I see you, Tsu'tey

Chapter 35

Awa let out a bird-like call as she swooped down over the trail of Na'vi mounted on pa'li, moving up the hallelujah mountains and towards the ikran nests. She grinned at her mate when he shot her an irritated glance and a huff before focusing back on what he was doing, steering a bit more aggressively and his back straightening.

Lilo crooned softly and shook her head, casting her rider hopeful looks. Awa chuckled and guided Lilo up in the air, feeling the wind flowing through her thin braids, caressing her cheeks and threatening to push her off Lilo if she made a wrong move. Strange how things so gentle and beautiful could also be so deadly, Pandora in a nutshell. They swooped up over one of the mountains and made a sharp turn to avoid the waterfall from the one above it.

The Na'vi woman whooped and pushed a clenched fist in the air, making some of the ikran resting on the sides of the mountains screech and fly away from the flying woman. Lilo dived under the flying rock and over the one coming next. Water fell on them but Awa laughed through it all.

"I can't believe this is happening. I thought for sure he'd die, not that he'd be going through his iknimaya at this moment." Awa whispered, patting her ikran on the side. "Isn't it crazy, Lilo?"

The animal hissed and Awa chuckled. She told her winged animal to fly down and the pair spiralled down at an alarming, but controlled, speed towards where the Na'vi group was climbing up some of the stones that were connected with strong vines and branches. The stones were connected to where they had left the pa'li and the top where they would later jump over to another mountain. After that the group had jumped they would need to do some more climbing until they reached the ikrans main hangout amongst the legendary floating mountains of Pandora.

She flew around the climbing hunters and students, smiling crookedly at her mate and nodding to Jake before doing a thumbs up to Tsu'tey's little brother who was looking nervous and on the verge of passing out. The born Na'vi flew up the strip of stones, moving agily like lemurs while Jake was falling behind and was significantly slower than the rest of the group. Awa had to give him props for not giving up, she knew what it was like, even if she did have more time to complete her training than Jake who was on a tight schedule.

"I'll meet you at the top!" Awa shouted to Tsu'tey who nodded at her and pressed a flat hand to his chest before nodding.

Awa nodded back before flying up again towards the part where they would meet up again. Lilo's powerful wings created small currents of air under them as she pushed them towards the top effortlessly. Awa could see that the rest of the group had caught up to her mate who was waiting for the stones they were standing on to align with the floating mountain with long vines hanging down the bottom of it. A pang of nostalgia hit her as she thought back to when she had to make that jump, and how impossible it seemed. Not to mention the fact that if she failed the jump then her avatar body would be dead and she'd be useless. She shuddered at the thought of not being able to live as a Na'vi and instead live out her employment time on Pandora in her human body, watching the Na'vi and have to constantly be reminded of the failure that cost her everything.

Another loud shriek filled the air and Awa looked over to see Neytiri and Seze flying around the top part. She was probably waiting for the the group as well, wanting to see her student take the final leap to becoming an adult in the Omaticaya clan and become a hunter. Awa had never teached someone, yet, but she imagined the pride of seeing your students pass the final test.

Awa grinned and urged Lilo to speed up so they could join their friend while they waited. It took only seconds before they had caught up with them and Lilo's powerful, fast strokes turned into peaceful soaring with the occasional strong pull of her wings to keep up some speed even while they glided.