Lonely jungle

Chapter 8

Neytiri's POV

Neytiri was coming back from a hunt when she heard a commotion happening at the base of Home-Tree. She stepped closer to investigate. She saw a few others on pa'li arguing with some of the other hunters. They were arguing about something she couldn't quite make out. As she got closer she saw someone who appeared to be wounded on the back of one of the pa'li. Once she was in earshot she listened to their argument.

["We need to get this man to a healer,"] The rider of a pa'li said to the hunters blocking his path.

["He is one of the sky people, he is not welcome here."] Another protested.

["This man saved the life of one of our own. We owe him at least this."] The rider exclaimed.

Their argument grew fierce and heated as more people became aware of the commotion. It seemed like the situation was escalating until a loud, booming voice sounded, and everybody was silenced.

["Stop!"]

It was her father. He approached the two who were arguing, the crowd parting as he did so.

["What is going on?"] he asked with a calm yet commanding voice.

["Olo'eyktan, this person helped one of our own against a palulukan on his own. He is injured and needs to see a healer."] said the rider.

["Olo'eyktan, he is a Dream-Walker. He does not belong here."] said one of the others.

Before they could continue their argument, Neytiri's father spoke out, ["Enough!"]

They stood in silence, deafening, as he deliberated.

["Take him to the healer."] He said in a firm voice leaving no room for argument.

One of the pa'li riders along with another hunter carried him swiftly toward the healers.

Neytiri was curious about this stranger. He had fought a palulukan alone and had survived, albeit battered and bruised, but alive. Her flicker of curiosity was quickly snuffed out when she remembered who he was. Hatred and disdain began to build up in her like a raging fire. She decided not to follow further and left to find her.

3-day time skip

Jake's POV

Jake awoke to find himself in a bed, well that was the best way to describe it. It consisted of dried leaves and a woven mat placed on top of it. There was a small pillow under his head made of some sort of hide. His shirt and jacket had been taken off and his chest was bare, save for the bandages placed over the wound he had received from the Thanator. He tried to lift himself and did so with slight effort and pain. While sitting up he inspected his leg. His trousers had been rolled up and his bite wound had been bandaged. Jake was tempted to remove the bandages to see the extent of the damage but thought better of it. After he finished inspecting his injuries he tried to recall the fight with the Thanator. Towards the end, he was saved by someone that much was clear now if it had not been then. It had to have been one of the Na'vi tribes that much he knew; the child must have run for help after he had diverted the Thanator's attention.

The room he was in was like one of the ones he would have found in his tree. It was a natural hollow. The floor and walls were wood, and the entrance was just an opening in the wood. Jake tried to lift himself from the ground, but the pain in his right leg prevented him from putting much if any weight on it. He tensed as someone entered the room. Jake was nervous as he had no idea what their response would be. It was a woman wearing traditional Na'vi clothing with a basket in her hand. Upon seeing what he was trying to do she placed her basket on the ground and began to approach him.

"[Lie down you will reopen your wounds trying to stand and move about."] she said.

Jake was confused as to what she had said. It showed in the blank stare he had.

"Lay down. You are not well." She said her English was broken in places and accented. She grabbed his arm and sat him down slowly. Although Jake was nervous, he did not resist. There was only one of them and he was wounded. He would not fare well against an entire clan of Na'vi. Also, had they treated his wounds had they harboured ill will toward him, he would be greeting death right now instead of sitting here wounded.

"Don't stand, it's no good. Rest" she stated.

"Olo'eyktan will come later. Rest now." After she had said this, she left the basket in the room.

Jake was confused about who Olo'eyktan was. He could have sworn he heard that name somewhere. He explored the deep recesses of his mind, trying to find out what significance that name held, but he came up with nothing. From the context, he knew it was a person she was talking about, but he didn't know who.

After half an hour a man walked in adorned with a bone necklace, and what looked like a chest piece with black hair sticking out of his shoulder pieces. He had a headpiece with what looked like an oval-shaped bone on his forehead. The way he carried himself showed confidence without arrogance. He had an aura that almost demanded respect. It reminded Jake of some of his commanding officers. At least he didn't seem the tyrannical type.

"You are awake," he said in perfect but accented English.

"Yes," Jake croaked, his voice still raw. He coughed a few times to try and fix his voice.

"You must be Olo'eyktan," Jake stated, his voice returning to its normal state.

"Yes, I am. What is your name?" He asked.

"Jake Sully," Jake replied.

Olo'eyktan replied, "JakeSully," as if he was testing the unfamiliar words.

"Yea, but you can just call me Jake. Sully is my family name." Jake said feeling some mild irritation in his throat. It was akin to the kind felt when singing and holding a note for too long, like his voice was tired. He reasoned that over a week of not talking to anyone would have that effect. The voice box was just another muscle like the rest.

"Jake, thank you for saving one of our young hunters. His actions were foolish. He left to prove himself. His lack of experience had led him to almost lose his life." He spoke.

"Don't mention it, by chance I was in the area, and it was fortunate that I was," Jake replied.

"Even so you had no obligation to help and risk your life, but you did so anyway. The bow that you used, did you carve it yourself?" Olo'eyktan asked.

"Yes, it's rudimentary but I was short on time. Given the chance, I would replace the bowstring with something more durable." Jake replied.

"I thought that you sky people preferred your guns. In the area where my hunters found you, no signs of others were found. From what I understand, dream walkers travel in groups when out in the jungle." He spoke.

"We do, however, I was separated from my group. I had been surviving out there for just under two weeks before the fight with the Thanator." Jake said.

"Why have you not returned to your people?" He asked.

"I don't know my way around the jungle. After I got separated I jumped into a river to escape a Thanator. I got knocked out cold after bumping my head on a tree root. The river carried me some distance away before I woke up." He stated.

"From what I know when you sleep your mind returns to your human body; why not inform the other sky people of your location?" Olo'eyktan asked.

Jake hesitated for a moment. The strange events that led him to his current predicament were not something that he liked to think about. At this point, he just accepted that this was his life now and that there was no point trying to reason why it happened.

"I drifted to sleep but never woke up in my human body. It's like I have been separated. If I returned they would just run tests and experiments on me to figure out what went wrong. I just accepted that this is my life now." Jake replied.

His reply had visibly shocked and confused Olo'eyktan. He was silent for a few moments before he finally spoke.

"So, you have no connection with your human body?" He asked.

"No, I don't think so," Jake replied.

"This is strange; indeed, you are one of the scientists are you not?" He asked.

"No, I am a marine… a warrior," Jake replied.

"You are the first dream walker we have seen who a warrior is." He spoke.

Surprise was evident on Olo'eyktan's face. He seemed to be pondering something before he finally spoke again.

There have been enough questions for one day, you should rest. Someone will bring you food. We will speak more at a later date," he said.

"Alright," Jake said.

Olo'eyktan left the room. Jake sat there lost in thought, only broken from his musings when someone entered the room with a leaf and a wooden cup. It had been fashioned into some sort of plate, and on it was a food of some kind. Jake recognised the person as the woman from before. She handed him the food and the cup.

"Drink it all, it will help heal you," she said.

"Ok Thanks," said Jake.

The woman turned and left the room. Jake looked down at the food which was handed to him, it was an assortment of strange insects which he hadn't seen before. One or two he recognised as he had seen them in the jungle on the trees and plants. They had been roasted along with some vegetables which he had recognised from one of the books he researched before coming. Well, it was more out of curiosity than a want to prepare for the trip.

The drink which he was handed was warm, it had a slightly acrid smell. He pitched his nose and quickly drank it. It was bitter and it caused a burning sensation on the way down his throat. He put his cup down and began to eat his food, it would be rude not to. He was also recovering from an injury, starving himself wouldn't help with that. Hesitantly he put one of the bugs in his mouth, surprisingly it had a pleasant taste. The knowledge that he was consuming insects repulsed him slightly but he kept on eating. Once he had finished he placed his cup and plate on his side.

He started to ponder the events which had occurred, the few people of the omaticaya clan which he had met hadn't been hostile. Perhaps his actions had earned him some goodwill, he hadn't spoken or seen anyone else so only time will tell.

Neytiri's POV

Neytiri sat on one of the branches of the home tree, she had few moments of free time if she was not hunting or maintaining her equipment or Ikran she was helping out the tribe in other ways as all hunters did. In her free time, she likes to sit on the branches of Home Tree or go out into the Jungle to clear her head. Her mind was on the stranger who had been brought to Home Tree. She did not like that he was here, the dream walker was a reminder of her sister's death and the cruelty of the sky people. They only take and take and give nothing in return. Their greed would end up destroying her beautiful home.

Neytiri was so deep in thought that she did not notice that someone had snuck up behind them.

["Is everything alright, daughter."] Neytiri's father said.

Neytiri jumped as the sound of her father's voice caught her off guard, when she turned to face her father she could see the amusement on his face.

["Yes everything is fine."] She replied. Neytiri did not want to complain to her father about the dream walker; he most definitely would have heard enough protests from the rest of the clan.

["I know that you do not like the dream walker being here like most of the clan. But he risked his life for one of our own. His wounds should be tended to we owe him that much."] Her father stated.

["I understand father."] Neytiri said.

["soon we will see if he is truly different from the rest of the sky people."] her father said.

Neytiri could only ponder on her father's words and their meaning.