Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

009, Hunting.

♯┆calm before the storm .ᐟ
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     "What have I told you before?" The loudness of her voice caused Mukata to snap his head towards her infuriated sister. Her hands grasping at multiple broken arrows. More broken arrows. Mukata let out an frustrated exhale of stress. All he wanted is to be like the others. A great warrior and an even better hunter. A task so simple to the Na'vi, but not so much for him.

"I do not have time for carving more arrows!" He had crossed the line now. She was tipped over the edge for the responsibility of everything. Denahi threw the arrows on the floor, letting out a sigh of complete exhaustion and frustration. But, when she looked at Mukata, whose face was filled with guilt, she immediately felt sorry.

Denahi pulled her bottom lip underneath her teeth, "I am sorry. I did not mean to snap." It was all becoming too much for her. Responsibility of training Jake and also parenting her younger brother. "I will carve them, sister," Mukata offered once again. Perhaps carving arrows was his calling sign since he knew how to break them perfectly.

And misshapen arrows are better than none. "I am planning to take Jake hunting. You should come with us, Kata," After all, if hunting is a skill he wanted, who best to learn it off than his older sister? No matter how much he wanted to decline. Tsu'tey's teaching was getting him nowhere, "Okay."

Then Jake walked onto the hammock. His loincloth hung low and Denahi tied it without him needing to ask, "One of your lessons should be on how to tie these things."

Denahi looked at him with squinted eyes. Jake only nodded his head in consideration that that would never happen.

After a while, the three of them began their way through the large forest. Denahi handed Jake his bow, one that was used for training. "You have to be quiet..." Denahi told the two of them, arm held into the air, "If you are loud. You will scare them away."

"We know..." Mukata responded. Denahi's posture fell as she looked down at her brother, "You know? Then why have you not succeeded with hunting?"

Jake laughed at her response which caused Mukata to hiss at him. "You walk too loud, Kata. You have to be steady. Calm. Watch for any animals..." Denahi mentioned before Mukata looked down at his feet, he could not help the way he walked. Besides, he was used to running around and causing havoc. Perhaps that's why he walked so loudly.

"Over there..." Denahi whispered to her brother. Her head nodded towards a common hexapede earting the flora surrounding them. Mukata held his bow high in the air, strong stance.

His hand let go of the arrow and it hit the hexapede— killing it instantly. Mukata whooped in excitement before retrieving his arrow and the deceased animal.

"That is what you have to do. Both of you," Denahi told them, hugging into her brothers side as she was proud he had gotten a perfect kill unlike most times before.

"Though... He will not do it as good as me!" Mukata spoke in English. Jake's ears twitched. He knew Mukata knew English because he understood Denahi, but hearing his speak it— especially to downgrade him, felt so different, "I will do better." The two of them laughed. Actually laughed together.

A sudden fondness between the two. "Jake is a warrior, Kata. I am sure he will be good," Denahi teased her brother. Mukata shrugged his shoulders, "Still. I am better."

And Jake proved Denahi's point wrong. Turns out, hunting animals was not as easy as hunting humans. Jake growled in frustration at his pathetic attempt to kill an hexapede, watching the animal run off.

"I will teach you, Jake. That is what I am here for, remember?" Denahi told him, he wanted to do this on his own. But, without some sort of help on how to hold a bow, he couldn't.

After some time, and from Jake wasting arrows, Mukata had journeyed to find more.

"Come. I will show you," Jake stepped closer to Denahi. He held the bow high in the air and Denahi tutted at his stance. It wasn't bad. But, was not perfect. Her hands tapped at his stomach to make him stand strong, pushing Jake's arms further into the air.

"You have to be stronger. It is not a gun..." Denahi said, referring to the way Jake's muscle memory wanted to hold it like a gun. He breathed in a gush of air before holding the bow high and his stance straight.

She moved forwards, allowing her to see what Jake can see. And, when her hair fell across his chest, her body standing this close to her, Jake could smell the sweet scent of flowers on her flesh. A scent that was indescribable— mossy and fresh. Citrus and floral. A perfect mixture for her.

Her fingertips held under his chin to lift his sight off of her and onto the forest, "Focus."