Singing hearts
Way seri mete'lanti
•—————•—————•—————•—————•

She was huge. Blue and purple. She was lively and beautiful. Fierce though.

She trilled out a cry of warning before she snapped. Hia'ino rolled out of the way and managed to tie the Ikrans mouth shut. Hia jumped onto her back, catching her tswin and grabbing her queue, quickly locking the two together with her legs to the ikran's neck.

However, the ikran bucked and launched itself into the air.

"Hia!" Tsu'tey cried out to Hia as she was lost to the clouds below.

But Hia wasn't content to lose. Her muscles strained and gripped the ikran, making the bond in a moment of desperation. A breath of relief came from both as they clicked.

Let's go meet that Tsu'tey.

Hia's ikran, Srriri, spoke between them.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

Tsu'tey felt a wash of calm fill him as he met Hia's eyes again. It came with the flap of wings from her landing Ikran.

"This is Srriri. I'm gonna call her Iri." Hia patted her new bondeds neck. Srriri cooed and trilled happily.

"Very bold. She is I mean. Especially for someone who is not so spontaneous." Tsu'tey chuckled nervously. Srriri was as almost as large as his Ikran, Kau.

"Come, I will lead us all home." Tsu'tey smiled before calling to Kau.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

The rush of wind and the beauty of Pandora from above was a religious experience. Hia knew she wasn't made for air, but she reveled in it. It felt right when she dove, but Srriri was a soaring type. They ducked and dove around the mountains until it was a clear sky.

Hia spread her arms and her heart soared. She made bird calls, crying with joy in each trill as she soared by her fellow Omatikaya.

I have waited all my life for you!

Srriri chirped excitedly, happily, satisfied.

And I, you. You make me feel free.

Hia communicated back.

This is freedom. Naranawm above their heads, eclipsing the sun as it does once a month. The night was truly bright, illuminated by the ground below and the stars above. Srriri's markings glowed brightly, punctuating her joyful demeanor. So bright and bubbly, unlike her traumatized rider.

Ikranti maktoyu. She could hardly believe she was flying. It felt as easy as walking, running, even easier than swimming which came to her so naturally. She could hardly hear, the calls of birds really were most efficient for communication up in the air. The chill turned numb as they soared in the night. These eclipse nights were truly the coldest nights the Omatikaya experience. They don't get snow or storms so inland. Only rain and sun.

It made her wonder about the snow of Pandora, the north and south. They were cut short by the landing.

They had returned.

She dismounted carefully, copying as she'd seen Tsu'tey do. She was almost afraid to part from Srriri. But Tsu'tey gave her the saddle she had made with such care.

"Srriri is yours. You are hers." Tsu'tey said. Hia smiled up at him gratefully.

"You always know what to say." She complimented/stated, a smile on her face as she turned and slid the harness onto her new mount. She began fastening the straps, Srriri adjusted each time to accommodate the smaller figure's efforts.

"I would be a bad teacher if I didn't know what to say." Tsu'tey chimed, feeding his ikran a snack for the journey.

The other students had wandered off by now. Including Jake and Neytiri. Probably to greet their parents and Neytiri to drill Jake on cultural aspects.

"I mean it. It's like you're reading my mind or something." Hia chuckled warmly as she fixed the harness, adding a neck piece to keep her knees from causing chafing on Srriri's neck.

A feeling Tsu'tey had repressed began to bubble up. A soft feeling spread. Like dye on a cloth throughout his whole body.

"I wish I knew was going on in your head." Tsu'tey said, his tone was off. He was faltering, Hia realized.

"Did I say something wrong?" She turned from her mount who swiftly climbed up into the branches above the pair's heads. Tsu'tey's back was to her. He was packing away his extra snacks.

"No. It just reminded me of something."

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

Sylwanin was a sweet girl. She was witty, smart. The pride of the clan. And she was beautiful. Even Eywa couldn't have kept Tsu'tey from falling in love with her. The great mother seemed to sing when she was alive.

And then she stopped going to Grace's lessons. The Skypeople took and took. Never giving back. And Sylwanin was passionate, angry. She dawned herself in war paint and led herself and a few others to battle against a truck, the huge bulldozer kind. They set it on fire. And where was Tsu'tey? Tasting his first sentient blood. Human blood. It was an accident. A worker was trying to stop him, he moved too fast, and the worker hit his head on the ground.

So fragile.

And then the suits came and the men with their guns. They ran as fast as they could to the school. The worst came. Gunfire. Tsu'tey was the one they were aiming for. A life for a life. But Sylwanin stepped in the way.

"This is where it happened." Tsu'tey touched the rough wood with his hand on the doorframe. He pictured her face. He had cradled her in the wooden hut, held her close as she breathed her last. Her songcord was short. There was barely a song to sing when she was laid to rest.

Hia looked sympathetic. She didn't know this was the place it happened in. That this was his reality. His war.

She wanted to reach out for him.

"Tsu'tey, I'm so sorry." She clenched her hands together, "My father ordered this. I was a fool to think it could be anything else other than cruelty." She grimaced at herself, digging her nails into her palms. He looked over at her, away from the shadowy place. She met his eyes and was surprised to see such anger in them.

"It was your father. Yes." His hand left the frame, and he sighed, the weight lifting from him.

"But... you are not your father. And I like who you are. I like you." He said, his heart full.

Hia was speechless, breathless. She had admired him for a long long time now. She felt so comfortable with him in a way she didn't with anyone else. He was her tether to this world. Was she truly ready to cross the threshold of friendship and plunge into the unknown? It's not the first time she jumped into the unknown.

"I love you, Tsu'tey." She said, only above a whisper. Her eyes were bright and glistening, "you don't have to say it back. I want you to know how I feel. I want you to See me. And I See you." She confessed.

Tsu'tey's heart might've leapt out of his chest and screamed for joy, maybe even sang. He touched her face softly, taking in her look, committing it to memory. He never wanted to forget, to make this moment last forever.

Something was suddenly wrong.