I Have Crossed the Stars to Find You - BOOK ONE

Chapter 18 - Rally the Troops-for Tragedy

Warnings: violence, death

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Jake

I fly home quickly, relieved to see Anìheyu and Bob back on their perches at the top of Hometree when I pass it on my way to the Tree of Souls. Toruk lands near the center and I hop off of him quickly, Neytiri and Tsu'tey walking up to meet me as I hurry to them. Tsu'tey claps my on the back with a big smile, "Congratulations, Jakesully! My mate has just told me of your mating to Rose Augustine." I nod and Neytiri notices the distressed look in my eyes, looking past me and looking around for my mate before she rests her hands on my shoulders, squeezing firmly as a way to help keep herself from panicking as she speaks, "Jake. Where is Rose?"

My ears flick back against my head and my tail flicks around angrily behind me, a low growl sounding in my throat as I think back to everything that's occurred so far this morning. "The Sky People took her. I tried to go get her back but there is no way I would be able to make it in and out of there and keep us both alive." I told my friends, both their faces falling at my words, Neytiri tearing up slightly out of concern for her friend while her husband steps closer to me, "We will save her, Brother. She is Omaticaya now, and we do not abandon our people." I nod in agreement with Tsu'tey's words and he turns towards Neytiri, hugging her tightly and pressing a kiss to her forehead then crouching down to press a kiss to her stomach, which is rather large at this point since she's due to give birth any day now.

Once he's done Tsu'tey stands once again and we race away, me back on Toruk while Tsu'tey calls for his ikran and gets on her back. The two of us fly off, bringing more and more available warriors with us as we grow closer to Bridgehead. As we arrive to the small military base soldiers run out to greet us, most of them on the ground but a few fly out on ikran, looking like Avatars but as soldiers. My side roars as we charge at the soldiers, most of us managing to dodge the bullets they begin to shoot at us. We begin firing back with arrows the second they have to stop and reload their guns, piercing through the chests of multiple human soldiers. Someone manages to shoot one of the Avatar soldiers in the shoulder but he still manages to shoot back at them before his fellow Avatars help him and his ikran back into the base.

The humans retreat as well after a few seconds and I quickly turn to do a headcount, my heart sinking as the number fell one short. I frantically scanned the faces of the warriors around me until I finally picked out which one was missing, quickly turning back to where we had fought the humans and strange soldiers, eyes searching the ground as the rest of the warriors followed me as we searched for Tsu'tey.

✭・.・✫

We eventually found him and when we did, he was curled up against his ikran's side, her breathing already stopped as he sobbed quietly at the loss of his friend, gently petting down her queue moreso to soothe himself than her. I quickly landed Toruk when I spotted him, hurrying over and crouching next to him, starting to look him over for injuries and I feel my blood run cold as I see the exit hole of what was most definitely a bullet wound sticking out of his back, nearly right against his spine. Turning him around carefully to face me, I grimaced at the sight of the entry wound, knowing at this point it was too late to save him and the best I could do is stay with him until he passed.

The other warriors also dismounted their ikran and slowly formed a circle around Tsu'tey and I, sitting the same way they usually would for a ceremony. As Tsu'tey started leaning more and more of his weight against me he began telling me about Neytiri and the baby; about what names they'd each picked out and whether they would raise them as a hunter or gatherer. Eventually my friend slipped away, his eyes dull and body unmoving when I looked over to him. I sigh quietly and gently close his eyes before standing up, a few warriors getting up to help me carry Tsu'tey's body over to Toruk, laying him across Toruk's back gently before I climb up as well, figuring out how to balance him so I can keep him from falling off while still being able to fly the ikran.

I wait for the other warriors to mount their ikran before we all lift off and fly back to Hometree, purposely leaving my eye guard just a little too high so if anyone sees the tear stains on my cheeks when we land I can just blame it on the wind. As we make it to Hometree and land, I make sure to hold Tsu'tey as still as possible so he doesn't fall off of Toruk, then once I'm able to hop down I carefully maneuver Tsu'tey so I can pull him down off of Toruk's back so I can carry him into Hometree, the rest of the warriors following me. I didn't even realize how long we'd been gone as I take Tsu'tey to the healers, instructing them to clean up his wound and prepare his body for his funeral. While the healers move to do that I ask where Mo'at is since she usually handles stuff like this, my eyes going wide when the healer I asked tells me with a sad smile on her face,

"The Tsahìk has given birth."

✭・.・✫

My ears twitch sadly as I stand in the doorway of Neytiri and Tsu'tey's home pod, Mo'at standing towards the back of the pod holding her new grandson with tears in her eyes. Neytiri's standing in front of me, one of her hands clutched over her mouth and the other clutching at her stomach as she sobs loudly, sounding like she's on the verge of dry heaving from the force of it. I'd just had to inform her of Tsu'tey's death and I could feel my heart break a little for her, further saddened by her anguish over the loss of her mate, once again reminding me of the dangerous situation my own mate is currently in.