Jay's landing

[privatehudson]

Jay sat in the cargo seat of the Samson that was flying him into the forest to go meet the native Na'vi, noting that the ride seemed bumpier then his ride here, but maybe it was just him. He glanced out the side of the vehicle, starting to notice that the left engine was smoldering. "Umm, I think we have a problem here" he said pointing out the dying engine, as the Samson began to dive. The aircraft hit the ground throwing Jay, who had the far left side seat into Pandora's beautiful yet unforgiving forest.

[Zarrin]

The humans had been here for over thirteen years now. She had just been a child when Hometree was destroyed, but she did not fear the Sky People. She was angry with them. For a very long time, at least, but with time came maturity and understanding and she no longer resented them for what they'd done. She pitied them. They were so naive about this world, showing up and staking a claim as though they had a right to it when The People had been here for the Beginning. And in all the time the humans were here, they had still not learned to be quiet.

She had heard the noisy bird long before she'd seen it and easily scaled the moss growing up the trunks of the trees to better see it from the spaces in the canopy. And that's when she'd seen part of it burst into flame, her golden eyes widening in surprise, her pinna cupping forward as the smoke billowed behind the flying machine like a dark ribbon and came crashing down, sending various creatures squawking away from it. She dove from the high branches she was in, her bow slung over her shoulders as she made it safely to the ground by using the large leaves of plants to soften her descent.

Following the scent of the smoke was easy and she moved quietly enough that she was not detected as she came upon the scene. Inside the glass of the Scorpion was an unconscious pilot. Or else he was dead. She couldn't tell from here. And thrown away from the crash was one of the Puppets. He was not Na'vi though she could see the blue of his flesh and the curl of his tail. He smelled so foreign and it made her sensitive nose sting.. Not to mention his strange clothes were a dead giveaway and the fact that his hands had five digits while her own had four. But he didn't seem to be moving either.

She crept closer to him, staying hidden by the trunks of trees and peeking around at him curiously. She had little interaction with the creatures who tried to act like her People, but she had to admit that it was amazing how they could pull off such a trick.. Perhaps she should see if he was all right.. She moved closer, coming from around the trunk of her hiding place, her body slightly crouched as though she were ready to run in a moment's notice, and she pulled her bow from over her head, using one end of it to nudge the male's body, her tail flicking behind her in silent intrigue.

"Rey?" She asked in her Native tongue, the word a soft whisper as she wondered if he were alive.

[privatehudson]

"Agh pfft" Jay said spitting out the the dirt that had been temporarily lodged in his mouth. Then he saw the bow jabbing at him and sat up scooting back a bit. "Damn that hurt. Watch where you poke that thing " he said, relieved, yet partially afraid, as this Na'vi, didn't seem to happy. He paused for a moment, catching his breath " Who- are- you?" he asked quite shaken from his crash landing, looking around at his surroundings.

[Zarrin]

She pulled back as he spoke, his dialect clearly English, and she slung her weapon back over her head, her body straightening as she folded her arms over her chest. Their language was so harsh on her tongue but she doubted he knew her own any better than she knew his, so she decided to concede, offering him the slightest of tight-lipped smiles.

"Zarrin. Who are you? She shot back at him, her ears cupping forward again, taking in not only him but the rest of the Forest around them. Part of her was worried that she would not be the only one drawn by the sound of the crash, and the rest of her hoped the other creatures had been frightened away by the sounds. She did not wish to draw her arrows.

[privatehudson]

"J-Jay. Jay Harrower" he answered, spitting out more dirt. He held onto a tree trunk, which he used to guide himself upright. "Any other signs of life, Zarrin?" he asked, relieved that she found him, instead of something else, reminding him of his knife, which he checked. "Oh thank god" he said as the knife stay firmly in place.

He felt a warm liquid trickling down his leg. He reached his hand down his leg and felt it. "Ahh shit." he said looking at the blood on his fingers. "Pardon me for saying that" he said to Zarrin, doubting she knew what the word meant. "Any chance your tribe lives nearby?" he asked "Ohh and thanks again for finding me before something else did"

[Zarrin]

For some reason his name struck a chord of her memory but she couldn't quite place it. Her forehead creased in the slightest as she tried to think of where she had heard something like that before and only half listened to him as he spoke, asking her questions, cursing -- or at least speaking with a tone she recognized as cursing -- and the likes. She unfolded her arms, her right hand stroking along the curve of her neck thoughtfully, a habitual gesture for her when she was trying to sort something out in her mind. Her large golden eyes -- the reason for her name; Zarrin, meaning 'golden' -- flicked to and fro from one lighted patch of grass to another and then to the wound the other being had received.

"Kehe, hiyìk uniltìranyu lu kxanì," she replied without really thinking, still too distracted by her thoughts to realize she'd spoken in Na'vi instead of English. Her eyes continued to stare blankly at the wound on the man's leg and then they lifted to his face, her lips slanted in the slightest of frowns.

"No, strange Dreamwalkers are forbidden..." She amended in English, her voice tapering off as something suddenly clicked. "Ha..rrower..." She pronounced slowly to herself as she looked at him, her pinna flattening back as her face scrunched, her upper lip just barely drawing back over her teeth as she began to step back and away from the man, her hands carefully and slowly, as though she dared not make any sudden movements, removing her bow from her shoulders again, cradling it in front of her as though she were getting ready to use it as she put more distance between them.

"Tìkawng Tutean," she hissed at him vehemently, her left hand reaching behind her head for an arrow as she muttered the name repeatedly, her head slightly shaking side to side. She had never met the Evil Man nor known what he would look like, but she had heard stories about him. Had heard of the way he so ruthlessly killed Na'vi while in his Alien body, and enjoyed it. 'The Harrower', he had called himself, and here this man introduced himself as none other. She was glad she could focus her attention and anger into readying her weapon against this monster, though had the man been able to read body language the twitching of her tail tip indicated a small amount of fear.

Why had this known killer taken the time to ask for her name, taken the time to tell her his own. Did he like toying with her? Was he doing it to brag? She clenched her jaw, her lips pulling back from her teeth a bit more as she moved partially behind the trunk of a large tree, keeping the creature in her sights. Cruel. The man was cruel. He did not deserve to live for so violently taking the lives of the innocent People, but for some reason she could not bring herself to take him down where he stood. Perhaps she should attempt to flee and bring Kalxi` to him... Their Tsahik was away anyways and he was the next best thing. Surely he would know what to do with Tìkawng Tutean.

[privatehudson]

"What? Is there a problem with my last name? Did I say something that offended you?" He said as he limped towards her wondering what in the hell was going on. This Na'vi was acting strangely, acting like she knew him, but that was impossible. One He 'd never been in the forest, or used an Avatar, and Two He'd never been a ladies man, unlike his other brother, but he didn't even know what happened to him.

Jay paused for a second "I need your help" he begged "There's something lodged in my leg. C'mon please help" he said his voice quivering with fear. "D-don't leave me to die here" he said limping about two steps closer to her. "Please" he begged, then waited for the Na'vi's response.

[Zarrin]

She felt her heart tug at his voice. This man, this creature in a body so similar to her own, actually needed her help. He was hurt and while part of her was afraid of him, afraid of the tales that had been told about such a man who called himself 'The Harrower', she could not deny that it physically pained her to refuse to help someone. He was begging her now, and her heart ached. No creature should have to suffer like this. She could do one of two things, she decided. One, she could end his life and spare him anymore pain and perhaps her clan's panic; or two, she could bring him back to Kalxi`. It would be a hassle to get him there though, with his condition like it was...

She groaned and slung her weapon back over her head and returned her arrow to the small quiver that was attached to the grip of her bow, also giving a small sigh. Zarrin pressed herself tight to the trunk of the tree and banged a fist against the mossy bark. She could not be something she wasn't. She could not be ruthless like some of the other Na'vi. Slowly she emerged from behind the tree and moved towards his side, her wide, golden eyes taking him in carefully before she reached her hand out to him and stooped slightly to offer her shoulder as a place for him to lean.

"Txo new nga rivey, oehu.." She coaxed gently, slipping her slender arm under his and around his back without waiting for him. "Oeru txoa livu.." She added in apology, her braided and beaded hair swinging to the side of her face to shield her from his direct line of sight, her attention now directly in front of them while her ears twitched at small sounds. "This will not be an easy trip," she said in English, her tail lashing behind the both of them as she leaned forward to begin urging him to walk on his good leg.

[privatehudson]

"Thanks" he said taking her shoulder, limping on his right leg, which had blood running down the back of it. (Wonder what's with the change of heart. Be careful and try not to do anything to piss her off. Damn My leg hurts) he thought as he walked with her using his good leg.

"Again thanks" he said again, despite telling her this a few minutes ago. (I don't like the sound of that) he thought, thinking about what she said, about his not being an easy trip, but he'd survive, or at least he thought he would. "Owww. Damn that hurts" Jay said his leg throbbing in pain as he made his way over a small downed tree. (Well she hasn't killed you so far, so you haven't messed things up yet, though I don't know why she called me evil) he thought, still trying to make sense of it.

[Zarrin]

She simply gave little noises of acknowledgment as he thanked her. And thanked her again. It almost made her smile as she gripped onto him more tightly, her bare feet moving over the terrain of the forest easily. It was only slightly frustrating to have to pace herself and slow down for him. She was used to running quickly and effortlessly through her home.

"It is nothing," she said softly, beginning to slow down even more as he complained of the pain again. Her eyes flit around their surroundings, keeping sharp for various plants and herbs she knew would be able to help him, but not seeing the ones most useful anywhere near them. "You complain much for a man," she murmured in rough English, her lips pursing to conceal her smile as she shifted his arm around her.

"We must keep going," she added more gently, finally looking at him again though it sent a chill down her spine and made her muscles tighten. Perhaps while she was working on taking him back she could get some answers out of him. It would be her best shot. Anyways, if she didn't at least learn some things about him she'd have no hope to keep him alive as soon as the other Na'vi caught wind of him.

[privatehudson]

"Then again you don't have a chunk off tree sticking out of your leg." he replied, making it sound worse then it actually was, though it was nothing to brush off as minor either.

"I have a question. Why is it when I told you my name, you looked scared? We haven't met before. And I'm pretty sure I haven't done you or your people any harm. So what's the deal?" he asked limping slightly slower than Zarrin, before wincing as they walked over a downed log. He pulled a hot sauce packet out from his upper left front pocket, tearing open the packet with his teeth, and squirting its contents into his mouth, almost as if to celebrate the conquering of log, still limping with Zarrin.

[Zarrin]

She actually did give a chuckle at his remark, her face turning more towards him at the strange scent of the little packet he'd pulled out of his vest. She frowned slightly, the smell making her nose twitch, unused to such a thing. She frowned even more as he emptied its contents into his mouth. But then it was almost as if he were reading her mind and he gave her questions similar to ones she had been planning for him. But it didn't make sense. Could he just be lying some more?

"I do not...understand. You seem so lost but how could you forget what you have done? It was with this body," she said softly, looking down his torso from his face and then away to focus on their walking. "The one who calls himself 'The Harrower'. A demon in a false body. The Evil Man. You do not smell like us, but when you are upwind it is hard to tell from a distance if you are true or false. You insult me by acting like you have forgotten the People you have killed.." She tried to keep the emotion out of her voice, but sadness and anger both peeked through.

She curled her fingers into the material of his clothes a little more tightly and gave him an involuntary jerk as she kept them both moving. "How could you do such a thing to us?"

[privatehudson]

"Holy Shit!!! Where the hell did that come from? This is my first time in the Forest, and it seems that a tree's doing the closest thing to killing, and it's doing it to me. And even if it wasn't my first time in the Forest, I couldn't bring myself to kill anything more than a fly on purpose. I came here to learn, not kill, unlike those braindead Marines back at the Compound. If I was a killer you would have been dead by now. And just to let you know I'm the only Harrower to step foot in these woods. I'm a researcher, not a fighter" he said reasonably upset. "Wow. I'm stunned that you could even think about me like that" he added, breathing heavily and repeatedly.

[Zarrin]

She stopped altogether at his outburst, her tail again lashing behind her body as she turned her face to the male and observed him for truth, her large eyes moving back and forth between his own. "Perhaps the Forest was just fighting back for her People," she said thoughtfully, her eyes dropping down to the wound in his leg and the piece of tree sticking through it. She winced slightly; it looked terribly uncomfortable.

"Mawey, Uniltìranyu, mawey" she told him quietly, easing him down against the gnarled root of a tree that seemed to rise out of the earth like a knotted bench. She'd finally found a decent moss that could be used to help the blood clot and some wider leaves that had a sticky sap inside their stems to seal together as a decent bandage. Perhaps pulling the tree out would help ease some of the pain in his muscles.

"You are not the first, if you are not Tìkawng Tutean. Our stories do not lie.. Perhaps Kalxi` will understand more. I am taking you to him. But can you really blame me? There have been many Sky People to come and learn and turn against us for as long as they have been here. But I am sorry for offending you.." She hoped that her busy hands and her speaking to him would distract him enough so that he was not completely aware of what she was doing as she crouched towards the ground, pulling moss free from the tree's bark in one hand and gripping onto the end of the wood sticking out of Jay's leg and yanking it free. She worked quickly then, murmuring to herself in Na'vi as she packed moss into the gaping hole now showing in the man's leg, the pale green, spongy vegetation soaking up the blood. Next came the large leaves which she carefully plucked from the stem of the desired plant, breaking one open to use its white inner liquid like an adhesive to hold the make-shift bandage in place.

"Better?" She asked when she'd finished, looking up at him with a small smile, rising from her crouch and offering him her hand so that they could continue towards her Community. "You say you're a...researcher? What is it that you research exactly?"

[privatehudson]

"Maybe, but let's hope not" Jay said as he climbed on the root/bench thing, relaxing. "Sorry. You have a valid point, but those traitorous bastards make me sick. How could they do that to such a fascinating race?" he asked her, watching as she gathered herbs and leaves, hopefully for medicinal purposes. "I hope your Kalxi doesn't jump the gun like you did. Hehe." he said jokingly, smiling slightly.

"Oh, sweet Jesus!" he shouted as Zarrin yanked the piece of wood out rather suddenly, then began packing it with some sort of moss, then began sealing the wound with a white sap. Jay breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for helping, despite the fact I went off on you like that. Again I apologize it was uncalled for"

"Yes. Much" he said taking her hand and guiding himself down off the root bench. "I'm actually interested in researching Omaticaya People, hence why I know no Na'vi and none of the ways of The People. I came to learn everything like Jake Sully did. Starting from scratch, hopefully I'll be able to right a book on it, like Dr. Augustine, but this time around containing a field guide and everything. I'm hoping it gets sent to Earth, so the people there know your ways of beauty and do not wish to destroy it like they did last time" he told her as they limped towards the Community. "Man, it still hurts like crazy" he told her still walking with a limp.