Puvomun Ayzìsìt Mawkrr

AN: Now that they've unlocked my story because of their semi-stupid standards on disclaimers, I have a new chapter. ^_^

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“Who are they?” Winuk asked as they sat in a tree looking at the odd structure crouched in an empty field. One of the Sky Peoples' flying beast rested outside as four Sky People had entered the structure.



“Should we kill them?” asked Lìnuk with a scowl.



“We will ask Jessi” Winuk said. “She knows the most about her people. She can tells us if these Sky People mean war or peace.”



Tsu'ot made a face from his perch on Winuk's other side.



“She is one of the People now. We will ask her, if only to keep the peace a little bit longer” Winuk said. “Olo'ektan would agree. We might have little trust of the Sky People but first blood will not be on our hands.”

***********

Jessi stood by Naktang. She'd been gone for only a few hours and still the tribe worried over the Sky People's incursion so close to a sacred site.



“Why did they try destroying the trees?” Sìlng asked.



“To provoke the Palulukan into attacking” Jessi said, her ears laid back in anger. “So they could tell their ayektan that they were reacting to an attack instigated by the natives. If the ayektan don't know they started by destroying a sacred site that the natives would defend, they would feel that the attack on the natives justified. Because all they care about is having more than everyone else.”



“There is a structure up by the mountains” Winuk said. “We saw one of the Sky People's Ikran drop four of them there. Why are they there?”



“To get away from nosy Sky People” Jessi said. “One would be the one that flew the Ikran. The other's are Dreamwalkers.”



“They didn't look like you” Tsu'ot snapped.



“Those were their Sky People bodies” Jessi said. “One of them was actually my Sky Person body.”



“So they won't cause any harm?” Naktang asked.



“No” Jessi said looking past Naktang. “One of them is Grace's grandson. They might do some research around the camp but I've already told them to never lose sight of it. Among other things, I'd rather they not run into any Palulukan.”



“I would like to meet this grandson of Grace” Jakesully said.



“I think he'd like that as well” Jessi said.

***********

Jessi followed Winuk as he led her through the forest.



“I meant to bring you here after your dream hunt but with everything that happened, this was the first chance I had to show you my favorite place. I come here when I want to be alone.”



He led the way into a little clearing where a small tree of voices grew by itself.



“I've told this little tree all my secrets and dreams. It listened to me cry and sing. No one knows that it grows here.”



“Why?” Jessi asked. “Why show me a place that obviously means so much to you?”



“You are one of the People now with the right to make your bow from the wood of Hometree. You can chose your own man. This tree has helped me to see many truths about myself and showed me what I wanted in a woman. I figured you could use some help if you had trouble deciding.”



Winuk chuckled. “Tsu'ot can be a cunning trickster when he wants to be. Half the trouble me and Lìnuk got into when we were children was because of him.”



Jessi chuckled at the image those words brought to mind. “But his still acts like a kid too much for me” she said.



Winuk sat near the tree, carefully wrapping one of its “leaves” around his hand. “Sìtxakx is our best hunter. I've never heard of him missing a shot on any prey he set his eyes on.”



“Sìtxakx is a good hunter.” Jessi sat near Winuk facing the way they'd come. “But his old enough to be my father and he treats me like a child.”



“Do you want to ask the tree?” Winuk asked, holding out the “leaf” he had wrapped around his wrist.



“I know what I want” Jessi said looking at Winuk out of the corner of her eye. “I know who I want. He must choose me as well. Thinking about my dream hunt, I'm sure Eywa likes my choice too.”



“And if I said I chose you?” Winuk asked.



“I think Eywa was telling you to pick me in your dream hunt. Like I said, the animals you saw in your dream hunt were animals from my home.”



Winuk leaned closer to Jessi. “Do you chose me?” he asked.



Jessi saw the desperation in Winuk's eyes, just to know one way or the other.



“Only if I wanted to lie to myself would I say I don't choose you” Jessi said. “I think I've known I'd pick you, given the chance, since we met.”

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AN: Yay! Something of a cliffy. I'll see about having the next bit up sometime this next week.

 

Eywa Ngahu ^_^