Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Avatar

A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. I've been busy over the last couple of weeks and have found very little time to write. I'm past that period, and hope to be able to write more and update more often. Thank you for reading and for following/favouriting! I hope you like this new chapter.

Harry was pulled from his sleep by the sound of screams and screeches from an ikran. At first, he did not recognise where he was, laying on the floor of some kind of primitive house or cabin. Then he knew and remembered how he had fallen asleep after speaking with Neytiri and the other three people. He scrambled to his feet, a little unsteadily, and made his way to the exit to find out where the commotion came from. Peering out of the doorway, his breath caught at the sight in front of him. Theron was standing just outside, with his back to him and facing several grim looking Na'vi with spears and bows. They were all eying the angry ikran nervously. Harry could see some men and women leading the children and elderly out of sight, to keep them safe no doubt. Harry recognised Neytiri as one of the women leading them away. She caught sight of him, and he could see fear in her face.

"'arry! Be careful, get inside again!" she cried out, waiving at him to get back inside and away from the ikran. Harry realized that they did not know that this was his ikran. He supposed they thought the ikran was here to have himself some Na'vi-flesh. And based on the fear and uncertainty he could see on the faces moving out of sight, this was not normal.

Harry took a tentative step forward, placing a comforting hand on Theron's back. The ikran did not look away from the threat in front of him, but Harry could hear a soft rumble coming from its throat. The skin was warm to the touch, just as he had remembered. It seemed like ages since they had seen each other, even if it was just under two days. He could hear the warriors shouting at him, probably warning him to stay away and get to safety. But Harry ignored them, this was his ikran, his Theron.

"Come, boy. Let's go home," he whispered to Theron, moving forward and taking one of the queues and connecting them. He jumped swiftly on Theron's back, and before the Na'vi could do much more than stare, they took off. However, one of the more experienced one was ready, and managed to throw his spear. He did not hit his target. Harry saw it coming, and made Theron swivel so that it would not hit his ikran. As it flew past, it nicked Harry in the shoulder, leaving a rather deep gash. He cried out in pain, as they flew away from the stunned crowd.

During the flight back to the cave he had begun to call home, Harry felt his body ache. His head ached after the concussion and his shoulder seemed to be on fire. The cooling wind brushed his face as he leaned forward on Theron and closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain. As they flew, Harry felt more than saw how the would on his arm stopped bleeding. However, it did not stop throbbing with burning pain. Harry grunted with discomfort as they landed, even if he could sense how Theron did all he could to ease his pain by flying and landing as carefully as he could. Harry started to climb down, but stopped when he 'heard' the ikran's plan of carrying him all the way into the cave. The powerful ikran sent him a picture of himself curling around Harry and keeping him warm. Harry could sense the concern and care flowing through the link from the beautiful creature underneath him. Harry was not used to people caring from him, not since Mrs. Weasley.

He was jerked out of his thoughts by a small movement in the ikran that sent pain shooting through his shoulder and head. He bit back a groan and closed his eyes. As the ikran slowly and carefully made its way into the cave with Harry on its back, Harry felt himself go dizzy and the edges of his vision blur. His thoughts were sluggish and slow to form and all he wanted to do, was curl up beside Theron and sleep. As he rolled of Theron, he felt the edges of his vision constrict even more, the black edges taking over more of his sight. He closed his eyes, letting the dizziness and sleepiness lull him into sleep, as Theron curled up around him and placing his wing protectively over Harry. His last conscious thought was; 'Why am I so sleepy? I've already slept for at least twelve hours, and yet I am overcome with weariness. Oh, well. I'll think more about that later, for now I am too tired.'

Back at the village there were total chaos. People were running around, looking for friends and family that had been separated from them, they had to know for sure that the stray ikran had not hurt them in any way. Only a small group of Na'vi had seen the young man jump onto the ikran and flying away, and even they felt the need to check that Theron (as his name was, even if they did not know it) had not injured or killed anybody or damaged anything important. Soon after the spear had been thrown, Jake and Neytiri met up just where the spear had landed. Jake bent down and picked it up, examining the tip by running a finger carefully along the edge, careful not to cut himself.

"Blood," he said, looking at his mate. Neytiri looked back at him, concern in her eyes.

"Did it hit 'arry or his ikran?" she wondered, trying to think back. She had not seen the throw from the warrior, but Jake had. He shook his head, brow furrowed.

"I am not sure, Neytiri. It would have hit the ikran without any doubt if they had not swerved, however, I suspect that Harry was the one hit as he was the one crying out in pain." He looked into the eyes of Neytiri, both of them with concern in their eyes. At the same time, they looked down on the spear on Jake's hands, knowing what exactly had happened.

"Is it …?" Neytiri started, even if she knew the answer to her unfinished question. Jake nodded, a worried expression coming over his handsome features.

"It is poisoned" he whispered. Neytiri felt her heart plummet. If Harry was really hit with the spear, even just a scratch, then the poison would be in his system, and he would die within the next 12 hours.

"We have to follow him, Jake!" she suddenly cried out, grabbing his arm and dragging them off to the edge of the village. Jake, caught by surprise, was unable to stop her from dragging him all the way over to the ikrans he looked at Neytiri, hardly noticing himself making the Bond and getting up on his own ikran. He was still trying to understand what was happening when Neytiri got on her own ikran. She looked scared, and her ikran reacted to those emotions by shaking its head and flapping its wings as she made the Bond as well.

As for Neytiri, she could not tell exactly why she felt fear trickle trough her in waves. It was like someone else taking over her body and urging her to follow the young Na'vi, to make sure that he was okay. She was acting like a mother, scared for her child. But she did not know this Harry, nor had she any reason for acting as if she was his mother. But even so, she still had those feelings. She felt the air rush by her face as they rose into the air and turned in the direction where Harry had flown. She just hoped that they could do something, and that the poison didn't make him pass out and cause him to fall from the back of the powerful ikran he was riding on.

As they flew, she realized that it wasn't her feelings she was feeling. She had always been in tune with Eywa and the world around her, and it was Eywa's feelings towards the man she was feeling. As they closed on the mountains she had heard Jake call the 'Hallelujah-mountains' she realized that Eywa cared for this strange person like her own child. She also caught a snippet of information in the connection with Eywa, their Goddess. Harry was special. In what way or how special, she could not make out, but she knew there was something with the Na'vi that was different from the rest of them. Guided by the will of Eywa, they reached the cave where Harry and his ikran lived faster than you would thought possible.

As they landed, they felt something. A presence they had not before felt. Even Jake felt it. It was not frightening or imposing in any way, it was soft and caring, if timid and scared. As a kitten or a puppy afraid of people because it had once felt an unkind hand, but still longing for comfort Jake thought. They made their way carefully to the entrance, in case the ikran would come and possibly attack them. As they looked inside, they felt their jaws drop slightly by a very unexpected sight. The young Na'vi lay on a pile of soft leaves and grass, with the ikran. The ikran had placed itself in such a way that that it shielded the man from the entrance and kept it warm with its own body. It was as if it considered the Na'vi as one of its young. Looking at each other, both Jake and Neytiri had to smile. It was simply too cute not to, even in the serious situation they were in, they had to recognise that they would not be able to help the Na'vi, as the ikran would die before letting anybody closer to Harry. Sitting down, a few meters away from the entrance, they contemplated what to do now.

"I think we will just have to wait, Neytiri. The ikran are very protective of their children and it is clear that this ikran consider Harry as one of his own. It would be suicide to try and get closer to the boy. We will just have to wait and see what happens, though I am afraid of what will happen as he was struck by the poisoned spear." Jake said, his eyes downcast and sadness in his voice. The presence was still there, as if an invisible person was watching him from afar.

OK, I'll leave things here. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I once again apologise for the delay in updating. Please leave a review!