A/N: Firstly, I would like to address an anonymous comment and their concerns. Thank you so very much for looking out for me and this story, it truly means so much, but thankfully the Wattpad account is mine! June_Bug99 is my Wattpad account, and I do tend to post the same stories on both websites so I can reach audiences that do not use or vice versa. I do not have any other accounts on Wattpad, and this is my only account on , so if you happen to see any of my stories posted under any other account, please let me know!

On another note, I have been getting a few hate comments on this story. I try my best to make my characters complex and flawed and they make mistakes and have trauma, but this is so they can grow and learn and have their character development. That being said, I realize that the contents of my stories are not for everyone, and not everyone will agree or forgive or understand the actions of my characters. That's totally fine! Everyone has their own opinion!

If you have genuine criticism, I would love to read it, but if it's just a hate comment because you don't like what I'm writing about, please just decide not to read instead!

Thank you all for reading and looking out for me and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Laila's pulse thundered deafeningly within her skull as she ran between the trees. It was impossible to see any further than a few feet in front of her as she swirled and lept her way through the forest. Her heart thumped against her breast bone so quickly that she could feel her entire body vibrate from beneath her sweaty skin to the point she worried her legs would give out. And yet, she pushed on. Her chest burned with each inhale, a sharp thorn piercing between her ribcage, and she felt the urge to stop if only to allow herself an unrestrained breath. She denied herself this much needed comfort for the time being, for she could not possibly risk stopping now.

The whoops and hollers of strangers echoed between her ears deafeningly, and they were getting closer. The ground beneath her sore feet rumbled like a great earthquake had taken its hold upon the earth, threatening her with unsteadiness. Laila snatched a small tree within her right hand and she propelled herself forward just as a dozen Na'vi on Direhorses rounded the thick brush.

The woman scrambled against the slick plantlife, willing her feet forward, yet something heavy wound about her legs and pulled them in. She fell forward hard and she landed on her chest. She only just had enough sense to angle herself so she wouldn't fall on her still healing arm. The rumbling of the horses' hooves came to a stop, and she knew she had been caught.

"Where do you think you are going?" a voice asked her, and she scowled at the familiarity. Laila rolled onto her side and she glared at Tsu'tey. She couldn't help but to catch the amusement that flickered across his face as he sat proudly upon his steed, looming high above her.

She had hardly made it past the outskirts of Hometree before she heard the dreaded sound of their approach. Her yellow eyes drifted across the faces of the men who had tracked her down, and she met the eyes of a rather smug Navi; the mysterious man who had been watching her. A curse left her lips and the back of her head fell heavily against the forest floor. She thought she could escape before he could sound the alarm. A misjudgement on her part.

"Just let me go," she hissed, her words laced with as much malice as she could muster. This did not go unnoticed. With a great, angry huff, Tsu'tey dismounted his direhorse and came to stand before Laila. His heavy steps thumped like thunder and she groaned at the throb it gave her head.

"Why did you run?" he asked her. Laila laughed through a ragged breath.

"Does it matter? You all wanted me gone, so I left."

The intimidating male crossed his arms over his broad chest and his brow furrowed. His tail curled and uncurled around his ankle in agitation. His striking eyes darted across her face as if he were looking for something - something hidden within her words or features - though Laila made sure he found no discrepancies. She hardened her stare, forcing her very being to remain still and cold as she met his gaze.

A deep scowl clouded Tsu'tey's features. The corner of his lips twitched, revealing sharp, menacing canines as a low growl grew in the back of his throat. "You… You ignorant human!"

Laila shot up. "Why do you care?" she snapped. The tip of her ears flushed hot with anger. "What was it you said? Something about how I only see my own selfish greed? Well, here you go. You were right, but I'm trying to do you all a favor here!"

Just let me go.

The words played over and over in her head. A silent mantra of pleading - begging - for them to just leave her be. She had done enough damage as it was. Ru'atan was becoming attached to her, Laila could sense it already. Hanai had mentioned how excited she was to introduce Laila to her mate. Even Nevaeh had begun to lighten up, although that only meant speaking to Laila with less hostility than before. The fact was, Laila was already impacting their lives in some way, even if it was small. They were opening up to her, accepting her, all while she had never planned to stay. She knew she would leave - knew she was lying to them - and it had to stop here.

"Eywa chose to save your life," Tsu'tey hissed. He paced the forest floor, back and forth, back and forth. His tail slashed from side to side and his fists trembled. "Ru'atan chose to save you. The Tsahik chose you… And you do this?"

"I couldn't stay there anymore!" Laila shouted, though her words were weak. Her mind was fogged with every reason she should leave; why she did not deserve any of what the clan had offered, and her resolve began to crumble. "I-I have to help my comrades."

Her comrades…

She had left them for too long already. They were the whole reason she was here in the first place. Their lives were why Laila set out into the wilderness, yet she had done nothing to help them since joining the clan. She was a liar. She was unreliable. A failure as a soldier. She should have been the one left on that mountain, not them.

Tsu'tey stopped in his tracks. His yellow eyes narrowed and he cocked his head slightly to the left. "You said they were dead."

"They're not dead! Or, maybe they are… I don't know, but I left them. And I can't just leave them like that. God, I should have stayed. I should have waited longer, or tried digging them out, or something. I have to go back. I have to check on them and make sure. I-I have to know they're…"

She was rambling, she knew. And yet, once she spoke, the words refused to stop. Her breathing had become heavy and ragged and her chest felt tight. She couldn't think properly and her vision blurred. Thankfully, she caught herself before she could carry on. Laila sucked in a breath, doing her best to settle her lungs, though her pulse continued to rumble like a stampede within her veins. Laila straightened herself and she brushed the back of her hand against her eyes, wiping away whatever evidence there had been of tears. Her eyes drew up Tsu'tey's towering form and when she met his gaze once more, she felt the urge to curl back in on herself.

"I don't belong here," she whispered. Her words were no longer rushed, no longer scattered and broken. Laila spoke plainly and direct as she mentally buried her emotions back down. "I've lied to you this whole time. You know I have. I'm just another idiot with a gun that you happened upon. Just - just let me go and you'll never hear from me again, I promise."

Tsu'tey mulled over her words for a moment. His face remained scrunched and angry, and Laila wondered if he believed her at all. She wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't. After many more heavy seconds of inner debate, Tsu'tey growled and dropped to the ground before her. He removed his knife from the sheath wrapped around his chest. With a single slash, he cut through the thick bindings around Laila's ankles, releasing her. Then, he took hold of her upper arm and hauled her back onto her feet and shoved her towards his direhorse. The Na'vi who had warned the others of Laila's escape said something, then. By the tone of his voice, Laila knew he was outraged, though Tsu'tey was quick to shut him down.

Tsu'tey did not allow Laila a chance to get a grip upon the leathery back of his steed. He placed his large hands against her hips and lifted her as easily as one would lift a toddler. She kicked her leg around the direhorse's boney rear and settled herself as best as she could. After connecting his queue, Tsu'tey took his place in front of Laila and he shouted a command. The direhorse took off. Laila swayed back dangerously far and she had to wrap her arm around the warrior's waist to keep from falling. The direhorse rounded back towards Hometree at a great speed. The rest of the hunting party followed close behind, their cries of triumph echoing within her sensitive ears. Laila sighed and she kept her gaze to the passing forest floor.

He should have left her that day. She would have died if not for his intervention, and he chose to save her only for Ru'atan's sake. She still was at a loss as to why the Tsahik granted her sanctuary, or why they offered an opportunity for her to stay, but whatever their reasoning, nothing would have made sense to bring Laila back this time. Tsu'tey should have left her.

Well, she shouldn't have made him choose in the first place.

When they returned to Hometree, a crowd had already begun to grow. They parted quickly for Tsu'tey, who did not slow his steed. They raced through the entrance and towards the center, and once Tsu'tey and Laila finally dismounted, he dragged the woman up the sloping roots and tossed her in the medicine room. Laila was a prisoner once more.

She began to pace. She stomped across the room, bouncing back and forth between the walls like a live wire as her thoughts blurred together. She could not tell if she was angry, or scared, or nervous. Maybe she was a bit of everything. She couldn't stop thinking of her comrades, who she'd abandoned on that damned floating mountain. She thought of the Na'vi she had met the past week and a half, and what they must think of her now. She wondered how the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan would react to the news of her failed escape.

Laila growled and she punched the wall. This was stupid. She was stupid. She shouldn't have let this happen.

After what felt like hours, Tsu'tey returned. He did not speak and neither did Laila. She had come to accept what was to come and she followed him without resistance. The crowd had not dispersed, but instead migrated to the area just beyond the medicine room. Laila tailed Tsu'tey down the coiling bridge, through the gawking Na'vi, and towards the main pillar. Then, they began their ascent.

The oversized roots made it easy enough to walk up the steep slopes, though as the pair drew higher and higher and finally emerged among the branches, they had to climb. For Laila, it was mostly a crawl from branch to branch. Having only one useful arm slowed their trek, yet Tsu'tey did not rush her. He kept his pace slow and often would come to a stop and wait for her to catch up, but he never offered her help. She was fine with this as focusing on where she was to place her hand and feet occupied her mind from what was to come.

When Laila felt as though she could go no further, Tsu'tey made a sharp left turn upon a particularly thick branch and headed towards its leaves. Laila watched him go as a spike of fear hit her. She knew they were high, but she refused to look down to gauge exactly how far they had traveled. She wasn't exactly scared of heights, although the thought of walking along a branch this high up made her stomach churn. And yet, the woman pushed down her growing anxiety, stood herself up, and followed the warrior dutifully. She did not know what his plans were, but she had caused him and the clan enough trouble as it was. She had to follow him.

As she crept closer to the narrowing edge, Laila noticed that the crowding branches stretched out from other trees that were close by. Their limbs of bark entangled around one another as if they were all one, creating a jungle of their own within the canopy. Tsu'tey came to a stop where his branch met that of another tree, and he made a strange call. His voice echoed and the air went silent.

Laila cocked her head to the side as she eyed the warrior, trying to decipher his call, though she had never heard anything like it before. Then, her ears twitched. Something was rustling in the branches above, and it sounded big. "Um, Tsu'tey-" her words of worry were cut short by a terrifyingly loud roar. Branches buckled and cracked under a heavy weight and falling leaves filled the atmosphere. The bark below her bare feet trembled like an earthquake and she had to drop into a crouch in order to keep her balance.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Then everything was still.

Her heart was pounding. Her eyes blinked dully and her mouth dropped open at the sight of the great monster that now stood before her. Her tail thrashed and her feet tingled with the urgency to run, yet she was paralyzed to the spot. Standing mere feet from her was something straight out of a fairytale - something she could not completely believe, despite all the strange alien animals she had come across since arriving on this planet.

The creature was called an Ikran, though she knew them better from training videos as Banshees. Dragon-like in appearance, the creature stretched out its hooked arms and an enormous wingspan of off-colored white was put on display. The Ikran screeched again. Its mouth opened impossibly wide, showing a cavern full of black teeth that were as thick as claws. Its body was mostly a dark blue with a pale yellow stomach, though there were yellow blotches around its muzzle and odd navy blue markings splattered against its wings and back.

The creature settled and lowered its head. Tsu'tey, who did not flinched in the presence of the grand beast, reached out his hand and brushed the back of it against the Ikran's nose. The beast let out a string of strange clicking sounds that resembled a cat's purr. It nuzzled against Tsu'tey's touch almost lovingly.

Tsu'tey turned to Laila. A small, almost triumphant spark appeared in his eyes as if he had expected her awe, then it was gone. He gestured for her to come closer and put out his hand, beckoning for her. She hesitated, her eyes shifting from him to the creature in distrust. Tsu'tey huffed in annoyance, but gave her a reassuring nod and held out his hand again. He was inviting her to trust him, and she had no choice but to.

Cautiously, she crept forward and took Tsu'tey's hand. He helped her climb up onto the Ikran's back and showed her how to balance herself so that she wouldn't fall off during flight. The beast shifted beneath her, its wings stretching out wide as it prepared for launch. She could feel each breath it took, felt the muscles as they tightened and pulled, and she shivered.

Laila gripped tightly around Tsu'tey's torso, trying to keep herself steady in spite of the nervousness that was flooding through her body. She felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as she realized what she was about to do - fly on an alien dragon! Then, a more worrisome thought entered her mind.

"Tsu'tey, where are we going?" she asked, her voice hardly louder than a whisper of anxious anticipation.

"Ayram alusìng."

The Hallelujah Mountains.