The Balance of Life
Part One - Discovery
Chapter 4 - Part 25- NewHome
"This tree looks very much like the one in the Well of Souls," Norm began. "Except its root structure is entirely different. This tree has several long straight roots that merge with the surrounding forest. They seem to braid together with the roots of the trees that rim the perimeter, almost as if they are a single unit. In contrast, the root system at the Well of Souls is a random, wandering collection of crisscrossed roots of varying sizes. Also, there is no bowl, or well surrounding this tree. Here the ground slopes gently upwards from edge of this cavernous opening to the central dais."
"I count six radial roots," Judy added as she came back from walking part of the way around the perimeter and back again. "They look to be equally spaced at sixty degree intervals. It's hard to tell for sure with only the bioluminescent light."
"That's my take too," Kyle added from his perspective to the left of the opening into the chamber.
"I've never seen tree roots intertwined this tightly, or intricately," Norm said as he moved over to where one of the main roots intersected with the trees that formed the wall of the chamber.
"Mother, is it my eyes, or are the tendrils slightly different in color?" Neytiri asked.
"They appear to be. It's difficult to tell from here."
"Can you hear anything?" Jake asked. "I could swear that I hear the sound of a heart beating. It's very faint, but it's there."
"Yes, I can hear it," Ralu answered after everyone had stopped talking and moving about.
"You're right. I hear it too," Neytiri added.
"Have you ever heard anything like this at the Well of Souls?" Jake asked Neytiri.
"No, never."
"I need to get a closer view," Mo'at said as she started up the gentle incline towards the dais.
After a quick questioning glance at Jake, Neytiri followed her mother towards the dais. "The rest of you wait here," Jake ordered before following after Neytiri and Mo'at.
"Are you alright?" Norm asked Ralu when he sensed that she was becoming uneasy.
"Yes. I'm trying to understand the sensations that I feel here. Mostly I feel contentment, happiness. I'm worried because that's all I feel. It's as if this place is perfect, and that worries me as I have never felt anything like this before."
"Sounds to me like your cup is half empty instead of half full," Norm replied as he smiled down at her.
"What does that mean?"
"That you're looking for what's wrong instead of what's right. And before you ask what's wrong with that, I'll say, nothing. Probably best to be on the safe side."
"I wish I could bond with this tree," Ralu added. "I could get a much better sense of what's here."
"Curiosity killed the cat," Norm responded, giving her nose a quick squeeze.
"What's a cat?"
"It's an animal on the Sky People's home world. Comes in lots of different sizes. By nature cats are curious creatures, which sometimes gets them into big trouble. 'Curiosity killed the cat' is an expression that means, be careful sticking your nose into places that you don't know anything about."
"Other expressions being," Kyle began. "'Don't let the cat out of the bag', 'The cat that swallowed the canary', 'Tough titty said the kitty, but the milk tastes good'—"
"That should be enough colorful metaphors for the rest of the day," Judy added, abruptly interrupting Kyle before he added more of the endless trivia that he seemed to possess.
When Mo'at climbed up onto the dais, faint, continuous waves of bioluminescent light pulsed down the roots and into the surrounding trees. When Jake and Neytiri joined her she saw that the tendrils were pulsating in rhythm with the roots. From this closer viewpoint she could see that the tendrils were six distinct colors. The colors were similar, but distinct.
"You were right, Neytiri," Jake said as he gazed about at the pulsating tendrils. "The colors are different. I wonder what that means."
"Six is a very significant number to the Na'vi," Mo'at began. "We have six moons in our sky. Six different seasons. Six phases of life."
"A lot of the animals on Pandora have six legs," Jake added. "You have six fingers. I also don't thinks it's coincidence that there are six trees suitable for living just a short distance from here."
"I agree," Mo'at replied. "The fact that there are six trees is significant."
"Yes, but how?" Neytiri asked.
"That remains to be seen my daughter."
When Mo'at reached for several of the tendrils and let them slide through her fingers, Jake held his breath waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, Mo'at bonded with one of the tendrils as she closed her eyes.
"There doesn't seem to be any danger," Neytiri whispered to Jake after a couple of minutes had passed without any noticeable effect on Mo'at.
"It would seem so," Jake replied as he let several of the tendrils slide smoothly through is fingers.
"If I were not standing in this place I would believe that I am bonded with our tree," Mo'at said when she opened her eyes. "The only difference is that this bond seems to be clearer, stronger."
"Should we attempt to bond?" Neytiri asked.
"Yes. I think that you should. Tell me if you feel anything different."
After a quick glance at Jake, Neytiri lifted her queue so that her neural fibers wound around the tendril she was holding with her other hand. Jake waited a couple of heartbeats and bonded as Neytiri had done.
For several seconds both felt the gentle backwash of feeling that was a normal part of bonding with Eywa. In perfect tandem, both gasped suddenly.
"Grace," Jake whispered.
"Yes, I feel her too," Neytiri added.
"I can hear her talking. It is something that she said to me one rainy afternoon in the remote control station. I can hear myself answering her. This is really weird."
"We are hearing her memories," Neytiri said as she looked at her mother for confirmation, which she received.
"She's gone," Jake added, obviously disappointed.
"Memories within Eywa are like that. Or at least our ability to hear them is," Neytiri remarked.
"I would like Ralu to bond with Eywa while we are bonded," Mo'at began. "I know that there are risks for someone her age. But she had bonded before so this will not be the first time. Also we should be able sense if she is absorbing too much. We can break her bond if necessary. The decision is up to both of you."
"It would be better if we have her bond with us," Neytiri said after a brief pause. "She will find a way to bond with or without us."
"Then let's do it now," Jake agreed. He didn't add how much he thought the two of them were alike in doing just what they pleased.
"I will fetch her," Mo'at added as she broke he bond.
"Ralu, I would like you to bond with Eywa if you feel up to it?" Mo'at asked when she reached where Ralu and Norm were standing.
"Yes, I would like that very much."
"With both of us bonded at the same time we may get a stronger sense of what you were feeling outside near the trees."
"I'm not sure if I will. In here, I don't sense any of the unsettling feelings that I picked up outside."
"Come, let us try."
"Are you sure you what to do this?" Neytiri asked when Ralu and Mo'at stepped up on the dais.
"Yes, mother. I want to do this."
Selecting a tendril after gliding her hands over several different colored tendrils Ralu bonded to Eywa with only a slight hesitation.
"I hear many voices," Ralu began. "Some seem familiar, but I cannot be sure who they were."
"What is it?" Neytiri asked in alarm when several tears spilled down Ralu's cheeks.
"I hear my parents. My mother is talking with my father. It is late at night. They think that I am sleeping. She is telling him that she is going to have another baby. She has suspected it for some time, now she is sure."
For a few seconds Neytiri was unable to speak or move a single muscle. The grief that ripped through her was almost unbearable. The agony and bitterness at the wanton, heartless destruction of Hometree rose like bitter bile in the back of her throat. In the blink of an eye her agony turned into raging hatred that threatened to explode into physical violence.
Neytiri's sudden burst of raw negative emotion was absorbed by Eywa. Amplified many-fold, her emotion burst through Jake's, Ralu's and Mo'at's bonds in a single, blinding pulse, knocking all three off their feet. When the flash momentarily blinded Neytiri she screamed and stumbled backwards, breaking her bond at the same time.
"Holy shit! What the hell was that?" Jake asked as he jumped to his feet, wincing from the sharp pain in his chest.
"I don't know," Neytiri answered as she reached down with unsteady hands to help Ralu stand as Jake did likewise for Mo'at.
"Are you guys okay?" Norm demanded as he arrived at the dais at a dead run.
"I'll let you know in a minute," Jake replied as he helped steady Mo'at.
"Ralu, look at me," Neytiri demanded as she knelt down to check her over.
"I'm not hurt," Ralu replied as she searched her mother's face. For the briefest instant she had felt Neytiri's uncontrollable rage and hatred over the loss of her birth mother and unborn child. Saying nothing, she threw her arms around Neytiri's neck and held tight.
"That was most unexpected," Mo'at said as she looked intently at her daughter, having sensed what Ralu had. "In all the times that I have bonded with Eywa, nothing like this has every happened before. Are you alright Jake?"
"Yes. Except for the tingling in my hands, I'm okay. Feels like someone punched me in the head, with a brick."
"The flash damn near blinded us, and we weren't even close," Norm added. "What ever caused it, the pulse shot down the main roots and into the trees along the perimeter. I could feel my skin tingle for a second or two afterward."
"I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I've had enough excitement for a while," Jake commented, looking around the dais at the tree, its tendrils gently pulsing.
"Yes, we should go now," Mo'at added; her voice not quite steady.
"We will need to talk about this," Neytiri told her mother after Ralu had deserted her for Norm.
"Yes, there is much to talk and think about."
I know the posts are short, but weekdays are very busy. My plan is to finish this book with a longer post that I will write and post over the weekend. As you can see, this particular Mother Tree isn't quite as benign as what the Omaticaya are used to. The number '6' is going to be very significant in book 2.
For those of you who have reviewed, Thanks. As always I enjoy hearing from you, so please review when you can.
Enjoy.