Mimetic | Tsu'tey

VI

The Bond and Training
Tsaheyluri ulte Tsuskxekeng
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The warrior kept his eyes on Jake as he guided Riley to a seat. She watched as Jake followed the woman until they were all seated. The congregation continued shortly. Small children seemed interested in Riley's changing tail but was scolded to sit and eat.

She only chuckled, they weren't alien kids to her. They were kids. The warrior seemed to acknowledge this, yet he still seemed standoffish. He handed her a wrap filled with some sort of food, almost like scraps of beef fat that was charred and seasoned in bulgogi sauce.

"Thank you." She said politely, "I realize that I don't know your name..." She said, not quite asking, but also wanting to know the warrior's name.

He glanced at her with a raised brow but also a scowl. He thought for a few moments before answering.

"Tsu'tey te Rongloa Atey'itan." He said quickly, sounding less like a name and more like a sentence.

"Sorry?" Riley pushed her ear forward towards him.

"Tsu'tey." He answered gruffly, with annoyance.

"Tsu'tey..." Riley said, savoring the name, "Did I say it right?" She asked.

Tsu'tey only nodded, eating his meal.

"I'm glad to have you as my teacher, Tsu'tey." Riley said, happily before going to eat her food. She seemed happy to eat whatever this was.

"What is this? This is delicious." Riley asked her new mentor.

Tsu'tey chuffed at her enjoyment of the food his clan prepared and answered shortly.

"Teylu. Larvae." He said, gauging her reaction.

Riley halted eating for a second with a nod.

"Really? That's cool. It's good." She extolled.

Tsu'tey responded by handing her more.

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By the end of the meal, Riley was very full and surprised that she could eat larvae without vomiting. It really did taste good, and the texture was buttery and crunchy at the same time. But she was also exhausted and recovering from the Thanator chase earlier in the day. It was something her mentor noticed in her face.

Taking the lead, he guided her carefully up into the higher levels of hometree to splitting branches which had hammocks secured into it. He demonstrated how to use one, and watched as she did the same. She wanted to thank him but didn't know what to say. So, she tried anyway.

"Thank you. For everything so far. I know that you probably don't like my kind or me very much, but I hope I can be useful." She said with a smile.

Tsu'tey looked at her, trying to figure something out in his head.

"Do not hope. Do." He said shortly and turned over in his hammock to rest.

Riley stays alone with her thoughts and simply let her anxiety run until she was too exhausted to think. And too exhausted to stay awake.

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In the morning, Tsu'tey began with moving through the forest. He was quick and graceful for a man so muscular. He was efficient and expected nothing less than perfection.

"Keep up." He'd prompt, never looking back until he couldn't hear Riley's footsteps anymore and then he'd find her and start again.

Without shoes, Riley felt like she was more susceptible to injury, less secure. This course was meant for people who had lived here their whole lives.

When they returned, Tsu'tey ignored her until he returned with direhorses, pa'li. He held the pa'li steady by its reigns and looked at Riley expectantly.

"Well... okay..." Riley mumbled as she came up to the pa'li's side. It was as tall as a Clydesdale to her.

She had no experience in horse riding. Her first attempt to mount it was poor, too weak, resulting in her slipping off. The second was successful, but she almost slipped off due to the lack of stirrups and saddle. She steadied herself on the back of the pa'li and took its queue in her hand, admiring the neural network that was reaching out for some sort of connection. So, with that thought in mind, she took her queue in her hand and brought her neural whip to the pa'li's and was shocked at the sensation.

Her pupils blew wide open, her heart rate picked up, she was feeling twice as many sensations. She became a little dizzy, almost swaying with her own heartbeat like she was feverish. Tsu'tey patted the pa'li which made a comforting cocktail of hormones and signals fire off in the pa'li's brain which went into Riley's.

"Focus." He counseled, "This is Tsaheylu." He explained. He patted the pa'li.

"The bond. You can tell her what to do, inside the mind. You will have to speak it." He instructed and released the reigns as Riley continued to feel out through this connection.

From the comfortable yet different posture of the pa'li, to the tips of her hoof-like toes. She had an idea of how it would move when she asked it to, but without her asking, the pa'li began to move just as she imagined. A slow, steady prance about the clearing. Tsu'tey watched her as she learned to walk and run, how to lean when you jump.

Of course, there were bumps for this first lesson, but it was enough for Tsu'tey to saddle up his own pa'li and take her on a patrol. A patrol that went into a fast run when approaching Jake who had fallen face first into some mud.

The pitiful expression Jake wore was one of surprise and unimpressed frustration. It made Riley chuckle as they came to a stop.

"Jake- pffff-" she covered her mouth while laughing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh! Are you okay?" She dismounted her pa'li and helped Jake up. Tsu'tey hadn't planned on running into him, but he took the opportunity to express his displeasure with him.

"You should go away." He asserted.

Jake gave silent thanks to Riley as she mounted her pa'li again.

"Nah, you'd miss me." Jake replied, beginning to wipe off the mud, "I knew you could speak English." He said while pointing at Tsu'tey with a smile.

Tsu'tey was just in disbelief as he smiled to himself at Jake's reaction. He turned to Neytiri whose gaze had lingered on Riley for a little too long.

"Fìketuwongìl ke nayume ke'ut..." Tsu'tey predicted, "Nì'ul kame tskxe. Poru tìng nari!" He said, a little more convincing now that Jake was pulling mud out of his mouth with his fingertips. Tsu'tey simply stared at him with disgust until Neytiri patted his pa'li's behind. She didn't deny it though, whatever it was that Tsu'tey said.

That got Tsu'tey and Riley riding off into the forest. It didn't seem like it before, but there were patrol paths throughout Omatikaya territory, ones that intersected where she had been the night prior. She was lucky to get so far. The day was still young, and Tsu'tey was showing her landmarks even though she'd more likely be riding with someone than not.

It was a first day introduction. Very full of information, but not much of it was expected to be remembered. But one part she wouldn't forget was the view of the waterhole near the falls. It was here that Tsu'tey left her to tidy up and follow the watering hole back to the clearing where the pa'li would stay, right under hometree.

At least that's how she pictured it in her head.

The water was cool and calm. No one was bathing besides her, so it was mostly private, save for the pa'li and a few fish, the passing sturmbeest herd. She even took time to swim and cool off her feet from the day of running and riding. Even though her feet hardened to adapt, she did step on a pretty nasty rock.

Her day went smoothly, even at dinner. But the highlight of the day were the children. They pestered her about her tail in a language she couldn't understand. But a few said, "tail change". They must've learned it from Grace, after all, she put years into the school.

She went to bed, satisfied with her day.