Spirit Of The Ikran

Chapter Four

El'fi was pleased at the time they were making now that they had something to lead them, an incentive. It was almost comical. Like children, they pranced through the forest, darting over plants and animals that scrambled out of the hulking masses of blue muscle's way. They traveled a great distance over the course of the day, El'fi was almost impressed at how they attempted to mirror Spider. Leaping across marshy bogs or crawling up into trees when a dangerous predator would pass on by, foregoing a messy encounter with weapons and bloodshed to instead simply avoid the creature to stay on track. The faster and more effectively they travelled, the quicker they would reach Oo-rah, and the faster they reached Oo-rah, the faster they would have Ikran of their own. Or as they were so fond of calling them, banshees.

El'fi was actually surprised when they reached the meeting point on only their second day, she had almost been convinced it would take them the whole three days to reach the mountain path. Once more, she watched them set up camp. Their excitement had died down a whole lot, exhausted from their long day. She could hear Rey'ka's approach on the breeze, ears twitching as she heared the subtle shift in the soil and how the grass had stopped swaying with the wind as she began to ascend up into the tree El'fi had situated herself in for the time being.

"Is everyone in position?" El'fi's tail flicked up as she watched, unmoved as Spider was lead over to the small fire that had created with the boy's ok.

He was handed a knife by what appeared to be their cool. It didn't even occur to him that Spider may try something- like escape or an attack. It looked like it had just dawned on him too, moments after handing the young man the dangerous weapon. But when Spider simply took the knife without a care and got to work skinning the hide off a yerik and the man returned back to his task of cutting up the root vegetation Spider had shown him in the daylight hours.

"Down by the falls. Darts prepared." El'fi couldn't fight the excited flick of her tail at the thought, her perfectly laid plan was going to be made even easier by how tired and worn out the looked.

"Thank you Rey'ka." The na'vi woman nodded with that stone faced look of hers as she beheld the scene playing out before her.

She noted the furrow in the space between her eyes, almost askin to confusion at the homey scene.

"Can I ask..' She trailed off as she glanced at the young hunter for permission to continue, when she didn't interrupt, Rey'ka continued. 'How do you intend to get the to split up? Soldiers have a habit of sticking together. They know they're easier to pick off when they're not together." El'fi nudged the warrior's shoulder in a playful shove with a small, mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Leave that to me." She slipped away, back down the trunk of the tree and off into the dark of the forest.

El'fi let loose a faint ikran call that echoed throughout the forest. She waited a beat and allowed the sound to permeate the air around her. From her position she could still hear the chatter of the avatars and when Spider paused mid sentence, then he was back to instructing the cook which parts to give back to the soil and which parts to roast over the fire. She crouched low in the grass and pressed her hand around her throat, fingers pressing into the cords of her throat as she let loose a low, guttural chirp. The sound appeared alien, coming out of a na'vi's lips.

There was a moment of incredibly tense silence before a mass of black erupted from the shadows and sent El'fi tumbling forward several paces as the beast nudged at her back. El'fi spun around in a low crouch, she growled at the beast in a soft, playful tone. Immediately, her affection was returned as the hulking mass of black rubbed its smooth snout against her cheek.

"I've missed you Hìrän." She rubbed her face back against the palulukan, soothing the beautiful creature with muted rumbles that rolled up from the back of her throat.