chapter twenty-nine
Chapter Twenty-Nine
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The call came when Ko’oä was two months old. You were with Ronal, diving for some algae. You were glad to be back to your normal routine, slipping back into your role with ease. Ko’oä was held to your chest with the sling Tsonu’e had crafted, her little fingers fisted with the ends of your braid. You kissed her face gently, a little lost in the moment with her. Ronal had just surfaced, holding out her hand for the extra bag you carried when you heard it. Your brow furrowed, your pulse quickening.
The tulkun were still here. You’d seen Ame that morning, giggling with her over Ìweii’s failing attempts at successfully landing a backflip off her spirit sister. She’d barely managed it, having belly flopped more then once. You’d laughed until you were hoarse, ignoring Ìweii’s scowl. Ame had left a little bit ago to eat with her pod, you were going to meet with her again this evening to let Ko’oä practice swimming.
The horn blew loudly, and Ronal looked at you in alarm.
“Visitors,” she said. “Who is here?”
You looked up, to the horizon, your eyes growing wide. You clutched Ronal’s arm, and she turned her head, her mouth falling open. Ronal scooped up Ko’oä, clicking her tongue as she called her tsurak. You climbed on behind her, hand around her waist as Ko’oä let out a sharp cry. Ronal soothed her distractedly, urging her tsurak forward to the shore, to the growing crowd. The ikran landed in various places around the reef, and you found yourself with Ko’oä in your arms, standing beside Tsonu’e as Ronal darted forward to stand with Tonowari.
“What is that?” you asked Tsonu’e quietly.
“Toruk Makto,” she breathed. Her fingers dug into your arm, her eyes wide and a littler scared. You blinked, watching the man dismount. He dressed Na’vi, but there was something about him—something that you could recognize even from a distance. He was an avatar driver—probably one of Grace’s. She’d mentioned it in passing, some newbie who’d been accepted by the Omaticaya. You’d been too distracted to be much help at the time, your thoughts had been consumed with fear for Tonowari.
You stepped forward, shaking off your mother’s grip, you came to stand slightly behind Ronal and Tonowari. Ronal glanced at you, her expression unreadable.
You recognized some of the ikran riders beside him—your breath catching as you processed this. The Ikran People of the Eastern Sea were the closest forest Na’vi to you. If Toruk Makto had recruited them, it only made sense that they would fly the extra time to visit your people.
The speech was rallying, translated by an Omaticaya girl—but it was his words, the English that spilled from his lips that intrigued you. Tonowari’s face was hard, his expression intense. Ronal was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, not pleased about where this was going.
You stepped forward, Ko’oä crying at the noise and movement. “We will answer your call, Toruk Makto,” shouted Tonowari.
You stood beside him, eyes going from him to Ronal to the avatar driver in front of you.
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They stayed into the night, going over plans. The Metkayina would not be helpful in the forest, but we could rally the other reef clans into joining the cause and fight them off on our own turf. Tonowari went over tactics with Toruk Makto—Jake Sully.
“I don’t know the layout,” he said. “I’ve only ever been to Hell’s Gate.”
You stepped forward. “I do.”
Ronal hissed, Tonowari’s face instantly soured. Jake’s ears flicked forward, his eyebrows raising a little. “Hana?”
You blinked, shocked. “How do you know my name?”
He laughed a little in disbelief. “You are kind of a legend.”
“You will not go,” said Ronal, interrupting the exchange. “I will not allow this—what of Ko’oä?”
You swallowed, looking between her and Tonowari. “I’ve done this before, and I can do it again. Ìweii and Yitì are the only others who have been into the Rig, they don’t know it well enough.”
“No,” Ronal said. “Please.”
Tonowari was frowning, his eyes dark. “She is right.”
“Ko’oä will be safe with you, Ronal,” you told her, grabbing her arm gently. Her eyes were watery, and she gave a sharp nod, unhappy.
Jake watched the exchange silently, and when you turned to him, standing beside TonowariX he didn’t hesitate before giving you instructions. After a few minutes, Ronal came to stand beside you, winding her hands around your arm, and leaning her head against yours gently. You intertwined your fingers with hers, listening to Jake’s plan.
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It was terribly simple, almost infuriatingly so—but the plan was risky, risky in a way you didn’t like. It made you nervous, knowing that you were going to be waltzing into enemy territory and all but giving yourself to them if it went wrong.
On some level, you knew Felix wouldn’t betray you. On another, you couldn’t forget he had already once.
Ronal was against it, all too eager to voice her protests. It came as a surprise that Tonowari wasn’t. His confidence in you was a little startling, his faith that you would complete this mission so sure you felt a little breathless.
It would work, which was the worst part. You knew it would work, the same way Jake knew it too. The RDA would be incapable of ignoring you, or him for that matter. They would follow you wherever you went, and that meant you could lead them into a trap.
You could do this. You would do this. Ko’oä deserved to grow up in a world where she wasn’t scared.
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“What’s it like?” Jake asked, quietly. Ko’oä was passed out in Ronal’s arms, the fire illuminated her face. She glanced over, looking between you. She said nothing.
You knew what he was referring to immediately. You hesitated, and told him, “Not everything feels like something else.”
You didn’t think it helped him, but Jake Sully nodded anyway. “Grace had your picture, you know.”
You frowned, a little baffled. “Which one?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You didn’t have the tattoos,” he explained. “I think it was early on. It’s just you on the beach.”
Your brow furrowed a little before the memory trudged it’s way up to the surface. You let out a laugh of surprise, to Ronal, you said, “Do you remember Felix’s camera?”
She angled her head a little, inclining it slightly. You could see her lips curving upward a little. She’d been particularly fascinated by the camera, enthralled by the idea of capturing a moment forever. Ronal had seen the beauty of it, and had taken majority of the pictures. It was mostly simple things, pictures of you and the beach—she was too paranoid to show anything important, but the collection of pictures that had you and Tsonu’e had been your favorite.
“Ronal loves pictures,” you told Jake, like it was a terrible secret. Ronal reacted accordingly, gently whacking your shoulder with a grin.
Neytiri smiled a little, ghost of a thing, really, from across the fire. She moved closer, coming to sit by Jake. He wrapped an arm around her almost instinctively. You’d had little interaction with her, she seemed shy, almost.
“Does she?” Jake asked, his voice light. More conspiringly, he said to her, “I do too.”
Ronal ducked her head to hide her smile, unwilling to admit she actually didn’t hate Toruk Makto.
You didn’t either. You thought, it might be easier if he was unlikeable somehow. If the status of Toruk Makto overshadowed the person he actually was. When you looked at Jake, you saw yourself.
You grabbed Ronal’s hand, caressing her skin with your thumb. Tomorrow, the forest people would leave. Tomorrow, you would you iron out the little details of the plan. Now, you held Ronal’s hand, and admired your daughter’s sleeping face together.
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