Soft blue lights glowed overhead as I slowly rose from sleep. Groaning I sat up then flinched, looking to my side to see a lot of blood. Biting my lip I looked around, finding myself in the healing quarter. A girl was curled up next to me, holding onto a bunch of flowers and I recognised her as the girl who I had saved from the palulukan.

Reaching across I picked up a blanket folded neatly on the empty bedspread next to me then draped it over her. She stirred but did not waken. "Neytiri?" I whispered, searching for my friend but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Anahera!"

"Kakeo!" I breathed a sigh of relief as he stood from the entrance and ran to me. I held out a hand and he gripped it tightly, pressing his brow to mine before hungrily grabbing my lips. I welcomed his touch. "Kakaeo, I am so glad to see you." I whispered to him, stroking his face but when he reached to look at my wounds I stopped him. "No, please, they are still tender." He nodded then kissed me again passionately.

When I felt the child stir beside me I pushed him away and turned, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. Blinking her sweet little brown eyes open she gasped then rolled to her knees, staring at me. "Big sister, thank you for saving my life. I will forever be in your debt."

"Nonsense, little one, we are all family in this clan. Of course I would have protected you as I knew, had our roles been reversed, you would have done the same." She twisted her loincloth nervously, biting her cherub lip as she looked away.

"I don't know, I am not very brave like you." Reaching out I touched her shoulder, assuring her it was alright.

"Bravery is not being without fear. It means that you are able to face that which frightens you." She nodded then held out the sweet little posy of blue flowers.

"These are for you. If you eat the leaves they taste very sweet." Picking a leaf I chewed on it then smiled as a sweetness enveloped my mouth. Kakeo all this time had been trying to get my attention by nuzzling my neck but I pushed him away, focussed on the girl who smiled nervously and rather timidly at me. I gave one to her and we ate all the leaves before I began to weave the flowers into a two little bracelets. I tied hers around her wrist then allowed her to tie mine up tightly.

"Thank you again, big sister, I will never forget this." She said, nervously looking to Kakeo who was reaching under my blanket to touch me but I slapped his hand away, throwing him a filthy look as the girl stood. "My name is Keke, by the way."

"I was glad to have met you Keke. I shall see you around?" She nodded, smiling brightly then raced from the room. Now Kakeo had darted his hand under my blanket and touched me somewhere very intimate, causing me to gasp and shudder in slight disgusts as I pushed him away. "Stop it!"

"I've missed you. You've been asleep for nearly two days." He murmured, running his fangs over my neck so I tilted into him but kept his hands to himself. "I just wanted to touch you, to feel your warm skin, make sure you really are alive and well." His honeyed words soothed my temper so I sighed.

"I am fine, just please let me rest."

"You can rest later, there are some things we have two days to catch up on." At his suggestive tone I hissed and slapped his hand away with my tail, turning my back to him.

"Not now Kakeo. I'm tired." He growled impatiently then stood.

"Fine." He spat then stalked away. Tsu'tey's words echoed in my mind but I quickly shoved them away. Kakeo was just worried and being overly affectionate. That's all. He respects me. I'm sure he does, no he loves me.

Neytiri returned from her duties and I smiled up at her as she lowered herself down to unwrap my wounds and heal them. They were barely scratches. "You heal miraculously quickly." She murmured to me, taking the bandages away then washed them.

"It is something my people have always been able to do. Heal quickly." I answered as I sat up. They were still irritating so Neytiri put on a salve to cool the inflammation then nodded to me.

"Jake wants to thank you for what he did. You rid the clan of a terrible predator."

"What was it doing so close to our home anyway?" I asked as I stood, brushing myself down.

"Hunger, most likely, or another palulukan drove it out of its territory. Whatever the answer, it was a threat to our young ones and nurseries. They play too often in the woods where if their parents turn their back for a second, they could be snatched away." I shuddered, thinking of poor Keke. Who was supposed to be watching her?

Leaving the healing pods with Neytiri Jake looked up and strode towards me, a serious expression on his face. "Are you alright?" He asked with concern so I nodded.

"I heal quickly." He looked down to my three scratches. "I doubt they will scar, they rarely do."

"Wow." He breathed and I frowned, unsure of what it meant but no one offered an explanation so I made a note to myself to ask later. "The clan thanks you for your courage. You displayed true clan spirit when you fought that thanator for the youngling." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Keke wave at me so I smiled, winking secretly to her.

Not knowing what to say I merely nodded my head respectfully to him. "Rest easy, alright?" Nodding again I felt Neytiri touch my back, signalling I was free to go. I saw Kakeon walking towards me but before I could turn to face him, Tsu'tey stood in my way. "Come." He ordered simply, handing me a new bow since my other had been broken during the fight.

Shooting an apologetic look to Kakeon I followed Tsu'tey out into the forest. Once we were a fair distance away he climbed a tree then sat down, looking down at me as I followed. On the thick limb of the tree I crossed my legs opposite Tsu'tey and waited for him to speak.

He had his eyes closed and ears opened so I did the same, sitting up straight as I began to listen to the forest. The croaking earth frogs, the whistling deer herds, the stamping of distant sternbeests as they grazed in the forest's pockets of meadows.

"We will go hunting, female. Today, you will make your kill." He finally said and opened his eyes. "It is time." Opening my eyes slowly I looked at him closely, keeping my back straight before sighing.

"As you wish, teacher." We both stood at the same time then darted into the forest. Tsu'tey let me lead this time, allowing me to track at my own pace. Once I had found the tracks I wanted, we wasted no time.

My running feet were almost silent as I ducked under a low branch then slid around a corner, following the movements of the deer until finally, I had it in my sights. It was grazing peacefully on the nectar of some flowers. The wind was blowing up so it could not sense me coming as I drew back an arrow and in one, long movement, I had killed the creature.

Carefully I picked my way over to the dead deer, crouching down beside it and rested a hand on its neck. "I see you, my sister and I thank you. Your spirit goes with Eywa whilst your body remains behind, to become one with the People." I drew out the arrow then shifted, lifting the small deer up over my shoulder, bracing slightly as I refused Tsu'tey's help.

"Clean kill." He mused as I turned to face him. "You are ready for your final tests."