Avatar: The Guardian

Chapter 7: Finally, a Normal Day

Author note: I use { } to separate Na'vi and English when it's appropriate for the scene.

As Kiri rode her direhorse back down the meandering river that cut through the marsh, the sound of hoofbeats cascading across the water reverberated throughout the swamp. While exhausted from the lack of sleep and fighting through yawns, she still set a course for camp. The spider frogs were no longer active, but a variety of other species were about to start their day, and the sky was now filled with vibrant birds, and the occasional Ikran rider could be seen soaring through the skies.

The sun was up in its full glory, and Kiri was worried that she wouldn't be able to sneak back into the camp without being spotted by other members of the tribe. She dismounted her direhorse just out of sight of the camp, detangled her queue, and got her bag before sending the direhorse back to the herd. Voices, hunting cries, and other camp noises characteristic of the morning could be heard off in the distance.

Kiri toyed with her mother's necklace while she considered how to get inside the camp without being discovered. After some thought, she had an idea after noticing a clay pot artistically decorated with the clan's colors beside one of the trees. She snatched it up and filled it as full as her cast arm would allow from the nearby stream. It was still uncomfortable to hold, and she had to take long, steady breaths to suppress the discomfort so she could carry it with her.

Kiri made her way past the herd of direhorses that were munching on their morning feed towards the camp gate. There were two guards at the main gate, but the camp was not completely enclosed, so she decided to sneak in through one of the lesser-known side entrances that Spider had brought her through once before. Once through, she noticed a group of Na'vi warriors, both young and adults, getting ready for a dawn hunt and kept her head low so they hopefully didn't recognize her.

As Kiri made her way through that crowd and reached the cave entrance, she saw Jake standing off in the distance. He was standing near the human barracks with around two dozen warriors, giving them what she assumed was a pep talk before their morning training. Among them were Txoum and her brothers.

When Kiri was distracted, something suddenly moved in front of her, causing her to screech to a halt and nearly drop the jug. Mo'at was in front of her, and Kiri gasped in panic.

"{Child, where have you been?}" Mo'at asked demandingly.

"{I was getting some water for my tent,}" Kiri responded unconvincingly, almost dropping the jug again.

Behind Mo'at Kiri, she could see Tuk and numerous other Na'vi her age, including the brother and sister Ssezao'ite pair who had taunted her weeks before for looking at a plant for "too long." When the pair noticed Kiri, they exchanged foul looks and muttered a few snickers to one another. In the back, Tuk waved at Kiri, glad to see she made it back.

Mo'at looked Kiri up and down, making her fidget a little. "{Put that away and join us outside,}" she said, motioning for Kiri to step aside.

Kiri nodded and moved out of the path, and an audible hiss came from behind her as she unintentionally stepped on someone's tail, which made her jump and spill water on herself.

"{I'm sorry!}" Kiri spoke quickly to the upset individual behind her, and the group behind Mo'at chuckled, including Tuk.

Mo'at shook her head and motioned for the ones behind her to follow. Kiri glanced down at the ground in embarrassment as the group walked by. Internally, she was glad that was the worst of it, and she entered the cave.

Kiri reluctantly left the cave after putting her things away and thinking about sleeping in her cot. She yawned in the early morning light and looked around the camp for Mo'at. The camp was a hive of activity, with groups of Na'vi workers and Na'vi gatherers visible everywhere, mingling with the occasional human.