Tsawke|Tsu'tey/Oc

16-Nemfa tsakxa te kxitx

Our flight over the mountains had begun. We'd meet them out there, just north of where the great tree fell and where the mountains began.

Jake lead us, into the jaws of death.

Tsu'tey showed him his respect, and Jake reciprocated the same. I am glad they aren't fighting anymore. We were three miles out, and we rooted ourselves between the two biggest mountain faces we could find.

Their loud motors gave them away, the slicing of the air. And then we saw them.

On the ground, Jake made this plan, the horse clans would act as cavalry after the suit mechs had been picked off by guerrilla forces that where high in the trees. High enough where the bullets would loose the amount of momentum needed to shred bones and tear limbs off.

And I knew they'd see battle first.

I was scared for them.

Toruk flew through the two mountains to lead the charge, giving us our signal to attack from above.

"'Eko! 'Eko! 'Eko!"(attack! Attack! Attack!) tsu'tey commanded. Ikeyni of the Tayrangi was the first to respond. Our ululating and war cries filled up my ears and there was no room for fear.

As I had done the first time I used my bow, I nocked my arrow and pulled it to my cheek, and hit the mark. The chest of the pilot in a scorpion. My cry of warning was less my own and more Txo'nari's she had reminded me of the rage I feel.

Their formation broke when I swooped back into the air, and I was being pursued by a Sampson who only had one gunner. Luckily, in my world history class, I remembered something.

I turned around and let Txo'nari fly. I aimed for the gunner. Disarming the Sampson means they have no choice but to surrender or die. It hit him in the leg, but he lost his grip on the gun and slipped into the abyss of green below us.

Forgetting the pursuit, the Sampson fled for back up but was downed by Neytiri. I made my assault on the gunners of the bomber, I let Txo'nari fly ahead.

I was grazed by a bullet as soon as I landed on the ship, but I fired back into the guns facing me, the guns swivel is limited to ninety degrees. I threw myself into their pit and tossed two out and struck the other two left in there. I hopped back onto Txo'nari and we dove down onto a scorpion. Her teeth broke the glass, and they instantly began their descent.

"Jake!" I heard through the speaker on my necklace. These wide range, necklace walkie talkies where also Jake's idea.

"Jake, th-there were more AMP suits than we thought, we're pulling back, we're getting hammered!" Norm said.

"Copy, get out of there!" Jake replied.

In my lack of attention, a Sampson's gunner had me in their sights. And I felt a sting, another, one more, and I was falling.

I heard Txo'nari's call and a pained cry. But she caught me on her back. But she was just gliding. But I was out.

The pain made me shoot back through my link.

I hit my head and I hopped out, recalibrated and hopped back in. I was stuck in a tree with a wounded Ikran. She was in great pain and struggling to fly.

"Txo'nari, friend, fly back to the tree, I promise I will return to you." I said. I pulled the arrows from the saddle and I shooed her away. I hopped down from the tree directly into line of fire. But I ran. And I kept going when I saw the bodies.

I ran directly into and AMP suit.

"A traitor?!" They backhanded me in surprise.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" I hissed. The pilot reared back and cocked the canon-like gun and aimed for me.

"Oh I know a traitor when I see one. Oh, I'll have your braid for this!" He went to fire his gun, but a familiar scent entered my nose as he pulled the trigger. The short burst of fire struck Tangek and his pa'li.

While the pilot was distracted I fired an arrow into his head.

And as my anger subsided, I cradled my friend.

"I-I saw your Ikran... I thought you were dead." He whispered. His body was broken by the large bullets, holes the size of tennis balls where in his side and back.

"I'm okay, you're going to be okay, I promise." I pulled him into my lap, and I rocked him softly. His hand met my cheek.

"Please don't cry. You're too beautiful to cry." He said a little louder. He wiped away a tear and tucked a stray braid behind my ear.

"You were such a good friend to me, the first of the people I met. You made me a home among the people, I can't imagine the clan without you." I whispered quickly.

"Oh, I can, but this is enough for me. Saving a beautiful girl, letting her be with the one she loves without worrying about my feelings. And I know you worry. That's why you waited until today to tell him how you felt."

"You heard?"

"The whole clan did," he chuckled painfully, "Rìni, she will be okay right?"

"Yes, she is strong."

"Okay." He closed his eyes and sighed, "you'll be her big sibling now... she's in the most capable hands I know, please protect her." I nodded profusely. And soon he was gone. His eyes where half lidded and empty. I gasped and let myself feel the loss around me set in.

And deep inside of me. All around me, a great cry was heard. A sad song of Eywa, a dread filled me, and I knew it was her. It was a warning. His knife was hilt deep in the ground, and I saw the horror around me. I pulled Tsu'tey's knife out of the ground and searched for my teacher, my friend, the one I love.

A great beast, the type I feared before. Met me, and I realized that she wasn't the only one in this area. Palulukan(thanators) travel in up to groups of five. And this one was from a clan. If I had to guess based on the paint, it's from the Oha'sähe clan who lived near the Tipani clan.

She barked in a warning way 'if you don't get on right now, I will eat you.' Type way. I hastily and carefully mounted the creature and I let her lead. And all around, a great cry from the world could be heard. Trumpeting animals rushed through the forest and the sky to make things right. To set the balance of life and death.

Joy, and then dreadful feeling, cold along my spine. The warm creature beneath me smelled him. His blood.

"Tsu'tey..." I was cold.