt like hours, though could only have been seconds, he averted his stare. Tsu'tey waved his arms at the steadily growing crowd and shouted a string of words, though Laila only understood "go." Although disappointed, the Na'vi dispersed without much opposition.
"Oh," Laila breathed. "Um, thank you for that." Tsu'tey did not answer at first. Instead, his eyes roamed over her figure before he scoffed. Laila clenched her jaw and readjusted her top.
Mo'at had discarded Laila's uniform some days ago, fashioning her with clothing more suitable for living among the clan. Unfortunately, the anatomical differences proved apparent as soon as Laila tried on her new top. Humans were much broader chested than the Na'vi. The brown cloth wrapped around her like a halter top and stretched against her slightly larger chest rather obviously. The loincloth, which hardly scraped the top of her thighs, did little to ease her self-consciousness. She must have looked ridiculous.
Laila cleared her throat. "Well, are we training today?"
"No." Tsu'tey huffed and turned. By the time Laila could register what he had said, Tsu'tey was halfway to the treeline. It wasn't until he had gotten many paces ahead that Laila gathered enough sense to follow him.
"Hey!" she called. She jogged until she was in step with the man, ignoring the dull ache in her feet as she struggled to keep up with his much larger strides. "I'm sorry, but I thought you were my teacher?" He said nothing to this. In fact, he did not spare her even a passing glance, like she was a nuisance bee buzzing past. Laila fought back the snarky remark she knew she would regret.
In all honesty, Laila didn't like not knowing what to do. After all, she was a Marine. She followed orders. What was she supposed to do here? What did the clan want her to do? She had no orders, no course of action. Sure, getting to somewhat explore Hometree was nice and the Na'vi were certainly interesting to interact with, but that all left her with no direction. If she were to do something - anything at all - maybe she would feel less out of place.
"Can you just give me some kind of direction here, please?" she continued.
"Direction?" Finally, he spoke. Laila smiled.
"Yes! Something to do, like hunting or something."
"No."
"No?" Laila repeated, her brow furrowed. "Why no?"
Tsu'tey stopped. Laila almost tripped over her feet in her haste to remain by his side. She looked up at the man, trying to decipher his intentions from his face alone. His expression remained stoney, giving nothing away as he held her gaze without wavering. "Your arm."
"My arm?" Laila cocked her head.
"It is broken."
"Oh," she said. Her eyes flickered to the dark purple-blue bruise that stretched the length of her left arm and she grimaced inwardly. She had forgotten again. From a very early age, Laila learned to conceal her wounds; to pretend they did not exist. This mindset persisted well into adulthood. No matter how bloody her feet became during a ruck, or how the muscles and bones of her body ached, Laila never once complained during her training or her deployment. Most of these inconveniences were pushed to the back of her mind and were never given a second thought. Even now Laila was able to momentarily forget her wounds, at least until the effects of the medicinal plants wore off. She had even forgotten the sling Mo'at had given her in the medicine room.
Laila pursed her lips and glared hard at her scabbed flesh. "It's fine. It's not broken-"
"Sky demons are weak. You can not train."
Laila huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, fighting back a wince at the sharp spike of pain that peaked through the numbness. "I'm not weak. Besides, Mo'at said you would train me."
"I refuse to teach an incapable student."
"Incapable?" she huffed. "I'm not just some silly girl looking for a playdate, I'm a United States Marine. This," she lifted her arm for him to see, "does not reflect my abilities. You have to know that!"
Very quickly, Laila found herself face-to-face with the towering man. He was leaning down, though he still somehow managed to loom over her much smaller figure. Hardening her stare, Laila planted her feet to the spot and stuck up her nose. The others feared her, mocked her even, and she allowed it. It was an adjustment for everyone and, naturally, they would be curious about her and her abilities being a "sky demon." Now, she had to put her foot down. She had to do something to prove that she could handle this - that she was not something for the Na'vi to push over. If she failed to make her stance now, no one would see her potential to succeed. She would lose any respect that could be earned.
"You will never be one of the people."
Laila faltered. She sucked in a deep breath, settled herself, then released her breath slowly. "I'm not saying you have to like me. No one here has to like me, but you can at least give me a chance. That's all I'm asking for."
At this, Tsu'tey took a step back. He sized her up once more, watching her for any sign of deception. He would find none. What Laila said was true; she wanted the clan to give her a chance, despite knowing she could never meet their expectations. As soon as the opportunity arose, she would slip away into the shadows and head back to Central Command, leaving behind no trace of her existence within the clan. And yet, she still wanted a chance, if only to somewhat repay the Omatikaya for saving her life. She could kill a hexapede for them or chase off a pesky pack of viperwolves. Anything at all would be better than mindlessly roaming Hometree.
"Follow me."
Laila blinked dumbly, confused by Tsu'tey's sudden demand. She had no time to question this as he had already started towards the treeline again. She followed him quickly, the giddy feeling of triumph threatening to show up on her face.
They walked deep into the forest, guided only by a small trail that wound its way deeper and deeper into the wake of the brush. It didn't take long for Laila to feel foolish. Here she was, following the enemy into the unknown blindly like some lost pup. He could have been taking her somewhere far away from Hometree just to abandon her in the woods. He could kill her if he wanted to. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Laila's ears perked at the sound of voices and the unmistakable bubbling splash of water. After wiggling through some tightly knitted bushes and winding around a few more trees, Laila saw the creek.
It was the same creek her and her soldiers had been spying on not so long ago. Seated upon the bank were a group of five Na'vi women, who chatted and laughed among themselves as they watched some children play further upstream. Next to the women were tightly woven baskets filled to the brim with fabric. One took a piece of cloth and dunked it into the water and began to scrub the filth away, a serene smile placed upon her delicate features.
As she watched, Laila momentarily forgot her situation. For a few fleeting seconds, the soldier imagined Meyers, Ski, and Connell hunkered down in the brush at her side, awaiting her next order. Everything from the last few weeks was just a bad dream. It had to have been… Then Tsu'tey pushed past her, and Laila woke up.
He walked up to the women, then stepped a few paces away from the group with a short nod of his head. A woman stood and followed Tsu'tey, and they began to speak in hushed tones. The woman was strikingly beautiful. Her face was narrow with high cheekbones, her nose was small and slightly pointed, and her cat eyes were large and round. Her dark dreads dangled past her shoulder blades, decorated with bright neon feathers woven within the black strands. Fabric wrapped around her chest tightly, securing a young infant to her back. The baby waved a strand of their mother's braid within their fat fist, then shoved it into their mouth happily.
The woman's voice suddenly grew louder, and she pointed at Laila accusingly. The soldier knew instantly that they were talking about her, and the conversation appeared to not paint her in the best light. Laila chewed her bottom lip. Tsu'tey hushed the woman, and they continued to talk for a few seconds more. Then, after brushing his hand over the infant's downy hair, he returned to Laila's side.
"You wish to learn?" he asked her, a suspicious smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
"Yes?" Laila responded a bit hesitantly. She did not trust the joy that flickered within his large orbs.
He stretched out his hand towards the group of women. "Then learn."
"Wait, but I thought-'' he was gone before she could finish her sentence. Laila glared at his retreating form as he quickly disappeared within the forest, a silent curse crossing her mind. This is what her training would be? Washing clothes?
When she faced the women again, all eyes were on her. The woman Tsu'tey had spoken with stood with her arms crossed and her head cocked to the side as she took in Laila's appearance. A glare masked her gorgeous features, one that nearly rivals Tsu'tey's. Taking in a breath, Laila gave the group the warmest smile she could muster and she waved, though she knew she must have appeared more awkward than kind.
The woman rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Sit," she commanded Laila, and the two women took their seats on the bank across from one another. The woman took a piece of cloth from the basket and plunged it into the creek, where she then began to scrub hard as she huffed angrily to herself. "The tawtute will work with us today," she answered the silent question from the others.
Slowly, the others went back to their work. No one spoke and Laila could feel the shift in atmosphere. They were uncomfortable in her presence, and she would confidently say she felt the same. Laila reached for the nearest piece of cloth to begin her work, but a small tap on her shoulder stopped her. Seated to her right, another woman with a baby on her back surprised Laila with a soft smile. The Na'vi was small, was Laila's first impression. The woman's features were soft and petite. Her round face was framed by black braids and bright beads, which hung from the right side of her head as the left was shaved.
"I am Hanai. It is nice to meet you," she greeted Laila, and the human was greatly taken aback by the soft spoken but kind words. The relief that flooded through her was vast. Laila couldn't remember the last time she had a kind word spoken towards her.
She offered her hand. "Laila. It's nice to meet you, too." Hanai raised a brow and sniffed Laila's hand curiously. Instantly, Laila felt the awkwardness grow. "Oh, um, it's a handshake. Here," she took Hanai's hand within her own and gave a single up-down shake. "It's a human greeting."
Hanai brought her hand close to her face as if to inspect the skin of her palm. Then, she offered her hand to the Na'vi to her right. Hesitantly, the two women shook hands, then Hanai reached for the woman on Laila's left. The sweet smile on Hanai's face would not last long as the woman across from Laila hissed something in Na'vi. Hanai's smile faltered and she returned to her seat.
Laila swallowed thickly, the tension in her shoulders refusing to settle. Not to be discouraged, Hanai offered Laila a piece of cloth. "Can you fix this?"
"Fix?" Laila took the cloth from her hand and unfolded it. A large tear ran down its length. "Oh, can I sew it?" Hanai's eyes brightened and she nodded. "Sure, I can sew." Hanai handed her thread with a needle made of bone, and Laila went to work.
Growing up, Laila had to learn how to sew her clothing at a young age. Very rarely was she able to acquire new clothing, so patchwork was something she did often. The skill certainly helped once she joined the military with many of her fellow soldiers coming to her for repairs or attaching patches. However, when Laila presented her work to Hanai, the Na'vi giggled and shook her head. A deep flush flooded Laila's cheeks. "Is it that bad?"
"Yes," Hanai said through the flutters of her laughter, "but you will get better. Here." She took the cloth from Laila's hands and undid the work she had done. Then, she took her own cloth and she began to teach Laila the proper way to sew. Very easily Laila took to the new technique. It was a bit similar to what she knew, though she noticed the stitching was far more neat and closer knit than what she had previously done. By the time Laila finished her first piece of fabric, the air had become less thick, and the women were conversing once more.
Laila could not understand their words, but she liked listening to them. Their soft-spoken voices and bubbly laughter was nice. It was a far cry from what she had grown accustomed to over the past weeks. While in the medicine room, the only conversations Laila could hear were in passing, and when Mo'at would visit, the two sat mostly in silence while the Tsahik worked. As human, Laila's world was silent.
"So," Laila said suddenly, shaking herself of her previous thought. "What are your names?"
"Oh!" Hanai gasped, only now realizing that Laila had not received proper introductions. "This is Ikoa and Zi'te, and that is Euey. And this," she reached around her shoulder and tapped the top of her sleeping baby's head, "this is Yaita, my son." The women smiled pleasantly and waved to Laila. All but one.
The woman across from Laila kept her head down as she worked frivolously on removing a stain from the cloth in her hand. She did not participate when the others talked, and she did not give any sign that she was listening to them. Now, however, her ears had flattened and Laila could see the corners of her mouth twitching. Hanai leaned into Laila's side and whispered, "that is Nevaeh. She means well."
"And this is your job?" Laila asked. "You clean and fix clothes for the others?"
"For now, yes."
"What else do you do?"
"We are hunters."
Laila furrowed her brow. "Why are you washing clothes then?"
Hanai smirked at the surprise in Laila's face. "Nevaeh and I have our little ones. The others are with child. We will hunt again when the little ones are older."
Just as Laila was about to ask another question, there was a shout followed by a large splash from the creek. Although a few paces upstream, a cascade of water droplets pelted Laila's face and the backs of Ikoa and Zi'te. The girls squealed in surprise, scrambling from the onslaught of the cold creek water. Nevaeh scolded the perpetrator in their language and made some gestures with her hands.
The ones who had made such a splash were two boys. The young teens clambered up the creek bed, shoving one another in their race to escape the cold. Despite Nevaeh's reprimand, the boys continued their boisterous laughter as they ran up to the women. One of the boys came up behind Nevaeh and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her and her baby close as he swayed. Nevaeh rolled her eyes but gave the boy a gentle pat on the head.
A weight settled against Laila's left shoulder and she jumped, a silent yelp of fright hitching in her throat. "Lay-lah!" a voice chirped happily in her ear. She leaned away from the unwanted touch with a furrowed brow, but when she finally saw who it was, she gave him a relieved smile.
"Oh, hey Ru'atan."
The boy had squatted between Laila and Ikoa, his elbows on either woman's shoulder to balance his weight. His breaths came in short pants and his forehead glistened, though Laila was unsure if that was due to sweat or the creek water. His friend was breathing just as heavily as he rested against Nevaeh. His mischievous eyes glanced at Ru'atan and the boy smiled knowingly. Ru'atan's tail began to wag back and forth wildly, tapping Laila on her side as it went.
The boy leaned down further and further, gradually applying more weight to Nevaeh's back until, finally, she snapped. The woman hissed and waved the boy off of her, which only sent the boys into another fit of laughter. Nevaeh growled something in her native tongue and the boy ran from her, jogging back up the creek before once again plunging into the depths of the water. This time, thankfully, far enough away that the women were not splashed. Ru'atan gripped Laila's shoulder and said, "kiyevame!" before leaving to join his friend. Laila smiled at the two teens and shook her head at their antics.
"That is Ru'atan and Poa'hik," Hanai told Laila as she pointed out each boy. The two continued to roughhouse in the water and it was hard for Laila to tell the difference between them at first. They were similar in age and in their physical attributes, though Poa'hik had a slightly sharper bone structure.
"They seemed pretty comfortable with Nevaeh. Are they yours?" She spoke the question to Nevaeh directly.
The Na'vi had returned to her cleaning, and she did not deter from her work when she answered. "Poa'hik is my oldest."
"He's got your nose," Laila said in an attempt to break through to the Na'vi hunter. Women liked being told their children looked like them, right? Laila was horrible with small talk, especially with strangers. If she could just manage to say the right thing, maybe the hostility towards her would lessen. "And he's got Tsu'tey's eyes."
Nevaeh paused and her eyes narrowed. "What?"
Laila cleared her throat awkwardly and did her best to focus her eyes on her sewing. "Well, you know, he's a handsome boy. He takes a lot after his father."
"Tsu'tey is not my mate," Nevaeh growled, and the group burst into laughter. Heat filled Laila's cheeks and her ears flattened, appalled by her own assumption. She didn't know why she thought the two were a couple, but it had made sense to her at the time. Although their discussion was rather heated, the two seemed comfortable around one another in the short interaction Laila had seen. As the laughter from the other women began to die down, Laila chanced a glance at Nevaeh. She had returned to her work, though her grip on the fabric was tight and her knuckles blanched. Laila couldn't be sure, but the apples of Nevaeh's cheeks looked a few shades darker. Laila inwardly chastised herself for embarrassing the poor woman.
"How much younger is Ru'atan from Poa'hik?" Laila tried again, doing her best to change the subject.
"They are the same," was Nevaeh's short response.
"I thought-"
"Ru'atan is not my son."
Laila was at a loss for words. She did not understand the hostility behind Nevaeh's tone of voice, even if she had embarrassed her. Hanai placed a gentle hand against Laila's arm and she leaned in close. "His mother is with Eywa."
Laila bit her tongue hard. She had no idea of the boy's loss, yet she still felt foolish for pressing the matter at all. The group went quiet once more. Laila returned to her sewing. Idiot, she thought. Here she was, trying to gain the trust of the Na'vi, yet she only seemed to make things worse. As Laila continued to replay the conversation in her head, flinching at her poor choice of words and wishing she could redo their entire encounter, she did not see Hanai reaching for a loincloth Laila had previously finished sewing. Hanai hovered the cloth in front of Laila's face and tugged on the fabric, smiling.
"See?" she said. "You did better."
"Yeah, thank you," Laila nodded and took the clothing from Hanai. She brushed her thumb over the stitching, only now realizing the extent of its quality compared to her normal work. A grateful smile spread across her face. "I did better."
