Petrichor

Tolerate Him

Jake was satisfied that he'd managed to get everyone's name right when Grace quizzed him. The last thing he wanted was to offend the wrong person, particularly Tsu'tey. And Ilhia. 

"Ilhia and her sisters were my best students," Grace said absentmindedly as he prepared himself to link with his avatar. Her gaze lingered on the photograph of a much younger Ilhia, whose smile was as wide as her face. "You can't screw this up, Jake. Neytiri and Tsu'tey might seem like they're the dangerous ones, but Ilhia is one stubborn girl." 

Jake chuckled nervously to himself. "You don't say." 

"Don't do anything stupid," she said dryly. "Keep the peace. And for God's sake, keep them happy." 

He could do that.  

***

He couldn't do that. 

Sure, he'd charmed Neytiri at breakfast, he was sure of it. Mo'at had seemed amused when he was talking to her, he was sure of it. But Ilhia? 

He might as well be hitting concrete with a gummy bear. 

She'd already been awake by the time the link had connected, her face pulled into a deep scowl as she'd perched next to her hammock, her eyes on him. Her expression had just gotten worse as his avatar had woken up, and all he'd gotten was a harsh, "Get up." 

He'd noticed that she'd dumped him at breakfast and chosen to sit next to Tsu'tey instead, and her father. The way she was talking with the warrior, along with her sly glances to both Mo'at and himself, made him positive that they were shit talking him. He'd get used to it, he supposed. She'd said it herself, the only reason she hadn't killed him was because of their deity. 

Hell, if roles were reversed, he was sure he'd be acting the same way. 

It just meant that he'd have to work a little bit harder to gain her trust. 

Which is why he was standing with Ilhia and a horse thing called Pale. 

Ilhia crooned at the animal, stroking its face. "Make tsaheylu," she ordered, not letting go of Pale. 

His blank expression must've told her all that she needed to know, because she cussed something in Na'vi, and then gently pulled on Pale's antenna thing, showing him the end of it. "Tsaheylu," she said, bringing her braid over her shoulder and holding the end of it. "The bond." 

"Okay, okay," Jake said gently. He swung his own braid over his shoulder and brought the end of it to Pale's, letting them connect. His eyes widened and Pale kicked up a fuss, squealing. Ilhia was sharp onto her, stroking her face again and speaking softly in Na'vi. 

"The bond," she repeated. "Get up." 

Jake eyed her, then pulled himself up onto the back of the horse. 

"Pa'li are not like ikran. They will not bond for life with one rider. Pale is good girl. She will not hurt you too much." She smiled at her own joke, then continued as Jake huffed a little bit, a slight smile on his own face. "When you are ready, tell her what to do, inside." She motioned to her own head. "But for now, say where to go." 

Jake only hesitated for a second before pointing and saying, "Forward." 

The pa'li started galloping, and he tried to hold onto the bond, but failed miserably, ending up flat on his face in the mud. 

Ilhia's laughter rang out as she ran towards the animal, and Jake got up, trying to dust the mud from him. 

"Skxawng," she chuckled, leading the pa'li back over. "You will impress Tsahik with that ride."

"Hah hah," he mumbled, trying to get mud off his tongue, of all places. 

"I have seen Na'vi children ride better than that. Do it again." 

By the time Ilhia was done with him, his entire body was aching. He'd fallen off the pa'li so many times he'd lost count, but she refused to let him go until he could make it at least three metres without falling off. 

"Do not worry," she'd said. "I will make you ready in time for iknimaya, then it will be up to your ikran to kill you."

"What?" was his reply, and all she'd done was smile. 

"Na'vi children take long time too."

But by the look on her face, he got the feeling that's not what she'd said at all. 

***

Ilhia had put the demon to bed, then went to the base of Hometree to talk to Tsu'tey. He'd agreed to meet with her after he'd seen her and Jake practicing with Pale. 

"I hate him," she complained, feeling like a ten year old crying to her father. Tsu'tey was only a couple of years older than her, but she saw him as a brother, and had done for years. "He is so slow and so stupid. He didn't even know what tsaheylu was, Tsu'tey! How am I supposed to teach this idiot anything?"

"You will have to bear it. For the Tsahik and for Eytukan. I don't like this any more than you do, but it has been decided. Perhaps Tsahik saw something, was given a sign from Eywa, that this was fate." 

Ilhia had always believed in fate, because it had always been in her favour. But right now, fate was not in her favour. She pondered his words. 

"But what fate is this? Fate for a demon among us? Teaching him our ways so he can tell his clan how we live? This isn't right, Tsu'tey. We don't even know what his real body is doing when he is not in his false one."

A hiss came from behind Ilhia, and she turned quickly to see her sister, who had a sour expression on her face. 

"I see you," Neytiri said to both of them, and then she turned on Ilhia. "Mother has asked you to do this, Ilhia. There will be no more talk of this." Neytiri's eyes slid to Tsu'tey. "Ma Tsu'tey, come to bed." She held out her hand to her to-be mate, and Tsu'tey made a face to Ilhia. "I know you don't like this, little sister, but it's temporary. You don't have to love him, but tolerate him. He is like a child learning how to walk. The Tsahik and Eytukan have asked you to do this, not Mother and Father. And I follow their decisions." 

Ilhia groaned in annoyance as Tsu'tey got up and took Neytiri's hand. "Why do you have to be so smart, sister? It is annoying." 

"It was a gift I was born with. Unfortunately for you, you weren't born with it," Neytiri said as her and Tsu'tey began climbing the stairs. 

"I still don't like him!" she called after them. The response she got was Tsu'tey's laughter and Neytiri scolding him. 

At least she had someone on her side.