I Feel You

Chapter 18

"Is this a relaxing day Amhul?" She finally murmured, rolling onto her side to face the older women once she was mostly dry.

"This is supposed to be yes, but also a learning day for common knowledge that children will have been learning without actual teaching involved." Gene nodded, body curling into a ball before she stretched fully out and sat up.

"Since your hair is mostly dry I'll instruct you on some styles of braids you can wear. While your attempts have done the trick in regards to protecting your tswin, they still look terrible." Gene laughed at that knowing her work was messy, but videos could only do so much as compared to actual hands on learning which she could only do if inhabiting the body. Never both at the same time unfortunately.

So instead she sat and watched Amhul expertly weave rows of tightly bound hair into several cornrows that then curled around her central braid that housed her tswin, beads threaded onto the ones that remained loose so they'd click together. 

"I'll complete one for you, but you'll have to finish the rest." It took several tries before she managed to complete one satisfactory enough to Amhul's taste and from there each one was made better till she could make without a mistake one as tightly bound as Amhul's own.

"Good. You being able to learn quickly has been a blessing." What had once been one large messy braid quickly became a curtain of smaller ones that covered the one she'd woven around her queue. "Perfect. You're only missing one thing."

Amhul grabbed the circlet she'd forgone putting back on before placing it on Gene's head, the simple black beads curving across her temple just as they had Amhul's. "Now you're complete." She reached up, feeling the beads before looking at Amhul in shock. Her smile widened even more, cheeks almost hurting as she embraced the older woman in thanks.

"Now that that's finished, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Amhul pulled pack slightly, watching Gene's confliction of feeling with a soft smile. Finally she nodded, carefully slipping her loincloth back on but forgoing her top, choosing instead to carry it in hand.

Instead of heading back towards hometree, Amhul led them further away. They followed the small stream that led into the pond, the bank widening the further along they went before Gene spotted the na'vi who were fishing in the deeper parts of the river. They didn't use fishing rods, making use of nets that were tied around the waist of two na'vi as they waded through the water. A few baskets sat snugly between rocks on the back, water flowing through the weavings do the fish inside would remain fresh until they brought it back to be smoked.

"Txopu." An older male looked up from where he was intently watching the water, looking for something with a spear in hand. Instead of the usual greeting, he instead gently rested his forehead against Amhul's before his eyes turned to look at Gene, eyes lingering on the beads now on her head instead of Amhul's with an emotion she couldn't quite make out.

"Gene, this is my mate Txopu." She stepped forward performing the usual greeting movements, "I see you Txopu."

"I see you Gene. You are different from what I thought you'd be." He didn't elaborate when she tilted her head at him, not realizing she had already failed his expectations and unsure of the feeling that settled deep in her chest. Instead he looked at Amhul, a question seeming to pass between them before he sighed as she smiled.

"My mate has spoken of you as of late. She says you are a quick learner."

"I enjoy learning new things."

"Then I will teach you how to catch srakat. We do not have them often, but since their mating season will be upon us we have been watching for them." He handed her his spear, taking up a position behind her as they watched the waters. Amhul watched nearby, a memory overlapping with the scene before her.

Finally after he described the fish she was looking for and showed her how to hold and thrust the spear, she finally pierced the water and from it drew the struggling fish. Txopu was quick to pull the spear away from the water, saving their catch as it broke itself off the tip and landed on the ground. Gene drew the dagger Amhul had gifted her, whispering her prayer before sliding the knife into the fishes stomach and up.

"Good. I'll show you how to prepare it before you deliver it to the cooks." Slowly she carved away at the skin, carefully pulling the pearls embedded in it's back under the skin out of the flesh. She nicked one, a piece of the currently soft pearl falling off as she hissed. She glared at the now imperfect pearl, working more carefully to remove what remained before she finally finished and placed body in a basket waiting to the side, the skin still held in hand.

"Mistakes happen. It does no one any good to be perfect all the time. You are not a master, allow yourself to make a mistake a few times. Learn from them and improve."

"Yes Txopu."

"Good. Lay the skin to the side and catch another." She did as instructed, managing to catch three more before he allowed his mate to take her back, the fish skins under Amhul's arms along with the pearls Gene had managed to pull from the flesh that laid in the basket waiting. She smiled softly at him, tail curling around his own softly before she was once more leading Gene. He watched until they were gone, thoughts turning over themselves and heart conflicted. There was understanding though so he let it be, returning to his task with a huff.