I'll Put My Red Dress on Again

Chapter 8

Today I was going hunting with Neytiri. My bow was finished, I wrapped some cloth around the tips and strung some beads around it.

Neytiri and I jump around the trees. Until she crouches down suddenly on a branch. I follow her lead. We look at an avatar roaming around cluelessly. "The sky people would never go this far. Especially alone." I whisper to Neytiri. I couldn't help but feel like a leopard stalking its prey from our position.

Neytiri soundlessly stands up and nocks an arrow on her bow. She draws and aims right at the man. Her muscles tense as she gets ready to shoot the avatar. I sit by watching intently.

Until a fuzzy, woodsprite, lands on Neytiri's arrow. She looks at me. What does Eywa want with him? Eywa has chosen him, for something I am unsure of. I meet her eyes and nod, using my hand to put the her bow down. Neytiri frowns and hesitated. "We will watch." I say quietly. "Do you know him?" Neytiri asks. I look at the avatar. "No, I have never seen him." I say.

"A new cycle of sky people has come, I believe. I heard them talking about it." I explain to Neytiri. "He must be new."

"Clearly he moves around as if he's never walked before." Neytiri says. I laugh quietly in response.

"He won't go far, he doesn't know how to survive in these woods." I whisper before getting more comfortable on the branch. It's gonna be a while of watching him.

—-

It hits night time. The avatar visibly got more nervous at the lack of light. Viperwolves were closely watching him. He only noticed about 20 minutes later. He takes off his shirt and wraps it tightly around a wooden spear he made. He runs to the tree and pours sap on the end with clothing. He grabs a match from his pocketing.

Quickly lighting the torch. "What is he doing?" Neytiri asks me in a harsh whisper. "Sky people are taught to make fire to survive." I whisper back. "Stupid." Neytiri spits. Hyena-like laughs erupt from the darkness. The avatar quickly starts to realize the mistake he made, as more viperwolves circle him. From the trees and ground he is being hunted.

The avatar runs away from the viperwolves. Neytiri and I quickly follow from above. He quickly walks over a log above water and lands with a quick thud on the other side. The viperwolves quickly cut him off, they already encircled him.

It was now at a standoff. He waves the flame around to keep the wolves away. I look at Neytiri. "No." She whispers slightly while putting her hand in front of my chest. "Not yet." I nod and continue watching the scene. Something changes in the man, "I don't have all goddamn night! Come on! Come on!" He shouts to the beasts. As if the viperwolves could understand him, they start to attack.

I quickly grab my bow and ready it. Neytiri looks at me with a hand once again holding me back. I sigh and nod, still ready to shoot at a moment's notice. The avatar is getting overwhelmed with the viperwolves. He's laying on the ground as three come at him at once.

Neytiri pierced the viperwolves heart with an arrow. Neytiri quickly jumps off the branch and I take that as my sign. In midair Neytiri shoots an arrow right into the heart of another. I shoot an arrow through the heart of one about to bite Neytiri.

Neytiri hits one of the viperwolves with her bow right in the head. Another jumps on her but I quickly kill it. We fend off the viperwolves as one is about to get the avatar. I grab my knife and quickly run over and sink it into the chest of the viperwolf. Throwing it off the man.

The viperwolves start to yelp and circle. Neytiri growls at them, causing the wolves to whimper and run away. Neytiri follows after the wolves until she is sure they are gone. Her tail thrashes around as she scans the area.