The Will of Two Worlds (Avatar Female OC)

21. Small Steps

It is a relief to pull Falrar to a stop once I returned to the clearing the Pa'li spend their time in. I glanced exhaustedly up at the sun in the sky, slowly sinking in the sky, beginning the slightest signs of sunset, telling me I have spent nearly the entire day on a Pa'li's back. I looked around the clearing, seeing the other Pa'li drinking from their flowers, but thankfully no Na'vi are nearby. It's getting later so riding. My stomach rumbled at the idea of food and I so wanted to get off of Falrar's back and go eat... but my muscles are so cramped I am taking the moment to try to get them to stop cramping so badly I can't even move them. Mostly in my legs... and my back.

Falrar trotted in place a little but then held still. He seemed sympathetic to my pain. I closed my eyes and did my best to relax my muscles, which trembled and ached horribly from being overworked in ways they have never been worked. I don't have much muscle on me, I'm a skinny toothpick, even in my Avatar, so what muscle I do have has to work overtime. Eventually though, my muscles relaxed as I sighed quietly in relief.

I gently disconnected my queue from Falrar's, flinching a little at the really weird sensation before I began the slow and gradual process of getting off of Falrar's back. I'm seriously glad no one is around to laugh at how slowly I am moving in an attempt to not be in serious pain. Falrar moved suddenly as I gripped his back, thinking I am going to fall... I blinked open my eyes to see a raised root beside Falrar, inches from my feet hanging off of his side. I smiled and patted his neck in thanks as I carefully placed my sore feet on the root and stood.

Falrar kept an eye on me as I sat on the root and slid off onto my feet, wincing as many muscles in my legs and my back protested this, along with my sore feet from running around barefoot on bark this morning. I really hope my feet toughen up quick. I looked up tiredly, my stomach rumbling hungrily, at the tree before gently patting Falrar's neck towards the flowers, telling him to go eat. He snuffled at my hair before he trotted off to the flowers.

I looked around, feeling lost and confused as to what to do. I lost my asshole of a teacher in the woods. Likely he's still out there 'pretending' to teach me. Or he's blowing off steam in anger at ever having to teach 'vermin' like me. It made me angry at first... but now it just makes me feel like I am vermin. I am too exhausted to be angry now, or to question such thoughts. I just want to eat, take some painkillers, and sleep. Sadly, one of those I cannot do here since Na'vi don't have painkillers. So sleeping and leaving this body sounds excellent. I slowly walked towards the roots of the tree, my legs protesting so strongly I am very tempted to stop and sit here for a long, long while.

But I know this isn't the last time I will feel soreness like this, and that I need to adjust my Avatar to it, so I forced myself to continue to slowly walk to the tree. I noticed several Na'vi eye me warily, likely not liking the fact that I am wandering towards the tree with no Na'vi guard/teacher around me. I didn't look up from the ground as I slowly ambled my way towards the tree, seeing a few of the hunters that were with Tsu'tey last night and the one he spoke with this morning looking at me in surprise, like they didn't expect to see me again. I frowned angrily, but didn't glare at them as I focused on the ground. Clearly Tsu'tey planned far beforehand to abandon me in the forest to get lost and die, and spoke it over with his hunting friends.

That doesn't piss me of or anything, nope... I took deep breathes to control my temper, especially my anger when those hunters fell into step behind me, bows clenched in their hands as they watched me closely. I wanted to sigh and ask what their damn problem is. This entire clan seems split in two. Some stare at me in awe, like I am some odd sign of hope that I don't understand. Yet other stare at me with hate and distrust, like I am vermin intruding into their life. I ignored my so called 'guards' as I made my way into the tree, seeing the one called Neytiri standing at the base of a massive thread and sticks structure connecting from the ground to the roof... is that a loom? Wow... that's a massive loom.