Other Fan Fiction ❯ Tiger, Burning Bright ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: YoukaiFate 
Miscellaneous: Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.03.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 230 | Status: Completed
Miscellaneous: Other Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance / Drama / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.03.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 230 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, etc., of Avatar. This story is for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit.
Tiger, Burning Bright
A/N: A rather short chapter, for having been so long. More a chance to get my hand back in the fandom. =) Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them! (Fate)
Chapter Three
“Thanks, but I got this.”
Skeptical, Tse’yan watched as the little female lurched to the arching tree root that dipped below the surface of the half-hidden pool. It would provide a seat in water shallow for him but too deep for her to stand up in.He doubted her ability to stand for long, however. She’d just spurned his assistance, and he wondered which would win: her stubborn pride or her very real exhaustion.
Sagging against the moss-covered root, she flipped a glare back over her shoulder as if she had read his thoughts. She said a spatter of words that made no sense to him, with as little understanding as he had of her language, although the insistent gesture of her circling finger was fairly obvious.
Sighing heavily for the enigmatic inhibitions of aliens, Tse’yan turned around. His ears twitched as he heard the whisper of cloth as she discarded her white garment, followed by a grunt as the root creaked. She was certainly a noisy creature. The splash as she entered the water and her hiss at the first touch of it were loud enough to draw Suthor’s chittering interest. Tse’yan grinned as the ikran’s knobby head popped out of the lush foliage of the tree’s upper branches, and he clicked his tongue against his teeth to reassure him.
Suthor tilted his head, turning his left side, his better side, to examine the situation for himself. The twin eyes blinked. Unable to resist, Tse’yan risked a glance over his shoulder. The sky-woman wasn’t even paying attention to them, but wincing as she pulled the strange tie from her tangled hair. The water lapped around her shoulders, and her skin looked pale as the dark hair spilled down her back to curl under the agitated water.
Uncertain if she knew the astringent properties of honey-flower nectar, Tse’yan deliberately reached out with a long arm and tipped one of the white, cupped flowers that grew along its draping vine so that the thick liquid spilled out. She instinctively ducked as the first drops hit her skin, nearly losing her precarious seat. She scowled up at him, again speaking too quickly for him to follow, though her annoyance was clear. Funny how he could read the emotions so easily on her face. The humans were not so alien when all was said and done, though she had felt so light and fragile in his arms.
“Wash,” he ordered, cursing his limited command of the human tongue as he used short gestures to explain. She made a face that had him grin, but cupped her palms to catch the rest of the nectar.
She brought the soap to her nose, took a quick sniff, and shrugged---a gesture that seemed to have lots of meanings, as far as he could fathom. The humans seemed rather fond of it. Some of the Na’vi were even imitating the gesture---those young warriors who so admired the Toruk Makto. Jake Sully still retained a few of his human customs despite the avatar body he now wore. His influence over the younger warriors worried some of the elders, but Tse’yan saw little wrong with it. It was good that the People try and understand these aliens, who could be so like, and yet unlike, the Na’vi.
Which was why he would stay with the Omaticaya when the other warriors of the Wentacaleyah left. He wanted to know more of this small woman and the others of her kind. There was much he could learn, and much he might teach---language being foremost. Though they seemed to be managing quite well without words, for the pointed glare the little female gave him made him bare his teeth in a grin even as he let go of the flower to once again turn his back. Settling himself on the grassy tussock, he patiently waited for her to finish her ablutions.
Gah---time to get herself up and out. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Trudy forced her sluggish brain to focus on the next task---which was how to get her ass out of the water using the damn root that had provided a good seat as it dipped below the surface but was not the easiest way to climb back out. Normally, she would easily go hand-over-hand until she could use the grassy bank to pull herself up, but her arms were all but shaking with fatigue. So she inched herself along like a damn worm, getting a few scrapes in interesting places for her pains, and thanked God nobody was there to see her rather ignoble tumble to the grass.
“Fuck me,” she muttered, impatient with just how damn tired she was. Shouldn’t she be a little more energized after being comatose for the last few weeks? Crap, this was ridiculous.
“You have sick?”
God, not that again.
“Nope,” she said, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt. She wasn’t irritated with him, after all, but with herself. Rolling over, she dragged Dr. Patel’s lab coat over her nakedness and impatiently pushed the sopping bangs out of her eyes as she all but slumped against the tree bole behind her. Or was it another of those giant roots? She couldn’t tell; she hardly ever could on this biological paradise. Everything grew bigger on this damn moon.
Speaking of which---she cracked an eye open. The big, blue ape was crouched in front of her, his amber eyes bright with concern. He raised a big, blue hand and her own automatically came up to block it. He tensed up---a curious rippling along his densely muscled arm and shoulder as the contours were thrown into sharp relief---and silently stared at her, as if weighing her reaction.
“No hurt,” he said quietly.
Dropping her hand, Trudy grimaced. “Sorry, it’s reflex.”
He nodded, as if he understood. She wondered if he really did, or was just humoring her. She shrugged, discomfited by his unflinching stare. That was damn eerie. Didn’t he ever blink?
She shifted uncomfortably, and offered a lame half-smile. “Look, Na’vi, my nerves are all shot to hell. I---”
“Tse’yan,” he abruptly said. “Not Na’vi. Tse’yan.”
“Tse’yan, right, okay, gotcha.” Trudy would have rolled her eyes, but his look was so intent she paused.
“Okay is yes, good, agree.”
What was this, a language lesson? Trudy sighed. Hell of a place for one. “Yes, you’re right. Right is okay, yes, good, agree.”
“Gotcha,” he said. She didn’t know if it was a question or understanding, so assumed the former.
“It’s all the same. Yes, good, okay, agree, gotcha---” she paused, thinking of the other meanings and subtleties that she couldn’t even begin to explain about English. Damn, she was tired, and now her head felt stuffed full of cotton.
“You are Troo-dee.”
“Tru-dy,” she emphasized, and he thoughtfully repeated it as she yawned. Too tired for more words, she just nodded, closing her eyes as leaned back against the tree.
“Trudy,” he finally said.
“Mmmhmm?” Wow, even this tree was starting to get comfy. If she could just get a few minutes…
“I help,” he explained quietly, and then her world went all topsy-turvy as he abruptly scooped her up.
She tried the word out, and he corrected her pronunciation. He pointed up at the trees, where the wind swayed through the feathering leaves. “Wind,” he blew his breath to show his meaning, “up in leaves.” He wiggled his fingers, and she quickly caught on.
“Wentacaleyah. The Wind High in the Leaves Clan.”
He nodded, and smiled down at her. She was looking up at the leaves, her head tilted back as she murmured softly, her eyes closing as sleep finally took her, “Wentacaleyah...”
Tiger, Burning Bright
A/N: A rather short chapter, for having been so long. More a chance to get my hand back in the fandom. =) Thank you for the reviews, I really appreciate them! (Fate)
Chapter Three
“Thanks, but I got this.”
Skeptical, Tse’yan watched as the little female lurched to the arching tree root that dipped below the surface of the half-hidden pool. It would provide a seat in water shallow for him but too deep for her to stand up in.He doubted her ability to stand for long, however. She’d just spurned his assistance, and he wondered which would win: her stubborn pride or her very real exhaustion.
Sagging against the moss-covered root, she flipped a glare back over her shoulder as if she had read his thoughts. She said a spatter of words that made no sense to him, with as little understanding as he had of her language, although the insistent gesture of her circling finger was fairly obvious.
Sighing heavily for the enigmatic inhibitions of aliens, Tse’yan turned around. His ears twitched as he heard the whisper of cloth as she discarded her white garment, followed by a grunt as the root creaked. She was certainly a noisy creature. The splash as she entered the water and her hiss at the first touch of it were loud enough to draw Suthor’s chittering interest. Tse’yan grinned as the ikran’s knobby head popped out of the lush foliage of the tree’s upper branches, and he clicked his tongue against his teeth to reassure him.
Suthor tilted his head, turning his left side, his better side, to examine the situation for himself. The twin eyes blinked. Unable to resist, Tse’yan risked a glance over his shoulder. The sky-woman wasn’t even paying attention to them, but wincing as she pulled the strange tie from her tangled hair. The water lapped around her shoulders, and her skin looked pale as the dark hair spilled down her back to curl under the agitated water.
Uncertain if she knew the astringent properties of honey-flower nectar, Tse’yan deliberately reached out with a long arm and tipped one of the white, cupped flowers that grew along its draping vine so that the thick liquid spilled out. She instinctively ducked as the first drops hit her skin, nearly losing her precarious seat. She scowled up at him, again speaking too quickly for him to follow, though her annoyance was clear. Funny how he could read the emotions so easily on her face. The humans were not so alien when all was said and done, though she had felt so light and fragile in his arms.
“Wash,” he ordered, cursing his limited command of the human tongue as he used short gestures to explain. She made a face that had him grin, but cupped her palms to catch the rest of the nectar.
She brought the soap to her nose, took a quick sniff, and shrugged---a gesture that seemed to have lots of meanings, as far as he could fathom. The humans seemed rather fond of it. Some of the Na’vi were even imitating the gesture---those young warriors who so admired the Toruk Makto. Jake Sully still retained a few of his human customs despite the avatar body he now wore. His influence over the younger warriors worried some of the elders, but Tse’yan saw little wrong with it. It was good that the People try and understand these aliens, who could be so like, and yet unlike, the Na’vi.
Which was why he would stay with the Omaticaya when the other warriors of the Wentacaleyah left. He wanted to know more of this small woman and the others of her kind. There was much he could learn, and much he might teach---language being foremost. Though they seemed to be managing quite well without words, for the pointed glare the little female gave him made him bare his teeth in a grin even as he let go of the flower to once again turn his back. Settling himself on the grassy tussock, he patiently waited for her to finish her ablutions.
ooOOOoo
Keeping one eye on the blue Na’vi, Trudy made short work of the goop he’d given her to clean the itchy scurf from her skin and hair. It seemed to work as both shampoo and conditioner, for it helped detangle the knots. She winced at a few of the nastier ones, her fingers combing through the heavy length. Everything felt heavy right now---her arms, her legs, even the water around her. Moving through Pandora’s dense atmosphere was hard enough when she wasn’t so tired she wanted to fall head-first into the nearest berth and sleep for a good week.Gah---time to get herself up and out. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Trudy forced her sluggish brain to focus on the next task---which was how to get her ass out of the water using the damn root that had provided a good seat as it dipped below the surface but was not the easiest way to climb back out. Normally, she would easily go hand-over-hand until she could use the grassy bank to pull herself up, but her arms were all but shaking with fatigue. So she inched herself along like a damn worm, getting a few scrapes in interesting places for her pains, and thanked God nobody was there to see her rather ignoble tumble to the grass.
“Fuck me,” she muttered, impatient with just how damn tired she was. Shouldn’t she be a little more energized after being comatose for the last few weeks? Crap, this was ridiculous.
“You have sick?”
God, not that again.
“Nope,” she said, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt. She wasn’t irritated with him, after all, but with herself. Rolling over, she dragged Dr. Patel’s lab coat over her nakedness and impatiently pushed the sopping bangs out of her eyes as she all but slumped against the tree bole behind her. Or was it another of those giant roots? She couldn’t tell; she hardly ever could on this biological paradise. Everything grew bigger on this damn moon.
Speaking of which---she cracked an eye open. The big, blue ape was crouched in front of her, his amber eyes bright with concern. He raised a big, blue hand and her own automatically came up to block it. He tensed up---a curious rippling along his densely muscled arm and shoulder as the contours were thrown into sharp relief---and silently stared at her, as if weighing her reaction.
“No hurt,” he said quietly.
Dropping her hand, Trudy grimaced. “Sorry, it’s reflex.”
He nodded, as if he understood. She wondered if he really did, or was just humoring her. She shrugged, discomfited by his unflinching stare. That was damn eerie. Didn’t he ever blink?
She shifted uncomfortably, and offered a lame half-smile. “Look, Na’vi, my nerves are all shot to hell. I---”
“Tse’yan,” he abruptly said. “Not Na’vi. Tse’yan.”
“Tse’yan, right, okay, gotcha.” Trudy would have rolled her eyes, but his look was so intent she paused.
“Okay is yes, good, agree.”
What was this, a language lesson? Trudy sighed. Hell of a place for one. “Yes, you’re right. Right is okay, yes, good, agree.”
“Gotcha,” he said. She didn’t know if it was a question or understanding, so assumed the former.
“It’s all the same. Yes, good, okay, agree, gotcha---” she paused, thinking of the other meanings and subtleties that she couldn’t even begin to explain about English. Damn, she was tired, and now her head felt stuffed full of cotton.
“You are Troo-dee.”
“Tru-dy,” she emphasized, and he thoughtfully repeated it as she yawned. Too tired for more words, she just nodded, closing her eyes as leaned back against the tree.
“Trudy,” he finally said.
“Mmmhmm?” Wow, even this tree was starting to get comfy. If she could just get a few minutes…
“I help,” he explained quietly, and then her world went all topsy-turvy as he abruptly scooped her up.
ooOOOoo
She protested his help, just as he’d expected. Especially when he swept a hand through her hair, squeezing out the water. Perching her on an upper bend of the root, he quickly braided it into a neat queue, threading the end with a beaded thong. She glanced at the three beads, the white, blue and green, and he said, “My clan. The Wentacaleyah.”She tried the word out, and he corrected her pronunciation. He pointed up at the trees, where the wind swayed through the feathering leaves. “Wind,” he blew his breath to show his meaning, “up in leaves.” He wiggled his fingers, and she quickly caught on.
“Wentacaleyah. The Wind High in the Leaves Clan.”
He nodded, and smiled down at her. She was looking up at the leaves, her head tilted back as she murmured softly, her eyes closing as sleep finally took her, “Wentacaleyah...”