The night was more alive than any other Marek had seen. The Na'vi warriors scrambled like ants beneath him. Some were conversing, others guarding the entrance to the den beneath home tree, and other were running to the other side of the war camp. Marek was crouched down on the branch of a tall tree in the rain forest that surrounded Home-tree. His tail flicked constantly, making minor readjustments to keep perfect balance despite the fact that the branch was wide and beyond sturdy for his figure. Marek had a problem with looking down from high above, he'd learned. It made him very nervous about the trip he and his brother would be making to the Hallelujah Mountains in the morning.

Things had changed in the past century. At least, that's what he'd been told by his father and Chief. The clan had changed much over the years after their true Home-tree fell. Warriors were trained hard, but now only the best were sent to achieve the title of Ikran Makto. There were only forty, out of a few hundred, warriors that have been sent to form a bond with a mountain banshee. Before dawn tomorrow, Marek, his brother, and two other warriors will be sent to attempt to bond with their own before seeking out the Sky People.

Marek took a moment to seek the easiest way down with his golden eyes before finally leaping from his crouch to free-fall. The air around him as he fell was warm and humid, a sign of the summer season. As he neared the ground, tree branches began to shrink thinner and become more frequents. Quickly memorizing the pattern of the branches as he fell, his hands found one quickly. For fear of ripping his arms out of socket for stopping at such a great speed, he instead used the branch to swing himself forward onto a plant with massive leaves, which he slid down easily before reaching the ground. Marek's breathing remained the same, and his heart skipped no beat. These kind of movements were natural to Marek, as long as he could analyze his surroundings before he made the jump.

As he walked through the lower entrance of Home-tree, the guards acknowledged him with a nod of the head. He politely nodded back. Truth be told, he didn't want to make any more battle plans or talk about warrior formations. It had been a long day of nothing but talk of war. Marek was tired, ready to rest for a while, even if that just meant sitting down for a minute. He climbed his way up to some of the highest points of the tree, the places were their beds of net were. After tonight, all tribal Na'vi that weren't fighting would be sleeping in beds of grass underground in the den. He hated the idea of so many people being placed underground; what if the cave collapsed? Only portions of it were made of stone, the rest were simply carved from the dirt. But nothing could be done to change it now. If home-tree fell again, he would just have to hope those underneath it were safe.

In one of the highest points of the tree, he found Tamya. He immediately felt more relaxed by just being in her presence, and his stressed face softened into a slight smile. Marek climbed into the plant net beside hers. He wondered how she was holding up. Their relationship was sometimes strained; she didn't agree with the idea of war, and Marek was being sent to lead one. He knew this caused her stress, but he didn't know how she had been coping with it lately. Marek hadn't been around much, especially within the past three days. "Have you been well?" He spoke in his native tongue. Marek only knew bits and pieces of the English sky-people language; just enough to communicate with them tomorrow. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you."



"Is that all of the strength you hold in your arms?" Leyri shouted, a toothy grin appearing on her excited face. Leyri and her opponent both had each other by the upper arms. Their tails flickered intensely, signs of stress and determination. The Na'vi in front of her gave a shout, and using all of his might tried to take Leyri by her arms and twist her to the ground. This only excited her more, and she let go of his arms. She moved with him, putting her in a ducking position. Perfect. Leyri kicked out her leg and swung it across his, tripping him to the ground in the direction he held her in. He let go to try to catch himself, and she reacted by pinning her to the ground by her knee with a stone dagger at his throat.
"You end will be your inability to block out another's words, Ro," she told him. Ro was one of the youngest warriors. He was fifteen and the chief nor his sons wanted him to participate in the war. But Leyri and some of the other warriors saw his strength, and more importantly, his proficiency in weapons. "Stick to a bow and arrow for this fight. You'll do fine."

Leyri was one of many Na'vi in the clan that believed that tomorrow would start a war, no question about it. Some of the more peaceful ones believed that perhaps the sky-people had gained enough of the precious gem to leave, but Leyri knew otherwise. They were greedy. They were selfish. They wouldn't give it up. Everyone who had ever come into contact with what they call Avatars, aka fake sky-people, would know that humans cared only of what they want. Leyri had met one many years ago and knew that he had yet to learn anything of the balance of the life in their world. He was only about cutting and stealing to take samples back to their base. It had disgusted her, and left her with a bad taste in her mouth for the sky-people.

She stepped off of Ro, hearing rounds of clapping from those who had stood around in a circle to watch the sparring. Giving Ro her hand, she helped him up from the dirt and helped to wipe off the filth. "Go rest, that's an order. You'll need your sleep for tomorrow."

After he had walked away, she also turned to her fellow warriors. "Which of you are traveling to the mountains tomorrow?" A few raised their hands. "Good luck. Let me know if any of you would like a companion." Leyri had already formed her bond with a mountain banshee, but she always gained a thrill from watching others form theirs. A bit tired from the duel with Ro, she went to sit on a fallen tree outside of home-tree, next to a few other warriors who had yet to find sleep.

Tamya

Tamya had spent the past day worrying. Worrying about everything- the safety of her people, the safety of Marek, the fate of Hometree, the fact that war could be on the horizon and more. No matter how hard she tried to quiet such thoughts, they refused to remain unheard and swirled around in her head. Spending an entire day doing nothing more productive than simply walking through the forest, enjoying the feel of the ferns and grasses beneath her feet, and the scents and sounds of the animals around them had not worked, as it had in the past. Two hours of communing with the ancestors had not given her any guidance either, their thoughts and voices jumbled and indistinguishable. She knew that this was not unusual, sometimes they were better able to speak than others, but Tamya could not help but feel that it was a bad omen of things to come this time. 

Her worries had robbed her of much of her appetite and she had eaten much less than she normally would, though truth be told this was not a large amount in the first place. Not knowing what to do with herself she had gone to the very top of Hometree and sat on a branch there since nightfall, gazing up at the stars and wondering which one of them belonged to the sky-people. If they had their own world then why did they come here to take what was not theirs? Did their Great Mother not provide enough for them? Just for once she wished that her people and the sky-people could talk things over, and settle it without war. Tamya did not know much about them, but surely they could be reasoned with? There must be some aspect of their nature that could be appealed to in order to make them stop hurting Eywa, digging around beneath her skin.

Many such lines of thought had travelled the pathways of her mind over the hours as she watched those twinkling points of light in the sky. She was just beginning to feel more settled, and had climbed into a plant net to sleep, when a couple of minutes later Marek turned up and got into the net beside her. Suddenly they all came rushing back. She had hardly seen him in three days, catching little more than brief glimpses as he prepared for the coming delegation. She refused to call it a war party. 

"Have you been well?" He asked "I'm sorry I haven't been able to see you."
She grinned when she saw him, and Tamya's immediate reaction was to confide everything to him, to tell him exactly how she felt and how worried she was for him. But she restrained herself- Marek did not need this right now. What he needed was her support. She could not say nothing though, so she gave him part of the matter.
"I do not want to sleep in a cave." she stated bluntly "It is not right for the Omaticaya. We were meant to sleep beneath the heavens, not the ground."
Quickly realising she had neither greeted him nor answered his question, she added softly "It is understandable that you haven't been to see me, these are busy times. I would have visited you but  I will not enter the 'war tent'." she spat the last two words. He knew her feelings about conflict well enough. 
"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" she asked with genuine concern in her voice. She knew he was not keen on the trip to the Hallelujah mountains, though he climbed so well she could not fathom why. She supposed it was just brotherly competition. No matter how many times Marek assured her of his placidity, she found Kuvax intimidating to be around and could only imagine how he must have felt. 


Kuvax

Two arenas across from Leyri, Kuvax was involved in a sparring match of his own. Except that he was fighting three people at once. The first assailant, the oldest of the three but still relatively young, made the opening move. Roaring, he lunged for the chief's son aiming to knock him to the ground. Kuvax simply sidestepped, allowing the warrior to crash to the ground in an undignified heap and causing several of the onlookers to snigger. 

As he picked himself up the second warrior advanced more cautiously, the third close behind him. Kuvax turned to face them both, hissing his own challenge. He did not wait for them to come to him, bounding forward four paces to swing a fist at the second warrior, who tried to catch the blow but mis-timed the grab, his efforts merely shifting it into the meat of his shoulder and staggering him backwards. 

The first warrior, having recovered from his tumble, leapt onto Kuvax' back, locking his arms around his neck as the third warrior slipped an elbow past his guard and into his stomach, eliciting a snarl of pain and winding him. The first warrior was calling for him to yield and tightening the grip on his neck, but that was something Kuvax had never done. Even as a child he would not admit defeat. He caught the warrior off guard by simply allowing himself to fall backwards, crushing him by turning him into a cushion for the fall and loosening his grip. He knew he was heavier than most Na'vi, but he turned it to his strength.

He stood to find that the second warrior had excused himself from the fight, a large bruise forming around muscles that may be needed in the coming days, and Kuvax did not think less of him for it. For many long seconds he and the third, and now final warrior (for the first had been knocked unconscious by the earlier manoeuvre, it was discovered) circled each other. Then, as one, they bared their teeth and charged. The young one was brave, but Kuvax hit like an Angtsik and easily bowled the warrior over, pinning his arms and kneeling on his chest.

"Do you yield?" he asked triumphantly
"Yes." replied the warrior sullenly.
Instantly Kuvax stood, and offered the warrior a hand which was gratefully taken.
"What is your name?"
"Toma."
"May Eywa guide you Toma, you fight well." he grinned, walking away.
Noticing that Leyri was in a match he joined the crowd whilst recovering from his own, grinning as she easily won the bout. He had had something of a crush on her ever since he was little, but he dared not say anything to her. He respected her immensely, understanding how much harder it was for her to prove herself because of being female, even though he didn't think it should be a barrier. 

Seeing her move off for a break he followed and carefully eased himself down next to her, The tree creaking slightly as it accommodated his form. Though he knew his father looked favourably upon his strength, he often wished he was as nimble as Marek. There were so many places his brother could reach that he simply could not because of his figure, and it troubled him immensely for the trip into the mountains tomorrow. He turned to her, his eyes blazing like torches as they often did. 

"Good evening, sister." he said, unsure how to voice his question due to not being used to asking for help. He knew his discomfort showed and after a few moments of awkward silence he simply added "I would be honoured if you would accompany me into the mountains tomorrow."
Normally he would have turned down any offer for support, preferring to stand on his own two feet, but he really was nervous about the trip. If he and his brother did not form the bond successfully it could prove bad for morale, and if his brother was to someday lead the Omaticaya then they would have to believe in him. Failure this time was not optional and so he was reaching out for aid, though only to those he knew and trusted. 

Marek returned the grin he was given when Tamya had seen him. That was one of his favorite things about her--the way she could light up like that, even in this looming darkness. The mood was dampened, however, as she stated her distaste for the idea of the den. He agreed with her on that--their clan may not be as aerial as the Ikran People near the sea, but they were not insects to roam beneath the earth either. Their home was within the trees.
"It will not be forever, I promise you. If the war takes a bad turn, I will personally take you away from the den to safety." Marek listened as her voice softened, acknowledging the changing times and asking about how he felt. He ran a tongue across one of his fangs, thinking of how to word his answer. He was not supposed to word any sign of fear, or stress, or even nervousness as a son of the Chief and a leader of the rebellion. However, he knew Tamya could be trusted to keep his voiced emotions locked away. "Climbing such great heights intimidates me. But I'm reminded that the reward will be great should I form the bond."

He laid beside her in silence for a moment, tracing light patterns with the tips of his fingers along one of the long bioluminescent spirals her skin held. The night was both quiet and so alive at the same time. To Marek, it seemed like the two of them were the only ones in home-tree. But then the world around him reminded him of the earth, the plants, and the insects that surrounded them even when they could not be seen. A question formed in his mind, and his gaze returned to Tamya's face. "Does your family dislike me?" He asked bluntly. He'd only met them once before. It was around the time that Marek was first informed that he and Kuvax would lead their people in a war, and his mind was very foggy during their meeting. If he remembered right, her parents had the same opinion about the war as she did. That's why it wouldn't have surprised him if Tamya's family wasn't very fond of him.


Leyri caught her breath shortly after taking her seat on the fallen tree. She ran her fingers through her short, cropped black hair and leaned forward, shaking the dirt particles out of it. When she looked up, her dark eyes caught sight of one of the Chief's sons approaching her. She was a bit surprised to find him taking seat next to her, but hid it well. She'd known him for too long to show surprise to find him conversing with her. "Good evening," she greeted in return.

There was a moment of silence where Leyri felt uncomfortable, and wondered if Kuvax felt it too. It was a brief moment, however, before he continued with, "I would be honoured if you would accompany me into the mountains tomorrow." This time, Leyri did let her surprise show a little.
"Ah... Yes, that would be great," she agreed. This was perfect. She was just waiting for someone to give her something to do tomorrow morning. The last she had heard, they wouldn't be approaching the sky-people until when the sun was at its highest. That gave her a lot of time to go stir-crazy. "I have been very antsy lately... I don't want to sit still with so much going on around camp." She gave him a toothy grin. "It would be an honor to see the sons of our great leader gain the title of Ikran Makto."

Leyri allowed another bout of silence to pass, only this time the awkwardness was diminished. She watched the young warriors tease each other--whether through words, spars, or actions like spitting on the ground they walked on. It made her laugh quietly to herself. They were so full of youth, she noted. As was she, but she also realized how heavy the weight of a looming war was. "Do you have faith in these soldiers?" She asked. Most people would have asked if they may speak out of turn out of respect, but it hadn't even crossed Leyri's mind. She was a blunt person, she saw things for how they were. If Kuvax or Marek had any personal connection with their people, they wouldn't mind answering such straight-forward questions. At least, that's what she believed. She could just as easily be put in her place for asking such an "obvious" question.

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...