Petrichor

Semper Fi

"We have to go now!" 

The voice, her mate's voice, came from her left side. He was holding her, his hand on her face. His own panicked eyes were swimming across her vision, left to right, right to left, as he moved jerkily in front of her. He gave her shoulder a little shake, and moved his hand back to her cheek, trying to get through to her. She could see him, her Jake, but she wasn't registering what he was saying. 

"Ilhia, we have to go now, they're gonna land on top of us!" 

It had been mere hours since their world had been turned upside down. It didn't feel like it. It felt like a never ending nightmare, waiting for the demons to land on their planet. 

She was crouched, eyes wide, looking straight up at the sky. Neytiri was on her right, a similar stance, her lips parted. The ships were directly above them, so many miles in the sky. 

She felt so very numb. Surreal. 

How did this happen?

How was it mere hours ago that she and Jake had been lying together looking at the stars?

"Mom!" A rough hand grabbed her shoulder. "Mom, we must go now! Neteyam has the kids and Grandmother, but we must run!" 

She glanced at him, at her son. He was crouched in front of her, his bow over his shoulder, a spear in his free hand, a basket on his back with crudely made straps that circled his waist and other shoulder. Wide eyes and pinned back ears. 

Jake knew she was in shock. Hometree, their second home, had been evacuated ten minutes ago. Tsu'tey had ordered the hunters to mount pa'li, grab children, ride in the sky on their ikrans. Neytiri had stayed with her sister, her own children with Mo'at and their cousins. He just couldn't get through to her. Her or Neytiri.

"We have to go now!" Jake repeated, his voice throaty and raw. 

The ships would enter the atmosphere and begin to slow any time in the next hour. They'd been watching their progress after the meeting with the council, and as they drew nearer, it was clear that the humans were going to land close to Hometree. Maybe not directly on top of it, but close enough that the blasts from the ships slowing down would destroy it. 

The four were the only ones left. Jake and Tsu'tey had made everyone move to the ground of Hometree for a quick exit after the meeting. They had all packed quickly and with panic.

Ilhia stood, gripping Neytiri's upper arm and pulling her up too. Leypa stood too, towering over the three, his eyes still wide, still absolutely terrified.

Neytiri was a mess. She wore Tsahik garments and her songcord, nothing else. Roeuyi had taken Eytukan's bow. Tsu'tey had known Tiri would be safe with Jake, with Ilhia, and had prioritised the People over his mate. Jake knew if the Olo'eyktan knew how Neytiri was going to react, he wouldn't have left her at all.

"Move!" Jake barked, pointing the way that the People had left, giving Ilhia a gentle push as he grabbed hold of her hand. Ilhia exhaled heavily, her fingers sliding down Neytiri's arm as she took her sister's hand.

And they began to run. 

Her ears were ringing. She could hear nothing except the sound of her feet hitting the floor and her own harsh breathing. 

Leypa was ahead, swinging from vines and branches, anything to make the journey go faster. Ilhia and Tiri focused on following the boy, and Jake brought up the rear, constantly looking up to make sure they were getting out of range. 

She couldn't focus on anything apart from running. If she thought about Hometree, if she thought about the demons, she might fall apart. 

Norm had gotten Trudy and the scientists to relocate to Vitrautral in the shacks. The plan was to get the youngest into the shacks and fly to the mountains, and make base up there. Tsu'tey had recalled a particular mountain that he'd found one day that was completely hollow on the inside, and would have more than enough space to accommodate both the People and the scientists.