Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate the feedback. And sorry but Ja'ki is not gay :(
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.
I managed to only slip twice before I finished bathing. The hot springs, just like everything else in Pandora, was beautiful and bio-luminescent. Not to mention it was nice and warm. I slipped out of the bubbling hot spring and changed as quickly as possible out of my wet clothes and into the leggings and loincloth that went with a chest peice Fara had given me.
What was I supposed to do with my old clothes, I thought as I glanced around. I spotted a basket to the side with some other articles of clothing and tossed mine inside.
After that, I headed out in search of Fara. Where did she say she would be? Something about hunting...I realized I had no clue where to find Fara. What if I didn't find her? Oh sorry Fara I was really looking forward to the riding lessons with Ja'ki but I searched everywhere for you and couldn't find you. Now I would have an excuse for not attending the riding lessons. A smirk formed on my face as I left the tunnel for a mediocre search for Fara. After a few minutes of wondering around in the tunnels that all looked the same I was just about to call it quits when I stumbled into Gar'han.
"Gar'han!" I exclaimed. I'm not sure why I was so glad to see him; he certainly seemed indifferent about seeing me. He was walking in the direction I'd come from and since he probably knew where he was going I decided to follow him "You'll never believe who the Tsahik is making me take direhorse lessons with!"
"Ja'ki" he stated matter-of-factly. He was no fun.
"Oh Well yeah." I muttered. "But I'm not going."
"Why?" He didn't sound too interested.
I smiled to myself. "I can't find Fara. I've looked everywhere for her." Honestly it did feel like I'd looked everywhere, even though I'd only spent about three minutes looking for her.
"Why are you smiling?"
"I'm not smiling." I said straightening my face. "Where are you headed?" I asked curiously.
"I'm going to join the hunting party," he answered. I then noticed the bow and quiver slung around his shoulders. Wait, the hunting party?
I stopped walking and he slowed, too. "What is it?" he asked glancing around curiously.
"Um, nothing, I've got something I need to go do," I lied. If I followed him to the hunting party then I would see Fara. Then she would take me to Ja'ki the scary bohemeth. No thanks.
"What do you have to do?" he asked as if I'd said the most ridiculous thing. But it was a good question.
"Um...
He shook his head, like I was a silly child. "Follow me, and I'll take you to Fara," he said, then turned his back and continued walking. I pouted and followed.
He lead me through a few more tunnels and then through a large opening that gave way to sunlight. When we emerged I took in my surroundings. We were at the base of the mountain, so I guessed that there were multiple exits, not only the large one Gar'han and I had came through yesterday. Why couldn't they just live in a Hometree like a normal clan?
"Jessy!" Fara called from a group of Na'vi preparing for the hunt. She jogged gracefully to my side as Gar'han left me to join the hunting party.
"It sure took you long enough." Not long enough if you asked me. "Let's get you to Ja'ki," she said as she slung her bow over her back. Peeling her lips back, revealing her sharp canines, she let out a high pitch call. Within moments the sounds of hooves approached steadily and a direhorse emerged from the woods and headed straight to Fara. All in one motion, Fara hopped with the agility of a panther, onto the great beast's back and held out a hand for me. I joined her on the back of the horse and soon we were trotting off on the hexapodal animal. Fara directed the direhorse towards the jungle and the horse complied, leaping easily past trees and over Pandora's rugged terrain. We reached a clearing where about a dozen Na'vi were gathered. They were all practicing using different projectile weapons. One of them I easily recognized as Ja'ki.
When we approached the group, Fara glided off the direhorse and I scrambled off and stayed behind her.
"Fara! Ngaru lu fpom srak?" Ja'ki grinned, revealing his vicious looking canines and pulled Fara in for a hug. Funny how his teeth looked so much more dangerous than Fara's. I gulped. Now that I was close to him I could notice his features. His face was harsh looking, as if it was made of hard cut lines but it didn't make him unattractive and I was pretty sure that his eyes were at least a few shades darker than the average Na'vi. Through his nose was a piercing that made him resemble a bull ready to charge. In one hand he held a large weapon that looked like a sword that had been curled. I dark liquid dripped ominously from its tip. Oh my god, was that blood?
"Fine Ja'ki, I've brought our little princess," Fara said pulling me from my hiding spot behind her. Why did she have to call me a princess? I really needed to talk to her about that. His dark eyes shifted to me.
"Um, hi." I said uncomfortably. I needed to stop saying um and uh so much. Those weren't words that the Na'vi used.
"Hmm... he studied me thoughtfully eyeing me up and down making my cheeks heat up. "You re a bit scrawnier then I thought," He said lifting one of my noodle arms and pinching it lightly, " But we will put some muscle on you."
I blushed in embarrassment. Did he really just call me scrawny? Helen made me exercise every day. I may not have muscles the size of watermelons like he did, but I was definitely fit.
"I'm not scrawny, I just don't have a meat head like you," I said snatching my arm away.
He threw his head back and barked out a laugh. Suddenly, even though he was laughing at me, he seemed less intimidating. Fara giggled also.
"Sorry Ja'ki, but I have a hunting party waiting for me." She leaped easily back onto the direhorse. "Good luck on your lessons, Jessy." And with that she trotted on her direhorse back in the direction she'd come... leaving me with the muscle head.
A loud whistle rang through my ears followed by the steady trotting of horse hooves. I turned around to see a large direhorse headed for Ja'ki. He swiftly jumped onto the back and intertwined his braid then held out a hand for me.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I hoisted myself up behind him.
"First we have to find a direhorse for you to ride," he said then took off into the woods. After a few minutes we reached a grassy land and the dire horse slowed to a quick trot then a stop. A few yards away from us was a herd of untamed direhorses.
Ja'ki climbed down from the direhorse and I followed. I stumbled into a large rock and banged my foot. "Ouch!" I yelped. A few of the direhorses perked up looking around for danger.
"Shh!" Ja'ki hissed looking back at me. "Pa'li are easily startled so we must be very quiet.
I nodded. Quietly as possible, I followed Ja'ki. For such a huge man he was surprisingly light on his feet and didn't make a single sound. He led me to the nearest one. It glanced at us uninterestedly and continued to use its long snout to suck out the sap from a plant. Its tongue was extremely long and emerged out of the long snout to dip into the plant. It was kind of gross looking.
"Touch it," Ja'ki instructed in a low whisper.
I looked at the large beast. It had no fur, just thick leathery skin. I slowly placed my hand on its side. Still the direhorse seemed indifferent to my presence.
"Now let it get used to having you touch it."
I nodded and ran my hand along its long neck for a few seconds.
"Now climb onto it. Quickly," he instructed.
As fast as someone as clumsy as me could, I hopped onto its back. Finally the direhorse seemed to notice my presence and skittered around but he slowly calmed then went back to feeding on the flora.
"What do I do now?" I asked. I was kind of proud that I'd actually made it this far. If I could, I would take a picture of myself right now and send it to Ray and Helen.
"Now you must connect with her through tsahaylu," he said slowly grabbing one of the two neural whips that stuck out on either side of the beast's head and placing it into my palm.
I looked at the feathery tendrils that moved inside of the antennae that he'd placed in my hand. Oh no. I couldn't do this! It was just too disgusting looking. The way the nasty little tendrils moved made them look like they were worms or something. If I connected myself with this, it would be like making out with a dog. This was gross. Would I feel its nasty tendril's grab onto my own neural queue? No, no, no. That would be just disgusting.
"Ugggh" I cried, my voice raising several pitches.
"What is it?" Ja'ki asked alarmed.
"I'm sorry I can't do this, it s just so... I glanced down at the thing in my hand and the feathery tendrils swayed," Eww...I can't do this. I'm sorry. I'm getting down," I said, frantically dropping the antennae and beginning to climb off.
"No, you're not," he said grabbing my leg and hoisting it back onto the direhorse. "You didn't even try." Without my permission, he grabbed onto my long queue and placed it into me hand then the antennae in my other. I tried climbing off but he stopped me. "Do it." Jeez, he was pushy.
I pouted. I really didn't feel comfortable with this. "What does it feel like?" I asked, still indecisive.
"It doesn't hurt at all," he said.
I hesitantly brought the end of my queue to the antennae and as if they had a mind of their own, the horse's antennae intertwined with my neural queue. My disgust morphed into amazement. I suddenly felt as though I was connected to the horse. I mean, not just physically. It was like his movement was mine.
However the direhorse, was not nearly as pleased as I was, he bucked wildly like a bull and trotted in circles, snorting wildly.
"What do I do?" I hollered in panic. But soon my thighs lost their grip on the horse and I fell onto the ground with a hard thump. Landing on my butt of course. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. The horse trotted away, to a group of plants a few yards away.
Ja'ki broke out into booming laughter. Ok, it wasn't that funny. "What did I tell you!" he said, once he could finally catch his breath. "You are too weak! Too scrawny!" he said. "It takes power to command a direhorse, power that you clearly do not have."
"Hey! I'm in shape!" I retorted.
"But you are not strong, here," he countered tapping his own head. He gave me a hand to help me stand up and I took it reluctantly. "Let's try again."
So the rest of the afternoon continued like that. I would climb onto the direhorse, intertwine, fall, Ja'ki laughs, repeat. I would have thought his patience would wear thin but he seemed to find it funnier and funnier every time. I was improving slightly, once I'd actually lasted two-minutes on the direhorse back before falling off but still, like Ja'ki said, I wasn't strong enough.
After about the twenty-fifth time I'd fallen on my ass Ja'ki said, "I think that's enough for today." And I was relieved. Even if his patience wasn't running out, mine was.
"Let's head back," he said, than climbed onto his own direhorse with me behind him.
When we returned to...Home Hill? Fara's hunting party was also returning.
"How were your lessons?" Fara asked as I clambered off Ja'ki's direhorse.
"Ok," I shrugged indifferently.
Fara looked up at Ja'ki for the real answer. "How was she, she asked.
Ja ki grinned, "Entertaining." I scowled and turned away from them as he began his elaborate story about my great misadventure today. My eyes spotted Gar'han who was holding some type of dead animal over his back. Not wanting to hear anymore from Ja'ki about how many times I'd landed on my ass, I walked over to him.
He nodded to me in greeting but continued walking. I glanced back at Ja ki and Fara and then decided to follow Gar han.
"What's that on your back?" I asked.
"Dinner." he responded not slowing his pace. I wrinkled my nose. Eww...
"So, are you going to cook it?" I asked watching a trail of blood fall down the dead animal's snout, in disgust.
"No I'm going to skin it." Oh gross. I didn't want to watch that. "You should come watch me, you might learn something."
No, thanks. "Actually I have something else I need to do."
"What?"
"I said I have something else I need to do," I repeated, ready to bolt.
"No. I mean what is it you have to do?"
I frowned. "Ok, I ll watch." Why was I such a pushover? I followed Gar'han to a spot where other dead animals were hanging from a tree and a few other Na'vi were skinning animals. It was like an outdoor butcher shop! Gar'han took the dead animal (I was beginning to think it may have once been a viperwolf) and tied it by its hind feet to a low branch.
"Can you pass me that knife?" he asked as he finished tying the knot. I handed him a knife that was sitting on a basket and he flipped it deftly in his hand so the blade was facing the animal. Piercing the knife into its gut, he dragged it down making a line. Immediately blood spilled out of the dead creature. I gagged and immediately averted my eyes, trying to ignore the nasty sounds that were coming from Gar'han's blade.
My eyes landed on Gar'han face. He, of course had on his serious expression as he concentrated on his task. I thought back to when that female Na'vi had said he was handsome. I'd never really considered the male Na'vi attractive. I didn't find them unattractive or anything, I'd just never thought about it. Only a week ago, I'd considered all Na'vi to look the same but now that I'd been living in close vicinity with them, I could begin to distinguish them as individuals with separate facial features... I suppose he was handsome. Until now, I'd never taken into account what Gar'han looked like. Unlike most of the Na'vi, his hair wasn't shaved into a Mohawk but was all tied into one braid down his back with a few braids going through it. His line-less face indicated youth but the serious expression he constantly wore said otherwise. How old was he any way's?
"Why are you looking at my face and not my hands, you're supposed to be learning," he said, not taking his eyes off the dead creature.
I blushed. "Because that's disgusting and I have a weak stomach," I answered honestly.
"Well I'm finished now," he said as he untied the disgustingly mutilated animal. "Can you hold this?" he asked holding the end of the rope to me. Was he joking?
"No," I said. I didn t mean to be a brat; I just didn't want that butchered carcass near me.
"Just hold it, He said exasperatedly pushing it into my hand. Yuck! But I held onto the rope, far away from my body as if it were toxic. He leaned past me and picked up a rag to wipe off his hands. I tried my best not to look at the thing I was holding but I accidental glanced. It was completely unrecognizable! I quickly averted my eyes. Gar'han reached up and grabbed a rope hooked through a few more skinned creatures and told me to follow him. He took me to a group of female Na'vi who were all gathered around various cooking pots and huge fire pits. He passed over the mutilated animals and I did too, not wanting to have to carry the nasty thing any longer.
"So what now?" I asked as I continued to follow him. Did it bother him that I was always following him? Probably.
"I'm going to go bathe. Or are you going to follow me there, too?" he asked raising an eyebrow as he continued to walk.
"No!" I said quickly coming to a stop as he continued on his path to the hot springs.
"Jessy! Fara's voice called. I turned around to see Fara approaching me, flanked by a few other women.
"Hi, Fara." I greeted.
Are you busy?" she asked.
"No, not really."
"Good!" she said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards Homehill (I'd decided that would be its name for now). We reached one of the entrances then slipped inside, finding ourselves in a dimly lit tunnel. Fara continued to guide me through tunnels until we reached a room. She pulled me inside to find a few Na'vi inside the room, all females. They were all doing various kinds of crafts. Sewing, beading, doing each other's hair. They smiled at me and I nodded back.
Fara lead me to a blanket and flopped down. I folded myself down beside her and instantly I felt fingers probing my hair.
"Do you think this bead would look pretty?" One of the girls from Fara's entourage asked holding up a golden bead to Fara.
"Ooh, yes that's very beautiful," she answered as she took a strand of my hair and began to twist it. They were going to braid my hair?
"Why are you braiding my hair?" I asked. I liked my hair the way it was. Although I couldn't quite remember the last time I'd combed it, I remembered Anya and Janii putting a few trinkets in it. Those had probably falling out by now though.
"I can't allow you to walk around with your hair just sitting there. If you re going to be the Princess of a Na'vi clan you must look like one." I wished she wouldn't call me a princess. "Besides, we aren't braiding your entire head, just a few strands."
Being the pushover I was, I allowed them to play with my hair. As they tied little things into my hair and braided strands they asked me random questions.
"What is that pink stuff on my finger nails and toes," they asked. I looked down at my fingernails to see two-week old nail polish beginning to chip off. It was funny to look at them. I'd painted them back on base, back at home. I remembered Helen suggesting that I wear purple but I'd chosen pink, thinking Ray would like it better. It was like looking at a fragment of the past, only I'd been away from home only a week and a few days. It felt like I'd been away for a month. Was I slipping away from reality that fast?
"Well, what is it?" Fara asked looking at my expression curiously.
I snapped out of my thoughts." It's um," What was the word for nail polish? "It s fingernail paint. Where I come from the girls wear it on their nails. It comes in all colors. They wear fingernail paint the way you guys wear tattoos and piercings." I tried to explain.
"Why don't you have any tattoos or rings?" One asked.
Because Helen forbade me to ever think about getting a tattoo. Not to mention they didn't have a tattoo parlor back on base. "I wasn't allowed to."
"Why not?"
"Because humans are crazy devils, that's why." Another answered for me and the girls broke into giggles. I frowned.
"Which color beads do you like better?" Fara asked holding up two beads and I chose the prettier one.
They continued to braid my hair and I continued to think about life back on base compared to life with the Na'vi. It felt like they were two completely different worlds. If too much time was spent on one, then the other was easily forgotten.
"Finished!" Fara exclaimed suddenly. She stood up and held out a hand for me. I took it and she lead me to a large barrel of water. I looked down at me reflection and I almost didn't recognize myself.
A few braids were looped through my long wavy strands and beads adorned the ends. I looked at Fara's reflection through the water. I looked like her; I mean I looked like a Native. I could so easily pass as a native right now. If a human saw me they would immediately think savage native. What would Helen think? She would probably say I looked beautiful. But what would Ray say?
"I look like you guys," I whispered. Then I turned away from the barrel and put a smile on my face. "Thank you, it's beautiful."
The girls were visibly pleased that I'd liked my new hairstyle and I was happy to please them.
That evening Fara and I joined Tali to eat super.
Fara and I greeted Tali politely then took a seat down next to her in the large circle of Na'vi. Tali passed us both wooden bowls as women walked around carrying large kettles and serving supper.
"So how were your lessons with Ja'ki?" Tali asked, sipping her bowl.
At that precise moment Ja'ki decided to come join the circle and plop down next to me.
"They were productive," I mumbled looking down at my bowl of what looked like chunky soup. My stomach twisted and reminded me of the poor critter Gar'han had skinned earlier today. Was that what was swimming around in this bowl?
"What was productive?" Ja'ki asked, taking a bowl and then proceeding to gobble down its contents. I thought he just might eat the bowl.
"Jessy's riding lessons." Tali answered for me while I was engrossed in the chopped animal in my bowl. I hated my stomach for being so squeamish. As I debated over whether a viperwolf or a banshee was swimming in the food bowl in my hands Gar'han came and took a seat next to me.
"Are you ok?" Gar'han asked, looking at my face with a hint of worry that quickly disappeared when he noticed I was awed by his show of concern. "It s just you look a little pale," he muttered.
Looking at the bowl and thinking about the dead animal Gar'han had skinned earlier was not settling well with my stomach, so I wouldn't be surprised if I looked a little pale.
"Productive?" Ja ki suddenly exclaimed, almost choking on his bowl. He burst into laughter. Instantly I could feel the paleness leaving my face, replace with the red heat of embarrassment. I hoped he was finished but I knew he wasn't. Fara had also joined in with his laughter. I shot her a betrayed look.
"Oh really! I was not that bad," I said defensively turning to look at Tali with widened eyes. This only sent Ja'ki into another fit of laughter.
Ja'ki tried to hold his breath to get a sentence out. "She landed-" He broke into laughter and again tried to maintain himself enough to get the sentence out. "She landed on her butt twenty-six times!" He said in a high pitch voice that I didn't think could come from him, before he burst into laughter once again. I probably have a butt bruise for the next two weeks thanks to that stupid horse.
"I counted twenty-five!" I inserted, but quickly realized I'd shot myself in the foot as Tali suddenly joined in on the laughter and so did a few other Na'vi.
But then, because the fact that everyone was laughing at me didn't matter, a giggle escaped my lips and I joined the laughter.
Tali patted my knee comfortingly. "But don't feel bad, you'll get it eventually."
The rest of dinner we spent laughing and recounting the events of the day. Although most of the jokes were made at my expense it was ok because everyone was too busy laughing to notice I hadn't touched my food. Well everyone was laughing except Gar'han.
But Gar'han never laughed, let alone smiled.
Later on after every one had eaten and gone to sleep, I lay awake in my hammock. I just couldn't go to sleep. The light heartedness of diner had worn off and I lay staring up at the glowing blue bags above me unblinkingly. I turned on my side, tired of looking at the ceiling and ended up facing Gar'han in the hammock next to me. He had long since fallen asleep. In his sleep he didn't carry his permanent frown and it made him look years younger. Again I wondered his age.
I sighed, wishing I could sleep with such ease. I just couldn't figure out what was keeping me awake. There was something bugging me but I couldn't decide just what it was. I closed my eyes, deciding that it would help me fall asleep. It did and I was soon drifted off to sleep.
I was awoken by a loud gunshot. My eyes flew open. What the hell? I wasn't in my bed anymore. In fact I wasn't even in Homehill. I knew I was somewhere in Pandora because the bioluminescent plants around me were bouncing with life. I was somewhere in the forest.
"Jessy!" Ray's voice called. Oh my god Ray?
"Ray!" I called back bewildered and stood up. Suddenly I heard another gunshot and I jumped.
"Jessy! Where are you at!" His voice called again.
Without thinking I ran in the direction of his voice, the ground under my footsteps lighting up. Suddenly I tripped over something and landed on my hands and knees. I turned around and my eyes widened...or someone. On the ground was a lone male Na'vi. I gasped as I noticed the large bullet wound in the Na'vi's side. Slowly I crawled around the body to see the face then shrieked. It was Gar'han! But then the face morphed into Fara's, then Tali, then Ja'ki's! It continued to morph into the all the Na'vi that I briefly met. Anya! Janii! Al mah!
"Jessy," I looked up to see Ray standing over me. Why wasn't he wearing a mask? "It s ok Jessy," he whispered. I stood up shakily and he pulled me into a hug. Somehow, right now, Ray was taller than me. A small part of my brain knew this wasn't normal but the larger part ignored it. "Its ok," he whispered his voice taking on a strange edge. Suddenly something in his embrace changed. His arms turned into vices around me, now straining and constricting.
"What are you doing?" I gasped.
"She's over here!" he called. I tried to pry myself from his grip but his hold was like iron.
Suddenly a dozen humans sitting in AMP suits burst through the trees... all with guns pointed directly at me.
"Ray! What are you doing?" I cried.
The last words I heard him hiss were Disgusting savage," before everything was drowned out by the steady firing of machine guns.
"Jessy! Jessy!" Fara's voice called. I felt someone shaking my shoulders. "Jessy wake up!"
"Ugh," I groaned as I woke up suddenly from my terrifying nightmare. Ray's words still rang in my ears. "I'm awake, I'm awake," I grumbled, sitting up.
"Wow, you really were OUT of It." She laughed climbing out of my hammock.
I stretched groggily. She tossed clothing and a bar of soap onto my lap.
"Do you remember your way to the hot springs?" I nodded. "Good, after you bathe come get me so I can take you to Ja'ki. I'll be in the sewing room," she said then hopped like a lemur over a few hammocks then into a tunnel.
For a moment I sat there staring blankly at nothing. My dream ran through my mind. The nightmare had been ridiculously irrational. Humans weren't here to kill the Na'vi, they were here for unobtanium. But I had a question I needed to ask myself. Did I care if a human thought I was a savage? I shouldn't. Being a native was nothing to be ashamed of. . But still an insecure part of me worried about what Ray would think. Finally after some thinking I came to a decision; anyone who thought bad of them could go to hell. I rose to go to the hot springs.
On my way through the tunnels I ran into Gar'han but this time it looked like he had been looking for me.
"Hey," I greeted, still a bit distracted by my thoughts. He nodded in greeting.
"After your lessons with Ja'ki come find me so I can teach you more about using a tsko swizaw." Bow an arrow lessons.
"Ok, that'd be great!" I said meaning it.
"Where are you going?" he asked, nosily.
A smirk formed on my face.
"Why are you smiling?"
"I'm going to go bathe. Or are you going to follow me there, too?" I asked, raising my eyebrow just the way he had done yesterday. I walked off leaving an open mouthed Gar'han behind me.
Next chapter; more action, more romance, more of Jessy landing on her butt.
Please leave me a review to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!