As Trudy flew towards the Hallelujah Mountains Jake asked her about the terrain. Norm was eagerly watching for the first sight of the Floating Mountains. "Can't see a thing out there sometimes," she warned as the fog had dark patches that she steered between. The dark patches revealed themselves to be the mountains. Jake and Norm's jaws dropped seeing the huge masses of earth just hanging in mid-air. "You should see your faces," Trudy said laughing.

Jake leaned forward for a better view and smiled, "Hey Grace, you want to see this?"

Grace was reviewing some recent reports on samples and said, "I've see it before."

Jake grinned and asked, "You've seen Neytiri flying on her Ikran?" He nearly laughed as Grace shoved him forward to watch as Neytiri banked closer to their ship.

"She's here? Why is she her?" Grace asked as Neytiri signed a greeting to them.

"I invited her," Jake replied. They all returned the greeting except for Trudy who waved.

"And she actually agreed," Grace said sounding shocked.

Jake rolled his eyes, "Thanks for the show of confidence."

Norm looked at him and snapped, "But you're not a scientist, you weren't trained to know anything about the Na'vi."

"Did you ever think that might be the reason why I'm making headway, because I haven't been told what to say or not?"

"Well done," Grace said like it hurt her. Jake chose not to rub it in.

Once they arrived at the outpost, they watched as Neytiri landed, nearby. Grace told Norm and Jake to kept Neytiri busy while she woke her avatar. Trudy followed Grace, while Norm and Jake waited. Jake watched the women closely and the moment they were inside Jake said, "Norm, the package."

Norm pulled out from under some other boxes a bundle wrapped in a robe and carried it to Neytiri. To them, the package was the size of a large sleeping bag. To Neytiri, it was the size of a big purse (if Na'vi carried purses). She quickly took it from Norm and tied it to her Ikran's saddle, shifting it a little to make it harder to see.

Norm backed away quickly as the Ikran was eyeing him. "Anything new, about those bullies?" he asked.

"No, our hunters have seen tracks, but always days old," she explained stepping away from the Ikran.

Jake thought it over and shook his head. "I understand the jungle is huge and dense and they probably know we are looking for them, but how could they just vanish?" Grace's avatar started to stir. "Is there any place the clan's hunter's don't go?"

"Not really, there is the places the sky people have claimed. The territory of other clans."

Norm shrugged, "Sky people territory wouldn't make sense, security should have spotted the hurrocks by now."

"So still at large, are they?" Grace said getting up.

Neytiri leaned over Jake and whispered, "At large?"

"Roaming freely and up to no good," he explained.

"Why doesn't she just say that?" Neytiri asked quietly.

Jake glanced at Grace who shrugged. "I don't like this," he said turning his chair toward the outpost. "Maybe we should contact the nearby clans and warn them." He saw Neytiri staring at him with a confused expression. "Anything?"

"Why do you remain seated?"

Jake nodded and was quiet a moment before answering, "I can't walk. I have no feeling in my legs."

"But your dreamwalker?"

Norm answered, "Jake wasn't born unable to walk, Neytiri. This was the result of a terrible injury" He looked at Jake and explained, "Your brother told me."

Jake nodded and wheeled into the outpost stating, "See you at Hometree."

Back at Hometree, Neytiri climbed down with Jake's bundle. Grace and Norm had kept her talking long passed the time Jack had left to wake his dreamwalker. She wondered about several things: if Norm knew about Jake's secret, about what Jake had been doing during her absence, and what this bundle held. As she descended, she noticed a noisy crowd off to one side of the tree. From her vantage point, she could see Jake and Tsu'tey seated in the center surrounded by the Selkie, the light-touched young, and several children. It was an odd sight, since Tsu'tey had his back to Jake, while Jake arranged a pile of small items that she couldn't make out.

Areillou sat beside Jake leaning against his shoulder. Jake didn't seem to notice what she was doing or that the other Selkie and the twins were glaring at her. As Neytiri got closer, she saw Tsu'tey looked pleased even with his usual frown. Jake pointed to items and Tsu'tey would say something. Jake looked focused but also pleased. "Would you all be quiet?" Jake begged. "I know this is very entertaining to most of you, but this is an important lesson for Tsu'tey to master."

Ariellou sniffed rudely, "At his age, this should be second nature to him." She seized her dagger and stabbed it into the dirt near Tsu'tey's tail, which whipped aside in time. The crowd gasped.

Tsu'tey didn't move, but snarled, "If that had been any closer…" he stopped leaving the threat open.

Jake groaned, "Ariellou, if Tsu'tey had been told as a child that he was a sensitive then yes this basic lesson would be no challenge for him. But he learned of this connection to the light yesterday. Give us a break, please."

Ariellou shrugged, reclaiming her dagger and dumped a new handful of objects on top of the ones Jake had. "Try these hunter."

"Where did you find all this?" Jake asked.

Tsu'tey started to turn, but Ariellou grabbed the back of his head. "Oh no you don't. You need to know without seeing. How do you expect to find the dark one, if you must look with your eyes? Her magic hides her from your eyes."

"I feared as much. All right let's start with…"

"Neytiri's back," Tsu'tey said without looking her way, startling her.

"Oh…" Jake looked, nodded to her, and picked up the objects. "Good, we'll continue this later. Getting the protections set is something that needs to get done ASAP."

"ASAP?" several repeated.

Jake smacked his forehead, "As soon as possible." Neytiri grinned, she preferred how Jake treated her and her clan, unlike Grace and the other Dream walkers. Instead of assuming they didn't know what was being said, he assumed they did, but always when a word or phrase was questioned he would explain it without making anyone feel stupid for not knowing. He quickly placed the objects into a pouch from his pack before Tsu'tey could turn around. "Valeana, could you see if Mo'at is nearby and wants the protection I promised her… completed tonight I mean?" Valeana trotted away.

Both Jake and Tsu'tey rose and stretched. Neytiri was relieved to see the two appear to have come to a truce, finally. "So, was it as bad as you feared?"

Tsu'tey frown deepened, "I was not afraid." Neytiri winced thinking her idea of a truce was too soon.

"You know what I mean," Jake said.

Tsu'tey grumbled, "My head hurts."

"That's normal the first few times. Just wait for the lessons that include sparring."

"Sparring?" Tsu'tey repeated not liking Jake's tone.

"Fight practice. Some sensitives practice blindfolded."

"You're joking. You're trying to make me look like a Skawg," he accused.

"Did you look like a skawg during this lesson? Have a little faith. Besides, while sparring you will get hit me."

Neytiri joined them and asked, "What were you doing?"

"Sensitive trails and basic lessons, to which he passed perfectly. No surprise."

"You sound disappointed," Tsu'tey observed.

Jake gave him a mock-glare, "You forget, I failed these same trails. Now you, first try, breeze through them like dust under your feet. You could have had a little trouble with them and made me feel a tiny bit better." Tsu'tey looked smug as Jake turned away. He didn't see Jake giving Neytiri a wink as he asked for the bundle.

"We should continue the hunt for the dark ones while there is still light for our sight to hunt by," Shin'fox said.

"Very well, lay down your protections water's son. She may walk soon," Jay-jou told Jake and left with the Selkie and a few other hunters.

"Walk?" Releana repeated.

Jake thought about how to explain while unwrapping the bundle. "It is a way to conjure, spell cast, a method of wielding the light. Like this," he explained walking in a circle, speaking in a language no Na'vi had ever heard before. After going around three times, Jake stopped looking confused.

The light-touched heard Sebastian speak up, :Jake, what's happening? The light…"

Jake looked at the center of the circle he walked. With a flash of intense energy that only the light-touched saw, he was thrown off his feet. His shout was joined by other Na'vi screaming. He crashed head first into the side of Hometree. Everything went black.

At the outpost, Trudy rushed over to the link room hearing a strange series of banging. "What was that?"

Grace was standing over one of the pods messing with the controls. Someone in the pod was groaning. "Jake!" she shouted shutting the system down. "Jake, answer me!" she ordered before lifting the lid. "What happened?"

Jake laid there grimacing in pain. He blinked and winced away from the sunlight before finally groaning, "What happened?"

"I just asked that!" Grace screamed.

Jake winced again, her voice hurt. In fact, everything hurt. He tried to sit up but everything spun, even with his eyes closed. He felt a little ill. He laid back in the pod and rubbed his face, taking slow deep breaths. "If we both don't know, then we have a bit of a problem."

"What possessed you to sit up in the pod while the avatar system was functioning?" Grace demanded.

"I did?" he asked trying to remember what happened. "Felt like a land mine went off near me. Some one was screaming."

"What!?" Both women shouted.

Jake groaned, "Stop that, please." He paused as his brain caught up and he realized who he was talking to and about. He quickly back-pedaled, "Neytiri and I were talking, language stuff. Then something threw me off my feet and I must have hit my head."

"That doesn't sound good," Trudy pointed out.

Jake nodded, "I know, I should go back in."

"Jake, you can't even sit up here," Grace snapped.

"Exactly, what if Neytiri or any other nearby Na'vi got caught by whatever hit me? What if they are hurt?"

"All right," Grace said after some thought. "But if somebody is hurt, you come back immediately and let us know. We'll fly out to help."

"Got it," Jake settled back in the pod and waited for the system to allow him back to his Avatar.

Waking up at Hometree, felt just as bad as it did at the outpost. He heard someone screaming his name. Then he realized there wasn't an echo, a few some ones were screaming his name.

Jake groaned, "I'm alive." He opened his eyes. "So, what happened? And did anyone else get hit?"

"No, just you," Neytiri said. Jake thought she was on his left.

He suddenly found himself sitting up being hugged quite tightly by several people. He shut his eyes as everything spun. "Easy, easy," he pleaded. "So what happened?"

Sebastian asked :Jake, what do you think happened? His tone was just enough of a hint that this was probably his own stupid fault.

Jake squeezed his eyes tight and guessed, "Eywa's Light didn't like that spell."

The spirit replied :Not quite, Jake. Try again.

Jake rolled his eyes and realized, "The German."

:Bingo, Einstein.

"German? Bingo?" Releana repeated.

Jake rubbed his head gently before answering, "Bingo, to be correct or on target." He looked in his pack hoping for something for his head. "German is a Sky People language, but since I was given your language I have no excuse not to use it. Ow."

:Exactly.

"Be quiet," he grumbled.

"Is this what you meant about different lessons not working from the Sky People's world?" Neytiri asked.

"Pretty much," Jake said, his head was beginning to clear.

"And Einstein?" someone asked.

"He was considered one of the smartest Sky People to ever live. When someone calls another Einstein when they get something so blatantly wrong, it's an insult. Now what am I going to tell Grace?"

"Grace? Why does she need to be told anything?" Releana asked.

"I woke up there rather noisily. She thinks something terrible happened somewhere in the jungle to Neytiri and I. So, I have to tell her something when I go back."

Sebastian spoke up :Tell her an Ikran knocked you off a low branch. Blame Tsu'tey, if you have to. I doubt he'll mind.

Jake shrugged, "You're probably right. She would believe it to."

"Will you be able to lay your protection this night?" Mo'at asked.

Jake nodded and stood, "Let me walk around a bit and clear my head." Releana and Valeana stuck close to him as Viton watched over the bundle. Neytiri couldn't tell if Jake was annoyed or amused by the twin's care.

The surrounding Na'vi waited patiently as Jake moved about Hometree, eager to see more magick. He settled a while placing a hand against its living wood. After a moment, he looked at the area around his hand with surprise. "Valeana, can you feel, what I feel?"

Val, eager to try, placed her hand beside Jake. She wondered at what Jake had found. The other light-touched were a little annoyed that Jake had only asked Valeana, until her face lit up with wonder. She asked, "Who is singing?"

Jake smiled, "Knew I wasn't imagining it. I would guess the spirits." He held out his hand to Neytiri. "Water spirits, certainly, but earth too, I think."

As Neytiri took Jake's hand, they heard Valeana exclaim, "Oh, oh Jake Sully." Above her hand they watched a tiny creature unfold itself from the bark. It walked up her arm and patted her nose.

"A tree spirit," he said. "Come to check on your progress, I believe?" The spirit nodded and went back down her arm and into the tree.

"Why didn't she stay?"

"She will, when you are ready," Jack promised, placing Neytiri's then Releana's hands near his. "Feel the light, here," he said, tapping his heart.

It took a moment, but there was a soft hum that grew with the sound of rain. "It's the spirits song to life," Mo'at said. "I hear it, every now and then."

Jake smiled, "Well, this is my first time. I wish my family could feel this." Jake pulled away and turned to her. "I'm ready, to set your protections."

"Very well, what will you need?"

"Some place with plenty of light and quiet," Jake said picking up his bundle.

A short time later, Jake was sitting by the water's edge. The bundle held a small metal box and a larger box. He set the larger one aside for the moment. He opened the small box before explaining, "Now, what I am going to do is place a circle of protection around your neck. Like mine?" Jake tapped his neck and symbols between two lines across his throat glowed.

"How did you do that?" she asked touching the glowing marks before they faded.

"I used a technique called tattooing and this little machine is going to help me." Then he muttered to himself, "And Tom thought it was too great a risk before leaving Earth."

"What is tattooing?" she asked stumbling over the word.

"Tattoos are a form of body art. The method is to insert inks, dyes, or oils from plants under the top layer of skin creating a long lasting image," Jake explained. "It does hurt a bit, but unlike a necklace or medallion, a tattoo made with liquid I have cast upon cannot be stolen or damaged easily."

"How many of these protections have you laid?" she asked looking at the equipment.

Jake answered absently reviewing his tools, "All my sisters and brother, at least 50 winged warriors, 17 of my clan's children including a couple of nephews of mine. Cute little men. I also trained my replacement before I left to come here."

"All right," Mo'at said removing her necklace.

"Just relax. Sit straight, perfect. Neytiri could you keep your mother's hair up and out of the way." They gathered Mo'at's hair and piled it on her head, while Jake called to the water. A couple handfuls of water lifted out of the river. It settled around Mo'at's neck in a similar pattern to his own. Jake checked carefully to ensure every line of every symbol was perfectly formed. He summoned an undine that jumped out of the water. "Check my work, please." The undine flowed to Mo'at's neck and seemed to almost swim in mid-air around her. The undine nodded to Jake. "So, is it going to rain tomorrow?" The undine shook her head. "Tonight?" She nodded. Jake noticed the ladies looking at them. "Undines don't air-swim unless the air is very humid, moist, which often means rain." He turn to a wooden bowl he and Neytiri had prepared earlier with her witch training, the bowl held crush vegetable oils and herbs with enough liquids for Jake to purify and enchant. He dipped the tip of his needle into liquids. His hands were steady as he set the machine against her neck. He was careful and precise. By Mo'at's face, the sting of the needle only really hurt at a long line. Dip, tattoo, wipe softly – again and again as he moved around her. He whispered in proper Na'vi a spell to protection. While he worked other Na'vi came closer to watch.

As Jake closed the final circle and closed the spell, the symbols glowed a moment longer and then faded away. "What happened, where did the lines go?" Neytiri asked.

"They are still there. With your fingertips, lightly, touch where symbols were." Both mother and daughter tested the area. "Still there, just hard to see, increasing the unlikely chance it will be counter."

Mo'at stood pulling her necklace back into place, as Jake cleaned his tools, and began walking toward the tree line. There the clan saw her sigh with relief. She came back straight to her mate and whispered, "I need to connect with Eywa. What hunters can be spared from dark hunt?"

"Your skin will be a tad tender there for a short time," Jake explained to her. "All right, Valeana," he said crooking a finger at her, "you're next." He stood up.

"Look out," Neytiri screaming.

Jake was knocked off his feet again. He found himself flat on his back being loomed over by red Ikran he had never seen before. "This is just not my day," he whispered.

The Ikran hissed and clicked studying him.

"Jake, be still," Neytiri whispered.

"What do I do?" he asked just as quietly. The rest of the clan stayed very still.

"Her Light," Viton whispered, "Jake, she's all fire inside."

Jake blinked and saw the Ikran's body engulfed in the fire element. Jake gulped, his opposite, and he had no escape. "Oh boy."

The Ikran turned her head a little but keeping a firm eye on him, and a tentacle whipped out snatching his braid tip.

Jake screamed as it felt like liquid fire pouring into his brain. He had been through many painful trails on his way to becoming an Elemental Master before but this… Then the pain became manageable. :Oh, do stop that. He heard a very female, very authoritative voice say. He opened his eyes feeling uncomfortably warm. The Ikran still stood over him, watched him impatiently.

Jake chose his words carefully, "I'm sorry, this is a new experience for me. Very new."

:Well, I should think so, water's son.

"Jake?" Neytiri whispered.

"I don't know what's going on?"

:I am trying to explain, the fiery Ikran snapped.

"She is my sister's Ikran," Neytiri said.

:More correct is her sister was my fire daughter.

Jake looked at Neytiri and said, "Your sister was a Fire Master." Neytiri and her parents stared back shocked at the news.

:Not quite, she would have been the first in a star cycle.

"And you are?" he asked.

:From what the water spirits have told Eywa, I believe, I am what you would call a fire bird.

"All right, so what are you doing talking to me?"

:You are wasting time. She is suffering and I refuse to be any more patience with you about this.

"Who is suffering?"

The Ikran lowered her head toward him, :Who do you think?

"Neytiri's sister."

:Good boy.

"So, where is she? Why is she suffering?"

"Jake, my sister Sylwanin?" she asked taking a step closer.

:The Dark ones, of course, and I don't know why she is suffering instead of returning to Eywa, just she is.

"All right… so where are dark ones?"

The Ikran snarled :Are you honestly so dense?

Jake winced as the heat increased for a moment. Jake knew he was in no position to insult this fire Ikran. "My lady, we all have been searching for them without success for some time. Please, if you know, tell us…" He paused a moment and then carefully asked, "Could you… let me up, please?"

The Ikran looked him over and seemed to only then realize Jake couldn't get out from under her. She moved aside, careful not to break the connection or step on him.

Jake got up and sighed, "You're not going to let me go until I agreed to help rescue Sylwanin."

:No, we rescue Sylwanin now.

Neytiri interrupted her, "But Jake is not a hunter yet. He has no Ikran."

The Ikran glared at Jake as though she was wondering if this was on purpose, which wasn't true. :Very well water's son may ride me, but just this once.

Jake blinked, he had never heard of a spirit of one element bearing a mortal of its opposite before. She must be desperate to agree to this and definitely angry. Neytiri broke Jake's startled state and demanded, "Let me get my Ikran. I want to help." She ran as quickly as she could. Other hunters followed her.

Jake nodded, "All right, let me pick up my tools." Indicating the tattoo machine. The Ikran nodded reluctantly. Jake saw Neytiri's parents staring at the Ikran. "Mo'at, you should go to Eywa, your daughter may need you with her."

Mo'at nodded, "Of course. I'll leave at once." She turned to her mate, who looked as though he thought to join her. "No, stay and protect our home. The Dark ones may take advantage if they think there are not enough hunters to protect Hometree."

Jake handed the metal cases to Valeana and Releana. "When I get back we'll set the rest of the protections. Listen to Sebastian while I gone."

:The hunters are coming, get on water's son, the Ikran ordered.

Jake turned to the river and the undine. "Could you find Tsu'tey and the Selkie? Tell them what's happening, please." The undine nodded and drove. Jake looked over the Ikran and mentioned, "You realized I am first time flyer?"

The Ikran blew out her breath and spoke as though to a small child, :You are not flying, I am.

"That actually makes me feel better. Thank you," He pulled himself on to her back as he had seen Neytiri do, he hoped. "If I am doing anything wrong."

:I'll let you know. And it's more of a crouched position… much better. Now hold on tight, she warned before launching herself into the air.