I Feel You

Chapter 14

I'm so sorry for this late update. My computer was lacking a screen but I finally found one that would work for it. Enjoy

"You are distracted. What has your mind preoccupied?" Nanti asked from where she was fletching new arrows after losing some in the wheels of a bulldozer. Bright blue and purple feathers her preferred colors.

Gene lowered her bow, having taken to practicing more and finally achieving acceptable results. "I had a conversation with Grace. It was," her brows furrowed, face pinching, "Disquieting."

"How so?" She gently set aside her arrow before picking up another shaft and beginning to fletch it. Perhaps that should give Gene pause but she found she was not bothered. If a human was killed, would it bother her? 

"She has made me think. About things I had been avoiding." The stripes above Nanti's eye lifted much like an eyebrow to express her question.  "I do not wish to speak of such things. Can we speak of others?"

Nanti closed her eyes before nodding with a understanding look.

"Your aim has gotten much better. Has your teacher actually taken to teaching you?"

"Yes. Tsu'tey often finds me at the morning meal in order to pull me away to train. He leaves eventually to continue training his other students."

"He'd save himself some time if he trained you alongside them."

"Maybe. However they have had longer than I to train. Would it not be a hindrance to either of us if I joined them? My lack of training could hold them back or their advancement could set me back because I skipped a step or pushed myself too far."

"Maybe you'd finally learn moderation. You take to training like a fevered warrior. While I commend your desire to learn and master what we have to teach you, it is also good to simply take a break and relax at times. I haven't seen you not do anything since you arrived except when the Tsahik refused to let you leave the healing room. And even then you pestered the healers with questions and tried to help make medicines with them."

"The difference in how you heal compared to the sky people is something I wish to learn." Gene simply blinked at her, unapologetic and unperturbed about her scolding. Nanti hissed, ears pinning back, "Relax. I will not teach you anything tomorrow nor will I allow anyone to. Relax tomorrow. Explore. We are not the only things that can teach you." She wanted to protest but refrained, Grace had also been telling her to relax. Too much strain on a body could harm it.

So she took her time getting her avatar up the next morning, simply lying in the hammock and taking in the sights and sounds around her. Children laughed as they ran about the tree, Ikrans called to one another and their riders in the loft, higher in the tree than she'd been. Perhaps she'd pay it a visit first. Rolling out she grabbed a few fruits for breakfast, making eye contact with Nanti who watched her like a hawk before attempting to head further up the tree. Her path was quickly blocked though by a small herd of children.

"Will you play with us?"

"What are you playing?"

"Hide and seek." A smile grew as she nodded, their own faces beaming as they urged her to close her eyes and count.

"No looking!" One called, voice further away as they all quickly rushed to hide. She covered her eyes before counting to twenty and beginning the hunt for the kids. A few Na'vi saw the exchange, laughing as she bound through hometree, looking in the most obscure places. A giggle had her peaking in a basket where a child burst into giggles at being found. He followed her around as she looked through hometree, finding the others.