Ma Tsawke

Chapter Sixteen

With a whoosh and the crack of mighty wings, Jake returns. He and Tanhì alight from his legendary mount. Around them hundreds of banshees are landing. A gathering of warriors from above as hundreds of Na'vi stream down into the well of souls with many hundreds more camped in the forest above it.

Direhorse riders are arriving along many trails. Banshee riders circle and swoop in, darkening the sky above the grotto. Jake, standing next to the Leonopteryx, watches his army gathering, weapon in hand mentally checking the odds of winning.

They were good but he needed them to be great. Looking to the right, Tanhì can be seen giving out orders to riders, encouraging them and patting them as they go. Her hands rest on her hips, ears twitching as if sensing his gaze. She turns to him and Jake decides he has to have it out now.

He gestures with his head in the direction where hunters were leaving from and she got the message. She follows, keeping up with his hurried pace and before she knows it, he has her in his embrace. Her head pressed to his chest by his firm hand as he pecks her temple.

"Nì'eveng?" Her arms hook around his waist, trying to look up at him.

"I'm sorry about Neytiri and Eytukan, baby. I'm sorry I couldn't help. You were right, we only bring destruction and grief." He pulls back slightly to meet her eyes. He watches her ears flop and shoulders droop, hands rubbing her back.

"I was angry with you, Jake. I felt as though everything that has happened since you came here was not real. That what happened between us was not real, that it meant nothing to you and when my home was destroyed I resented you even more because you knew it would happen, you tricked me. Then my father and sister returned to the great mother and it became too much. You broke my trust but I am sorry too, for not letting you explain yourself." Tanhì brings a hand up to caress Jake's cheek, him leaning into her palm.

"No baby-you, it was all real, it wasn't just a pretence, my feelings, Pandora, us, it's all real. You're my everything, Tanhì. When I got here it was just a job okay? I'd go back and forget about this place, I was supposed to get you guys to move but then I met you. You showed me what it's like to live. Truly live again and I couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't do that to you but by then it was already too late. I couldn't protect you then but it's different now. I'm gonna protect the people, Pandora and I'm gonna protect you until my last dying breath baby so please trust me. I'm gonna work hard to earn it back." He rests his forehead on hers when she smiled up at him.

"I trust you, Nì'eveng." She pecks his nose.

"Back on Earth we have this saying, that everyone has this red string that connects soulmates. I didn't know mines was so far away on this planet, hell if I did I'd have found you sooner." He kisses both of her cheeks affectionately, hold tightening when she tried squirming away before placing kisses down her jaw to her throat. Her fingers threading through his braids.

"Let us get ready to fight." She tells him seriously making him place one last kiss on her collarbone before pulling back, hands resting on her shoulders.

They go back to the tree of souls where the last of hunters were leaving, already painted to fight. Tanhì grabs paint from the discarded bowls and sits on the floor, Jake following her. She begins painting him, tracing patterns fit for a great leader.

"What happened to Grace?" She asks softly, rinsing her hands with a bowl of water then dipping two fingers in orange paint.

"Quaritch, he shot her when we were escaping. They were gonna send us back to Earth but we couldn't just leave like that." Her fingers swipe two lines on his face, his head turning downwards in shame. She dips her whole palm into the orange paint and leaves her print above his heart. Thinking back to the first time she heard that name.