Jake and Nyetiri had their hands full to say the least. Their babies, Neteyam and Kiri, were energetic infants. When they were awake their eyes and hands would be moving and their babbling would be non-stop. They would look around for each other if they were seperate and cry when they couldn't see their sibling. They would sleep together and be curious together. They were such wondrous children.
"Could you pass me the bowl, Mama," Jake asked his wife. He had taken a liking to calling his wife, a new mother of two, Mama. She smiled from under her lashes and handed him a wicker basket with berries.
"Our little yawnetu[loved one] is hungry this night," Neytiri said. She held her daughter Kiri up to her breast as she fed. Neytiri brushed the back of her hand lovingly to the smooth cheek of her sucking daughter. Kiri's little fists rested on her mother's breast, sometimes hitting them to get more food.
"She is growing strong. No doubt she enjoys her meals immensely. I know I would," Jake said with a smirk. He reached for a berry, but his hand was slapped away.
"Stiwisiyu[Naughty]," Neytiri said. She looked at Jake with a mock scowl.
Jake laughed and held his hands up in surrender, "Lì'upe[What]? Can't I say she's getting good stuff from her beautifully bountiful mother?"
"You know what you said," Neytiri said. She turned her head slightly to hide a blush and a small smile. She went back to tending to her daughter. Once Kiri had finished, Neytiri burped her and put her to bed next to Neteyam, who had been nursed first.
When Neytiri sat down again at the fire to continue her dinner, she noticed Jake's eyes intently staring at her. His golden eyes met hers with a passion that burned too hot to be touched. It warmed her insides until she could feel the heat in her cheeks and neck.
"Lì'upe[What]?" Neytiri asked. She tore her eyes away from his and picked up a piece of baked fish wrapped in seaweed. She could still feel his penetrating gaze on her. He often stared at her like this when the babies were asleep.
In one movement, Jake was kneeling on both knees to Neytiri's right. He brought one hand up to her cheek and turned her head so he could see her big, shining eyes. His eyes softened and he let out the breathe he didn't know he was holding. After a year of being mates, Jake still couldn't get enough of his mate. In the evenings, when the babies were put to bed, Neytiri's skin would glow from the day's work, her luminescent dots highlighted her perfect eyes, lips, and nose, and her movements were slow and graceful.
Neytiri laid her hand on her mate's arm. She leaned in and kissed him. It was a small, quick kiss, but that was all it took for Jake to light up. His face erupted in a giant, boyish grin. It was an infectious and enchanting smile. Neytiri turned her head in his hand and kissed his thumb.
Jake sat back and wrapped his arm around his wife's slim shoulders. One of her arms came up and rested on his neck from behind, while her other hand brought the piece of fish to her full lips. Jake watched her eat the piece slowly. He had already eaten while she had nursed. He focused on her slow blinking, the movement of her lips, and the slight bobbing of her nose as she chewed. Her features glowed in the fire light so beautifully to Jake.
When Neytiri tried to reach for another piece of fish, she could not reach it because of the position they were in. Jake, with his longer arms, grabbed it for her. When she tried to take it from him he pulled back.
"Allow me, Muntxate[Wife]," Jake said. He brought the food to her lips and let her bite it from his fingers.
"Irayo[Thank you]," Neytiri whispered after she finished.
Jake put out the fire. It was in a stone pit in the middle of their hut. The Sully hut had been built in a new tree the Omatikaya had found after the war. It was just as big as the old Hometree but it wasn't as sentimental to the people yet. Jake, as the Eytukan[clan leader], had to find something that would provide hope for the grieving people. They had a home again, but they had to rebuilt from scratch. The Sully hut, for example, wasn't finished yet. So many things needed to be done before the people would actually call this tree Kelutral[home].
The roof was slanted so that it only attached to one wall and the top end was held up by woven rope tied to a high branch in the tree. It allowed for star gazing but also protected from rain that might fall through the leaves. The floor was tightly woven vines and long grasses. Neytiri had dyed the fibers so that there was a pattern of yellow, red, and blue. It was a soft, and cozy feeling home to Jake. It was the first home with his family. The place where his son had been born more than a full moon cycle ago. He had brought Kiri into this home knowing he could make it a loving place for her. Whenever Neytiri cooked or mashed something up with her mortal and pestle, the hut was entirely filled with the fragrances.
"Ma Jake, hahaw hu oe[sleep with me]," Neytiri said. She lay on her side facing him with her hands resting under her head. The sleeping mat Neytiri and Jake had woven together was dyed purple and red. It was more cushion than laying on the coarse floor, but it was not a mattress. Jake wasn't even sure if he remembered what a mattress felt like.
Jake gladly crawled on the mat with his mate. He nestled into her back and let his warmth emit to his mate. Her cold feet came up and snuggled themself with his warm legs. Jake was well accustomed to her chilled body at night. She wouldn't fall asleep until she was warm in his embrace. It was soothing to Jake to know he provided such comfort and protection. He nestled his nose to her neck and breathed in her scent. She smelled like smoke and rose oil. He felt her body rise with a big breathe then huff it out in a contented sigh. He pressed his lips to her skin at the back of her shoulder.
In the wee hours of the morning, when the light only grayed the sky, the babies started fussing for food for their small stomachs. Jake woke first, so he crawled from his warm bed and retrieved Neteyam and layed him next to his mother, then he retrieved Kiri too. Neteyam cried while Kiri only whimpered her complaint.
Jake layed back down behind Neytiri and gently shook her shoulder. She groggily propped herself up on her elbow and scooped up Neteyam. She suspected that he learned to cry louder so he would be fed first. Neytiri sat up to a crisscross and fed Neteyam while Kiri lay in her lap, content to be held for now.
Jake had went back asleep as soon as he had laid back down. When he woke he smelled fresh fruit and something with a musty aroma. He opened his eyes to Neytiri holding Kiri in one arm and shaking a pan over the fire with the other. He blinked slowly before he realized it was time to get up. The hut was bright with the morning sun.
"Rewon[Morning]," Jake said. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
"Rewon, Sayrìp[Morning, handsome]," Neytiri said back. She had a smile that any man would crave to be welcome with each day.
"Onlor syuve[Goodsmelling food], Mama," Jake went to see what his mate was cooking. It was his favorite. A root like a potato but mixed with the taste of a mushroom would grow near creeks. She also had left over berries and a kiwi-like fruit in the wicker basket.
Jake took Kiri from Neytiri and walked over to see Neteyam. He was nestled with his soft blankets sound asleep.
"What a rare sight. You're awake when your brother isn't," Jake said to his little daughter. She smiled up at him with sparkling eyes. Her chubby cheeks bunched up as she smiled. "Such a sweet girl."
Jake held her up and kissed her fuzzy black hair. Her chubby legs kicked as she was held in the air. Her little fists waved around as she bounced in her father's hands. Jake loved her happy little face. The first time she was handed to him he had fell in love. He knew there would be nothing that would stop him from trying to make her happy. She would be his princess. She would take after her mother's intelligence and connection with nature. Jake would protect her, no matter what, so that she would not face the fate Grace had. By the will of a father's love, Kiri would never be in a situation where she would be shot at. Not ever.
"Ma Jake, come eat," Neytiri said.
Jake carefully picked up Neteyam's basket and carried it over to the fire so he could watch over him while he ate. Jake sat next to his mate and situated Kiri in his lap. Jake handed her a feather to play with.
Neytiri said a thanks and they dug in. The root was deliciously seasoned and the berries and fruit added a nice energy boost.
That day, Jake had a hunting party going out. Everytime Jake's ikran[banshee] came screeching to his call, Neytiri got a faroff look. She deeply missed Seze[blue flower]. But Neytiri took the babies to the gathering place and wove mats and baskets with the mothers and elderly. The young girls went to collect the material while the skilled mothers tightly wove the fibers. Chatter rose and fell rhythmically around the circle. Songs were sung to pass time and games would be played, such as who could finished a line of weave first. Kiri and Neteyam were strapped to Neytiri's stomach and back.
Jake took his ikran to the hunting gathering. Several new hunters were there. They had face paint on and they fidgeted with the excitement of the hunt. Their new ikran screeched to the older ikran impatiently.
"Oel ngati kameie, Toruk Makto[I see you, Last Shadow Rider]," Tarsem greeted. Tarsem was Ninat's mate. He was taller and slimmer then most Na'vi. He had full lips and a young, strong body. He was a serious man with great skill in hunting and war.
"Oel ngati kameie, Tarsem[I see you, Tarsem]," Jake said as he touched his finger to his forehead.
Jake took one of his arm bands and used it to tie back his thick dreads. Neytiri had said if he didn't want to keep up his braids he would have to take them out and do something else with his hair, but she had said no to shaving it, so Jake deciding on making his hair into dreadlocks. He hadn't decided if he liked it that way or not. He wasn't sure if she liked it that way either. Jake wished she was able to go hunting with them.
The hunting party took off toward the moutains. There was a flock of birds coming through for the season and they needed them for meat and arrows. Each hunter had their bows and arrows strapped to their back, ready for use.
Once in the Hallelujiah Mountains, the hunters founds their cave on one of the rocks and waiting for the birds to pass by. The scout had reported that they were coming. The cave became quiet. The only sound was the occasional scratch of a ikran talin or a squawk of a distant bird. The hunters slowed their breathing so the birds might not detect them so easily.
The birds they were hunting were half the size of the ikran. They had a long bulging beak for scooping up fish in water. They had long necks and a slim body with long frail wings. They were white and reminded Jake alot of pelicans. Their body was thin and agile in the air, so this hunt was a test to a hunter's skill in aim. Jake thought back to shotguns and how much those would help, but he also enjoyed archery.
After waiting a few hours, they could finally hear the swoosh of a long winged bird. They came around into view. The flock migrating looked plentiful in number, so the hunters didn't hesitate in stretching their bow strings and letting arrows fly. The hunters closest to the birds shot the ones in the back of the group while the hunters in back shot the ones in the front. Most of the time the birds were shot with only one arrow, but sometimes hunters would aim for the same bird.
By the end of the night, the hunters brought home fifty birds. In the hunting gathering area there was a slim log elevated by 'Y' logs. The birds would be hung upside down so that their heads could be cut off and the blood would drain. The ikran were fed the heads as a treat before they went back to their perches for the night.
The hunters butchered the pelican-like birds and brought home the ones they shot. They donated some to the widows and families who didn't have hunters.
Jake brought home two. He had given three to the other families. Neytiri cut the bird so that she make them into niktsyey[food item wrapped in edible leaves or vines] and smoke them.
Neytiri had also had a successful day. She weaved three baskets and one mat. They were very fine work. Jake was proud of her crafts. She had purple dye all over her hands and arms. Some was even smeared on Neteyam's cheek and hands.
Jake and Neytiri stayed up late working and, finally, ate some cold dinner. When they laid down together they didn't have any trouble letting their tired bodies drift to sleep.
Jake woke up to a soft repeated whisper of his name. A small four fingered hand rested cold on his shoulder.
"What? What?" Jake asked groggily. He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Jake, Tarsem is asking for you," Neytiri was saying.
"Oh," Jake crawled out of bed and grabbed his torso armor before pushing through their bead door, still half-asleep. For a moment he didn't know what he was doing.
"Toruk Makto[Last Shadow Rider]," Tarsem stood in the shadows near his door. It was still dark. It must have been 2am at least. Jake wondered if he had gotten more than an hour of sleep yet.
"Tarsem," Jake shook his head to wake up, "What is it?"
"One of the widows has died," Tarsem bowed his head and shook it. "I'm afraid Mo'at has concluded it was because of the bird she ate."
"Would all the birds cause this?" Jake asked. His brows furrowed, wondering why the bird, who the Na'vi eat often this season, would suddenly be deadly.
"It must have been something the birds ate. When the sun rises we are going to visit their feeding sites. For now, Toruk Makto, we must recollect the birds and prevent any further deaths."
Jake went back inside, told Neytiri what had happened, and grabbed his armor wraps and bow. Neytiri gathered her babies, still sleeping, and headed for the widow's hut. The widow, T'ahiupte, had three children who needed looking after. Neytiri would see to the situation as the tiretu in training.
Jake, Tarsem, and other hunters went from hut to hut and asked for the birds. Thankfully, the people were compliant and trusted this early awakening to be for a good reason. Soon, the birds were collected back into the hunting gathering.
"What of the ikran? They ate the heads," a hunter said.
"Call to your ikran! Everyone!" Tarsem commanded in Na'vi.
The air rose with clicks and chirps as the hunters called their banshees. Every ikran flew from their sleep and heeded to their master's call. They hadn't been effected by the bird. Yet.
"Check their mouths. See if they have any sores or if they show signs of any kind of sickness," Jake said.
He coaxed his ikran to open wide for him. His tongue was normal, his throat was its natural pink, and his eyes were alert, showing signs of being healthy.
"Toruk Makto, my ikran has a high body temperature," a young hunter said. Jake lay his hands to his stomach and chest. The ikran's body was indeed burning. Could the ikran run a fever?
"Have him stay away from the others. If he gets worse, ask Mo'at for advise. Make sure that he gets plenty of water," Jake instructed.
After the hustle of checking every household again and burning the birds, and scouting the feeding sites, the sun finally made its appearance over the horizon. Jake returned home well into the afternoon. Neytiri was there. Her face held a sad expression.
"Mo'at will take in the widow's children," Neytiri said first. "We will have a ceremony when the sun falls."
Jake just nodded. It was very painful for any memeber of the clan to pass. It seemed worse that now three children were orphans. Jake wanted to blame himself for this. He had led the hunt. He didn't think to track the birds and make sure the flock was in good health before they hunted them. If he had thought a few steps ahead this wouldn't have happened. Or it might've. Jake didn't know. He didn't know about a lot of things. All he knew was that his family hadn't eaten the bird and they were still all alive. He knew it was a bit selfish but it was true. He was very thankful.
At times like this Jake wished Tsu'tey[deceased; previous clan leader] was still alive. He would've known what to do. But he wasn't and it was now Jake's responsibility to lead the people in prosperity.
"The ikran haven't been effected so far. They all had the heads of the birds. Only one hunter's ikran has started a high temperature," Jake said. "At the feeding sites we discovered that the war had caused machines to spill their oils and gasses. The water and fish where the ship had exploded and most mechs had been destroyed were saturated with toxic chemicals."
"Oh, Great Mother, why did we not know this before?" Neytiri asked.
"Not many hunters go that direction because it is near the Tree of Souls. They don't want to fish or hunt where Eywa resides. That is why we hadn't discovered the toxic water and earth."
"It will heal. The animals and plants will recover from this," Neytiri said. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh. She had mourned enough this past year.
The day passed slowly as they prepared for the burial of T'ahiupte te Tskaha Doax'ite. Jake knew how these ceremonies went. He had to perform many of them after the war. He did not like this part of the job of being Olo'eyktan[male leader of clan Omatikaya].
He doned his shoulder piece that flared with dark feathers from an ancient hawk. The feathers were weaved into a dark red leather that wrapped around the tusks of another highly noble creature. There was also a head peice that was crafted of two long pieces of wood fibers from the Tree of Souls. The strings held a oval shaped bone. Jake also wore a necklace of ikran teeth.
Neytiri put on a head piece as well that was dyed a deep red. It draped down her shoulders similar to Mo'at's tsahìk[shaman] garment. Neytiri painted her face white and black. She also put some white on Jake's face. Neytiri was solemn and graceful in her movements.
The clan gathered at the burial place near the Tree of Souls. Jake, Tarsem, the widow's oldest son, and another young Na'vi hunter carried T'ahiupte ceremoniously to the hole that was dug for her. The hole was filled with fragrant petals and leaves. There were peices of fine cloth and bead strings in the hole. The widow was placed in the hole. Her body was placed in a fetal position. Her hair and skin were clean. Her body was covered in rose oil. The air smelled rich with the floral scent. It was a calming aroma the Na'vi used to ease the grief of the lost one. The clan stood around the hole and whispered prayers. Some hummed dirges in memory of the woman.
Jake and Neytiri stood with the children who sniffled, looking down at the body of their mother. Neytiri placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of the eldest boy. He was only twelve or so. He pulled his two younger sisters to his sides and squeezed them in a hug of reassurance.
A seed of the Sacred Tree slowly made it's way to the family. One of the little girls held her palm out and the seed floated to rest there. The three children sang their mourning song quietly before letting the seed fall to the body of their beloved mother. Every Na'vi passed by the hole and placed a single flower in the hole. After that the body was buried in yellow or purple flowers from the vines that grew up their new Hometree. Dirt was placed atop all the fluorescent scents slowly until she was covered.
Jake now had to perform his most detested part. He knelt before the orphaned children and bowed his head.
"Aynga lu le'awtu. Velek sno tirea[You are alone. Give up her spirit]."
The ceremony ended and the clan went to the gathering place on the ground floor of their Hometree. There were fires lit and food began to cook. Now the mourning part of the ceremony was over and now the spirit of T'ahiupte was celebrated. Her song cord was sang again and the end bead was placed and sang as well.
After the eventful day, Jake was worn out. In his home, he stripped all his armor and lavish wear. He washed the paint off and oiled his dreads. He helped Neytiri put the babies to bed after she fed them. Jake sat on their sleeping mat with his knees pulled up and his elbows resting on them. He rested his head in his hands and sighed. His back and arms were sore from the day. It seemed like he had been awake for three days straight. Before Neteyam and Kiri would sleep for a substantial amount of time he would be up with Neytiri for longer.
Jake suddenly was pulled into his drowsy reality when his wife's arms slipped around his shoulders and she sat behind him. Her slim but strong fingers works his shoulders in a soothing massage. She kissed his hair and told him it was time for bed. She guided him down and snuggled up behind him. Her hands came under his arms and rested against his chest. She drew circles across his skin, down his stomach, and back up to his collar bones.
Jake closed his eyes to the soft comforting motions.
Jake opened his eyes when he felt her hands stop. He gently rolled to face her. She looked up into his eyes as he took her hand and held it on his chest. His other arm went under her head and held her back.
"I love you," Jake whispered. He bent his neck and kissed his wife.
Neytiri hummed against his lips as she deepened the kiss. Her hand glided up his neck and helped Jake keep his head up. Jake hoped the kiss would never end. His tired brain played the moment in slow motion. His delicious wife's tongue and lips played tricks on him, making him think he was in heaven.
"Why do you do this to me?" Jake mumbled as she went to kiss his cheek.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't?" Neytiri asked. Her hot breathe made dew on his cheek in the chilly night. She now lay on her stomach, half spread on Jake's side. One of her long legs made its way to rest between his legs.
"No," Jake smiled in the dark. He could feel her smile back. "I would rather you not stop."
Neytiri scooted forward, supported herself on his broad chest, and clasped her hands around his face. She came down like an angel, her lips soft and sweet.
Jake allowed her to take him over. He ran his hands up and down her back as she moved to straddle his hips. Jake let every touch and blessed kiss take him to a pleaurable bliss. Neytiri had a unique love. Every thing she would do would be heartfelt and loving. Gentle. Her passion was soft and shy. Jake was proud to have such a woman. She was fierce in public, but when she was alone with Jake, she put that aside and let him see her vulnerability and love.