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CLIMBING to the Ikran nests was as strenuous and tiring as Ruth remembered it to be. The slowly healing wound from the attack on the Lev Train ached with every movement that passed, but she persisted on for the special day it was.
It had been almost fifteen years since she had made the same climb with Jake and Tsu'tey to the nests, where she bonded with her Ikran, Denver, and began soaring the skies from between the wings of her mount. Reminiscing on the memories of her right of passage brought on a bittersweet ache that was a struggle to ignore throughout the several-hour journey—memories she cherished but otherwise forced down with grief.
Now, it was her children's turn to climb to the Ikran. With the daunting war with the RDA growing worse with each passing interaction, Kina, Seyu, and Ri'naya all needed Ikran. If not to fight, they needed to be able to make a quick escape, given the occasion called for it.
From the front, Jake led the group through the cave systems of the floating mountains the beasts nested in. At one point, the walls opened to a beautiful scene. To the left was the waterfall they would soon pass behind to reach the nesting area.
As Olo'eyktan, Jake often brought the clan's young people to the Ikran nesting area to carry out their right of passage, as their ancestors had for thousands of years. Ruth often came to assist, and Neytiri joined sometimes when not otherwise busy.
The group stopped a few feet from the edge of the cliff, Ruth drawing in a handful of heavy breaths as she placed her bow on her back with the string crossing the expanse of her chest. Seyu and Kina were immediately busy overlooking the ledge with awe, chattering with excitement with the two other young boys who joined to complete their rite. Ri'naya remained a few steps away from Ruth, quiet and weary.
"Everything will be alright, I promise," Ruth assured her daughter, who turned her attention to her. Her expression was unreadable; the mother wasn't sure if Ri'naya was even excited to be there like her brother and sister were.
Ri'naya cocked her head and offered a shrug. "We will see. Hopefully, none of us fall to our deaths."
"Ri'naya!" Ruth scolded despite the very reasonable possibility of that happening. She hadn't wanted to think about it. "The others don't need to hear such words right now. We have a handful of riders flying below to lessen that chance. And Neytiri is ready to do what she can."
"Sure," her daughter replied in English, not convinced. Of Ruth's three children, Ri'naya picked up English the easiest and used it the most.
With nothing else to say to ease her feistiest daughter's attitude, Ruth sighed and palmed her forehead. The group's attention was drawn to Jake as he beckoned for them to listen; Ruth made her way over. He crouched down to balance on the balls of his feet, and everyone followed suit until they were all in a circle.
