Wildflower

6

┊         ┊       ┊   ┊    ┊        ┊
┊         ┊       ┊   ┊   ˚★⋆｡˚  ⋆
┊         ┊       ┊   ⋆
┊         ┊       ★⋆
┊ ◦
★⋆      ┊ .  ˚
           ˚★

The next few weeks go by in a rush. Liza grows more and more comfortable in her new body, changing into more traditional Na'vi clothes like her new top and a secured loincloth,  and her friends begin to show her more and more of Na'ring. They go to school in the morning, rotating outdoor and indoor learning, then run during the afternoons. One evening, they are teaching Liza how to fish with a bow and arrow when Neytiri offers her a proposition.

"You sleep in Hell's Gate?" The Na'vi girl asked. Liza released an arrow, narrowly missing the fish she'd been aiming for.

"Yes."

Sylwanin wrinkled her nose.

"Do you like it there?"

Liza hesitated. "No." It was the truth. After a taste of Pandora as an Avatar, she couldn't imagine loving any other way of life.

Neytiri gave her sister a sidelong glance. Liza raised an eyebrow.

"I would like to take you to the village," Neytiri announced. "I will bring you to my mother. She will decide whether or not you may stay."

"What about Grace and René?" Sylwanin cut in. The excitement that had been building in Liza's chest was immediately diffused-- there was no way she could get both of them to approve this. Neytiri seemed to think the same, as her posture deflated and smile folded into a line.

Tsu'tey slung his bow over his shoulder. "There's only one way to find out, right?"

"Right," Liza said, unconvinced. She appreciated their efforts, but Sylwanin's point was valid. Although, how could they deny her this honor?

"Let's talk to my mother first." Sylwanin said quietly. She was shucking one last fish off of her arrow and into their basket. Wiping the head on a nearby leaf, she sheathed the arrow into her quiver and picked up her bow. "They will be more inclined to say yes if the Tsahik approves."

Liza nodded, putting her bow on her back and hoisting the fish basket in her arms. From what Grace had told her about Earth fish, they were stinky and slimy. She felt extremely lucky to have been born on Pandora-- here, they were mostly slippery, and smelled exactly like the river they came from. The pack started on the path toward Vayaha Village, where they all lived.

Vayaha Village was the biggest one in the rainforest, centered around Home Tree and home to the chief and Tsahik of the entire Omatikaya clan. Neytiri and Sylwanin, the daughters of the chief and Tsahik, had grown up there, along with the other students. Mo'at, their mom, had spiritual abilities that allowed her to form limited glimpses of the future— whatever Eywa allowed her to see. The village came to her for big decisions, because she could guide them based on what did and didn't align with Eywa's will. It made sense that they would ask their Tsahik whether Liza's habitation in their village was right.

On the other hand, it unnerved Liza that her presence wasn't necessarily harmless. She understood the need for a blessing, but the implication that Eywa might deem her entrance dangerous did not help to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She knew she was born human, but she meant no harm. What if Mo'at rejected her? What would that mean for her? How would it affect her friendships, her future, her family?

The group crested a hill, and Liza caught a glimpse of Home Tree. It was magnificent, the way that it dwarfed everything around it. She could feel her blood thrumming in anticipation as they stepped closer and closer to it, as if her soul was buzzing to be near it. They walked for several minutes more, until finally they'd arrived.