Starting New

Thanks for the reviews. If you're wondering why Jake and Norm were so easily accepted into the tribe, there is a reason for that. Read on to find out!!



Chapter 17



The following day I woke up early. It was something I would need to get used to. They expected us to attend breakfast with the tribe early. Jake was still asleep, his head pressed into my neck. I lay there quietly for a moment, finding the time to relish in the comfort of him. I looked around our small dwelling to see the morning sun filtering through the small doorway.



Jake must have sensed my wakefulness, because he lifted his head and squinted at me.



“Morning already?”



“Uh huh,” I replied, putting one of my hands behind my head and looking up at him, “I think I could use a bath.”



“Hmmm. Me too,” He said softly, putting his head back down on my chest and idly stroking my hair, “We’ll have to find out where it is.”



“I miss speaking English,” I told him in the language we had been using, Omaticayan.



“Why? You speak Omaticayan as fluidly as I do now,” Jake said, looking into my eyes.



I shrugged slightly, putting us a little off balance. The hammock swayed a little.



“I guess it’s the only thing that connects us to our past.”



“I don’t need the past anymore,” Jake said simply.



I didn’t argue, but I still couldn’t help but feel like the past would always be with us, whether we were human or whether we were Na’vi. We pulled our loincloths back on and went back out to find everyone else. We ate breakfast quickly with the tribe. They all seemed so happy compared to the other tribes we visited. The Omaticaya, to me, always seemed so serious. The Leomatica were more casual and carefree.



“The warriors are going hunting today,” Ala’kan said, coming to sit with us, “Would you like to join them, Jake? They ride their Toruk to hunt.”



The olo’eyktan seemed genuinely excited about this idea. Jake just looked at me and I shrugged, “Sure.”



“Oh good! And will Norm come too?”



“Oh no, I don’t ride a Toruk. That’s just Jake,” I said immediately.



“Oh me neither! Telan has tried to convince me to claim one, but I just don’t have the interest. He’s such a good rider and I don’t think I’ll ever be. I don’t ride my own. I ride with him. It is easier to hunt. He rides and I hunt. Are you a good hunter, Norm?”



I opened my mouth, but Jake beat me to it, “He has good aim. I taught him myself.”



“Well, then, you must come with us!” He said, grinning, happy.



Jake and I took a swim in a small pond they had a little further north on the mountain. We bathed quickly, as the hunters were ready to fly off. Jake seemed a little excited about the idea, himself. I wasn’t so excited. I didn’t particularly like flying. I felt safe on Shadow, but the heights still bothered me. We cleaned up, washed our hair and bodies and then went to find the rest of the clan. They had called their Toruk’s to their mountain and it seemed like so many of the large aerial birds hung onto the sides. There were several of them, all different colors. It was a beautiful, amazing sight to behold. Jake called Shadow and she came flying up. She seemed happy to be among others of her kind.



Jake had strung his bow and arrow on his back, as had I and the other warriors. They were eager to take flight and quickly jumped onto their Toruk’s and flew into the sky.



“Just hold onto me like always, alright?” Jake said as I jumped on behind him, “I don’t think they’ll be doing aerial feats with so many riding double.”



I didn’t know what he was talking about until he took off. Several of the Na’vi had hitched a ride behind one of the warriors. I assumed they were their mates or maybe intended mates. A felt a large breeze from my side and Telan and Ala’kan came riding up next to us. Telan’s Toruk was exceptionally large with blue and purple streaks on its skin. Telan was perched on the front and Ala’kan was holding on to him with one arm around his waist.



“You look terrified, Norm! I figured you were used to riding since you came so far,” He said, laughing over the sound of the wind.



“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” I admitted, still holding onto Jake with both hands and pressing my body close to his.



Ala’kan laughed openly and Telan suddenly raised his right hand. Ala’kan looked over his shoulder and together they banked south. The other warriors followed. Their laughter and jiving had stopped.



“They must have spotted something,” Jake said, pushing Shadow to go south. The wind blew through my hair and I clutched Jake tightly against me. I could see the start of a smile on his lips.



“Don’t make fun,” I muttered.



“I’m not,” He said, his smile widening.



We caught up with the other Toruk Maktos and could see Telan’s Toruk coming out ahead. He pointed at something in the sky and Ala’kan’s hands briefly left his waist as he pulled out his bow and arrow. He leaned on his mate’s shoulder for leverage and aimed at some large, black animal that was crouching near a cliff on one of the neighboring mountains. The hit was good and the animal instantly dropped down. Telan nodded and grinned over his shoulder and said something to his mate in their language.



“Wow, you’re really good,” Jake yelled over to them as we caught up.



“I’ve been doing it for a while,” He said and leaned back slightly with a left, “You should teach your mate how to hunt from the sky.”



“Maybe I will,” Jake said with a smile.



Two other warriors had gotten off their Toruk’s and began to tie the dead animal to one of the Toruk’s to take back to the camp. The animal was larger than I had initially thought and would probably provide many, many days of food for the people. It was a good hunt. Ala’kan had settled down from his temporary high and wrapped both arms around his mate. Telan didn’t seem to mind at all.



It was strange for me to see someone of such high status being so casual in his intimacy with another male. I suppose it would take some getting used to. Ala’kan looked at us as we flew back home and he grinned. The others hooted and hollered around him and he joined in. Telan seemed to even relax a bit and smiled, letting down his guard. There was a brief moment where I saw Ala’kan lean over and kiss his mate. They were a bit below us. I thought maybe he just leaned over, but I saw the expression on Telan’s face and knew. There was most defiantly a romance there.



We arrived back at camp and Ala’kan happily talked to the people who were waiting for them. I suppose he was probably sharing his story of the quick kill. He imitated pulling his arrow back and nodded at the young people gathered around. He turned around and nodded at Jake.



“Next time will be your turns. You’d better practice!” He said with big eyes and a quick nod.



The next few days were probably the best I remembered in a long time. There were no insane Na’vi trying to kill us. There were no threats, no fights. Everything was peaceful once again. There was dancing, celebration and genuine fun. There were sports, mostly compared to soccer that the young people were partial to. I even joined in a game a time or two.



Nights were the most peaceful times. Jake and I had a lot more time together. We would turn in early and lay in our hammock together, just basking in each other’s presence. I had begun to weave a blanket for us to keep us warm at night. And I had begun beading again. I planned to give Jake a new necklace to replace the old one.



One afternoon I sat under a large tree and worked on my necklace for Jake. I wanted this one to be even better than the previous one. Ala’kan came over after a few moments and looked down at me.



“Care if I join you?” He asked.



I just shrugged and beckoned him over.



“That is very beautiful.”



“Thank you,” I said and opened my palm a bit so he could see it, “It’s for Jake.”



“Your Jake has a very strong spirit,” He said, looking out at the neighboring mountains, where the Toruk’s flew high in the sky, “He is a good warrior and a good hunter.”



“Yes he is. He’s very talented. He’s had a lot of practice,” I said, adding another bead to the necklace and meeting Ala’kan’s golden eyes.



“Norm?” He asked, pursing his lips and sighing, “I know who you are. I know what you are, or perhaps were. I lived with the Omaticaya long enough to know the first dreamwalkers.”



My throat went dry and I hitched my breath. I looked away from him and stared deeply into the grass. Oh my God. Now what? What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to say? How could I defend myself? Would he tell anyone? Where was Jake when I needed him? He’s always off somewhere flying.



“Now, you and your mate have given us no reason to distrust you, but there is one thing I want to know. Jake has a certain…leadership quality about him that most Na’vi do not posess. I feel like there is more to the story than what meets the eye. As the clan leader I must protect those in my tribe. I think you owe me an explanation.”



I shook my head immediately, ready to deny it.



“Please don’t lie to me. It will only make the matter worse. You have harmed no one so far. I want only the truth. Your secret will be safe with me.”



I was quiet for a while and looked out across the grass, where the flowers bloomed wild along the cracks and crevices of the mountains. I couldn’t deny it anymore. He knew something. He apparently knew everything.



I opened my mouth to speak, but there was a sudden commotion from somewhere at camp. I furrowed my brows and heard someone calling desperately for Ala’kan. He looked at me briefly and jumped up.



“We’ll get back to this conversation at another time, perhaps,” He said, nodding slightly and hurrying over to where a group of people were calling him.



I followed at a slower pace. The people seemed suddenly frantic, crying out and looking to their chief for guidance. He was relaxed at first and his hands put up peacefully and attempted to get them to calm down. They had none of it and one stepped forward and began speaking quickly in their language. Ala’kan’s calm demeanor suddenly turned terrified. He spoke back and seemed to be quickly running out of breath. I tried to stay slightly hidden near one of the buildings, but he turned back and spotted me.



“Norm! We need you!”



“What happened?” I asked.



“No time for questions. Come!”



I followed his heed and struggled to keep up as he ran past the people and down near where the Na’vi mount their Toruk’s. The first thing I heard was a high pitched scream and even more commotion. There was a lot of yelling involved. I immediately thought of Jake and forethought the worst.