Snippet #1758451

Tamya

Tamya watched Marek closely as he answered, her brow creasing at his comment about fetching her. He talked as if war was certain, but surely they would at least attempt peace? She decided not to press the issue for now, after all Marek had spent most of the past week discussing what she hoped was a last resort. In the time they'd been together she'd learnt a few of his telltales and as soon as his tongue ran across his teeth, causing the front of his mouth to bulge slightly, she knew that he was wondering how much he could tell her. It appeared that neither of them was willing to wholly divulge their feelings, though she suspected his was more to do with a fear of rumour spreading and his father finding out. 
"Climbing such great heights intimidates me. " he said, taking her by surprise "But I'm reminded that the reward will be great should I form the bond."
"But you climb like a Syaksyuk!" she exclaimed "You have nothing to worry about! Besides, just think of how rewarding it will be when you are soaring through the skies on the back of your Ikran." she closed her eyes for a moment, imagining what it must be like "I hope you will take me up with you some day if you do manage the bond."

She was perfectly happy to sit in silence, smiling as he traced the swirls of light clearly visible across her skin, though his shone out like the stars she had spent hours gazing at. She liked the feeling, a sort of halfway mark between a tickle and a caress. She had missed these kinds of interactions all too much recently, those times when they could be together and feel like it was just the two of them, alone and yet surrounded by the wondrous things Eywa had blessed them with. This was of course tempered by the underlying tension in the air as all of the Omaticaya prepared themselves for the days to come. She supposed this was her and Marek's preparation, making the most of the time they had together before they would be separated again. 

"Does your family dislike me?"
The sudden question caught Tamya completely off guard, and she felt it had rather ruined the atmosphere of the moment. She took up a strand of her long hair, which was down for the first time in days (and stretched nearly to her thighs) and began toying with it as she thought, gently knotting and twisting it, winding and wrapping and weaving it between her fingers.
"Yes and no." she answered after a brief pause "They like you for who you are, and admire your intellect. Of course, your family is hardly one of bad reputation. But at the same time, they do not like what you are doing. My dislike of violence had to come from somewhere, after all." she chuckled. 
"What about your father and mother" she retorted "I seem to recall overhearing the Eytukan saying that you could do better?"
Though the comments were, of course, insulting to her, she just brushed it off as she always had with abuse and remained lighthearted. Truth be told she herself wasn't that much a fan of the Eytukan, he was far too arrogant and war-like for her tastes. But the Tsahik had barely ever spoken to her, and she struggled to remember if they had ever even been formerly introduced. Perhaps the representative of Eywa also thought her unworthy of Marek?


Kuvax

Kuvax' eyebrows raised as Leyri registered surprise at his question. He knew he didn't normally make requests of people, but surely after asking if people wanted to be accompanied she would not be that shocked?
"I am grateful, if you are sure you don't mind?" he asked, wanting to be sure that the reply was genuine "I'm also glad that I have something of a break with this trial. The preparations have been killing me more than the battle will!" he added, laughing. 
He returned her smile as she said "It would be am honour to see the sons of our great leader gain the title of Ikran Makto."
"Steady on" he breathed, a note of concern entering his voice "I have to make it up there first..."
He was not a climber but he was sure his brother would make it up there, however he could hardly envision Marek wrestling an Ikran to the ground- which was the part Kuvax was most comfortable with. 

Another patch of silence passed, but it seemed more fitting this time. He followed her gaze as she observed the warriors around them going about their duties, getting ready for dawn. It was only now that he was beginning to realise that this might be the last time he saw many of them, and his mood became more melancholy as it sunk in. "Do you have faith in these soldiers?" she asked. He had been expecting a question like this, if not from her then from somebody else. He had never asked or expected people to stick to protocol or wait their turn to speak, always taking the line that if they heard him then he would hear them no matter what they had to say. 
"Of course" he said with conviction, staring her in the eyes "I trust them with my life. I will admit that I do not like to see so many young Na'vi preparing for war, but then I remember that I am practically one of them!"
Suddenly his tone darkened, and his face became downcast "However, they lack experience, and many of them are over-eager. Youth gives them strength, but also ignorance of what to expect from such a situation." his hand reached up to subconsciously scratch at the great scars across his chest "We have no way of knowing how many of them will cope with the horrors of what may come."

As though suddenly snapping out of some reverie, he quickly glanced around to make sure no one else had been listening. It was in his nature to be up front with people, sometimes brutally so, but this was a time when he must keep his concerns to himself or his brother. "I fear I have said too much" his tone had lightened, and he added a weak smile "do not worry, when the time comes they will rise to the challenge set before them, as will we all."
If Leyri had expected a rebuttal for speaking out of turn, she had certainly got more than she had bargained for...