Why?
Lumpe?
•—————•—————•—————•—————•

In the morning, Riley accompanied Grace's team to the Sampson, which would be piloted by Trudy.

"Hey!" Trudy greeted Riley, "It's good to see ya again kid!"

Trudy had only ever known Riley as this body. She'd seen her grow up, but nothing before that.

"'S good to see you too." Riley said as she hopped into the Sampson.

Wordlessly, the others loaded in. Jake with an excited face, Grace with the same expression, Norm obviously was ecstatic. Riley was none of those things. She was tense.

Last time she went into the forest with a gun and a vest, she died. She thought she might die again.

"What's with the face?" Jake asked curiously, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Thinkin' about death?" She shrugged and ignored him. Grace acknowledged the comment but didn't say anything.

"Cheer up, Riley! We're going to meet the Na'vi!" Norm said, giving her a cheerful smile. It was enough for now.

•—————•—————•—————•—————•

The Sampson followed the waterways, meeting small purple birds called fkio along the way. Their squawking was barely audible over the rotors slicing the air.

Riley leaned out the window and gazed out at the purple fkio birds. They were so different from any bird she was used to. Soon the canopy became to thick to fly through, so they went over it. To Riley's awe, the trees were huge. The normal trees were easily as big as the tallest redwood trees, and these other trees or Keultrals, were twice that size.

Eventually, the canopy gave way to a waterfall. One that was large enough so they could squeeze through the vegetation and canopy to land. Blue deer looking creatures, yerik, galloped out of the clearing as they came to land.

The moment Riley dreaded had come. Time to get in the forest. She grabbed her gun and hopped out of the vehicle, surveying the area with and without the scope. Her eyes wouldn't miss anything this time. Lyle hopped out next to her. Her heart was struck with a pang of pain. She was still angry at him for abandoning her when she was the most alone.

As the rotors died down she heard Grace order Lyle to stay with the ship. That was a relief for both of them. Lyle seemed happy to stay with Trudy instead of hike into the wilderness.

As they wandered away, Riley's attitude only became more and more paranoid. Especially at the yowling animal in the distance. At the sound of Syaksyuk, or prolemuris, Riley's gun would've fired immediately if she hadn't forgotten to turn off her safety.

"Nuh-uh. Hand that over." Grace ordered. Riley disarmed the gun and handed it to Norm, who was nice enough to run it back to Trudy to store in her Sampson. It took thirty seconds tops and then they were back to it. Now she had a pistol, knife, and machete.

"They're not aggressive, Riley." Grace scolded.

"I know that... I just lost my nerves." Riley could feel her hands shaking a little. She followed from behind, only flanked by Jake who occasionally asked her to keep up.

"So... how will they know we're here." Norm inquired Grace.

"I'm sure they're watching us right now." Grace responded coolly. Norm and Riley stopped to look around, maybe spot a na'vi.

"Keep up with her." Jake reminded both of them.

Norm and Grace began taking samples after visiting a school full of bullet holes for supplies. Using a thin data pad to analyze the samples they were taking and measure the synapses between roots.

Riley was less interested in that and more alert. She was on high alert. She stuck to Jake, the only one who had some sort of firepower, even doing so absentmindedly as Jake explored. As Jake approached a helicordian, he was mesmerized. As soon as he touched it, it made a noise which startled Riley.

Jake began to chuckle at her raised tail and scared expression.

"You're a jumpy one, aren't you?" He chuckled before turning her to look at what scared her.

"C'mon, just touch one, it'll make you feel better. Like bubblewrap!" He said with a chuckle, touching another one. Riley let her guard down and touched one. Slowly, all the orange and yellow helicordians shrunk into their pods in a chain reaction, revealing a stray Titanothere or 'Angtsik.

"Holy fuck!" Riley exclaimed.

"Shit!" Jake said with awe in his voice but fear on his face.

It's baleful eyes lock onto them. Jake raised his gun.

"Don't shoot! You'll piss it off!" Grace shouted through the ear piece.

Jake chuckled with disbelief, "it's already pissed off!"

"That armor's too thick. Trust me." Grace said over the radio.

Jake grunted to himself and lowered his gun. The 'Angtsik bellowed and pawed at the dirt beneath it's elephantine feet.

"It's a territorial threat display, do not run or he'll charge." Grace said.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do?!" Riley shrilled.

"Just hold your ground." Grace said authoritatively.

Jake ran at the beast while Riley trembled. Something was sneaking up on them, large, black, familiar. It's sleek and large body leapt over the pair and challenged the Titanothere.

"Thanator!" Riley sputtered.

And she began to book it, legs pounding and Jake was right behind her. It seemed to have a vendetta against Riley as it chased her and Jake. Riley slipped over and under roots, Jake tried to shoot the beast with a roar of desperation, until the Thanator yanked the gun away with its jaws.

The only option was to run. They ran until they met a sheer cliff face. Behind them was the jaws of death. Only one option.

Jump.

The rush of wind past her ears and the fear and adrenaline in her veins made her dizzy. That was cleared up when she hit the cold water. She scrambled to gather herself, and tore her way through the water efficiently. Her body knew what to do even when her mind didn't. Her tail briefly turned into a fin.

She was immediately exhausted when she came back into contact with Jake.

"That was stupid." Riley mumbled and Jake only blinked.

He had begun constructing a spear out of a stick using his knife. Thankfully, Riley had her hand gun and her knife. But she thought that using it would attract something dangerous. Their movements were cautious and slow as the sun set into night, Jake began making a torch despite Riley's strong opposition.

"Jake! You'll attract more-" she was interrupted by the chittering and hissed of the viperwolves and Jake lighting the torch. Shutting her mouth and following Jake while in full panic mode. They were pursued until they were surrounded.

Jake brandished the torch and furrowed his eyebrows.

"I don't have all god-damn night. C'mon! C'mon!" He goaded on the viperwolves.

Struggling to fight them off, Jake was tackled to the floor while Riley drew her gun.

A woman leapt from the shadows; her bow drawn. The gun disappeared from Riley's hands as the arrow was released. The woman had shot the gun out of her hands with precision and skill. That woman chased off all the viperwolves with ease.

She turned and looked at the fire, wincing at the light. She muttered to herself with disgust and anger as she picked up the stick and threw it into the creek. Eliciting protests and frustration from Jake.

While Jake tried to fish out the extinguished torch, the woman pursued a wailing sound from a dying viperwolf. Riley had her whole attention on this woman as she dispatched it with care, making sure to put it out of its misery first before retrieving her arrow. She seemed to pray over it. After all the animal was only looking for a meal and unfortunately, the pack chose the wrong target.

As the beautiful forest lit up all around them, Riley only had one question on her mind.

"Why did you save us?"