Chapter 4

Here comes the Navi. So this will me in naviand everything else will me regular text.

She continued to clean my back, then moved on to the back of my legs. It seemed that the cat got a full spread of talons into the back side of me. There was a single slash, razor precision, that ran from my left shoulder blade to my right hip. Another two crossed my low back to my right buttock, and finally the last one banded the back of my thighs. I understood that even with the medical assistance back at the base my body would be scarred. I pulled my braid gently around to the front, bringing the rest of my hair with it as well. It had been wound up in a bun with my braid wrapped around it. I turned to Mo'at, "I was very lucky," I whispered almost crying, "my braid was wound around my head at the time of the attack. I had put it up to keep it out of the way of my exploring. Had I left it down, Her voice would have been lost to me forever." I was barely paying attention to her by they end of my statement, lost in my own mind clouded with sorrow softly stroking my own hair. My bond to this world, to Her. I was shocked out of my reverie by a burning that stole my breath from my lungs. My chest clenched painfully as if I had been kicked by a horse. Mo'at had added new herbs to my back. As I hissed out a breath, she looked at me, confusion on her face. "You speak as if never hearing Eywa would wound you. Sky People know little of these things, they only know greed." a sneer had pushed its way onto her face as she wrapped bandages around my chest again, tighter than before, but still I was able to draw breath.

I rearranged my limbs so I was sitting cross-legged, my hands in my lap. I lifted my head to look at her as she stood to put things back on her shelves. My voice became strong yet had a soft tone, "I know her, as you know her. I have known her all my life. I saw her in the eyes of my grandmother, and my mother and aunts. You only gave her a name, You call her Eywa I know her as All-mother." she still looked suspicious, disbelieving. So I took it another step, Mo'at being Ts'ahik might have seen her in the spirit quests she had to take. So I challenged her, "She sits in a field of golden grass, under a great tree with drooping branches. She has long dark hair, weaved into fine braids with green stone beads at the end. Her voice is soft, yet sharp. Like the sound of a crystal bell carried on the wind of a summer day." a shiver ran through my bones as I spoke, "All-mother is soft yet muscled, she is kind yet harsh like the torrents of rain that fall." Mo'at stood there stock still, a small twitch could be seen at the end of her tail. Silence rang through the cavernous room, seeming bigger now than ever before. "I am not that which was born to my people, She brought me here, called to me as a mother to a child. We lost her on my home world, my grandmother had said she had died, that the new gods of money and greed corrupted and seduced her children. Twisting them until nothing was left but rot and ash." a sigh left my constricted chest, "but i let her find a home in me, to live in my heart even as others gave up. I tried..." tears began falling down my cheeks, "I tried, and failed. She had already left my world, and she came here. So yes, the thought of loosing my Goddess once I have found her, physically hurts me Mo'at."

She finally turned to look at me, a hard look was on her face, as if carved in stone. However on second glance, her eyes were soft, motherly. "Why are you here?" she asked, tiredness sounded in her weathered voice. "I am here to find peace, to live." An admission that was only a half truth, but this woman seemed to be pulling the truth from me. "I was threatened with my life on earth. Someone had tried to have me killed. My grandmother had left her land to me, it was in my family for years. She and my mother got sick one day. Gone not much longer after that. Someone wanted my home, I refused. Next thing I know, my home was on fire, burning around me." The memories played like a horror film behind my eyes, the flames rising higher, climbing the walls. Erasing my fondest memories. Pictures of my brother and father in their uniforms, my brother's and mine's first hunt. The wooden chains my father taught us to carve before he deployed. I placed my hand where the dog tags should have been around my neck. " I only just managed to save a few things. So I made a deal, they could have the land that held my best memories, if they paid for my coming here." Mo'at stood in front of me, her face softening each moment. She held her hands out to me, "Come, you must be hungry, and I'm sure Jakesully would like to see you. But first some proper clothes." She left through the door way, the almost silent steps and a sweeping of the moss curtain the only sign she left at all.

Mo'at re-entered the alcove carrying a small pile of cloth. Being that half of my genetics were human, I was built a little different that the average Navi. I was shorter than your average female at about 8 foot 10 and curvier. My hips were wider and rounded and came with an accompanying arse. My waist was slim and my chest was also well endowed. My skin was the typical cyan, however my stripes were closer to black than navy. The bioluminescent spots had a beautiful pattern, swirled and vine like on my chest and forehead, yet had a more geometric shape on my arms and legs. The pattern mingled on my stomach and hips. The clothes that Mo'at brought me consisted of a tapered loin cloth meant to cover my front and a chest wrap that tied with corset strings. Mo'at showed me how to tie the loin cloth around my tail to hold it in place. I tied the strings on my wrap and declared myself dressed. I had never felt more freeing clothes it was wonderful. We left the alcove and entered a cavernous room, filled with all the Navi of this tribe. Then the smells hit me, fire roasted meats, sweet fruit and something spicy. My mouth began to water, this, this was food. Fresh and clean, not rehydrated, reconstituted mush. I looked to Mo'at, she nodded and I left her side to receive food. I decided to gather her a plate as well. I was given a wide leaf with a few pieces of roasted meat and fruit, as well as a few things that looked like baked insect larva, but smelled wonderfully spicy. I asked for a plate for the Ts'ahik as well and was given another with different items on it. "Thank you, Eywa smile on you" I said to the young girl serving food. She smiled slightly and gave me a nod.

I walked back towards Mo'at, my steps silent in the crowd, avoiding tails and limbs along my way. I made sure to try to keep my own tail from accidentally smacking anyone in the face as they sat as well. Carrying the two plates I approached a higher platform, upon it were sitting Mo'at and her life partner and mate the Olo'eytkan. A younger male sitting beside him, his hair braided finely with shaved sides, tipped with red beads. He was a striking fellow, sharp golden eyes and a permanent frown. I gave him but a glance before I looked to Mo'ats left to see a younger female. There was a small resemblance to Mo'at, her daughter I assumed. Next to her was Jake. I rolled my eyes and almost laughed out loud. He looked severely awkward sitting there in his loin cloth. I stopped in front of Mo'at and took a knee at her feet. "I see you Ts'ahik" I spoke quietly, she gave me a small smile. In the short time I had known her I had grown fond of the woman. " I am sorry for presuming but I asked to get something for you to eat, as you worked so long to tend to my wounds." I handed her the leaf plate which she accepted with a smile and motioned me to join them. I moved quietly and sat beside Jake with ease. "Well hello there my friend." I said with a laugh in the back of my throat. "How is it that you piss off a beast like that and I end up with the wounds? It knocked me off the cliff like a frigging cat toy." I finally laughed at the look on Jakes face, it was shock, fear and in the back amusement. "Well," he laughed, "No one said you had to run with me" a grin splitting his face. I hissed at him and punched him in the shoulder, " Ooo you cheeky little shit." I couldn't help but laugh at him as he rubbed the spot I hit him. As we laughed and I started to sate my ever growing hunger, I was aware of someone glancing my way. I lifted my head to see a single pair of glowing yellow eyes boring into me, a flash of red beads off to one side as I turned back to Jake as he told me something.