bound | jake sully

CHAPTER 008 : mud

I sit and wait for Neytiri to come back with my clothes.

"I assume Jake has told you the circumstances?" She asks me in Na'vi.

Shaking my head I answer. "Nope, we haven't really had time to talk."

"Mother has given us strict instructions for us both to teach Jake the way of the people. I will be catching you up on whatever you forgotten also." She huffs.

She hands me a very skimpy outfit and leaves me to figure out how to put it on.

First, I attach the purple and yellow feathered necklace to my neck. It is sturdy enough that it won't move around a lot but if I bend forward... there will be some issues.

Next is the cloth cover skirt. It has two long pieces of beige fabric that drapes over and covers my front and back area. The strings wrap around the base of my tail.

I'm not phased by the tight, thong strap. I am used to wearing similar panties as a human.

I look questioningly at a corset-looking thing.

"Neytiri?" I ask. She ducks her head into the room. "What's this?" I ask.

"Corset." I was right. She takes it from my hands and laces it up at the back.

It's surprisingly comfortable.

She leads me out of the room and to a nearby stream of water. I look at my reflection, pleased. I smooth my hands over the fabric and smile. My fangs shiny from saliva.

Neytiri nods at my appearance and pulls me away once more.

We meet with Jake in a cleared out area. Two Na'vi men bring two horses for us.

I don't think he notices me watching him stare at me.

"These are Direhorses," I say and watch as Jake calls the female a male. I roll my eyes, "Pale is female." I chuckle when the horse whips Jake with its Shaheylu.

I walk over to my horse and mount it easily. I connect the bond and take a moment to connect with the creature.

I dull headache spreads between my eyebrows.

I try to ignore it. I listen as Tiri tells Jake what to do.

He jumps up -not as gracefully as me- onto Pale.

Jake softly grabs the horses Heylu and attaches it to his. Even from over here I see the horses eyes dilate.

"That is the Shaheylu. The bond." She explains.

"Woah." Jake expresses. The horse trots is six legs around a bit.

"Feel her breath, her strong heart, her legs." Jake closes his eyes and breathes out deeply.

I ask my horse to stand next to Jakes. They rub snouts. "When you are ready, tell her to move."

Jake gulps. "Uh, forward?" He suddenly takes off and within seconds he's on the ground face first in the mud.

I let a lout laugh escape from my throat.

Tsu'tey and another hunter come to check on us at the perfect time.

I ride my horse over to him and we both jump off. I run into his arms and I get spun around.

"Ah! Sky girl! I missed you!" He smiles. A hint of sadness behind his eyes.

"I missed to too." I give him one last hug before he goes re-mounts his horse and trots over to Neytiri and Jake.

I greet the other Na'vi with a hand gesture, I move my fingers from my forehead towards him in a curved shape.

He mimics the movement.

"You should go away." I hear Tsu'tey shout to the mud covered Jake.

"Nah you'd miss me. I knew you could speak English." He pokes his tongue out to pick the mud off.

Tsu'tey scoffs. "Your mate will learn nothing. A rock sees more, just look at the alien." I frown at his words.

"I'm an alien too." I remind him. He only shakes his head at me. There's no point denying he's my mate now. Everyone thinks he is.

Now that I think about it I wouldn't be opposed to it-

Stop thinking like that Jesus.

"Maybe physically, but not mentally, or spiritually. Your one of us. A true Na'vi." I breathe out a soft chuckle and Neytiri slaps the back of his Direhorse. With that the three of us are left alone for the rest of the day.

The next week I walk into the lab to see Mum, Norm and Max packing the majority of our stuff into boxes.

"Hey, where are we going?" I cough.

"We're moving, I'm not about to let Selfridge and Quaritch micro manage this thing." I nod and I go grab a box to pack my stuff away in.

I grab Mum and pull her away from everyone else. "How long will we be gone?"

"A month. I'm packing some medicine and medical equipment just in case anything happens."

She pulls me into a tight hug. "I'm scared Mum. I don't know what to do." Tears fill my eyes. I can feel her chest rapidly moving up and down as she silently cries as well.

"Think positive Lex, everything will be fine." She reassures me, although I think she's really trying to convince herself that. "Out of everyone, Eywa, why does it have to be my baby." Her head moves to look up at the ceiling and I assume she does it to hold back tears.

After a minute if re-collecting ourselves, I nod for her to go back and start packing.