I released my eagle cry up to the leaves of Hometree, hearing Solros' roaring reply as he came barreling down out of the leaves like a stumbling hatchling, landing in front of me and sitting like an excited dog. I raised my hand over my lips, struggling to control my want to snort at Solros' actions.
"White Foot seems... over excited." Tsu'tey said in Na'vi. I grinned as I looked at Tsu'tey, who was looking in mild amusement at Solros.
"This is the third time he has responded this way, I get the feeling he rather enjoys flying with me." I said, reaching out and placing my hand on Solros' head as he lowered it, antenna coming around the side, excited to fly. I placed my forehead on Solros', then pulled my head away and rolling my eyes at Solros' eagerness for a flight.
Tsu'tey released his own cry as I peeked at him out of the edge of my eye, watching as his ikran Pil came out of the roosting area for the ikran much more gracefully, landing perfectly with her head held high, glaring at Solros. I get the feeling she is showing off how much more proper she can be than Solros. I grinned at that, Solros not even acknowledging her, too excited to fly, all him focus on me.
Night and day difference, these two are. Solros the overly curious and constantly happy White Foot, and Pil the prideful and stern ikran. Proves how different Tsu'tey and I really are, yet for some reason we get along, sort of.
Well, less than sort of, since we insult each other a lot, though recently its become more teasing than actual insults. I looked at Tsu'tey out of the edge of my eye as he patted Pil's head, my eyes following the lithe muscle of his raised arm to his stern looking face that is blank but hinting at a scowl even now.
As I watched him, I was once more reminded of my discovery, that I have developed feelings for him. Yet, I know I can't ever act on those feelings, I don't think I can even stop them at this point. I can't ever truly love him though, he has his duties to the Omaticaya and I will not stand in the way of that.
I will keep reinforcing that in my head till my believe it, even if my heart does not. Even if he wasn't destined to be mates with Neytiri, I couldn't put him through the pain of loving me and then losing me when this sickness finally catches up with me. I closed my eyes tight, leaning my forehead on Solros' again to ground myself, feeling the repeated turmoil again before pushing past it.
Live in the moment, don't look to far into the future. If I do... I fear I may drown in the pain and heartbreak.
I smoothed my expression as I grabbed my queue and held it out to Solros, pushing all those emotions to the back of my mind, live in the moment. I connected my queue and hopped up on Solros' back, the White Foot already eager to take off, but I tightened my hold on his antennas to stop him for a moment, looking over as Tsu'tey gracefully and quickly connected his queue with Pil's and hopped onto her back with an ease that comes from practice.
I watched his movement interestedly as he perched on Pil's saddle, looking back at me with a blank expression, but I think I saw his lips tug up a bit before smoothing as he flicked his glasses down.
Suddenly he clicked his tongue and Pil dove off the tree like a giant bat, wings folded in close. Solros roared excitedly, jumping off behind her and streamlining his body for speed in his drop. I reached up and pushed my glasses down, my eyes watering at the wind. I grinned, letting out a whoop of excitement as Solros pulled out of the dive last second, spirling up beside Tsu'tey and Pil and releasing a roar. I smiled in amusement, realising Solros was aware of Pil's showing off and was showing off in return.
Pill squacked in annoyance as Tsu'tey smirked, looking at Solros and probably realising what the two flyers were doing. I stared at Tsu'tey's face, the smirk almost being a smile...
I grinned, feeling excitement rise as I turned Solros to the right, making the air for his wings jostle Tsu'tey and pil, grinning as Tsu'tey glared up at me in annoyance, but yet I detected that the glare wasn't as annoyed as usual.
Soon we were flying across the skies, Tsu'tey sometimes pulling off maneuvers I didn't know ikran could do and Solros even seemed shocked at times, yet I know understood that Solros lost his mother when he was young, much like me, so many of the things he needed to learn were what he taught himself.
I whooped as solros suddenly twisted in a dive after Tsu'tey as we dove under one of the floating mountains, instantly my hair was soaked in mist from one of the misting waterfalls coming off the floating mountain. I leaned down over Solros' neck, seeing the White Foot focusing on Pil's tail and grinning as I realized what he planned to do.
I had somewhat figured this out over the past few days of being with Solros, that ducking my head down to his neck and squinting my eyes is a smart idea. Solros roared, twisting his tail minutely before bringing his wings down hard.
WHOOSH!
I felt my eyes water, yet I kept them open to watch as Solros lifted his wing enough last second to blast Pil with all the force of the wind he created, Pil roared her annoyance and I even think I heard Tsu'tey scoff angrily as Solros flew right on ahead.
I laughed, glanging back to see Tsu'tey giving me the most annoyed glare I have seen today.
"Keep up, Proud Scowl! " I called back in Tula, grinning as I saw Tsu'tey's eyes narrow. I grinned, glad to be back to our usual insulting each other, taunting each other act. I looked forward as Solros spun around a hanging root, another misting waterfall covering me in a fine mist as we bursted out from under the floating mountain and back into daylight, Solros excited that I am excited.
"Hey!" I shouted, shocked, as suddenly Solros had to spin out of the way of Pil's tail aimed for my head.
"You say keep up, you too slow, Dumb Twig!" Tsu'tey called back, looking over his shoulder and...
Grinning?
My eyes widened, surely I am dreaming. Wait, no, that isn't possible because I hardly sleep anymore, and when I do, I crash like death. So is Tsu'tey actually grinning, or am I seeing things? I smiled anyways, too happy to think anymore on it.
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I tossed my legs over my cliff, rubbing my eyes to try to make them produce liquid again as I blinked at the low sun. The rushing of a waterfall next to the cliff we set down on in the floating mountains being the only other sound.
Beyond Pil smacking Solros repeatedly in the face with her tail due to his last incident of annoying her. I continued rubbing my eyes as Tsu'tey sat down on the cliff edge as well, me peeking at him through the eye I am not rubbing. I looked back out over the sky though, seeing the floating mountains becoming black silhouettes in the sun's low ray's. I spotted an ikran or two flying lazily in the late afternoon light.
"I still don't think I can ever get used to the beauty this planet holds." I whispered quietly, watching the sky as I few clouds blocked some of the sun's gold, orange, and red rays, distant roars of ikrans, two play fighting in the air before lazily circling away from each other.
I felt Tsu'tey look at me again with that intent look, like he was trying to pick into my mind and figure out what changed, before he spoke.
"You speak of what Rrta like now, but you not speak of what Rrta like before." Tsu'tey said, making me look at him curiously. Yet again I was shocked by his interest in Earth, when I first met him he cared nothing for my people.
I still think he hates Sky People, but I'm glad he hates me a little less than when we first met. Maybe, just maybe, he accept that I am nothing like the mercs who killed Sylwanin. I looked out over the sky once more, a wistful sadness filling me, thinking of the paintings and pictures depicting life on Earth a few hundred years ago.
"I was born in this time, of the beauty of the planet fading, so I never was able to truly saw Earth's beauty with my own eyes, only glimpses into it's past. By decree of the United Nations, all such pictures, books, writings, paintings, etc. were destroyed to keep the population from knowing what Earth was like before. TULTE probably has the only books, paintings, and pictures that show what Earth was once like." I said wistfully, imagining some mix of the paintings I saw and the vibrants colors of Pandora.
I smiled, watching the clouds roll over the sun, making beams of gold rain down on the mountains, "We had a hall, made just for those books and pictures. But, my favorite of all of them? A set of waving, rolling hills carpeted in green under a vibrant blue sky, fluffy white clouds overhead and golden sun rays covering the hills, which were dotted with thousands of vibrant, bright flowers, ranging from yellow, to blue, to purple, to pink, orange, or red." I said, thinking back on that painting, then looking at Tsu'tey, who was looking out to the sunset with furrowed eyebrows, almost a scowl.
I looked back out at the mountains, "Closest I can think of to the bright colors of those flowers are the lights from the plants and animals at night. Earth never had that beauty, when night falls, we only have the light of our single pale white moon and the stars to guide us in the dark." I continued, thinking back on my ancestors and the passed down secrets.
"My ancestors revered the stars, saw them as the guiding light, some even saw the stars as beings of light who look down upon us and guide us where is right. Back then, The Great mother Eagle had not revealed herself to my people. Some say she is the last remaining animal spirit my ancestors revered as well, others say she only showed herself to save us from destruction, wanting to give us a chance to decide for ourselves. No one really knows why we only discovered her presence when Earth was so destroyed." I said, silence falling for a time as I watched the sky.
"Rrta All mother does not sound like Eywa." Tsu'tey finally spoke.
"No, I have learned recently that both of them are very different. The Great mother Eagle is a guiding hand on our back, but she cannot follow us everywhere we go and her goals are to keep us safe and restore the rest of Earth to what it should be. Eywa... well, I have grasped enough from what you have taught me that she keeps the balance in all things here." I said, hoping I guess right.
"Eywa does keep balance, in all things, and trust us to keep balance as well." Tsu'tey said, looking at me.
I glanced at him before deciding to speak, "you know.. I have not asked, mostly because I don't want to pry but... what do the Na'vi believe happens, when you... die." I asked carefully, keeping my expression neutral. Tsu'tey blinked at that, a furrow appearing his his brows before his expression smoothed.
"All energy is only borrowed, Eywa gives it to us for our life, but we not keep it. When time come, we give energy back, and join Eywa." Tsu'tey stated, looking at me, "What do Tulte people believe?" Tsu'tey asked curiously, making me look at him in shock.
This is one thing I didn't think Tsu'tey would ever care about, maybe he really is starting to see what how different my people are from the rest of humanity. I tilted my head, trying to think of the best way to describe my people's beliefs to Tsu'tey, so that he would understand. A few of the concepts just don't exist in Pandora.
"Well... you know how Ikran nest during mating season?" I said, deciding it is best to start there. Tsu'tey looked at me in pure confusion, "Just... roll with it, it will make sense in a moment." I said, Tsu'tey rolling his eyes, which shocked me, before nodding, watching me closely. I felt very uncomfortable under Tsu'tey's intense, focused gase.
"Okay, The Great Mother Eagle and her children are much like ikran, they fly, are predators, and her children nest for mating season. My people believe that her children pay close attention to us, watch us, and, if need be, guide us. Through them, it is decided on if we are reborn to do more good for Earth, or go up to the giant gold nest in the sky, where The Great Mother Eagle embraces us under her wings, a place where there is no fear, or hate, or pain, or grief. It is peace." I said softly, imagining the painted imagines of the large golden nest above the sun, hidden from our sight, where all souls of TULTE travel to after death.
Once I die... well, I have quite the distance to travel.
"Very different from Eywa, but not different in peace." Tsu'tey said, watching me closely.
I put my elbows on my knees, leaning my head on my hands as I looked out at the lowering sun.
"Peace is good." I whispered, more lost in thought, unaware of Tsu'tey's gaze turning a touch worried at my words before his expression cleared and he looked forward.
Okay, starting to get back into the writing here. It's taking a bit of time, especially since, at this point, the story is reach the giant parts so I am sort drawing out the sweeter chapters before then. This is turning out better than I expected, and I especially love the evolution of Hettie's character, showing her growing into a character of great care and strength.
Wait for the next chapter, this one you will really enjoy. I am excited! Enjoy reading!