| Chapter 5 |
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Italics: (Na'vi language or Jake's inner thoughts or narration)
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As soon as Jake came back to his senses after falling to the ground, he untied the bolo rope that was attached to his legs, setting him free. All of a sudden, many Na'vi warriors appeared from the shadows in direhorses, or Pa'li, as the Na'vi call them.
Seeing this, Jake panicked, pulled out his dagger, and tried to run the other way but was only met with the receiving end of bows and arrows from warriors who were on foot. Warriors surrounded the Avatar, so in surrender, he dropped his knife and chuckled nervously. He raised his hands in the air, hoping he didn't die here after everything he's endured so far in this forest.
Y/n eventually reached the ground where Jake and the warriors were. She walked around, trying to tell them to lower their guard. "Mawey, Na'viya! Mawey!" (Calm, people, calm!) Y/n said sternly to the warriors both on foot and on direhorses. Recognizing who she is, they lowered their bows but were still wary.
Seeing this happen, Tsu'Tey got off of his Pa'li and walked towards Y/n and Jake. The Na'vi princess walked over to Tsu'Tey before he was able to get to Jake and stood in front of the warrior in a protective stance towards Jake.
"Ma Tsu'tey! Kempe si nga?" (What are you doing, Tsu'tey?) Y/n asked in annoyance. She knew that she had to have come back before sundown, but she hoped Tsu'Tey understood that she could understand that she could take care of herself otherwise.
"These demons are forbidden here. And you should have come back before sundown. Neytiri is already aware of this as well, and she's waiting to talk to you back at Hometree" Tsu'Tey spat, looking at Jake first and then directing his words toward you. Realizing what he said, you groaned in frustration. Y/n knew she would receive an earful from her sister, and she was not looking forward to it.
"There has been a sign! This is a matter for the Tsahik" Y/n said sternly, making Tsu'Tey's eyes narrow. It was easy to tell that he wasn't happy about the fact that you didn't come through with your end of the deal by coming home early, but on top of that, brought an outsider with you as well.
Tsu'Tey huffed, then proceeded to walk back to his Pa'li. "Bring him," He said, and that was all the other warriors needed to hear before grabbing Jake.
"What's going on?" Jake asked, looking panicked and terrified when this happened, so he turned to Y/n for comfort, and you gave him a small smile in return to hopefully ease his nerves.
Tsu'Tey turned to Y/n and then gestured with his head towards an extra Pa'li he brought for her. Even if he was upset at her, that didn't change the fact that she was a close friend.
Y/n got on her direhorse and then followed after Tsu'Tey back to Hometree. She wanted to explain what was happening to the Avatar, but she couldn't. However, she will protect him from anything happening to him.
Jake was being dragged away by the warriors and he kept turning back to Y/n for help. "Wait! What's happening? Hey!" Jake exclaimed. He had no idea what was going on.
Not only did he not understand the language at all, but the girl who has helped him all this time could not give him an answer at that moment. He just had to pray that he was not being taken to be executed and his paranoia was just all in his head.
On the way back to Hometree, Tsu'Tey was at the front leading the group and you were right behind him. Soon after crossing the bridge and riding up the path that led to the entrance of Hometree, Y/n hopped off her Pa'li and wasted no time in heading over to Jake and grabbing his hand.
Both of them feel those sparks once again while leading him through the crowd. Other Na'vi started to move away in fear of the Sky Person, while others got close to take a closer look at Jake curiously.
Eventually, coming to the front of the crowd, there stood Eytukan and Neytiri, who were looking at you with stoic looks on their face. When Neytiri was angry or disappointed, that never led to anything good. Regardless, Y/n turned her focus to the matter at hand.
Tsu'Tey walked over to stand next to your father, analyzing Jake suspiciously. From holding his hand, Y/n could tell that he was nervous so she rubbed her thumb on his knuckles, and it must have worked because Jake started to feel less stiff and more relaxed.
Eytukan turned to her daughter, who walked up to him slowly and let go of Jake's hand. "Ma Sempul, oel ngati kameie" (Father, I see you) Y/n greeted, gesturing with her hands to her father. Eytukan nodded at your words and started to walk towards Jake, circling the very nervous man.
Once your father and Jake made eye contact, the Avatar nodded at the clan leader in respect but still was not able to comprehend why he was here in the first place.
"This creature, why do you bring him here?" Eytukan asked, inspecting Jake, and immediately recognizing that he was from the Sky People. His five fingers were a dead giveaway of that fact.
"I was going to kill him, but I saw a sign from Eywa. A seedling spirit landed on my arrow, and I thought he should be brought back here" Y/n said, trying her best to convince her father.
"I have said...that no dreamwalker will come here," Eytukan started, confusing Jake and prompting him to turn to you. "What's he saying?" Jake whispered while asking Y/n, walking closer to you, still not understanding what his fate will be now.
"His alien smell fills my nose," Eytukan said, making the crowd of Na'vi and the warriors around him laugh. "Hey, what's he saying?" Jake asked again, his anxiety starting to rise.
Y/n gulped, then turned to Jake. "My father is deciding whether to kill you..." You said, making Jake tense up as his eyes widened.
"Your father..." Jake muttered, then proceeded to do what he thought would be most appropriate. "It's nice to meet you, sir," Jake said, extending his hand and stepping forward toward the clan leader. Not realizing his mistake, everyone around him began to clamor and pushed him away from Eytukan.
"Release this creature! Step back! I want to look at this alien" Mo'at said, suddenly coming down the tree and to where Jake and Y/n were. Everyone quieted down at the sight of the Tsahik, and Y/n's mother.
"That is Mother. She is the Tsahik. The one who interprets the will of Eywa" Y/n explained calmly to Jake while Mo'at eyed Jake up and down in suspicion and wariness.
"Who's Eywa?" Jake asked cluelessly. Mo'at walked around him, grabbing his braid and running her fingers through it, and then doing the same thing with his tail.
"What are you called?" Mo'at asked, narrowing her eyes at Jake. Y/n watched the interaction as well. Ever since she met him in the forest, she never knew what his name was and he never knew hers either.
"Jake Sully" He replied. Mo'at pulled out her dagger and used it to lightly stab Jake's chest and draw blood from it. Jake winced in pain from the Tsahik's actions, seeing his shirt stain with blood. She lifted the edge to her mouth and tasted it for a few seconds.
"Why did you come to us?" She asked, starting to sense that the spirit of Jake was not as much of a threat as she thought, but Mo'at wanted to hear what he had to say. "I came to learn," Jake said simply, but the Tsahik 'tsked' at him with her tongue in disapproval.
"We have tried to teach other Sky People. It is hard to fill a cup that is already full" She said, mostly as a warning for him to be careful about his true intentions.
"Well, my cup is empty. Trust me" Jake smirked, tilting his head a bit. "Just ask Dr. Augustine. I'm no scientist" He chuckled. Still not convinced, Mo'at continued to ask more questions to see what type of person he is.
"What are you?" She asked, and Y/n stepped forward subconsciously, also wanting to know the answer to this. "I was a Marine. A...A warrior from the Jarhead clan" Jake said, momentarily wincing at his own words, not knowing if they'd believe that.
"A warrior? I could kill him easily!" Tsu'Tey stepped forward with his spear raised in the air. Y/n rolled her eyes at his behavior. Eytukan stopped Tsu'Tey from coming further and then turned back to Jake.
"No! This is the first dreamwalker warrior we have seen. If there was a sign from Eywa, then it is decided. We must learn more about him" Eytukan proclaimed, and by the looks of it, Tsu'Tey did not like that idea at all. Y/n was insanely relieved that he wasn't going to die here and that he would be safe for now.
Mo'at turned to Y/n. "My daughter, you will teach him our ways...to speak and walk as we do" The Tsahik started, and her words made the Na'vi princess' eyes widen.
Yes, Y/n had brought him here hoping her people would have some compassion, but why wasn't Neytiri chosen for this, who by the way, was still silent during this whole ordeal. After this is over, Y/n had no idea what to expect when she talks to her sister.
"Why? Why me? That's not fair!" Y/n exclaimed in annoyance. Mo'at stopped Y/n from complaining any longer, and while the Na'vi princess did so, she still did not like the idea any better. Y/n's mother then turned to Jake to tell him what was going to happen now.
"It is decided. My daughter will teach you our ways," Mo'at started, to which Jake then made small eye contact with you and let a smile come through knowing he was going to spend more time getting to know you. "Learn well, Jakesully. Then, we will see if your insanity can be cured" Mo'at said, looking at Jake dead in the eye.
Jake nodded at the Tsahik's words and after the commotion stopped, the crowd of villagers started to disperse and everyone focused on different tasks. Jake started to walk over to Y/n to talk to her, but before he could reach her, Neytiri grabbed her arm and pulled her away. The Avatar stood there, and sighed, waiting for the girl to come back.
When the girls were in a secluded spot to talk, Neytiri let go of Y/n and stared at her. The younger sister knew Neytiri wanted her to explain and for her to start talking first.
"Okay, I know what you're going to say. In my defense, I just lost track of time and I was only out there longer than I was supposed to because I was observing this man to see if he was a threat to us" Y/n explained truthfully, and Neytiri only raised an eyebrow at her.
"You were lucky Tsu'Tey didn't tell Mother. I'm just glad you're safe, but you could've been hurt out there by yourself. Notify me when you want to go out there and I'll go with you without question. Don't ever do that again" Neytiri said sternly, her eyes softening at her little sister who was looking at her like she was afraid of her, and that's the last thing she wanted.
Ever since Sylwanin passed, Neytiri has been incredibly protective of her little sister and wants no harm to come to her. If anything were to happen to Y/n, she didn't know what she would do with herself.
"I understand. I promise I won't sneak off again. And if I do, I'll tell you. If I'm being honest, I missed you out there with me" Y/n smiled at her sister, who reciprocated it and let out a small laugh. Neytiri grabbed her sisters' hands and held them tight, thanking Eywa in her head that she came back in one piece. Y/n was honestly surprised she didn't receive a lecture but was glad either way that her sister was so understanding towards her.
Moving on from that topic, Neytiri started to tease her sister jokingly for her interactions with the Avatar right outside. Neytiri kept pointing out how he noticed how he couldn't stop staring at Y/n, making the said girl feel her face heat and warm up. Eventually, the two sisters went back to the main room where Jake stood waiting for Y/n to come back.
When the two sisters reached the Avatar, Neytiri left as she told her sister that she will meet her at dinner, leaving Y/n and Jake all alone. The first order of business was getting him into more traditional clothing that is native to the Omaticaya. A few seamstresses came by and Y/n asked them to bring a few clothes for him, to which they agreed and said they would come back in a few minutes.
Y/n turned back to Jake, and there was some awkward silence between the two until the Avatar decided to speak up. "I hope everything is okay between you and, who I assume is your sister," Jake said, and you nodded.
"Yes, everything is alright" Y/n responded simply, leaving silence again between the two. The awkwardness soon subsided when the two seamstresses returned with clothing for Jake.
The said man turned to look at the flimsy clothes that the two women were holding, looking at them in confusion. "What is this?" He asked, gesturing to the clothes.
"You cannot attend dinner dressed like that," Y/n started, offending Jake slightly, but then again he couldn't fight her words given that his clothes were torn up and he still had blood from earlier like with the Thanator, the waterfall jump, and the Viperwolves.
The seamstresses dug into their basket of clothes and handed a loincloth over to him. He stood for a few moments waiting for the rest, but then he realized there were no rest of the clothes.
The woman in front of him looked at him expectantly, and he rubbed his neck nervously at the fact that was wearing close to almost nothing on him.
"A-Alright..." He said while the seamstresses walked away and it was just you and him once again.
He started to pull his shirt off, and your eyes widened, so you immediately turned around and had your back to him. An action to both give him privacy and so that he can't see your embarrassment in your face.
At your actions, Jake smirked but then it morphed into a soft smile. He continued to get changed and when he finished, he tapped your shoulder, signaling that he was done.
When you turned around, your face went warm so you averted your gaze from his exposed body. Jake took notice of this and laughed softly, finding your behavior endearing.
"Come with me," You said, still not looking at him directly. She grabbed his hand and led him to one of the higher floors of Hometree where the Omaticaya were gathered having dinner, singing, chanting, and being with family. I led him towards the room, noticing he was pulling and adjusting the cloth that was given to him. As soon as we entered, the music stopped and everyone halted their conversations to turn their attention toward the newcomer.
"G-Good evening" Jake stammered, following after Y/n as he felt everyone's eyes on him. "Please don't get up. Excuse me..." He said, walking over to Y/n and sitting next to her. While making his way through the people, his tail was whacking others in the face while also stepping on others' tails, making them hiss in pain. "Sorry about that..." Jake said bashfully.
Y/n smiled a bit seeing how clumsy he was, and to her, it was like seeing a baby taking its first steps and learning to walk. Once he reached you, he was pushed down by the shoulder by you as he sat down and you took the seat right next to him. Beside you and Jake, Neytiri, Eytukan, Mo'at, and Tsu'Tey sat on your right, still eyeing Jake.
When he was comfortable and sat down, Jake turned to the people beside him who happened to be a father with his daughter. He turned to them with a smile. "Hey, how you doing?" He said, and the girl beside her father leaned forward to take a look at Jake, sending him a small wave. Her father noticed this and brought her daughter back to her seat, telling her not to interact with the man.
Jake laughed softly at this and saw Y/n come back with food in her hands. He observed as she sat next to him and silently distributed evenly the food for herself and him. Handing him a fruit, Jake thanked her softly, but she still refused to make eye contact with him. Tsu'Tey and Y/n's family watches from afar with wary looks on their faces, but more Tsu'Tey than anyone else.
"You know, I don't even know your name" Jake started, attempting to make conversation with the girl beside him. She was peeling away at a fruit until she got to the center. "Y/n Te Tskaha Mo'at'ite," She said to Jake, leaving the man a bit baffled at the quickness of her response.
"Again, a whole lot slower?" He laughed softly, leaning forward a bit in hopes of meeting her eyes while she focused on her fruit. "Y/n," She said, only her first name. After hearing it, Jake attempted to pronounce it.
"Y/n..." He said with a bit of a struggle, but then you finally turned to him and met his eyes, repeating your name. "Y/n," You said, a lot slower and clearer than before. "Y/n..." Jake said again, a lot better than other attempts, earning a nod from you.
He liked the way your name rolled off his tongue, and the way he said it erupted those damn butterflies in your stomach again, but you tried your best not to let it show on your facial expression. Keeping it stoic.
You eventually turned back to your food while glancing back at him. "Nice to meet you, Y/n," He said, smiling softly at you as you continued to eat and he did the same. "That's nice.." He said, repeating your name in his head.
Dinner eventually passed without a hitch and with no problems whatsoever. Y/n had a lot of thoughts about this man during dinner, and if she is truly the man she is supposed to be with rather than Tsu'Tey, then she had no idea why or how she would go about it. Even if she didn't feel anything for Tsu'Tey and he didn't feel anything for her, he was still her betrothed and she would lose her chance to be Tsahik for her people like her mother wants her to be.
After everyone left the room, you and Jake headed to the hammocks where the clan headed to sleep. Stopping at two empty hammocks, Y/n stopped at the branch they were hung from and then turned to Jake. "Yours is that one," You pointed to the one on your right, and he nodded wordlessly. Y/n skillfully climbed into hers, laying on her back and observing how Jake got into his.
He attempted to copy what you did but even if he was able to get the job done and get to the hammock, let's just say it was less than graceful. Once he was accommodated, he turned on his side and held himself up by his elbow, resting his head on his hand, looking at you.
Y/n simply turned away from him and turned on her other side, letting her hammock cover her up on its own as she fell asleep in seconds. Doing exactly what Y/n did, Jake touched the edge of his hammock and it immediately started to close in on itself as it did with yours. Getting comfortable, Jake got on his side, exhaled deeply, and fell asleep.
Back in the link room in the RDA, once Jake's Avatar form fell asleep, his human body broke the connection he had with his Avatar form and he started to wake up. He was a bit woozy and bright lights were shining in his face with various familiar voices calling him.
"Jake? Jake!" Grace's voice resonated through his head, echoing slightly from his dizziness. "He's coming out right now," Max said while Grace hovered over Jake with a flashlight. Norm was there too, concerned about Jake's well-being and seeing if he was responsive.
"Jake! Jake!" Grace repeated once again, trying to see if his eyes responded to the light. "Come on back, kid. Come on, that's it" She tapped his face a couple of times, making him get back to his senses, and Grace sighed in relief. "There you go. You're okay" She said while Jake gasped in confusion at what was happening.
Coming out of his link, Jake coughed and gasped at the sensation of finally being back in his human body. Norm and Max helped him sit up on the pod. Once he realized what just happened, a smile spread across his face.
"Damn, you were dug in like a tick" Grace chuckled, then proceeded to stand in front of Jake. "Is the Avatar safe?" She asked, wanting to know if did not go to waste.
"Yeah, Doc..." Jake started, grinning in disbelief as the memories from his consciousness came flooding back to him. "And you are not gonna believe where I am" He laughed, still in shock himself, while Grace looked at him with pure confusion. She did not understand what he meant by that.
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Hi! This chapter is a bit shorter than the ones ive done so far, like around 3.7k words, but I promise ill make it longer for chapter 6 :,)
As Im writing this, I saw that this book reached 1k reads! I still can't believe so many of you are enjoying the book. It gives me so much motivation to continue. Thank you so much! ^w^
I don't have much to say for now, but I hope you guys look forward to the next one! Na'vi training for Jake starts next chapter lol so I'm super excited
Anyway, i'll see you all in the next one! Also, don't forget to vote and comment! I really enjoy reading and replying to them so much :,) they seriously make my whole day reading them
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