Betrayal | Tsu'tey

XXXV

New ikran, new sister
Mipa ikranti, mipa Tsmuke
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The children pestered her. In awe at her battle scars and odd tail. They'd ask questions she had no answer to. She'd only brought her bow and knife. They had no way of knowing she was a demon.

"You asked for me?" A woman, decorated in red paint and beaded clothes asked. She was a little taller than me, a bit thinner, her hair was in beaded and braided, and she had blue eyes.

"Yes, Vrin, right?" Hia got to her feet and smiled.

"Yes. I am Vrin. I hear you need to be seen by a Metkayina healer and go to Iknimaya. You're in luck. I was headed that way myself." She said with a smile. The pair began to walk towards the cliff's edge.

"Here, your Iknimaya will be on the cliffs. I trust you know what to do?" She asked.

"I think so." Hia eyed the edge with skepticism.

"Good. I'll come with you."

They climbed down into the caves in the side of the cliff, nests had been made inside, rookeries too. Coos and cries of different Ikrans filled their ears.

"From your own clan's rookery?" Hia asked as they made their way to a central cave.

"Yes, it is the way." Vrin smiled proudly.

The cavern's large main area was littered with life and Ikrans. Making her way inside, Hia was nervous. The first few seemed up for the challenge until they didn't see each other. But when she had reached the middle, there was a large, dark ikran. A female.

She was deep muted blue with shimmering golden patterns. The markings were almost identical to Srriri's patterns. She was aggressive upfront. She spread open her wings and flapped angrily, crowing out her challenging cry. She went to strike first, which Hia dodged easily before smoothing her body against the ikran's neck, preventing any strike from hitting her while having access to her queue. She made the bond calmly, smoothly.

There was no desperation this time. Only calm washed over the pair.

"Go, you must fly!" Vrin said with a smile, mounting her own green and gold ikran. It was an awful lot like Seze, Neytiri's ikran. There was a mourning period between Srriri and this ikran. But Srriri wouldn't have wanted her to mourn, she'd want her to heal.

Hia mounted her new ikran, Yuete' and they crawled our way out of the cave and flew out into the sky. They soared over and around Vrin and her ikran before landing at the cliff's edge.

Vrin went to the nearest harness rack and helped Hia slip it onto Yuete'.

"Good, Yuete'." Hia praised Yuete' for her patience, "what is their name?" Hia asked Vrin.

"Her name is Tiya. She is Yuete's sister, if you can believe it." She chuckled.

"In some way, we are also sisters." Vrin continued, causing the pair to laugh together. Kindred spirits.

"Then that's how it is." Hia agreed, their smiles were contagious. Both of them would set off in the morning but the day had not yet finished. They began packing. Food, cloaks, knives, extra arrows, rope, medical supplies, and water carriers for the trip.

All the while, children played and bantered as they swarmed each tent, reenacting the first Toruk Makto. One of them had managed to paint themselves orange and red and hoisted a smaller child on their shoulders as they flapped their arms, screeching like the beast.

Working adults wove more tents, tended the fire as they cooked or turned seeds into meal. They smiled at their children, but never really involved themselves in the play they put on. Except for Hia when they dragged her into it. She tickled the youngest while pretending to be a Palulukan, using leftover war paint to coat her face and hands, using driftwood to as the palulukan crests. She chased them around, roaring triumphant when she picked up the closest kid.

"Tsatseng lu Palulukanti Maktoyut oe stìmawm teri!" There's the Palulukan rider I've been hearing about! The war painted Tsentey greeted. Tsahik of the Tayrangi clan. Men can be Tsahik, it's not very common however.

Hia set down the squealing child and bowed her head respectfully.

"I see you, Tsentey."

"I see you, Hia'ino. My Sopyu tells me that you two will be leaving for the reef clans. I wish you well on your way. It is a tough journey, but Vrin is an experienced traveler. Be safe." He pressed a hand to my shoulder before tending to his people.

He was an odd type, but so are most Tsahik's. It's a quality that sets them apart from the average na'vi.

She remembered her trip and what she was here for, and it was to pack, so she could leave. Leave for the Metkayina, to be healed so she can return to Tsu'tey and get on with the rest of her life. So she got on with packing.