I stood in the large gaping path that stretched wider than the river. Kakeo was approaching me with a sly smile, one that me shudder at the intention behind him. Before he could reach down and kiss me I pushed on his chest and stopped him. "We must talk."
"After." He groaned and went for me again but I twirled, stepping behind him and out the way.
"You will listen to me Kakeo or so help me I will tie you up so that you will have to." Shooting me a look he folded his arms across his chest then nodded. "You are manipulative, possessive, obsessive and I do not want this relationship to continue. I do not wish to be your mate, you are wrong for me in every way."
"What?" He snarled, his eyes narrowing as he grew angry. "Who put these thoughts into your head, love? Was it that moron Tsu'tey?" He suddenly spat on the floor and cursed my teacher, causing my temper to flare brightly.
"Do not insult Tsu'tey! He is nothing to do with this. This is over, Kakeo, I mean it. All you want is my body, you do not care about me."
"I want you, Anahera, because you are the best of all the women in the clan and I am the best warrior. You and I will have strong sons and many of them." He lunged forwards and grabbed me, attempting to toss me forcibly into the ground but I sank onto my back and threw up a foot, throwing him over my head with a snarl as I sprung back to my feet.
"No, love, forgive me, I'm sorry. I do not know how to control my temper." Sighing I stood as he got to his feet. "My love, you and I were made for each other, just think of all the things we have done together, does that all mean nothing to you? My heart will shatter if you leave me now. There is nothing I care or love about more than you." Slowly he approached me and I felt a flicker of doubt in my mind. "You and I were made for one another. Like the stars and moon. Others are not so lucky, people like Tsu'tey are the suns, meant to remain alone."
"Kakeo…" I whispered softly as he gently stroked my back as his tail curled around mine.
"Mate with me tonight, after your last test. Eywa help me I'll hold you in my arms all the way through, I promise." He touched his lips to mine and for once, I found it rather pleasant. "Be mine forever, my love."
Before I could accept, a tremor ran through my legs and I pulled away. "Run!" I yelled and grabbed his hand. Sternbeest hurtled around the corner as we raced for the bank, slopping through the mud as they bore down on us.
My tiny feet slipped and I hit the ground hard, the breath crushed from my lungs. "Kakeo!" I called and looked up to him as I tried to untangle my foot from a root. "Help me!" He paused, looking at me with wide eyes then to the sternbeest herd. Fear gripped him as they trumpeted and hammered down towards us. He turned and fled.
Anger ripped through me like a knife as the coward turned his back on me. I heard ikran swooping low but they could not reach me from the low ground before the sternbesst would knock them from the air. I tore my foot free then stood, turning with wide eyes.
I would not make it to the bank, there was no hope in that so I steeled my mind, body and heart before racing at the sternbeest. I saw Jaxxeris swooping close by and Tsu'tey called out to me as I leaped up into the air at the lead bull, his hammerhead face lowered.
My feet scrambled lightly up his head and armoured back and I leaped, yelling as I propelled myself onto the back of the next beest. Running out of air and feeling my ankle throb I leaped off the back of the last sternbesst, the herd being thankfully smaller than normal sized herds.
As I flew I braced for impact, my arms flailing around as I closed my eyes. Claws encircled my upper arms and I yelled in shock as wings swooped down beside me and carried me upwards, my tail curling tightly into me as I gasped for air then saw the dark purple markings of Jazzeris. "Tsu'tey." I whispered with relief.
He put me down then flew off, circling back to then land and stride towards me, rage in his eyes but the rage was not directed at me. "Where is he? I will slice him to pieces! I saw him leave you!"
"Anahera!" Kakeo cried as he ran forwards and Tsu'tey snarled darkly, narrowing his eyes further but I stood in front of him, pressing my hands against his chest and pushed against him.
"No Tsu'tey, please do not." I whispered to him. "I will deal with him."
"He left you!" He snapped, baring his fang at Kakeo who snarled back.
"Let go off my betrothed." Anger and blind rage burst from me so I swooped down at him, leaping into the air and gave him a round house kick to the face. He spun to the ground, slamming in the mud hard as I lowered down and hissed, snapping my fangs at him.
"You come anywhere near me again, coward, I shall rip you limb from limb then feed you to the nearest palulukan. Understand?" He hissed at me but nodded. Tsu'tey went to finish him off but I gripped his arm and tugged him back. "No teacher. He is not worth your attention." Soothing him gently he shot Kakeo a look of death then stormed back to Jaxxeris.
The other hunters all gathered around, glaring at Kakeo as he picked himself up and flicked mud from his body. "Anahera! Come!" Tsu'tey yelled and I jumped slightly at the command before obeying. Leaving the hunters to deal with Kakeo and the beest they had downed, Tsu'tey held out his hand so I gripped his arm and crouched behind him on Jaxxeris.
I wrapped my arms around his waist as he suddenly flew up into the air. With a small yelp I leaned into him, resting my head on his back as he swerved away from the scene and carried me to a large tree where he landed, allowed me to dismount then followed.
Dropping down I began to slowly roll my ankle, wincing as it stung but my quick healing made it seem less and less painful by the minute. "Come, there is water down below." Tsu'tey said in a quiet and deadly calm voice.
We descended the tree and I slipped my foot into the cold water, instantly moaning as the soothing sensation wrapped around my ankle and I lay down, gasping lightly as I closed my eyes. I felt Tsu'tey sit down beside me, tense and agitated so I sighed and rolled onto my side, looking up at him.
"I was telling him I wanted nothing more to do with him. You were right all along Tsu'tey. Can you forgive my young ignorance and failure to see what was right before my eyes?" He did not answer for a moment, simply glared at a fixed point. After a while he nodded then reached out to me, brushing his fingers against my upper arm like he had done in the ikran mountain nests. It meant I was forgiven.
"Next time, perhaps you will listen." I chuckled, laying back down again.
"I never listen. Surely you know me well enough by now to know that?" He shot me a slightly amused look then returned to looking into the distance. "Tsu'tey, the ritual tonight…it's going to hurt, isn't it?" With a soft sigh he shifted to face me.
"Yes." He informed me. "More than anything you will ever feel again." Sitting up I looked into the water, glancing between his reflection and my own, noticing the differences between our physical beings.
"Nothing can hurt more than watching your family die before your eyes." I whispered as I shuddered, trying to fight back the tears. "No pain could compare to that." A tender hand almost shyly touched my back, smoothing out until it was flat against my skin. Looking to Tsu'tey he gave me a slight nod.
"You are right." He explained to me then what needed to be done and what was to happen. I was a little nervous but not afraid. After all, I lived for danger and pain did not bother me. There was still the chance that I might die though, I was not ignorant of the fact.
"Tsu'tey, if by any chance I do not make it…will you burn my body? I do not wish to be buried." He watched me carefully for a moment before nodding. "When someone died in our clan we would wash them in fire flower nectar then mount them on a great pyre to light at the moment of sunset, when the light is brightest on the cusp of darkness." Drawing in a deep breath I continued. "Only the best musicians would play the song of farewell. It starts slowly, without singing, with meaning and grief until slowly, hour by hour, it begins to brighten and quicken and we would all dance and sing around the pyre. We would mourn but then also celebrate our brother or sister's life. They would not have wanted us to be unhappy."
"I will make it so, Anahera, do not worry." I liked it when he said my name, he made it sound soft and inviting. I offered him a small nod of gratitude before continuing on.
"At the point of dawn we would then all sit in three rings around the pyre, all holding hands, then watch as the last of the flames died down and the wind would carry the body's ashes to Eywa. When dawn comes, the best singer of the person who had died would sing the final goodbye." Pausing I sucked in a deep breath. "I only sang it once, for my brother."
"You had a brother?"
"He was such a sweet little thing, so full of innocence and joy. We were playing with the children one morning like we always did and he had followed, not understanding why he was not allowed to come with us. He was too young. Barely able to walk." Clenching my fist I grit my jaw and pressed forwards. "He did not know the woods like we did, did not know the paths and steps to take. He walked out onto a fallen tree and became afraid so I ran to him, little Ansteron, then drew him into my arms."
The memory played before my eyes and I gasped softly as I saw myself running across the unstable branch to scoop my little brother into my arms, turning to retreat back to safety however the branch was weak and beginning to give. I had tried to throw Ansteron to the others as he would have easily made the distance but he would not let go of me, no matter how much I begged him to.
We both fell into the ravine below and Ansteron was torn from my weak arms and we were both dragged under. Somehow I had managed to find him again and gripped him close, treading the powerful water to keep our heads above to breathe.
Adult hunters came running to save us, our mother screaming our names as we shivered. We both became ill with nightmare fever and little Ansteron was just too weak to fight. He had never been particularly strong, even as a baby.
Choking slightly I pressed my eyes shut as my ears twitched in sadness. "I should have protected him better, stayed with him to keep him company instead of being selfish and running off without him."
"You were a child. Things like this do not occur to young children, they are too free with the youth of life they know very little of danger and what might happen. You saved him from drowning, did you not?" I nodded but it was not enough.
"It seems anyone close to me gets hurt." I muttered but Tsu'tey shifted closer and pointed to my reflection as a few tears disturbed the surface and made my image ripple out of focus.
"A reflection cannot hurt anyone." He told me, reaching into the water where my face was as if to touch it. With a sigh he continued. "But it cannot touch anyone either. Do not become a simple reflection of your past, be who you are now."
My eyes bore into his golden ones as he slowly scooped some water into his hand and drank it slowly. He made every move seem to elegant, Kakeo had simply grabbed the water and lapped it up hungrily but Tsu'tey seemed to treat it with some sort of respect. A pang in my chest jerked my senses as I hurried to look away from him, my heartbeat quickening its pace.
"Fly with me?" I asked quietly and he nodded simply. I sang out my three notes, calling for Palu who soon swooped down from the sky and landed before me. Leaping into her saddle I wriggled my feet, getting comfy before guiding her up into the sky.
We soared freely over the clouds, weaving in and out of trees then skimmed over the river, following its snaking path before shooting out over the waterfall and diving down. I crouched low in my saddle, allowing my mind to simply be free of any cares or worries.
At the last moment we pulled up and spiralled upwards, pulling away from one another to then cross back down. I gave a hoot of joy which Tsu'tey answered. When we returned to Hometree, I was not even the slightest bit afraid.