All the pheasants ever bred… — Chapter II
Omatikaya Village, Two Weeks Later
As the day waned into the afternoon hour, Pandora's primary sun—Rigil Kentaurus—settle's over the ever active Omatikaya village. The imposing Pandoran trees, known for their height and beauty, envelope the home of the Omatikaya, serving as both protector of the People and providing shade from the intense radiance of the sun. While the village was never fully immersed in the trees' shadowy blanket, rays of light cascade through the layers of overlapping branches, fragmenting the light into shimmering pieces that found their way upon the busy forms of the Omatikaya villagers.
Invigorated by the comforting warmth of tsawke, the villagers press on with their tasks, hoping to complete them before the sunset paints the sky red and their grumbling stomachs tells them to stop. However, with the air became increasingly filled with the lingering aroma of cooked meat and the enticing scent of roasted vegetables, it was going to prove to be one of their more difficult challenges of the day.
For some, the urge to withhold their appetite became an overbearing temptress as the alluring smell takes hold of a pair of teenagers and pulls them over to a simmering stew that sits atop an open flame. Leaning in, they find the intoxicating flavors filling their senses, with one of the teens daring to dip their finger into the stew, hoping to steal a taste for themselves. But their recklessness was swiftly met with a stinging blow to their thigh—a surprising punishment from an elder who had been watching the entire time. Startled and rubbing their smarting flesh, they glanced up to find themselves on the receiving end of a stern gaze.
In the face of such consequences, repentance came naturally for the teens. Humbled by their impulsive act, they retreat, leaving behind a smile on the elder who looks on with appreciation for such quick reasoning. Meanwhile, a younger individual, who the elder had not seen, sneaks a finger into the stew for a secret taste.
Elsewhere, young men and women of similar age, practiced their calisthenics over an open space, desiring to be strong enough to brave the climb of Iknimaya. Some were clearly ready. Others? Not so much, which concerned some of their parents to come over and educate them on the finer points of agility and strength.
And while the village was typically quiet, it soon resonated with the cheerful echoes of laughter as children of various ages were seen running with exuberance in their steps and excitement coursing through their tails. They were unable to hold their giddiness as they ran through the weavers area, who were far too attentive to the sa'ewrang or the loom that sat beside a tree, as the hands of the children flail about, annoying the weavers to the point that they affectionately scolded them for their rude play.
Laughter chased them to a flowing stream, where, upon stopping near the edge, kneeled down and dipped their cupped hands below the surface to draw out water and refresh their dry mouths. A new idea of play formulates behind their young gazes and like buzzing insects, their renewed excitement sends them scattering into the forest.
The mothers of the children found such antics to be quite amusing as their smiles creased their lips and grins abound their faces. They were all too happy to find that their children were enjoying themselves, knowing that they will never experience the devastation that once haunted their parents so many years ago. A realization that only added to the mothers' happiness. This was a gift from Eywa; a reminder of the peace and joy that now imbued their lives.
Measured in this life is Neytiri, who, like all mothers past and present, shared the timeless joy of watching children play. It was the cure of all ills, to see children, happy and laughing, that somehow magically purified the soul of all her darkened days.
Making her way across the village and to her family's marui, she catches Tuktirey running past her with the flight of a hundred yeriks. Laughing at such a delightful sight, Neytiri observes for a moment as her youngest darts through the nearby forest in playful pursuit of the children. Finally sitting down beside the marui, she pulls out from her pouch the ornamental necklace she had been working on for the past week. She raises it into the air, studying the wooden beads that shines dully in the sunlight before laying it perfectly flat over her knees.
Moving her fingers with practiced precision, she adds the final touches before turning it over and measuring the width with her fingers, ensuring that it will fit around Lo'ak's neck. She always remembered how she measured her children's growth. Some had surprising sprouts, others, well, in time they will. For Lo'ak, Neytiri knew how well her boy's neck was growing and ensured to leave space for more additional beads when he became older.
She nodded when she found herself close to finishing the necklace. But, she believed, there was more to perfect it. Turning the necklace over, her fingers move again over the beads, tightening them up as an imaginary scene plays across the landscape of her mind.
In this vision, she sees herself offering the gift as a surprise to Lo'ak, and where she anticipated the warmth of his smile to greet her before feeling his strong arms rapture around her body, captivating her heart with overwhelming love. That was her desire, to feel his embrace once again, as she use to do to him when he was a mere baby, cradled lovingly in her arms and where she could look down upon his face with the love in her eyes that burned brighter than the universe.
This, she believes, is the essence of life. Yet, aching in her heart was the obstacle of waiting. Because the problem that stood in her way was having to wait.
Blessed Eywa, she hated waiting.
Waiting ignited a fiery impatience within her that could not be extinguished with ease. Not because she resents those who ask her to wait, but because she understands the virtue of patience and the eventual reward it brings, even when she ceases to care about waiting. By that point, she knew she did the right thing by waiting.
Now, as her anticipation to see Lo'ak's smile sits on the horizon, her impatience transforms into a pang that lingers on her expression as she meticulously adds the finishing touches to the necklace.
The laughter of children returning caused Neytiri to glance up in a moment of intrigue. She spots a few of them forming a circle near the center of the village before breaking up and departing elsewhere. Amused by their antics, Neytiri watches them before her eyes catches Kiri off by the edge of the village with a look of impatience worming across her features.
That is strange, Neytiri thought. It was unlike Kiri to be alone, especially without her... Spider. That boy had a regretful habit of showing up when Neytiri least expected him. Looking about, Neytiri made sure Spider wasn't around before moving out from under the cool shadows of the shade and over to her adoptive daughter.
Neytiri immediately saw one of those looks on Kiri's face that told her there was nothing to worry about. But Neytiri was no ordinary mother who could turn down that look. She worried for those who came from her womb and those who came from others.
"Kiri," Neytiri whispers, greeting her.
"Mother."
Neytiri reaches out and cups her face, drawing her eyes up to her. "What bothers you, child?"
Kiri held her hand for a moment, laughs, then pulls her cheek away from her mother's hand. "I'm waiting on dad."
Neytiri studies her expression before tilting her eyes to look at her daughter more clearly in the sunlight. "For what?"
Kiri's tail dances behind her, betraying her thoughts as she looks back up to Neytiri with a mischevious smile.
"He told me that I can come with him on his training with Lo'ak and Neteyam." She sounded excited, but she tried to hide it with a scowl that morphed into a grin.
"He did not tell me," said Neytiri who now looked off to the side, trying to remember if Jake did in fact tell her. In her recollection, it seemed that Jake never mentioned Kiri. Only that Neteyam and Lo'ak were going to go with him.
Looking down to Kiri, Neytiri found that her gaze had settled elsewhere before Kiri opened her mouth to say: "I was afraid you wouldn't want me to."
Neytiri's tail twitched as she knelt before her daughter to at even eye-level. "Training is good," Neytiri said, nodding to her. "But he is training our sons—your brothers—on how to fight as warriors. This is not easy training."
Neytiri knew that Kiri wasn't keen on being a warrior, let alone a huntress. She hated bows, and kept a knife merely to protect herself in the wilds of the forest. That did not mean she was not fearsome. In fact, Neytiri found Kiri's words to be just as venomous as any txumre'. Which made Kiri quite potent, if not for her already bruising fists that could dislocate a jaw if pushed into a corner.
Looking back to her mother, Kiri gave a fleeting smile before scratching at the side of her temple. "I understand. I guess-uh, I guess I want to see what this training is about before I fully commit myself."
"Commit yourself to what?"
Kiri brushed a strand of hair out from of her peripheral sight. "To being a warrior, like you."
"A warrior?" Neytiri knew that Kiri never expressed any interest in fighting. This was highly unusual of her. "Why now?"
"Why not?"
Neytiri's ears flattened. "My daughter, the path of a warrior is not to be taken lightly—"
"—I'm not taking it lightly, mother. I'm curious. I want to explore what it is like to be you."
"Then why join your father? You can come to me, Kiri, and ask. I can train you."
Kiri exhaled in frustration. "Mother, please, I want to see how dad trains my brothers."
Neytiri looked at her, studying her expression and sensing that what she was sharing was not the full truth. However, Neytiri knew what she will get if she pursued this conversation to its bitter end. Nodding, she gave Kiri the permission to go.
"Fine," Neytiri said, her body rising up above Kiri. "You can go with your father."
Kiri smiled, "Irayo, mother!"
Neytiri gave her a hug that was all too brief as Kiri hugged her back but slipped away from her arms, unable to hide the anticipation of her dad's arrival at any moment.
Concern for her well being, Neytiri was going to see Jake about this lack of mentioning of Kiri's involvement in his training.
Within the Sully marui came the sound of rustling movement as Neytiri, her toned blue muscles in motion, swiftly moves across the room and over to where her Jake was packing his gack with supplies. Encircling her arms around his waist, she catches Jake by surprise as a gasp of air escapes from his mouth. Enthused by her successful capture, she tenderly kisses the taut muscles of his shoulder, expressing her affection to him as Jake grins at the sensual feeling.
"Kiri told me she is going with you today." She whispers, her kisses leapfrogging along the length of his clavicle until she found the pulsing vein lying beneath the flesh of his neck. "I did not hear of this until I met with her outside of the marui. Were you both planning this without telling me?"
She's on her toes again, sexy, Jake thought.
"She told me she was going to tell you right away. I'm guessin' she didn't?" He asked, his body turning inside her arms.
"I found her waiting for you and no, she did not tell me. I had to come and ask her." Neytiri whispered, her kisses were running up beside his neck. "That was when she finally told me of what she was planning to do with you and her brothers."
Jake rubbed his hand over his brow. He swore Kiri was going to let Neytiri know the moment he agreed to let her tag along. She even told him that was her plan. To surprise Neytiri with the fact she was going to train like 'one of the boys'. The fact she waited two days to do so seemed quite... odd.
"Hmh, looks like you know now." Jake said in an almost nonchalant way.
Neytiri playfully struck his chest. "You needed to tell me. Not a child."
"Yeah-but—" He really thought Kiri did tell her. Was it his fault that he imparted his trust on Kiri who was known for being tricky?
"—Jeyk, there are things she only shares with one of us, and there are things she shares with both of us." Neytiri said, clarifying further, "and there are things she wants to share but feels she is not ready to share. This is why I find it difficult to trust her."
"You don't trust her?"
Neytiri shook her head. She did, but to convey such complex emotions to Jake was a daunting task. After a moment's hesitation that felt forever, Neytiri relented and shared the raw feeling she had growing inside of her. "An ugly fear swells inside of me, Jeyk, and I am afraid that I am losing her."
Jake chuckled, at first he didn't believe Neytiri could be afraid of anything, especially when it came to Kiri. But as her words settled in him, he realized what she meant.
"Kiri is our daughter. She'll never leave us, and—"
Did she? Neytiri wasn't sure. Holding Jake tightly, she knew deep down that she wasn't entirely convinced of it. Kiri had a way that defied easy description. In recent days, Kiri's demeanor had been shifting and evolving, leaving both of her adoptive parents struggling to understand the changes she was going through.
"—You're never going to lose her," Jake assured, his hand caressing her cheek. "I guess because we both have five fingers," he waved each finger on his hand to her. "That why she feels comfortable around me. But believe me, you're not losing her. Besides, I don't know how to give good advice to her. Being a girl and all and you being a woman and me being, well, you found out last night."
Neytiri felt the confidence of his words flow from him and through her as she held him, but there were parts of her that still held onto the thorny feeling about Kiri. None the less, his next question brought Neytiri's eyes up to him, perplexed by his words.
"I do not understand," she said.
"I don't know what she wants, Neytiri. She spends a lot of time looking at bugs, flowers, or whatever else she finds catching her eye. What do you think I should do? This survival training is tough as it is and she's not ready for it. But then she has a mouth of a harden warrior. I'm sure if the thanator could hear her speak, they would roll over for her."
This concept of his survival training derailed her previous thoughts, substituting a new revelation for her to explain to Jake: "Your 'survival training' is not our training," she said. "You train and think as more than a warrior—as this 'soldier'. At constant odds with shadows you do not see."
"My survival training is what kept us alive and what is keeping us alive so far, Neytiri, and Kiri needs to know this training is not easy. It's not easy on the boys, it's not easy on me. And I have no plans to make it any easier for her."
Neytiri placed a hand over his chest, her gaze squaring off with his. "This is because you believe you are at war, even now as I look at you, I can see it in your eyes. You are waiting for it to happen… hoping it will happen. But it will not happen, Jeyk, regardless of what you feel here," she pointed to the side of his temple. "You are not responsible for having caused the deaths among our People. Tarsem still looks up to you. And so does our family. Here is what is most important." Tracing her two fingers over his chest, she planted them against the area where his heart laid beating behind his flesh. "More than your training. More than what you feel is to come. Always remember who you are—"
Jake bit down on his tongue, his attention drifting to the flapping leather of the entrance. The breeze of the wind briefly distracted him, but not enough from hearing Neytiri's words echo again, reminding him of the fight from two weeks ago. He knew he frightened her by smashing the rifle and yet, he could see she was relieved that he did.
"—Jeyk Suli, ma Jeyk Suli, a father to our children, leader to our People, friend to many, and a fiercely devoted mate to me."
"You're right," Jake said. He lowered his head beside hers, nestling his rhinarium into her hair as he said, "all I know is that I will always protect you and the kids."
"That is why I love you," Neytiri answered back.
Squeezing him, Neytiri knew there was not much time before he departed. She still needed to share with her Jake about women, and more importantly about Kiri.
"And ma Jeyk, you must know that Kiri is becoming a young woman. I know what that is like. Thoughts, emotions, feelings, all burning like fire. You do not know which one to touch without hurting yourself. Let her see what you do with her brothers. If she wants, let her join. If she does not, then do not force her. But it is her choice. Let her be wise and make her own decision. She will thank both of us for it."
Jake's expression lifted, then smiled. "This conversation explains why you're such a great mom. Me?" He leaned down to pick up the gack, "I'm just dad."
She shook her head at that notion. "I envy your fatherhood. You get to be with your sons, who are so eager in their eyes to follow your footsteps, that… it worries me sometimes."
"Worry? Heh-I'm training them to be great warriors. What I would worry is for their future mates."
Neytiri's eyes grew big, having not arrived at such a conclusion before only made her suddenly scared at the thought. "You are right," she said, almost breathlessly.
"But," he leaned his forehead against hers, taking in her intoxicating scent that made his tail do a whirl in the air. "Don't forget that you are also great mother to our children. And yeah… I am just dad. A dad who will prepare our children for the future. To protect our People and carry on the legacy of your father. Y'know that's my job. And I'll make sure Kiri joins in on the fun."
"I am sure that is all she wants. Just be with her, as a father." Neytiri leaned in, kissing him before releasing her hold.
"Please be careful, they are our children after all!"
He walked over to the entrance of their hut, turned and grinned. "I wouldn't call Neteyam a child."
He motioned with both hands, spreading them wide and mouthing to her with the word, 'massive'. All Neytiri could do was laugh as he waved goodbye to her.
"Neteyam, Lo'ak, Kiri! C'mon, we're leaving!" Jake yelled off.
Somewhere in The Forest
"Dad! Are you being serious?" Neteyam ached with excitement that Jake had not seen since the day he took him fishing with his first bow. However, he had to work on simmering his voice down a decibel. Motioning with a finger to the lips, Jake wanted him to keep it down as much as possible. This was after all—an unsanctioned training exercise.
"Oh uh-sorry!" The teen said, his ears folding back.
"You're good, Net. Just… just keep it down. If your mother finds out—"
"Mother will find out," Kiri feigned her stress behind a wall of sarcasm.
"Thanks for the support Kiri." Jake stabbed back with his own bleeding mockery.
A snort followed up her grin as Kiri kept up with Jake's pace.
"If your mother finds out, Neteyam, that I'm taking you kids on a shooting lesson. She's going to rip my tail out. So... mum's the word." Jake remarked, paying little attention to Kiri who was making a face of some kind.
"Mum?" Lo'ak asked, followed by Neteyam's scribbled brow of bewilderment.
"It means to keep this to yourself and not blab it to every Na'vi from here to the sea cliffs."
"I'll try dad but imagine me. Lo'ak the sharpshooter." The boy preened, his hands shifting to pretend he was holding a rifle in the air and aimed it to the treetops above.
Wincing at the image, Jake swiveled on his heel so as to stand mere inches away from Lo'ak's face. The stare of seriousness caught the teen off guard, leaving him frozen by the heat of fear that radiated off his father.
"I know this is fun," Jake said, observing how still Lo'ak was. "But please, for the sake of your mother and our People. Don't say anything about this. Right now, she believes I'm teaching you kids how to survive in the forest, my way. My way also includes using Sky People weapons, which as you boys know, she does not like me teaching."
"Did you lie to mom?" Kiri asked.
Jake blinked over Lo'ak's head to see Kiri with an expression that begged for some kind of answer.
"No."
"But you said she believes that—"
"—I said I'm teaching you kids how to survive out here, my way. I did not say the People's way. Your mother will teach you that."
Kiri remained silent, not desiring to poke the figurative palulukan further on this topic.
Lowering his attention on Lo'ak, Jake continued, saying, "For better or worse, you need to know how to use them. Because the Sky People will use them against us, and our People do not use these kinds of weapons and as much as I would like them to, they don't. That includes your mom. So it's best that we don't parade around using them."
A question formulated beneath the thick skull that belonged to Lo'ak. Just as he was going to ask something, Neteyam jumped ahead as usual.
"Then why practice using them at all if we can't talk about using them to our People?" Neteyam asked alongside a hand that seem to wave inquisitively with his words.
"Rules, Net. Our People have rules, and do not forget how much your grandmother does her rituals just so you boys and girls can touch something as simple as a torchlight. Now imagine handling a rifle."
It was a lot of words that conveyed truly little for them to grasp at. Running his tongue across his teeth, he paraphrased it down so they could understand it better.
"Rules," Jake reminded. "Follow them and your mother won't smack you upside your head."
"Understood, sir!" Neteyam and Lo'ak said in unison.
"Rules." Jake said again as he looked to Kiri, wanting to hear her own acknowledgement.
"Rules, dad." Kiri repeated.
"Good. Come, if we stand around any longer, night will find us." Jake reminded them as they pressed on.
The boys liked the idea of being warriors, but Kiri lagged behind the rest, her attention captivated by the wonderful plants that sprawled all across the forest ground.
Jake questioned himself again of why he brought Kiri along—after all, she did not like training. She preferred to be around plants, animals, and the strange assortment of weird looking things she continues to find on the ground. An instance that Jake recalled was finding her hovering over some exotic plant that he forgot what the People called. Her eyes were wide, mirroring the gaze of the gas giant, as her curiosity enticed her to touch it and observe its reaction. Other times, she would lie in the bushes all day, observing viperwolves. She spent more time wandering the forest in search of her next adventure than staying with the family. However, when she did eventually return, it was either because the day was coming to an end, Neytiri was searching for her, or a particular someone was present that day.
The tail of the Marine lashed about when the face of Miles Socorro popped into his mind. Blue paint stripes covering his body. That goofy look he gave when he tried to say hi to Jake. That boy gave him the creeps.
But what was the reason she came along? He knew she did not like guns or bows, let alone an axe. Half of the time, he suspected she came along because Neytiri would have her do, what she calls, 'chores'.
Weaving was not a chore, Jake thought. Hunting was not a chore. Cleaning the guts out of a hexapede was not a chore; that one I really enjoy doing!
Jake mused a little longer on the reasons why when his cursory glance brought him back to Kiri.
He saw her hand touching various petals and leaves she had not seen on this side of the forest.
Her gaze lifted to the sky above, her mouth agape with awe, then closing. She was back in her natural element. But the more Jake looked at her, the more he recognized he was seeing Grace Augustine, back in her prime.
Grace was always a fussy and bull-headed woman, like Kiri is now. But there was a kind and gentle side to Grace that Jake recognized in his daughter… in Grace's daughter.
Chewing on the memory a little longer, Jake began to realize they were coming up on the river he needed them to get into.
"All right, let's move onto the river. I want to hide our tracks." The marine ordered, pointing to the river they were walking beside of.
"Why do we need to hide our tracks?" Kiri asked.
"Part of the training, Kiri. Sky People can look for footprints in the ground. Water is the safest way to hide them."
She looked down to her feet, like Jake's, hers were all five-toes. She trusted him that it made sense, but she did not quite understand why they needed to hide them when Na'vi scouts could track them just as well as any Sky Demon.
Neteyam tugged on his gack as Lo'ak rushed up ahead.
"Watch it skxawng. You're going to get me wet!" Neteyam shouted.
"I am just doing as I was told, captain slow!" Lo'ak jeered, his playful smile teasing his brother.
"Captain slow?" Neteyam confusingly repeated. He then looked back to his father for answers.
"Don't look at me. I didn't teach him that." Jake answered the silent question to his son.
I did though
Cracking a smile, Jake caught up with Lo'ak, followed by Neteyam and Kiri.
Before long, they passed the tree Jake had marked and motioned for them to move up onto the fallen tree log to their left. One by one, they all climbed it before walking along the lengthy trunk. An assortment of fungi were also resting on it, some of which caught Kiri's attention.
"C'mon, Kiri. You can pluck 'em later." Her father called out.
Leaping off the log, they landed on unfamiliar ground and untouched grass that felt silky beneath their feet.
Illuminating their journey ahead was the piercing blades of sunlight, scattering across the ground like broken shards of glass, revealing the faint imprints of feet that had been here before.
"How many times have you been here, dad?" Neteyam asked as he caught up with his father.
"Enough," the answer was deliberately vague. If they mouthed to Neytiri on the exact number, the intelligent woman would begin to piece the puzzle together of how many times Jake was gone and he didn't need her snooping around his shooting range.
"Does anyone know that you've been here?" Lo'ak added onto the pile of questions.
Their father shook his head with a no. "And it better remain like that for as long as everyone present here, shall live." He added. "To make sure no one hears us, I brought suppressors. Newly printed, newly minted." Jake commented as he tugged on his own gack that hung next to the slung rifles.
Moving along the path in the grass, Jake froze, his ears bending back at the strange rustling noise coming from their rear. Shooting up a raised fist, he signaled for his troop to crouch down and remain still.
"What is it?" Neteyam asked, his own gaze tracking around their perimeter.
"Shh," Jake pleaded. He needed to hear where the sound was coming from.
A crunch of twigs brought Jake swiveling around, his rifle sweeping over his shoulder and leveling out into the direction of the sound. Flicking the safety off with his thumb, he aimed down, preparing to send the beast directly to Eywa if it dared.
"WAIT-PLEASE-WAIT!" The voice shouted out in Na'vi. Grunts and groans followed after the shout as something struggled inside a bush.
"Identify yourself!" Jake shouted back in English. No way was this some tall Na'vi hiding in that small bush.
Fingers tapping against the trigger guard, Jake was ready to press it down when he saw Kiri running towards the bush.
"Spider!" Kiri cried out.
In a single yank, she pulled the human teen by his shoulders and out from the clutches of the nefarious bushes.
"Spider?" Jake said, his dumbfounded expression melting away the steel-eyed warrior from earlier.
Turning the rifle around, he looked about to make sure no one else was with this kid. When he felt there was no other possible threats, he flicked the safety back on and swung the rifle over his back. Bringing his gaze to the boy who was about the height of Tuk, he looked pass his stature and squinted, wondering if Neytiri was with him.
"Did anyone follow you?" Jake asked as Spider hugged Kiri the best way he could for his short stature.
"No sir! I made sure of it!" He answered with his face being squeezed by Kiri's arms.
"How?" Jake challenged; his gaze still focused on the forest behind the kid.
Liberated by Kiri's hug, the boy turned and patted himself free of leaves and a twig that managed to cling onto his hair.
"Well sir," he began to say, standing at full attention like a new grunt at Parris Island. "You taught me SERE." He nodded with much emphasis on the word 'you' to Jake.
Jake shook his head and corrected him thusly, "you watched. I didn't teach."
"Taught, watched. Felt the same to me. I covered my tracks, made sure no one followed. The only one who knows I'm out here is Norm and Nash."
"How much do they know?" The questions were turning into an interrogation.
"Enough that they think I'm with you."
"And how did you find us?" The interrogation was turning into distrust.
Sensing this, Kiri stepped in front of the boy, crossing her arms, and giving one of the sourest looks she could give.
"He's not the enemy, dad."
"How did you find us." Jake asked again, sidestepping around Kiri to get a closer look at the boy with blue-stripes.
Spider never felt Jake was mad at him before, but he was getting the idea of what it was like to be on the receiving end of his anger. Taking a step back, he was beginning to regret ever following them as he raised his hands in surrender.
"I—"
"—I told him how to find us, dad." Stepping in between the two, Kiri's confession came with a cost of disappointment with her father.
"You did what?" The chagrin in his voice grew bitter, "why? This is a secret."
"How many secrets are you going to keep? One? Two? What about your feelings about not being a father to Tarsem?"
In that instant, Neteyam and Lo'ak eyes grew wide as they slowly slid behind their father, not wishing to be collateral of the wrath that was to come.
"What?" The voice was shellshocked.
"Do you feel the same way about me? Because I was born in some tube? With no real father to claim as mine?" Kiri took a step towards Jake, her voice quivering.
It felt like a bomb had been dropped and her words continued to pound away in its carpet-bombing campaign of emotional vengeance.
"Is that why you shy away from me so much? Is that why you don't see me the same way as Neteyam and Lo'ak? You hug Tuk-tuk more than you do me! I've seen it!"
"Kiri," Jake tried to stop her, but she kept going.
"You're so strict, so… so rough! Spider is my friend! I will protect him with my life!"
The marine who fought in wars, the warrior who led the Na'vi into battle was now retreating with a step back and a head crooked, leaving behind an expression of sorrow and confusion.
"He is an orphan! Like me! Because…" she looked at the ground as tears fell alongside her burning cheeks. "Because we both lost parents. I have no father and he has no mother, and his father was a murderer!" She shouted to Jake, her tail flailing by the biting anger of her words.
Holding Spider close, she stared Jake down, tears dripping from the edges of her jawline.
Letting her words consume him, Jake began to move towards her, even if Kiri herself was now falling back in her own steps.
"I would love to know who my real father is, but you are all I got!" She spat the last few words with such anger that Jake believed she would hit him.
Dropping both the weapons and the gack to the forest floor, Jake knelt before the young teen who stood in defiance of him.
What followed next, as witnessed by the eyes that Eywa gifted her, were Jake's arms opening wide for her. Her mind ran with a million and one thoughts, all colliding together with the emotional tension that she could feel flowing from the tip of her tail to the end of her fingertips.
She told herself this was not happening, even as Jake ushered her closer with his fingers. She even flinched by the sensational touch of her father's hand, not wanting to give in but her soul yearned for it. Then at last, she leaned into him, finding refuge by the warmth that she felt.
A moment later, Kiri yielded into his embrace with a soft hug that he returned.
"I love you, my daughter." Jake whispered, squeezing her gently.
The words slowly sank into her heart. But she fought back, holding desperately of the tears that would unravel her into a mess that she swore she did not want anyone else to see.
"Because you are my daughter," Jake said, his words whispering into her ear. "My love for you is always satisfied when I see your smile. When I hear your laughter and when I wake every morning to find you. I am your father, and you are my cherished daughter."
Cradling her, Jake caressed her back like he use to when she was nothing more than a baby. One that was loved and one that he cared for as though she was his own blood.
But those words, the ones that came from Jake. They were real. True. Honest in every syllable and tone that he carried into her being. Looking up from his shoulder, Kiri offered up to her father a weak smile as Jake moved to wipe a tear from her face.
"I am thankful, blessed even, to be your father." He said, kissing her cheek and hugging her more.
"Thank you, dad." She answered, her smile glowing.
Blinking, Kiri followed up what he meant a couple of weeks earlier in regard to Tarsem.
"I did not mean to listen to your conversation with mother—but you were loud. Very loud. I heard you say awful things about Tarsem. That you feel…" In a silent motion, Kiri placed her hand over Jake's chest.
"...that you were not his father, why?"
Jake lowered his gaze and scratched at the invisible itch on his face.
"It's a complicated feeling I have, Kiri."
"Because you were once—"
He nodded.
"I hate how I feel because I do want to be a father to Tarsem but," he blew out a heavy sigh. This was difficult for him to process and to make Kiri understand would take more than just explaining it with so few words.
"I know you want me to talk to him." He told her.
"It wouldn't hurt."
"Kiri, sometimes—" he stopped himself, realizing that she was right despite how difficult it truly would be. After all, he just reconciled what Kiri felt about him.
"Okay Kiri. I'll do it. I'll talk to him about my feelings. But for now," the marine glanced over his shoulder to see Neteyam kicking a rock and Lo'ak about to smack Neteyam with a stick.
"Let's get these boys to the shooting range before one of them starts a riot."
Kiri snickered and laughed when she leaned out to see Lo'ak smacking Neteyam's back with a stick.
"Hey! What the hell?!"
"I was just testing to see if that would really hurt." Lo'ak argued as he followed where the half-snapped stick flew to.
"Well, it sure as shit did!" Neteyam shouted as he rubbed his back to soothe the pain.
"Boys!" Jake called out for them, but he couldn't quite stop Neteyam from rushing to tackle his younger brother. "I told you there was going to be a riot," Jake said to Kiri.
Glancing past Kiri's face once more to Spider, Jake had to do something about him.
"Don't say anything about what you saw, to anyone or else—" Jake said to Spider, his hands motioning by slamming his knuckles into the palm of the other.
Spider nodded, "yes sir! I didn't see anything. I was uh- looking at this."
The boy looked at some insect crawling on the branch end of a bush. It looked weird.
"Good."
"But!" Kiri jumped beside Spider of whom she wrapped her arm around and tugged on him like a sort of toy. "He is going to come with us!"
"Okay, Kiri, okay." Jake smiled before sharing a stoic look to Spider. "You can come along. But no questions, okay Miles?"
Spider nodded, a little sad that he was calling him by his human born name. When he noticed the rifles slung around Jake's back, how could he not ask questions?
"You brought guns?"
"What did I say, Miles?"
"You said, no questions."
"And did you understand that?"
"Sorry sir, a little excited here. Y'know? Cramped all day in that boring bunker at Hell's Gate. Eating the same food day in and day out. No one to play with. No one talk to. It's like a prison."
"Dad. He's not going to tell anyone he is with us, right monkey boy?" Kiri made her appeal as she glanced down to Spider, watching in amusement by the way he looked up to her with one big question mark written on his forehead.
"Fair enough," Jake said.
"Monkey boy?" Miles asked Kiri. "What's a monkey?"
Shaking his head, Jake pivoted back to his boys who were still wrestling on the ground.
"At-tench-hur!"
The word shot out like lightning, spooking them enough to stop what they were doing and immediately stand to their feet at full attention. The scene brought Jake back home. They had their arms to their sides, hands slightly curled into a fist, their feet wedged into a V with a forty-five-degree width, and their backs straight as arrows. Classic.
But they were also a mess. Lo'ak had blood dripping from his nose, clearly Neteyam was the better hitter, but he too collected a gnarly bruise to his right cheek.
The marine marched up to them, pacing back and forth with an annoyed tail swaying side-to-side as he studied the injuries they gave to one another.
"I'm not going to lie to your mother. You both really did fight each other because one of you wanted to hit the other with a stick. So, that is the story you're going to keep."
"Yes sir!" They said at once.
"Fantastic. Lo'ak, wipe the blood off of your nose." Jake added.
Exhaling the weight of this trip, Jake made a mental note of the adjustments he needed to do to avoid so much drama on the next trip. Turning to get a look at Miles, he knew he also had to do something about him.
"Come on monkey boy," Jake teased while signaling for his boys to fall in line.
Lo'ak and Neteyam cracked a toothy smile to Spider as he joined in with the troop.
"Looks like you're going to use a gun, Spider!" Lo'ak said.
"He's not." Jake reminded them.
Spider lowered his head before Kiri pulled him next to her, "don't worry. We can watch."
"Yeah I guess…"
It did not take long for the Sully's to arrive at the shooting range and for Lo'ak and Neteyam to run around it, inspecting the makeshift targets that Jake had sat up on the hill mounds.
"Looks like some bullet holes are already here!" Neteyam mischievously said aloud.
"Bro, look at these things!" Lo'ak urged, showing to Neteyam the brass casings he found on the ground.
"Quite a lot of them on the ground." Neteyam noticed.
"That means that we're going to shoot a lot!"
"Boys," Jake said to catch their attention. "Over here."
"How come no one found this place?" Neteyam asked with his attention being divided three-ways to Sunday.
Jake nodded, "I chose it outside of the hunting range. It's secluded enough that the only way anyone is going to find it is if you continue to run your mouths about it."
Somehow, Miles felt that was intended for him. Moving over next to Kiri who did not care for the range, he wanted to avoid being reminded of his presence to their father.
Placing the gack and the two rifles on the table, Jake began what he was paid millions of dollars in training to do. Magazines were generously laid out, along with an assortment of attachments for the weapons. Lo'ak and Neteyam looked on with a sense of awe and wonder. They were kids again.
Meanwhile, Spider elbow bumped Kiri's thigh.
"That was cool what your dad did," he said.
Her tail flicked around at his words, "did what?"
"Yanno, the whole, father-daughter love thing."
Her tail flicked again.
Sighing, Spider added further to his words, "I wish my foster dad could say the same thing. Instead, he spends his time bitching about me leaving Hell's Gate. Complaining I'm not adding anything of value 'round that place."
"What is this, be-bitching?" She asked, her accent butchering the English curse word.
"Hmh, I think it means… bad?" He shrugged, "but it can mean good? I don't know how it's really used. I just hear the adults use it. You sonofabitch! What a bitch! Those kinds of things. Mostly at me."
She leaned out to hug him, "that is terrible."
"Give me some credit Kiri. They're just words. I fought nantang… by uh, howling at them."
She huffed, "does not mean I don't care."
"Fair enough."
Sliding the charging handle back, Jake looked into the chamber before setting the rifle down.
"Before you ever touch this rifle. Before you even lay eyes on this rifle," Jake began to say, watching as Neteyam quickly snapped his gaze away from the weapon as per instructions from his father.
"Before you even think of using this rifle. Here are four simple and basic rules that won't kill you or your loved ones."
Jake positioned himself between the boys.
"Rule number one," Jake pointed his index finger to the air. "This is your biggest safety. Keep it off the trigger unless you are prepared to pull it. If I see anyone place their finger while not intending to fire, I will personally see to it that you get an ass beating like never before."
Lo'ak tried to stifle a giggle as Neteyam elbowed him to quit it.
"Rule two," Jake brought two fingers in the air now, "keep the rifle pointing down to the ground until you are ready to use it."
The boys nodded, finding that to be an easy rule to follow. Miles also started to make his way over to the brothers, standing beside them as though he was one of them. Seeing this, Jake had no choice but to leave him there. Guess it was best he learned something important.
"Three. Treat all weapons as though they are loaded. Don't point them at your brothers or sister or again, you'll get the worse ass beating of your life. Don't point them at the People. Don't point them at friends. You only point them at enemies."
"Who would that be?" Lo'ak asked.
Jake thought of it for a moment, his head bouncing with the question before he gave a solid answer.
"Anyone threatening you."
"Including other Na'vi?" Neteyam jumped in, his expression becoming concern of the idea.
Jake's tail flicked around for several moments before he nodded with mild hesitation, "yes."
"Rule four," the fourth finger rose upon the pillar of rules. "Make sure who you point your weapon to, will not hurt others behind your target. I'll explain that a bit more later. But if you want to remain alive and everyone else you really-really love. Here is a simple rhyme: Never, never let your gun pointed be at anyone. All the pheasants ever bred won't make up for one man dead."
"What's this… uh phe—" Neteyam shrugged when he could not pronounce the word.
"Animal."
"Uh…"
"Just don't point the rifle at anyone."
"Oh!"
"All right, everyone understood the rules?"
Lo'ak was suddenly hesitant to go with this as Neteyam was already by his father's side, prepared to take the weapon in hand.
"Lots of rules, I think I forgot half of them." Miles said to Lo'ak.
"Yeah, I think one of them was to shoot the Na'vi who threaten us?"
Miles shook his head, "no. Your dad wants us to shoot anyone who threatens us. Including Na'vi. But that would never happen."
"How do you know?"
"I never met a bad Na'vi. Have you?"
"No." Lo'ak said softly, his mind pondering if there have ever been bad Na'vi before.
"Good. So, I wouldn't worry about it."
Jake noticed that Kiri wasn't paying much attention to his little important speech regarding firearm safety. With his ears lowering and his mouth nibbling on the inside of his lip, Jake walked over with mild caution to his steps.
"Kiri."
"Yes?" She answered.
"I know you're never going to touch a weapon, but I need you to understand the importance of the rules."
Her tail twirled with inquisitive motions, "why?"
"Just in case you ever come across one of these," he answered as he held up a rifle to her.
Kiri grew up around them, but she was wise to never touch one. Even if she wanted to, she knew her mother would get after her for it.
"I'm not going to use one," She tossed a look to the rifle as though it was utterly alien to her and it kinda was.
"Can you predict the future?" He asked, watching for the subtleties to escape from her face.
She softly hummed up a tone that finally broke out into a: "No."
"Good. Now." Jake breathed, finding balance to his bearings. "If you do happen to come across one in case of an emergency in which your life is in danger and you need to hand it to one of your brothers. I need you to be aware of the number one rule, and that is?"
Spider looked up and began to whisper but more so mouth as he did not want to incur the rage from Kiri's father.
"Uh," she looked around, even to her brothers who were trying to help her out by mouthing it too.
"Keep your finger," Jake started to answer, lifting his index finger again and bending it to show what that finger will do when over the trigger.
"Off the trigger," he then pointed to the trigger on the rifle.
"Easy enough!" Kiri said, her eyes following his finger to the trigger and even practicing her own finger movement.
"Now, what is the number one rule again?"
"Keep my finger off the trigger."
Jake gave the biggest sighs of relief he could muster as he reached out to squeeze her shoulder, thanking her. That was all Jake needed for her to learn.
"Now boys!" Jake called out as he swung back to them, "Fall in."
Neteyam and Lo'ak joined shoulder to shoulder, with Miles lining up besides Lo'ak to his left. Jake could only give a confused look to the boy, knowing that these weapons were not design for human use—at least not without a Skel or an AMP.
"Miles."
"It's Spider, sir." He corrected Jake, bracing for a hit if it were to come.
"Monkey boy to me!" Kiri yelled out from the sidelines.
"What is this monkey?!" He asked around, with no answer from anyone and a shrug from Neteyam.
"Miles-er, Spider. You know you can't use these weapons."
"Can't or you won't let me?"
Jake leveled the weapon to the five foot nothing boy.
"Its weight is more than your body mass."
"I understand sir."
Jake gave an appreciative nod to the kid and just as Jake straightened himself out, Miles once again leapt over his head with a question.
"But can I at least learn from you? The badass marine who saved the Omatikaya from certain doom and destruction?"
"That was Eywa, kid. She did the heavy load." Jake corrected him.
"Eywa and your many guns!"
Somehow this was getting slightly offensive.
"I give credit to Eywa, not me."
"Okay, okay. Keep your pride then but can I at least just watch?"
Ears flattening, Jake knew he was not going to win this argument and especially not from Kiri who was probably—yes she was giving him the stink eye all right.
"Watch—but you're going to need to plug in your ears with your finger. I did not bring a pair of earmuffs for you, so make do. That's what a marine does."
Walking over back to the table, he grabbed and tossed the headphone-looking earmuffs, complete with a microphone that they could use to talk to each other with. Directing his fingers to his ears, he motioned that they place the earmuffs on.
"This will ensure you don't go deaf." He stated.
Lo'ak fumbled with his, having never worn one in his life, while Kiri was an expert of slipping them on. Neteyam was prepared to go while Miles kept a finger in each ear.
"When the shooting starts, Spider."
"Oh right!" Miles laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed as he lowered his hands down.
When he saw that they all had their earmuffs on, he then proceeded to the range. Slapping a magazine and pulling the charging handle back, a new cartridge was in the chamber and the weapon was hot.
"Everyone can hear me all right?" He asked over the microphone. Lo'ak and Neteyam said yes, Kiri nodded, and Miles gave two thumbs up.
"Good," someone said.
Looking back down range, Jake raised the rifle to his shoulder, leaned into the stock and zeroed on the target through the loop of the iron sights. All that needed to happen was for Jake to apply the pressure.
Exhaling slowly, Jake slipped his finger beneath the trigger guard, squeezed, and…
Omatikaya Village — a month later
"Kids are fat, happy, and asleep," the Olo'eyktan whispered.
"We should go then," Neytiri advised, her feet moving with stealth and speed.
"Right behind you!" He said in an excited but hushed voice.
Nimble by experience, they ducked, swung, and leapt between tree branches as Jake caught Neytiri flashing that ivory coy grin to him. She was eager to leave and more so, she wanted this date night to go smoothly.
"Only time we can ever get a date around here." Her mate remarked as he lunged up to another tree limb.
"The kids have to be asleep. The People have to be asleep. I'm almost asleep myself since that freakin' Spider kid has been yapping his mouth off. Asking all sorts of questions. Tuk-tuk wanted to play, so I chased her around. I am fairly certain I dropped a lung somewhere when we rolled down that hill. Then she wanted to straddle my back and made me pretend I was some direhorse. Can you believe that? I had to play direhorse until my knees started to hurt."
As Jake ran his tongue endlessly into the night, Neytiri was left to smile, enjoying his pain and torture of being a father these days.
"Does being a father bring joy to you, ma Olo'eyktan?"
Holding his hand, she used his strength to glide from tree branch to tree limb, spinning with a quick movement that Jake could only regard as an elegant angel dancing upon a cloud of dreams. Then alas the momentum caused her chest to meet with his as she pressed in, feeling the beating of a thumping man's heart.
Laying his hands over her arms, Jake held her still, studying the alluring golden rings of her eyes. The scintillating and subtle movements sparkled by the luminous glow of the forest only made Jake admire her as more than just mate, but his life. There was no escaping, no leaving, no turning back. His entire future was with her.
"Joy?" He started to say, knowing the answer was much simpler. "Beyond anything I could ever dream of, my Neytiri."
Closing the gap between them, she was left to be teased by the heat of his nostrils breathing over her lips and the enamored gaze that sent shivers down her spine.
"I…" Neytiri was at a loss for words, her mind wandering through a fog so thick, she swore she was in a swamp.
"…Love…" the words trembled out from her lips, the same one that she used to guide her way through the craving she sought after.
"…you," lost to instinct, she nuzzled his lips at first, offering a small peck.
He returned his own small peck, kissing lightly and asking permission to be welcomed in.
Running a hand behind her head, he pulled nearer to her as his own words finally gave way to the running highway of ideas and thoughts.
"I love you…"
She melted into his lips, kissing passionately that could have easily taken up the night.
"Let's," Jake couldn't quite get out his suggestion as he felt his mate's hand running wild across his body.
"Let's go be—" he kissed her more, now moving down to her neck and sliding over a vein that pulsated for his attention.
"—before the kids wake up," he finished saying between a gasp of air and lust that thirsted for her.
Neytiri pressed her forehead against his, her breathing erratic and fiery. Soon, she was guiding him up a few more tree limbs, hoping to leave in peace before anyone could catch them in the act of their getaway.
Tonight… was going to be good.