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[Random the Navigator]

"Tali and Enya mentioned something about that, yes," said 'Iheyu.  "Something Kenten cooked up when you returned from your expedition?"  She regarded the buildings and the now closed-in space between them.  "I have to say that making these look more like part of the forest will probably help things a great deal..."  She knelt down to Rick's level and spoke quietly: "Or did you know that we've been talking about leaving this place?"

Enya and Tali, who'd only been aware of their parents' plans to visit Hometree more often, looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"You...what???"  Rick's jaw dropped.  "But...what...why?"

"Friction," 'Iheyu said simply.  "Or perhaps what your People might call a...personality conflict?  Tangek proposed it yesterday.  He insists that Hometree is a better environment for the children to grow up in, with which I agree for the most part; and that they don't need the negativity of things like Ash's outbursts, about which I am maintaining neutrality until we see how she turns out.

"That is one of the questions we are leaving open.  The other is what effect such a move might have on Enya.  The rest of us are, let's face it, overworked; overcrowded; and cut off from all but the most basic elements of the life we've always known.  Only Enya is really thriving here, very much so since Brenda came.  And of course we will put up with just about anything if staying here for a while will help her make the transition from her old life to her new one.  But, Rick..."  She dabbed at one eye.  "We are all homesick...and Enya is not going to learn how to be a Na'vi here...and the last thing anyone needs to be worrying about is how stressed people might be offending one another."

"Ash getting better..." said Enya half-plaintively.

[Kiyevanie]

Rick needed some time to digest that - this was quite the bomb 'Iheyu had dropped there.  He knew there had been tension, but going so far that Tangek actually wanted to leave?  He rubbed his forehead.  "Phew - that's something to digest, early in the morning," he admitted.

[Random the Navigator]

"It only came up last night, and we did not think it would be a good thing to burden Ash with just before a journey," 'Iheyu explained.  "Especially as it is far from a certain thing.  Ni'ka and I talked him into 'wait and see', and that might be easier now with a few hours' sleep under him.  I hope so; he will not leave if I don't, and until Ash has been back for a while I won't know enough to decide."

"You won't hear anything negative about Ash from me," Rick said.  "First, she's...how do you call it?  My mate?"

'Iheyu smiled a bit.  "And you have been a most devoted mate," she said.  "I have no experience with Tawtute pairs, but if you two are any indication? --They can't be much different from ours.  The looks, the touches, the tones of voice; the affection; the urge to protect...  You will find these under any Tree of Voices months or years before Tsaheylu comes into it."

"Second," Rick continued, "I seem to know a different Ash than you; and third, as a human I might see some things differently than you do."

'Iheyu stood up again and wrapped her arms around her torso, beginning to pace.  "Aiee, and there's the trouble!  You know a different person than we do, because she is an entirely different person with you than she is with anyone else."

She stopped and breathed deeply, seeming to draw up something from within herself, then settled back into a squat and regarded Rick with hurt in her eyes.  "There are any number of reasons why a person might not show all of herself to others, most of them quite valid and many having to do with fear.  Is she afraid of us, Rick?  Can't she trust us?  If not, then is it good for anyone that we are here?"

[Kiyevanie]

"I can't speak for Ash here - she's her own person.  But I know she's full of love," said Rick.  "For this world, for you all...  And I'm pretty sure she's not afraid of you, not at all.  It's just..."  He raked his fingers through his longish hair.  "She had to see her friend and mentor...heck, her cousin...get shot by said cousin's own mate, who then shot her as well.  And still she stood up and yelled out the truth about what happened. You had to have been there to see how brave that was. Actually it was the last straw, the one that made me get away from the base too.  And so much else has happened in the meantime, and all the time she still had that crystal shard in her arm."  He sighed.  "See, maybe she doesn't always find the right words, but I know she'd give her life for every single one of you."

[Random the Navigator]

"I don't doubt it," 'Iheyu said.  "That has never been the question.  The question is whether she can live with us, and we with her, in an anxious time.  It's not just Ash, Rick.  It's homelessness, rootlessness, dislocation and the troubled spirits it brings.  We, with our troubles, are in no shape to deal gracefully with hers; we can scarcely handle each others'.  And Ash, with hers, might be better off if she were not subjected to ours on a daily basis.  We, including Ash, are brittle people right now, and it's not recommended to keep brittle things where they can bump and jostle and wear away each others' edges."

[Kiyevanie]

"Still...I have to agree with Enya; Ash will get better."  Rick first smiled at the childlike Avatar, then looked back up to 'Iheyu.  "But I can get that you all are homesick.  If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's how close the bond is between you and your home.  Guess you all literally got your roots cut off...  I have no idea what to do about that," he ended a little helplessly.

[Random the Navigator]

'Iheyu allowed herself a half-smile.  "That's what I told Tangek," she said.  "And she's been mending, I've seen that; we've seen that, and hoped that's what it is, and everyone I've ever spoken to about Ash agrees that we ought to just settle back and give her time to do it.  Even Tangek."

The smile faded.  "The difference with Tangek is that he doesn't think we should be here while she sorts herself out.  The negativity again; the uncertainty of having to ask ourselves if this-or-that change of behavior is 'the real Ash', an anomaly, a reversion to type, or just the latest brave attempt to cover up."

Enya and Tali had been looking on quietly, sometimes glancing at each other and then back at the adults.  But towards the end of this they'd leaned over and exchanged extended whispers once or twice; and now they had their heads cocked again, waiting politely and with innocent smiles for a suitable turn in the conversation.

[Kiyevanie]

"So all we can do now is wait," Rick mused, not feeling good about it.  He knew that if anything came close he would try to protect this place as well as possible; he'd never stop the fight he and Ash had started.  But he would miss the Na'vi he'd begun to call friends.

But then he noticed Tali and Enya whispering to each other and gave them a smile.  "So - what do you think of all that?"

[Random the Navigator]

Both children beamed as if God had ordained them to be caught with their hands in the cookie jar.  Tali spoke first.  "We were thinking...okay, this is hard on everybody, and we can't fix that.  And Sa'nok taught me that if you can't change what's happening, change yourself inside so it's not so hard on you.  Make it so you think 'Hei, maybe this isn't so bad!'  Or maybe even find things to like about it.  We're doing that.  But it's harder for Tangek; he's taking it worse than anybody else.  And it being that hard for him makes it seem worse for everybody.  So since we can't fix why we're here..."

"...we fix Tangek!" Enya jumped in.  "Umm...or try to; think maybe if we make 'here' nicer for him, the nice stuff gonna make the strange stuff not so bad..."

'Iheyu gave them a puzzled look.  "Sweeties, I think you both know that only Tangek can change himself...unless I'm misunderstanding something?  What did you have in mind?"

Enya smiled.  "Well, homesick is worse when we think of stuff we not got here that we liked at Hometree.  Is stuff we do have same-same both places, maybe 'cause we bring it, maybe 'cause we find it...those make it not-so-bad.  So...what stuff did Tangek like about Hometree?  He got his hammock, his things, us, 'Iheyu...  But he look around and see shacks--that not be like Hometree!  And gotta use Sky People stuff--that not be like Hometree at all!  And be on the ground all the time, 'cept when flying...

"So!  We go out, find stuff to put on shacks; then he can look around and see green.  O-kaayy, is green shacks...but is green.  Help a little bit, no?  And he liked my ledge; so we can build playplace with tower--me and Sprout need it anyway, and Tall Brenda too since now she scared to climb trees at night--and he can sit up there and look, and think...like on ledge at Hometree.  And he like my swing--well, he already know where that is!  And he like flying lots and lots...so maybe me and Tali take turns bugging him to fly us places?  We make him laugh and run him ragged; he not gonna come home all mad then!"

It was evident that most of this was the Avatar's idea; Tali just nodded a lot and smiled.

[Kiyevanie]

Rick's eyes widened with every word the two were speaking and finally he started laughing at the 'bug him to fly one of the kids somewhere' part.  "Alright, if that doesn't cheer him up at least a little, I don't know!" he grinned.

[Random the Navigator]

"Work on me pretty good," Enya replied.  "Have nooks and wood places and floating blue and other Dreamwalkers...and gonna grow plants, like in garden at Sky-camp...and still get to fly--on Ikran now, is better than kunsip--and find old-animal rocks...and do still wear shorts!!"  She tossed her head up and crossed her arms, proud, defiant; the Tawtute half of her clothing a memento of the Resistance, the most visible of the things that had survived her "Change" intact.

[Kiyevanie]

"And actually a part of your ideas is what I wanted to talk about before this whole conversation took such a somber direction," Rick stated.  "Brenda and me were talking about heading out to collect some plants we can use to make the shacks look a little more natural and less like metal cubes.  And...we wanted to take Enya and Tali along."

[Random the Navigator]

'Iheyu smiled.  "I do believe there's some wisdom in Enya's idea...  It won't mend everything; but you might be surprised what a seemingly small thing can do in someone's deeper places.  And if Tangek is even a little more comfortable here, won't that make it easier for everyone, even Ash?"

She regarded her children, Tali practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation of an outing.  "Go on, then," she laughed.  "You get our best gatherer and our best scout..."  She shot a glance towards the bonfire: "And a fine hunter and horseman.  Kenten, you're going too--toktor's orders!!"

"Are orders really necessary?" Kenten chirped.  "Very well; someone fetch Brenda, and I'll fetch the Pa'li!

[Kiyevanie]

"Best scout and gatherer - that's exactly what I had in mind with asking those two," Rick grinned.  "And with Kenten as a hunter, that makes a well-rounded team.  I'd better go and drag Brenda out of the module, then."

He turned around, walking back to the module and poking his head inside again.  "Brenda?  Are you ready?"

[Random the Navigator]

Brenda was sitting with Tsanten, completely absorbed in something he was doing with the wooden plank Rick had used to teach him the taps for Morse code.  Now she looked up, her mask a little fogged with the warm tears that had gathered in her eyes.  "Rick...you'd better get Ash in here the first moment you can," she said softly.  "This man has been telling me some stories..."

Tsanten, his face radiating awe and something deeper than joy through his tears, paused in his taps and scratches...the "dots" and "dashes" that had--just now--finally released him from his silence.

[Kiyevanie]

Rick smiled at both of them.  "To think that the old Morse alphabet could do such a miracle..."  He could only try to imagine what getting a means of communication back would mean to a man who had spent his life telling stories.  "And I'd definitely like to hear those stories too."

[Random the Navigator]

"They're not the old ones...not just yet," Brenda explained.  "Those'll come...  Wha--?"  She turned at the Lorekeeper's insistent tug on her sleeve; listened to him "chatter" for a bit; then turned back to Rick.  "Right now he's just telling me why he likes his hands...  He's being real poetic about it, though!"  She grinned.

Silronsem looked a little miffed.  Like anyone, she was more than pleased to see him come back "online"...but he'd gone and done it in a language she didn't understand!

"And why does he like his hands?" Rick asked, curious now.

Brenda gave Tsanten one of her more tender looks.  "You and me are probably the only people here who can translate him hot off the press, at least until Enya learns her ABCs and Ash learns Morse.  And I'll have to write it down exactly the way he says it to give you the full flavor--isn't there some kind of touch interface for computers that saves the keystrokes?  But he says...

   "I don't remember what I did with my hands before.
    The hands I had then are gone.
    But *these* hands, the ones I have now
    Have healed my healers
    Given purpose to silver eyes
    Raised the dead
    And spoken to the stars."

She sniffed, then favored Rick with a watery smile.

[Kiyevanie]

He smirked at Silronsem.  "Something tells me we're gonna have Morse lessons in the evenings."

"Before, during, or after Spanish and dance class?" Brenda laughed.

"Um..."  Rick scratched his head.  "I don't know - change it now and then?"

"Like in school?  Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Morse on Mondays and Wednesdays, weekends are off?"  Brenda grinned.  "Imagine this little complex becoming a college campus!  All we need is a stuffy name, a Latin motto and a football team...  Heck, we even have a quad!"

Rick looked at Tsanten, really impressed.  "Ni'ka should hear that too," he said.  "I know she still isn't completely comfortable with her own hands - I think hearing it that way would help."

[Random the Navigator]

"Got it right here," Brenda said, showing what she'd jotted down.  "He's gonna get his own section of my notebook..."  She turned to Tsanten.  "Hey, babe...what's 'given purpose to silver'?  Is that about Enya's jewelry?  Didn't know she had metal beads..."

The dark Na'vi made an Uh-uh cutoff gesture with one hand, then explained.

Brenda turned back to Rick.  "He means Ni'ka," she informed him.  "He calls her his Silver Lady.  Says she was almost as lost as he was when she saved him...and that having him to fuss over helped her pull through."

[Kiyevanie]

"Ni'ka should definitely hear that!"  Rick nodded to Tsanten.  "I know it helped her, helping you.  The way I see it, she acted strong to show a Changed one can heal, and then the strength got real.  'Silver Lady'...she'll love that, same as she was proud when Enya told her she's pretty in her new loincloth and feathers.  She's still a young girl, after all."

[Random the Navigator]

Tsanten answered Rick's comment with a fond look and a wry smile that suggested he, too, might know something about the ego needs of young ladies.  But his description of what silver meant to him--the silver thread of a river's waters; night's silver light reviving him through the longhouse window the night he'd been rescued; Ni'ka's silver eyes coming into focus above him as he'd regained consciousness at Hometree--left no doubt that it was the color of life to him.

"Looks like Enya's gonna have to find him some silver to put in his next bead-string.." Brenda said quietly.  "And it looks like I've got my ancestral job back; I'm a scribe to a philosopher-king.  Hey, it's a living..."  The casual wording couldn't disguise the sense of fulfilled destiny in her eyes.

She quirked a grin, then patted Tsanten's hand goodbye and stood up.  "Speaking of finding things--have we formed our posse yet?  Because I have a special request for Enya too."

"Yeah...if anyone can find that it's Enya," Rick agreed.  "And yeah, we're ready to head out.  Actually that's why I came in in the first place, to get you."  He smirked.  "We're gonna be passengers today; Kenten is getting the Pa'li."

Brenda boggled a bit as they stepped back out into the courtyard.  "Really!" she blurted.  "And here I thought we were foraging on foot..."

But Enya was already on Kilvanä, waiting for Brenda; and Tali was already on Peke, waiting for Rick; and Kenten was standing next to his mount, waiting to help the humans up behind their respective riding partners.

[Kiyevanie]

Rick grinned at Brenda's reaction.  "Nope, we're going easy on our feet today.  On our rears...not so much."

He stepped up to Tali and Peke and let Kenten give him a boost to settle in behind the Na'vi boy, waiting for Brenda to get ready too.  "There's one thing to be said about the whole growing thing," he commented.  "I'm a tiny bit more comfortable now."

[Random the Navigator]

"If I've ever been on a horse, I must've got thrown, hit my head and forgotten all about it," Brenda said ruefully.  Needing anyone's help to get on Kilvanä's back didn't do anything for her dignity either.  Somehow this wasn't quite like scrambling up and over a rock formation; for one thing, cliff-faces didn't shift their weight when you began your ascent...

"Is okay," Enya reassured her.  "We not gonna let you fall!"

"Girlfriend," Brenda smirked, "we all know I'm not much for asking permission..."

"Umm...if you fall and hit your head, can I share with Tall Brenda?" Enya teased.

"And fill her head with your nonsense? --HELL no!!" Brenda protested; then, the tension broken, she made her request.  "Hey...you still know your rocks pretty good, right, babe?"  At Enya's nod, she asked: "Do you know if any mica grows around here?  The dark-colored kind?"

"Not here," Enya responded with scholarly dignity.  "Is all old-animal rocks 'round here; come in layers...  Mica be where mountains make smoke, or used to.  Be lots of it on big floaty mountain.  How come?"

"Something to fall back on in case my leaf idea doesn't work," said Brenda.  "I want to make Tall Brenda some sunglasses."

"Guess we gonna have to fly you up to big floaty mountain, then, huh?"

Brenda sighed and pretended to slump her shoulders in defeat.  "Well, hell, at least I've already ridden an Ikran..." she muttered.

[Kiyevanie]

"You're gonna enjoy it," Rick grinned from where he sat behind Tali.  "That's the beauty of it, riding on a mount that is Bonded to the rider - as Enya said, they won't let you fall."

He wondered what this "mica" might be that Brenda was talking about - some kind of stone, obviously.  And probably a dark, transparent one if she wanted to make shades out of it.

[Random the Navigator]

"He-LLO," Brenda smirked.  "They won't let their riders fall.  Brenda, poor chump, isn't Bonded, so how's that gonna help her?"

"I feel her feeling you," said Enya.

"Yeah, but I don't," Brenda pointed out.  "I won't feel the corrections."

"Oh..." said Enya; then she brightened.  "So you hug me good, and when Kilvanä fix me, she fix you!"

"I can go for that," Brenda answered with a smile.

Enya eyeballed Kenten, who was already starting towards the "hunter's path" between the main shacks and the longhouse.  "Better go for something," she quipped, "or everybody go without us!!"

Brenda gave the Avatar a hug fit for a long-lost daughter and they set off.