Fragile | Tsu'tey

twelve

Rachel jolted up, expecting to bang her head on the top of the link pod, confused when it didn't. As her surroundings cleared, she was surprised to be laying on the bank of the river, next to the waves. As one threatened to pull her back in, she scooted back, out of reach of the rushing water. 

The sun was beginning to set across the horizon, soon to be engulfed by the tall forest on the top of the cliff. She stood up, lightly brushing the sand off of herself, noting the time difference and assuming she had fallen asleep. If that was true, then why wasn't she back in her human form?

Deciding to wonder about that later, she checked herself, making sure she had all of her equipment. Her walkie-talkie and two of her knives were missing, but she still had four of her daggers, and all she could do was hope that that was enough.

Right now, her first priority had to be to find Jake. An idiot in the forest with a gun was never a good thing, and the Na'vi didn't take kindly to trespassers. They would most likely shoot him on sight, which was why she had to find him first.

Rachel walked into the forest, keeping a sharp eye on her surroundings. Fallen branches crunched under her boots, and she eventually took them off, deciding that stealth could be the best option. 

As soon as her boots were off, she immediately moved faster, not wanting to waste any more time. The ground underneath her feet wasn't uncomfortable, but rather soft, helping with her speed. 

About half an hour later, the sun had set, and Rachel was glad most of the plants were bio-luminescent. Still, frustrated at her lack of luck, Rachel picked up her pace to a fast jog. She needed to find Jake and find somewhere safe for their Avatars to rest for the night. 

Eventually, she spotted footsteps of feet with shoes on. Knowing the Na'vi didn't wear shoes, she followed the tracks, hoping she could find Jake. He seemed to have gotten pretty far into the forest, as even after another hour of following the tracks - and a sore neck - she still hadn't found him. 

Stopping, she put her hands on her knees and took in deep breaths, trying to regain her stamina. Shaking her head, Rachel pushed herself to keep going. After a while, she had to take a longer rest, and she rested her back against a tree, gasping for air. 

Far away, she heard a distant roar - a familiar one. 

"Crap," Rachel mumbled. "Another Thanator."