Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter eleven of "Gone in the Dark." This chapter has some Tonowari/Ronal, Jake/Neytiri, and Lo'ak/Tsireya. The next one may feature the first appearance of Payakan. Stay tuned for chapter twelve.
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Chapter 11: Calm Evening
Polyphemus hung above Awa'atlu in the midevening. Two large clouds began to move over it. Three dorado verdes flew through the sky. They emitted a series of chirps and squawks. They headed downward and landed on the windowsill of the mauri Kuai was staying in. They looked inside to see Ronal sitting next to her as she slept on her back on the cot in which she was covered by its blanket.
Ronal ran her hand over Kuai's forehead. She was glad the young hunter had been found alive. She wished the rest of the hunting party had been found. She had a feeling they were at Kia being treated for injuries most likely caused in surprise attacks by the Green Spears. Though she held animosity toward her rivals, she understood innocents were suffering within their clan as well. She hoped they would come out alive.
Her thoughts shifted to Kiki and Kipling. She could see they could not understand what was going on around them. She was only able to tell them their clan had been fighting to protect their territory from their enemies who wanted it. She was grateful to Tuktiery for keeping them occupied with games and beach walks. She found both activities to be great stimulation for children, especially toddlers.
Ronal snapped out of her thoughts when approaching footfalls sounded along with the squawking of the dorado verdes as they took off flying. She turned to see Tonowari coming into the mauri. She smiled at him as he came toward her and stopped next to her. Her ears twitched twice, and she placed her hand on her knee.
"Hello, Tonowari," Ronal greeted in a warm voice. "What brings you here?"
"I thought I'd come see you. Jake told me you were watching over Kuai," Tonowari answered, sitting down beside her. "How is she?"
"She is sleeping well," Ronal said while turning to the young woman. "I do not blame her for saying she could fall asleep while Mo'at and I were treating her injuries. Hiding from the enemy takes a lot out of a young hunter or warrior."
"Kuai did not want to get killed by Nekx or one of his comrades. She made the right choice hiding from them. Of course, she had no way of getting off that island due to her ilu being killed and her suffering a leg wound," Tonowari pointed out truthfully.
"Swimming would have been very difficult for her. Payakan does not hang around that area, so he would not have been able to help her. We Metkayina may be expert swimmers, but we can't go on forever. We have to rest," Ronal said gently yet firmly.
"It is dangerous being out there right now, but many Metkayina are willing to take the risk to go hunting," Tonowari responded.
"Life is all about taking risks. What kind of a life would we lead if we were not willing to take them?" Ronal wondered.
"It would be a dull life," Tonowari admitted softly. He touched her shoulder gently. "That's for sure."
She took his hand into hers. She gave it two gentle squeezes before patting it with her other one. He looked toward the window. He observed an ilu leaping out of the water in the distance. It surfaced after going back in. It held its head high, squeaking softly. He turned back to her.
"If you want to know about Kiki and Kipling, they are sleeping soundly in our marui," Tonowari said, a smile forming on his face.
"That is good," Ronal said, her voice sounding very relieved. "We were wise to give our children human names. Their personalities fit them perfectly, especially Kipling."
"Spider said he wanted to watch Kiki and Kipling tomorrow. He felt Tuktiery deserved a break from it," Tonowari said and cleared his throat. He rubbed the back of his neck before laying his hand in his lap. "I thought that was fine. They enjoy his company."
"It is interesting how he is not much taller than they are," Ronal commented and chuckled to herself. "He has gotten occasional neck strain from looking up at us."
He sighed in a soft way. "He's such a good boy. I do not blame Neytiri for shunning him for much of his life. He is the offspring of the man who killed her father. She feared his dark side would emerge and pose a danger to her children, especially Tuk."
"We all have our dark sides. Spider was relieved to know Neytiri was only acting like she was about to kill him. She had to think of how to get Quaritch to release Kiri very quickly," Ronal explained.
"I imagine a scenario where Neytiri found Spider hiding somewhere on the sinking SeaDragon and freaked him out. She calmed him down and knew they needed to think of a way to get Quaritch to let Kiri go. She suggested that he let her pretend to take him hostage under the threat of killing him. He went along with it, though he was reluctant," Tonowari said, his ears perking up somewhat.
"That would've been an interesting scenario, but things do not always go the way we plan," Ronal said.
"We did not plan on housing the Sully family," Tonowari whispered, his ears twitching twice. "Their arrival was so unexpected."
"You can't exactly send a messenger to let a Na'vi clan know you are coming, especially if you are arriving on very short notice," Ronal pointed out matter-of-factly.
"That is true," Tonowari agreed.
She emitted a sharp exhale. "The universe is full of unexpected surprises."
Tonowari slipped his arm around his mate and pulled her close to him. He kissed her temple while rocking her from side to side. He released his hold on her after twenty seconds.
"I have to admit I am a little nervous about Nekx being here," she said softly.
"I am too," he replied with a heavy sigh. "He has done a lot of harm by attacking our people without provocation."
"He has always said the Metkayina restarted the rivalry between us and the Green Spears by clashing with their hunters and warriors. It does not matter who restarted it. What matters is innocent people are suffering on both sides," Ronal said, looking at Kuai.
"We need to keep a closer eye on the Green Spears now that Nekx is here. His presence can make it easier for them to plot a revolt and take over the village," Tonowari suggested.
"I agree. I do not trust any of these Green Spears, even if they have not caused any real trouble," Ronal said in a fierce voice.
"I do not blame Nekx for being irritated with Julay. She does have a big mouth," Tonowari said, amusement lining his voice.
"A big mouth can get others in trouble," Ronal commented in a low but firm voice. "That's for sure."
Tonowari kissed the back of Ronal's head. He wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to rock her from side to side. The squeaking of ilus echoed in the distance.
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Jake and Neytiri sat on the pier outside the Sully mauri. They had their feet in the water and their eyes on two moons in the sky. The moons appeared to be stacked on top of each other, though they were not touching at all. A banshee flew past them. Its silhouette seemed to meld against them. It disappeared beyond the horizon. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"If I did not know better, I say that ikran is on a bit of an adventure," he said, smiling lightly.
"Tonowari and Ronal did say they occasionally saw ikran out here," she responded. "There are plenty of cliffs for the ikran to rest on during their long trips."
"Our flight to this place could be called an adventure," Jake suggested with a raised eyebrow.
"I would say so. We had to travel through a bad storm. Waves crashed all over the place. We got pretty wet. We did stop on a few small islands to allow ourselves and the ikran to rest," Neytiri explained.
"The kids explored the islands a little bit. Neteyam made them stay close to him. He threatened to tell on them if they wandered off," Jake commented and made a funny noise.
"Like Tuk threatened to tell on Lo'ak if he did not let her come with him, Spider, and Kiri to explore the old battlefield," Neytiri said while stroking her chin.
"Exactly. Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. If Lo'ak had not gone to that place, we would have had no idea Quaritch was hunting us," Jake pointed out honestly.
"Knowing that demon had been brought back to life really burned me up," Neytiri hissed, anger lining her voice. She curled her hand into a tight fist. "I vowed to kill him as many times as I had to."
"That bastard is still out there," Jake growled while shaking his head in disbelief. "He won't stop until he has our heads on silver platters."
"I know," Neytiri whispered as she looked down at the water. She could see fish swimming all over the place. "I can never blame Spider for saving Quaritch. Quaritch treated him with dignity and respect throughout his captivity with the humans. They formed a close bond. Spider saw it as murder to leave him in his horrible state. Quaritch may be our enemy, but he has shown he can care for others, especially children."
"Many people are very complicated," Jake replied. "Quaritch and Spider are no exception."
Neytiri glanced toward the horizon. She folded her hands and laid them in her lap. She tried to suppress a yawn, but she could not help herself.
"This afternoon really wore me out," Neytiri admitted.
"It wore me out too," Jake added with a heavy sigh. "We spent a while searching for Kuai and her hunting party. We found her, but we had to move slowly because of her leg injury. We fought Nekx. He sustained an injury from me. We brought him to the village to be treated. We brought his comrade as well. He was laid to rest in the Cove of the Ancestors."
"I do not trust Nekx or the other Green Spears. His presence will make them bolder to plan a revolt," Neytiri said in some uncertainty.
"Tonowari and Ronal won't let that happen. They will keep a very close eye on all of them," Jake assured.
She gritted her teeth. "That may not be enough."
"I see what you mean. I prepared the Omaticaya to fight against the RDA for years, but that was not enough to win every skirmish we've had with them," Jake said, frowning. "They have been doing well without my help."
"I may have never been fond of our people using metal weapons for battle, but I can see why they were needed. They were much more powerful than bows and arrows were," Neytiri murmured, breathing deeply.
He nodded in agreement. "Of course."
Jake and Neytiri glanced at the moons. They could see clouds moving over them at a slow yet steady pace. They swung their legs back and forth three times.
"You remember all the times we and the kids went swimming together in lakes, rivers, and streams?" he wondered.
"You bet I do," she admitted with a smile. "Our kids are good swimmers, but they had never free-dived before. They had a hard time keeping up with Aonung, Tsireya, and Roxto."
"Aonung teased the kids about their failed attempts to hold their breath for extended periods of time," Jake commented.
"I can never forget how Tsu'tey ridiculed you over your first failed attempt to ride a pa'li," Neytiri said, giggling. "You did look ridiculous being covered in mud."
"It was not my finest moment. I failed at my first attempt to ride a tsurak as well. The difference was I was not covered in mud," Jake said and snorted in a soft way.
"I was not interested in learning how to free-dive or ride an ilu before the skirmish at Three Brothers. I wanted to stick to the ways of the forest so badly," Neytiri explained, a heavy sigh leaving her mouth.
Jake touched her shoulder. "You finally realized you needed to learn to free-dive and ride an ilu after Neteyam's funeral. You continue to use Artemis, so you can scout the skies for trouble."
Neytiri snorted. "Sometimes, you and Lo'ak use Draco and Apollo to do the same. The search for Hi'i and her hunting party is a good example. Unfortunately, you found all of them dead."
Jake emitted a sad sigh. He recalled finding Hi'i with her throat slit from ear to ear alongside Lo'ak on the first of a chain of islands. He saw Lo'ak looked about ready to throw up and told him to take a breather in a bush. He squeezed his eyes shut and began to cry. He got word from the others her friends were also deceased. They took them home and held the funeral at the Cove of the Ancestors that night.
"Eywa reminds me of the Elysian Fields in Greek mythology. The deceased do not even know they are dead. They wait every day for their loved ones to join them," Jake explained.
"It may sound like a lonely afterlife, but peace is there. You do not have to worry about struggles ever again," Neytiri replied in a warm voice. "Neteyam is happy, even if he does not know he is dead."
"Eywa maintains not just balance of life. She maintains the balance between good and evil too," Jake said.
"You quoted Ridley Scott's Legend right after we learned I was pregnant with Neteyam. There can be no good without evil, no love without hate, no heaven without hell, and no light without dark. When one tries to overtake the other, the balance is thrown out of whack," Neytiri commented.
"Jack and Lily thought only good existed in the world. They learned the hard way that was not true when the Lord of Darkness had Blix slay a unicorn. The unicorn was the guardian of light. If one was killed, an eternal winter resulted," Jake responded. "The only way for it to end was to return the unicorn's horn."
"Eywa is so mysterious sometimes. To this day, we do not even know if Kiri has a father. She does not want to connect to the Spirit Tree or the Tree of Souls to find out because she fears having another violent seizure. Ronal and Mother have studied her, but even they are baffled by her incredibly strong connection to Eywa," Neytiri murmured, sighing to herself. "However, her abilities came in handy when she came to rescue Tuk and me."
"We should allow Kiri to find the answers to her origins when she feels she is ready. We should not force her," Jake said, rubbing her shoulder in a very gentle manner.
"I know," Neytiri agreed while laying her hand over his. "I am glad to have her in our lives, though."
"So am I," Jake said as he placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. He laid his cheek against it.
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Lo'ak and Tsireya were walking on the beach. They looked out to the horizon. They observed three banshees flying above the moons. The banshees flapped their wings in almost perfect unison. The couple stopped to watch them. The banshees dove downward toward the water. They turned upward just before they touched the surface.
"It is so cool how those ikrans dove toward the water and turned upward at the last seconds," he said warmly.
"It is not every day something like that happens," she replied quietly.
"It's not every day we see wild ikran out here either," Lo'ak added while turning to her.
"The ikran have to be very careful. They can't stay close to the water for very long in some places because akula will leap up and grab them," Tsireya commented seriously.
"I was really scared when that akula attacked me. I was running out of breath while I was hiding. I made a break for it. It was about to eat me when Payakan came out of nowhere and killed it. I had lost consciousness by then. When I woke up, I thought I was on a rock until a giant burst of air hit me in the face. Then I realized what it was," Lo'ak explained.
"I can see now that Payakan was never a killer. He will always bear the deaths he caused by the tulkun way. At least he was welcomed back into his pod and Metkayina. There is always a place for him if he wishes to be with his kind," Tsireya pointed out matter-of-factly.
Lo'ak let out a soft sigh. He could never forget bonding with Payakan to see why he was cast out by the other tulkun and Metkayina. He felt the pain the former outcast suffered with witnessing his mother's death at the hands of the RDA. He wished he could go back in time and prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, he knew that was impossible.
"I was wondering. Do you want to come with me to see Payakan tomorrow morning?" Lo'ak wondered.
"Sure," Tsireya agreed. "It will be nice to get away from the village for a while."
"It will get our minds off this war," Lo'ak said as he put his arm around her. "I just want it to end."
"Everyone does," Tsireya murmured, looking up at him. "It has been hard on everyone, especially the children."
"It was ironic that Nekx sided with me on Julay's complaints about my applying of medical care. This was the guy who injured Kuai. Dad said Kuai looked at him and hissed angrily," Lo'ak added.
She emitted a long exhale. "I do not blame her. She will likely bear scars from her injuries. At least that ointment the Avatar Team brought does well in minimizing the appearance of scars."
"Some of humanity's medicine is better than Na'vi medicine is," Lo'ak said, his ears perking up. "Don't take that as an insult, though."
"I am not. You are right about what you said. Penicillin was what saved Lauchi from a terrible lung infection," Tsireya said, smiling lightly. "Norm said he brought some in case any of the wounded became ill due to their wounds becoming infected."
"No one has developed an infection from a wound yet, but that will likely change," Lo'ak admitted.
She nodded in agreement. "Yes."
Lo'ak and Tsireya watched the ikran disappear beyond the horizon. They shifted their attention to the moons. They could see the clouds moving over them. He sighed to himself.
"Dad told me once that kids often thought Earth's moon was made of cheese," Lo'ak commented with a chuckle.
"I have seen pictures of Earth's moon before it was colonized. I can see why kids would think such a thing. It did have the appearance of Swiss cheese," Tsireya said, giggling to herself.
"I can't help but wonder if other worlds have a great abundance of life like Pandora does," Lo'ak said curiously.
"I am sure they do. If humanity finds these worlds, they could do them great harm," Tsireya whispered fearfully.
"Perhaps the worlds will have sentient species who are willing to fight to protect them like we are," Lo'ak suggested.
She nodded at him. "They could. Who knows?"
He huffed. "Yeah. Who knows?"
Lo'ak kissed Tsireya's temple. They resumed walking as another ikran flew past the moons.