Ma Tsawke

Chapter Seventeen

I was a warrior who dreamed he could bring peace. But there was only one thing I was ever really good at. Being a marine. Guess it would come in handy today.

Jake, Tanhì and a group of banshee riders squat around an animal skin on which he has drawn the silhouette of a Scorpion gunship.

"Strike here and here." Jake splats red dye at the centers of the circles symbolising the rotors. The Na'vi absorb the lesson eagerly. He sees Trudy approaching and breaks off. Tanhì stays with the hunters, talking about what they've learned and answering any questions.

"You know our chances suck." Trudy tells him lowly and Jake can sense the worry wafting off her.

"Yeah."

"Going up against gunships with bows and arrows." She looks around at the Na'vi preparing for war, Norm not far behind her in his avatar.

"Look, I got twenty tribes willing to fight and we got an advantage, the FVR. Their equipment isn't gonna work up here, they'll need to fire line of sight but you know your way around here. We got the upper hand so we need to use it. We got this." He gives her a pep talk, Norm came to them shortly after he started.

He looks back at the Na'vi and sees Tanhì, tail swinging warily from Trudy and Norm's presence. Jake beconks her to come to him but her ears press back and she shakes her head. He tilts his head invitingly, making her narrow her eyes at him.

"You shouldn't force it, Jake." Seeing the interaction, Norm rubs Trudy's shoulder but Jake doesn't listen. He strides over to Tanhì, leaning down to whisper something to her and she bares her fangs at him making Jake wince.

"Kehe Nì'eveng!" She turns away, purposely lashing him with her tail as she goes. Jake turns back to the couple and shakes his head.

"She'll warm up to you eventually." Jake offers, placing a hand on both their shoulders.

"Don't force her Sully, I'll cut you down to your real height." Trudy threatens him halfheartedly. Jake holds up a fist to both of them and they bump it for good luck.

Jake approaches the well of souls, he moves to the mother tree gnarled, ancient, majestic.

The roots spread in all directions like the center of the world. Jake steps forward, the willow-like tendrils sway toward him, moving in a breeze that isn't there.

"I've never done this in my life." He squats at the base of the tree.

"And I'm probably just talking to a tree right now. But if you're there I need to give you a heads up." He looks up into the tree, the hanging tendrils undulate softly. It's easy to imagine a presence.

"If Grace is there with you, look into her memories, she can show you the world we come from. There's no green there. They killed their Mother and they're gonna do the same thing here." From up in the tree, looking down, woodsprites float in silence, moving around aimlessly.

"More sky people are gonna come. They're gonna come like a rain that never ends."
Tanhì approaches silently behind him, listening with a fond expression.

"Until they've covered the world. Unless we stop them." He looks up at the tree.

"Look, you chose me for something. And I'll stand and fight, you know I will. But I could use a little help here." Jake senses Tanhì and she puts a hand on his strong shoulder.

"Our Great Mother does not take sides, Nì'eveng. We can only ask." She intertwines her long fingers with his.

"It was worth a try, baby." They lean in, foreheads touching, bodies pressed together.