I see you, Tsu'tey

Chapter 12

AN: Chapter 11 has been edited so if you haven't already, go re-read it!

"No"

"No?" Tsu'tey echoed with a surprised look on his face, his mouth slightly open and eyes widening. "No?"

"No" Awa repeated with a firm look on her face, she was never going to gain a place in the clan if she wasn't willing to prove herself. This was just a test, she told herself, just another test to pass. "I won't walk away"

"Awa, walk away." Atxa tried to persuade her, knowing that this was a fight that she would never win. He felt disappointed with himself that he let this happen, he brought her in confidence that his clan would at least be passive aggressive, not openly challenging her to fights. Damn you, Tsu'tey, he thought to himself, damn you. "This isn't a test, this isn't something you can win. Walk away!"

"It's okay" She smiled at him but he could see the fear in her eyes, her crippling self-doubt coming back but her pride preventing her from backing down. "It'll be fine."

"You're not ready for this, he'll kill you" Atxa snarled back, his anxiety and fear turning into anger as he watched his student who he had grown fond of challenge the best fighter in the clan. Someone who would not hold back and would be running high on all that hate. "It's not too late to back down"

"This is something that I need to do and you know it. I need to prove myself" Awa shot back after she dropped down into a crouch, staring at her opponent with her head held high.

"There are other ways to prove yourself without possibly getting killed!" Atxa desperately yelled out, all thoughts of keeping his cool composure flying out the window. He saw the look in Tsu'tey's eyes when he stared down his noticeably much smaller opponent, this was not going to be pretty.

"The dreamwalker has made its decision, now step out of the circle" Tsu'tey grinned and shook his head from side to side, making his hair follow the motion. He laughed as if he couldn't believe it and like this was something that would be over within seconds.

Atxa reluctantly stepped out of the circle and crossed his arms over his chest after coming to a halt. He didn't like it but would respect her decision, besides even if he didn't and decided to force her to forfeit he would ruin any chance she had at ever gaining their respect and he would severely damage her honor. If you issued a challenge you had to follow through with it, he admired her for doing it and standing strong against an opponent so much more skilled and bigger than her.

Awa sighed and put her hands up in front of her face, trying to mimic the pose so many heroes and villains did in the old stories. She and Atxa hadn't gotten to the fighting part of her training yet so she would have to wing it. Tsu'tey laughed when he saw her small fists clenching and his friends laughed along with him. Her eyes narrowed and her ears flattened to a point where they almost touched her head. He was laughing at her.

She felt so humiliated and with each second of laughter from the natives surrounding her her shame grew and finally she snapped. The anger bubbled over and the shame turned to rage. She lunged at him, pushing away from the ground with her strong legs, making large indents in the dry soil. She flew towards him with her hands outstretched in front of her, tail deadly still and teeth bared in a silent snarl. She was going to get him for that.

He side-stepped her lunge without even looking at her and his laughter grew louder and higher in pitch when she fell to the ground with a light thud. She pulled herself to all fours and blew some hair out of her hair as she glared at the Na'vi. She pulled herself to her feet, already feeling the exhaustion creeping onto her. Tsu'tey turned around with a big smirk on his face, his face having a slight red undertone from laughing so much.