MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

T E N

Mo'at told me I was on base-rest. Basically, I can't leave hometree or it's perimeters. Tsu'tey waves goodbye In a smart-alic attitude. He says it's what I get for abandoning him with the boys all day. You think he'd like that. Oh well then.

At the moment, Jake and I are sitting on a top branch. The world seems a little too morbid. Jake says Quaritch didn't give him much more time. I warned him he needed to tell them that they needed to move. How long would he wait to enforce it after the warning was over?

He just sighed and hung his head. After that, we sat in silence. Until, that is, a light, almost not, scream came from the woods. From our high spot, we could see Twatutes threatening the life of two small Na'vi children far away. Their forms are barely visible. And their screams are quiet.

Both of us run down. Mo'at tries to stop us, but we're gone before her or Olo'Eytukan can stop us. We follow the screams. Once we see the children, Jake leaps onto the man. The other yells out, but I stab him right in his forehead. Grabbing the children and carrying them, I shield them from Jake's rampage. I begin to walk back, and the man's fatal cries are drowned out by me singing to the children.

I didn't have time to think. I just remembered how my dad would sing my mother's favorite song to me. So, that's what I sung.

"If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs, the bark on the tree was as soft as the skies.
The wolf waits below, hungry and lonely. He cries to the moon, if only if only. "

They stare at me like I am magic. Then, the older one, the girl smiles. The boy laughs. I smile as well. They're happy now, I'm glad for that.

"That was amazing, dreamwalker," the girl says. The boy nods, most likely incoherent still. I smile at them.

"My father taught it to me, it was from one his favorite movies," I explain. She marvels. He gives her a weird look. Oh right, they don't know what movies are, you dingus.

"Twatutes have mothers and fathers," she asked quizzically. I laughed and nodded. She made a "woah." I laughed again.

"Some people don't know their parents, though," I said sadly. "Some parents leave their children, either with the other parents, or no parent at all. They may have to stay with an aunt or uncle. Or even a stranger."

"That's horrible," the girl said. "Why? Why do twatutes abandon their children at all?"

"Some didn't want kids. They had them by accident. So, they just throw them away. It's sad, really."

"Why is this an important subject for you, Iris? You look so saddened."

"Because mother died, then my father left, and I had to be alone for a very long time. Then, my human body went blind. I felt so alone for so long. That's why it matters."

Both of the children give me sympathetic looks. I smile at them. The thumping of feet reaches my ears, and I hear Ikran in the distance. Why do I always get in trouble? I should've just let Jake deal with this.

Tsu'tey on his Ikran, and Aton on a direhorse, both stopped and scolded me. Aton took the kids and Tsu'tey stayed to wait for the extra direhorse coming for me. I crossed my arms as he made me sit down. I wasn't supposed to leave the base. Jake enters the clearing as Tsu'tey is scolding me.

"What're you scolding her for," Jake asks annoyed. "She saved the children from seeing a horrible sight, and kept them occupied."

"She is supposed to be on rest, not to leave the base," Tsu'tey answered with a scowl. Jake growled.

"Then I can take her back," Jake said. "Come on Iris, let's go. You don't need to wait. It isn't that far."

I shrugged and stood. Making my way to Jake, I heard Tsu'tey growl from behind me. Jake hissed. I turned and looked from Jake, to Tsu'tey, to Jake again.

"Come on, Iris," Jake said angrily.

"Don't, you'll only make Olo'Eytukan angry," Tsu'tey said.

"He'll understand that she saved two young children! "

"It doesn't matter! If you really cared you wouldn't risk getting both of you in trouble. You walked out on training to hang out, and so did she, and now you're both in Mo'at's radar, so I wouldn't risk it!"

I stood astonished at his outburst. Jake scoffed and grabbed my arm. I did miss out on working in my garden today.... Jake began to pull, but I snatched my arm away. He looked at me incredulously. I just looked down and backed towards Tsu'tey.

"I can't get in trouble again, I have to save those trees so I have to keep my garden," I said to Jake. He gave me a look that says "you betrayed me." I only look down, no retorting looks for his. No smart comeback, I'm not giving him that.

He stomps off. Once he's gone, I sigh and flop onto the ground. Tsu'tey just huffs angrily. I look over at him. He's staring back at me.

"Am I really in that much trouble," I asked tiredly. Tsu'tey looked out. Then, he looked around.

"No, but Neytiri would've kicked his tail if he would've been late again," he replied with the same energy. "Plus, I didn't want you to get in trouble if Mo'at really was angry."

I looked at him astonished. He doesn't want me to get in trouble?Does he really care? Just the thought makes butterflies flutter through me. I can feel my face heat up.

Tsu'tey meets my slightly flustered gaze and snaps his head away. Sometimes, I feel like he's such a Tsundere. Acting like he doesn't care, even though he does. It makes me chuckle out loud on accident. He whips his head back around to stare at me.

"What," Tsu'tey asks quizically. "What're you laughing at?"

"It's nothing," I say, still holding in a laugh.

"It is, you're trying not to laugh," Tsu'tey says, standing in front of me. I raise my arms up at him, causing him to look at me weirdly.

"Help me up you idiot," I say laughing again. He makes a "duh" face.

"If you really must know, I was laughing because you act like you don't care when you do," I say nonchalantly. He gapes at me, his face burning purple. I blush too, not thinking. He clears his throat and turns away.

A few second later, Ta'al comes back with Aton and another direhorse. It's Txur. I hop on his back and connect my queue to his. I shiver as I get this jealous feeling from Txur. I look at Tsu'tey as he watches me.

With a shake of his head, he's on his Ikran and gone towards hometree. I command Txur to gallop off with Aton and Ta'al. We make it to hometree a few moments later. My eyes immediately go to Jake and Tsu'tey fuming at each other.

I groan angrily. They both look at me. Txur looks between them and hangs his head. He pulls mine down too. I hop off and disconnect.

"What's up now," I said, nearing the two. Neytiri enters the open space in front of hometree at my side, from the woods.

"Tsu'tey says I should be put out for arguing with Olo'eytukan," Jake says. I glare at Jake. Then, I shoot my gaze at Tsu'tey. He looks down stubbornly. Jake gives a gruff huff. Neytiri pats my shoulder.

"Rocks see more," Neytiri said, using a line Tsu'tey had concerning Jake a while ago. I laughed as she did, and they both fumed at us. We just laugh more, and Jake blushes.

What an idiot...