The Hunt

[fuzzydude]

His eyes opened slowly and focused on the slowly waving heavy branches decorated with calmly fluttering leaves against the gray sky of dawn. The breeze was fresh, carrying the scent of dew-covered leaves and grass and distant flowers. Around him, he could hear the soft breathing of the still-sleeping Na'vi. Grunting incoherently, he threw an arm over his eyes, rolled on his side, then sleepily rubbed his face with a hand.

And then he was sitting straight up, eyes wide.

The hunt with Nayunva!

He leaped up excitedly and was already swinging down the tree by the time a neighbouring male groaned, sat up, looked around confusedly for the disturbance, then, seeing nothing, went back to sleep.

Already, Atxkxell's heart was singing. He knew this would go well - it had to! This was the one thing he knew he was good at! He couldn't have asked for a better thing to first do with Nayunva. Even so, he was so full of nervous energy he had to stop himself from shaking. He hadn't felt this way since his very first hunt when he'd gone out, determined to prove that he could be just as good as any of the other Na'vi, and that he deserved the honour of being called a hunter of the Omaticaya!

Atxkxell picked up his bow and with a soft huff pushed on one end, stringing it.

Of course, that particular hunt hadn't gone very well. He'd been so excited he'd forgotten everything that he'd been told and had eagerly charged at the first sign of prey, ignoring the warnings in his belief that he'd show them how bold he was.

Atxkxell nibbled on his lower lip nervously as he examined one arrow, then another, looking down the length of each and choosing the straightest and best of them.

His "prey" had, of course, turned out to been an angtsìk, which he had run straight into, triggering an all out charge.

Atxkell frowned, putting undue attention on the process of slowly rubbing a waxy cloth up and down the bowstring.

He'd had to be rescued at great risk to one of the warriors and had been sternly lectured and confined home for what had, at the time, had seemed like an eternity while all the adults laughed at how cute and silly he was, spreading the story of his foolhardy hunt like a wildfire, and all the others his age who had been more successful teased him relentlessly, exaggerating the stupidity of his story until it was the talk of the entire clan for the entire week. It'd taken months before they'd stopped talking about it!

Well, that was then. This was now. And now, he was no longer the foolish young boy. He was a practiced hunter who had proven his skill time and time again. He'd worked hard to prove to the clan his worth, and now, all he had to do is do it once more for the beautiful Nayunva.

He stopped near where he knew Nayunva often slept to pluck several leaves from a vine growing around a tree, rolled them between his hands, crushing them, and began rubbing them along his feet. They were a fairly common leaf with a strong scent that would mask his own trail and scent without seeming the least bit out of place.

He glanced up at her tree, trying to locate her without success. Was it too early? The weather seemed like it would be good, which meant the best time to hunt was sooner than normal, and would soon be approaching, but he had no desire to wake her. So, he waited, tail twitching with nervous eagerness. With nothing else to do, he took another handful of leaves.
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angtsìk - Hammerhead titanothere

[Nayunva]

Nayunva had returned from the fire last night, and had recieved much less criticism than she had expected. Her mother seemed to have calmed her grandmother, or quelled the storm, or something. Well, it didn't really matter what she did. Nayunva was just grateful for the silence.

She woke the next morning, and it took her a moment for the events of the day before to come back to her. Once they did, a small smile appeared on her face, and she quickly exited the hammock she slept in. She lited her hands to her hair, calming it with her hands. It was mostly unbraied, as usual. This never really bothered Nayunva, so she decided to leave it for the hunt.

She grabbed her bow, and several arrows along with. She had slept a little later than she had intended to, and didn't want to hold Atxkxell up.

She still wasn't sure she knew what to think about Atxkxell. His strange behavior within the clan, and his unwillingness to approach her, despite what all sings pointed to the previous night. He was still a mystery to her, and she could only hope today would clear things up a bit.

She swung down the branches of the tree easily, her natural grace making a soundless descent. Once finally at the bottom, she stepped outside to see Atxkxell waiting for her. She smiled at him before issuing the standard gretting. "Oel ngati kameie." She paused before asking her next question. "Will we be taking Pa'li today? He had made the plans for the hunt, so what they did during it would be up to him.

[fuzzydude]

Nayunva appeared not long after, working her way smoothly down the tree. She looked completely different in the light of the edge between night and dawn, subtly painted by the blue and green lights from the plants that had not yet begun to sleep for the day. Completely different, and still completely beautiful. Where last night, she'd had an almost primal, enigmatic presence, today she seemed more... subtle, graceful, alert.

"I see you," he answered, looking past his own fingers at her eyes as he gestured. She was even more stunning up close. He could not wait to see her in action.

"I thought we could hunt the large river hollow to the east. The winds are still this morning and the others have not hunted there for some time. Now that it has been several days after the large rain, the waters should be calmer this morning and more inviting to our prey," he suggested.

He'd chosen the spot carefully. It was a river next to tall, strongly carved cliff sides that had been shaped by a waterfall long ago. The waterfall was now a mile away due to the mountain it originated from having literally just floating away over the ages, but the hollowed out shape remained, housing a number of beautiful plants framed by the giant walls and rocky, partial ceiling left behind.

When the waters ran quickly, the spot was filled with the booming, deafening roar, frightening away predator and prey alike. But when the waters were calm, it was greatly favoured by many creatures, and for good reason. Every sound echoed with perfect clarity between the curved cliffs and the mirror-smooth waters, making it next to impossible for any but the most skilled and silent to get close without alerting every living thing in the area, and it required careful deliberation to choose the right place to strike without enraging the more dangerous of animals who congregated there along with the harmless. Scents also carried quickly if a hunter misjudged the swirling, confusing breezes.

As such, it was rarely hunted except by rare large groups coordinating together to herd the animals into an ambush, yet was one of the most rewarding spots if a hunt was successful. He'd picked the location because it was daring and bold, and very much a challenge. Even to him. It would be a chance for her to shine like he suspected she would, and for him to show off the skills he'd practiced so hard to hone.

Also, it just so happened to make going in on pa'li foolish because even with the speed, everything would have scattered long before they were in range, and ikrans could not dive with the overhead rocky mushroom-like structures and their stone pillars dotting the area.

"Would that be fine with you?" he asked with a playful challenge in his tone.

[Nayunva]

Atxkxell responded to her greeting, and in the light, Nayunva sized him up. He was taller than average, with a slightly heavier build. This did not bother Nayunva in the slightest, and now that she could see him in proper lighting, he was actually quite handsome. Everything about him was aesthetically pleasing to her, and when he spoke it caused her tail and ears to twitch quite involuntarily as she quickly refocused. She had been zoning out a little bit.

His choice of hunting location surprised her. It was rather ambitious. But she assumed that this was due to her challenge from the night before. The location rendered both Pa'li and Ikran useless, so she'd have to use every ounce of personal skill she had to succeed at this hunt. She flicked her ears in surprise at the choice, but nonetheless accepted. "Sounds fine to me." Playful light was in her eyes, and she swished her tail back and forth in anticipation. "Ambitious choice. You trying to outdo me already?" She teased lightly as she turned to face the forest. She would let him lead the way today.

[fuzzydude]

Atxkxell laughed softly.

"Of course!" he quipped. "But you started it."

"Besides," he added with a hint of kindness under the words, "you can't blame me for thinking I might need every advantage I can get."

He kept his voice down so as not to disturb those who were still asleep. It had been an exciting night for everyone, and not everybody needed to get up at the crack of dawn. Despite that, he felt full of an energy that was only amplified by the nervousness he still felt still gnawing inside him.

Atxkxell was glad for the walk. It gave him a chance to let some of that energy out. Too much would make him impatient or careless and now more than ever, he couldn't afford that. Perhaps it would have been wiser to choose a normal hunting spot where his skills would be guaranteed to carry him through with or without any nervousness, but he'd always been one to take risks.

He walked with Nayunva along a well-worn trail leading away from their home before breaking from it and heading eastwards. His gaze moved back and forth as slipped easily through the vegetation. Even for the Na'vi, there were many dangers in the jungles of Pandora. Watching for them was second nature to most, but even more so for a scout. Bruised leaves, broken branches, tracks, blades of turned the wrong way, or dirt on an otherwise clean stone, all these things told stories of what had recently happened all around them and what might be ahead. Every now and then, his gaze moved to his companion instead.

And as they walked, the air around them shifted from dark, uncertain gray into the first warm hints of dawn. Reds, oranges, and pinks haloed the sliver of light at the horizon and began slowly spreading across the sky. The bio-luminescent glows around them began fading.

Soon, Atxkxell slowed, then with a look to Nayunva, moved towards a nearby tree and pulled himself up it quietly. They'd be near the area soon, and if things were as they normally were, not only was it easier to hunt from above, but much safer in case anything startled the animals. The last situation anyone wanted to be in was trying to desperately get up a tree after a stampede had begun.

From there, the Na'vi crept forward, hoping quietly from branch to branch with the ease that only an Omaticaya could possess in the treetops. Through the branches and leaves, they could see their destination. Yeriks, tapiruses, and even a few wild pa'li moved in their respective herds near a cluster of angtsìk - far enough not to upset the territorial beasts, but close enough that they could run behind the giants should a threat appear. Several syaksyuk hung from trees further ahead, chattering to each other, oblivious to the two hunters who had appeared. Two were fighting over a piece of fruit. In the river itself was a family of talioang wading in the shallows, and far above, drowsy fkio perched on outcroppings of the large pillars leading up to the mushroom-like stone ceiling.

The area was already full of life as the animals gathered together in the morning for safety around the water source, secure in the knowledge that between the screaming syaksyuks in the trees, the wary herds on the ground, and all of their perked ears, nothing could even approach unnoticed. And even from here, Atxkxell could swear that he could hear the footsteps of a mere kenten crawling on a branch across the entire river.

It felt like even his breathing might be too loud. He tried to steady it past the increasing nervousness that had suddenly started growing once again.

This was it.

He looked back at Nayunva with an excited smile and a tilt of the head.

Here we go!
___________________

yerik - Hexapede ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Hexapede )
tapirus - james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Tapirus
pa'li - Direhorse ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Direhorse )
angtsìk - Hammerhead titanothere ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Hammerhead_Titanothere )
syaksyuks - Prolemuris ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Prolemuris )
talioang - Sturmbeest ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Sturmbeest )
fkio - Tetrapteron ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Tetrapteron )
kenten - Fan Lizard ( james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fan_Lizard )
kitchen sink - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_sink

[Nayunva]

When Atxtxell teased her right back, she was about to shoot a witty comment until his next words, which she thought she heard kindness in. Instead of a witty comment, she felt herself flush just slightly. And all of her comebacks went out the window.

They made their way through the forest, and Nayunva noticed Atxkxell's careful checking of things. Most Na'vi did this naturally, the instinct honed in by years of surprises in the jungle, but Atxkxell did so more than most. It then occurred to her that he was also a scout. She couldn't help but to feel a bit safer having him with her. Going out in the jungle always held risk. His skills were honed to discover a bad thing before it happened. This, she was thankful for.

They traveled along a well used path for a bit, before leaving the trail and heading to the east. As they walked, the bio-luminescence around them began to fade as the dawn approached. Soon, Atxkxell looked behind him, meeting her eyes before he headed up a tree. She understood what this meant and followed behind him, every skillful move she made honed by years of training. She crept up the tree behind the male almost soundlessly. Any sound she did make seemed only to be the wind brushing against the leaves.

She followed his lead as he hopped from tree to tree. She made good use of her tail for balance, not wanting to disturb any wildlife as they approached their hunting site. As the river kept into view, Nayunva couldn't help the tip of her tail from twitching and her ears flicking forward in excitement.

The river was bursting with life, and the only creature that seemed to be absent was the Palulukan. (Thankfully). Today would be a good hunt. Nayunva balanced on the tree limb and slowly removed her bow as quietly as possible. Atxtxell turned to look at her, excitement written all over his face. He tilted his head toward the river, and Nayunva nodded in return. She crept up slowly, and removed an arrow from the little clasp on the front of her bow, and placed it on the bowstring, she didn't tighten it yet, though. She waited carefully, choosing her target wisely. She saw a large male yerik, conveniently located just at the outer edge of herd. She considered shooting it, but then thought perhaps that might be too easy of a shot. She couldn't let Atxkxell win, could she? So instead, she focused on e different one, just as large, but on the far side of the herd. She would have to shoot carefully for that one. It was a long shot, though. The wind in this area wold probably adversely affect her arrow. She glanced at the tree they were in for the breeze around them, but she could only guess what the breeze would do closer to the herd.

She aimed at the yerik briefly, then looked to Atxkxell, showing him she had her mark. She wasn't sure what he had planned for their hunt, but she had her mark. She almost hoped Atxkxell would say this was too easy, and they would do something more high risk. Then again, the more high risk they went, the more danger there was of a stampede, or having a fruitless hunting trip.

She lowered her bow, and twitched her tail to just tap Atxkxell. As she did, she cast him an excited and nervous look, almost speaking without words. She was curious to see what Atxkxell would do next. Was this perch good enough for him, or would he be willing to push the envelope further?

[fuzzydude]

Atxkxell ever so slowly unslung his own bow, then looked from the river back to Nayunva. She began slowly creeping forward, keeping a large branch and its cluster of leaves between her and the nearest group of syaksyuks to avoid detection. He couldn't help but admire how quiet and smooth her motions were, as if each step was a perfected movement had been practiced a thousand times just for that one moment. He looked forward again, waited until there was some movement from a syaksyuk stealing back his piece of fruit, and notched an arrow.

His gaze briefly moved back to her as he tried to guess her intent. She was looking at a yerik that had strayed just a little far from the main group. It was the same one he had noted himself. While there were still branches and leaves between them, a careful shot could easily down it. From the corner of his vision, he could see her straightening and raising her bow. What would be the herd's movements after she shot? He tried to work it out, guessing at the complex interactions between the various herds of creatures once she struck. It was only then that he noticed that she was no longer aiming at the yerik she been looking at.

His eyes moved back and forth again. She was instead targeting another yerik - one that was on the other side of the herd. His tail twitched just once in appreciation. In the open, he knew he could make that shot, but from their vantage with twigs and leaves in the way, and the yerik moving with no way to gauge the slight breeze, even on his best day, he didn't know if he could be sure he would be able to connect the shot. Even if she was much more skilled than him, why was she giving up the sure kill?

He couldn't help smiling. Of course, her challenge. And it clearly had not been an idle one. She was intentionally choosing the harder shot to outmatch him. It would work, too. He was already impressed. Especially now that he noticed that if she could make the shot, it would scare the rest of them in their direction, allowing him an easy kill as well while at the same time causing the other herds to move in different directions. She was good.

The male readied himself to react, but once again, there was nothing. No movement, no sound save for the soft sloshing from one of the tailoang moving through the water. He felt something brush across his shoulder, and turned slightly to see Nayunva's retreating tail. He did his best to hide his reaction to the brief touch and instead met her eyes, concentrating on the meaning behind them. She was seeing if he thought this was the shot they should take. And she was challenging him to do better.

If he had been here alone, he'd have taken down the first yerik. Just making a kill in this place was noteworthy in itself. If he'd taken down the one she had been aiming at on the far side of the herd, he'd have something to boast of all week. But even so... well, he couldn't let her best him just like that. Not so easily.

Atxkxell grinned at her before turning back, ears forward and tail completely still as he stared intently at the scene before them, looking from one area to the other as if he were unraveling a puzzle laid before him. His gaze swept over the yerik herd, then moved on to the tapirus, which he dismissed immediately as being too easy an animal to hunt. Finally, his gaze settled on one particular group and he turned to Nayunva with a wicked grin before looking back at his target.

The talioang. It was a large animal, and highly useful to the clan. It was also usually only hunted on ikran by a large hunting party working together. Killing one was one of the many rites of passage for a young hunter - one which he had never completed, thanks to the lack of an ikran. Taking one down without such a group, and especially on foot was practically unheard of. Their skins were tough and they were extremely protective of their young. If they felt too threatened, they'd stampede. While they weren't very smart, and it took them quite a while to react, it also took just as long for them to stop attacking everything in sight.

It was crazy, he knew but not completely. They'd be slowed by the water they were in, and confused by the sudden danger in what seemed to be a sanctuary. With their smaller numbers, they would be less likely to attack and more likely to run, which would not be as dangerous as normal. If he could pull this off, he could both accomplish one of the rites that had been denied him, impress Nayunva, and he'd be the talk of the clan for months!

He held back his enthusiasm. Targeting one of their vulnerable areas was difficult under normal conditions and required an awful lot of power, even with the height advantage of being on an ikran. It would be very difficult alone. Thankfully, he was not alone.

Eyes dancing, he tilted his head in one direction, excitedly mouthing, "Come on." They'd have to get awfully close for this to work, and they'd have to work together perfectly, but he just knew if anyone could do it, it was him with this incredible huntress. Forcing himself to be patient, he began moving off to one side, beginning the painfully slow process of circling around soundlessly to a place where they could get a closer, clearer shot.

[Nayunva]

Nayunva followed his eyes as he scanned the wildlife present at the river, finally settling on the talioang. Her eyes widened, and her tail tip twitched. Talioang? Sure, she had hunted one before. Atop her Ikran and with a spear, not on foot with bow and arrow. And atop her Ikran had been difficult enough! Well, she had been challenging him to outdo her. But she hadn't quite imagined that.

She scanned the herd, trying to see how he could possibly think they could succeed at this. The group was small. That was good. They would be less likely to try to kill the hunters and more likely to run. And the river could help. When they attempted to run, the river would slow the massive beasts. But still.... It was risky. There was no guarantee they would succeed. If they did, they'd be praised for weeks. However, with high reward came high danger. The chances that one of them could get hurt were very high. It was an insane idea. And she wasn't going to let it pass her by.

Atxkxell began to move through the branches to get a better vantage point, and she followed not far behind. She moved through the branches as carefully as she could. The slightest abnormal twitch of the leaves could ruin everything. As they moved, she immediately began thinking of ways that this could work. They didn't have the large spears normally used to hunt the creatures. But, with the proper angle, a few arrows could hopefully do one of the creatures in. The shots would have to be precise, and their arrows would have to have enough force behind them to go in deep. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. They would both need to be at the top of their game.

As they finally crept toward a better vantage point, she looked at Atxkxell, raising one eyebrow at him. She was still trying to figure out exactly how this was going to work. If she could talk , she would have. Since they couldn't do that, she was going to have to rely solely on his movements to judge what her move would be.

[fuzzydude]

OOC: Gosh, it'd help if *I* knew how this was going to work, too.

BIC: A part of Atxkxell had hoped she might stop him, letting him know it was too much. That part was very, very small. While he'd likely get credit for daring, this was so much better! Here he was in the most difficult hunting grounds he knew, taking on a talioang with the beautiful, skilled Nayunva. He could hardly imagine anything more wonderful! This was the stuff of legend!

He took the doubt that had been beginning to fester and, with all his will, threw it recklessly aside. It still grew, quietly eating away where it landed, but he knew if he just focused, he could get through this. All he had to do is glance behind him to have all the motivation he needed to keep going on this ridiculously mad scheme.

The stalking took all the patience he had, especially with the excitement bubbling inside him. He moved only when he was out of view, or when the breeze moved the leaves. And even then, he moved only as much as the leaves did, weaving his path back and forth to keep their scent moving away from the cluster of animals, careful not to make a single sound that would carry easily through the entire hollow. He constantly worried that the talioang herd would move, or worse, just leave, ruining the entire series of events that he had been working out in his mind, but through some great fortune, they seemed to be happy simply milling around, drinking from the river. It was a lazy morning for them.

The challenge were was twofold. First, the talioang were vulnerable only in the sides at the openings where they breathed from, near the heavily armoured ridge along their back. Shooting them from the front would be nearly impossible, and wouldn't have the force required to kill them quickly.

Second, he needed them not only to stampede, but to stampede in the proper direction so that they would have clean shots from the correct angles before they were out of range. Second, their natural instinct was to attack a threat, but that would cause them to run straight at them, making them all but invincible except if one of their four tiny eyes were shot. Even for Atxkxell, that would be nearly impossible on a charging target, and this presented far too much risk to both of them. He was reckless, not stupid.

If they stampeded, they would stampeded away, making shooting them also impossible, and from this distance, there would not be enough power to actually kill one. Making them run towards them and then veer away as the only chance of this working. Thus, he had to make them angry and just as quickly show that they were enough of a threat to run away from. Two hunters were needed for this, and both would have to make no mistakes.

As much as he wanted to be the one to score the kill, he was the one that knew the plan and, truth be told, he didn't want to risk Nayunva in his own crazy scheme. If she were hurt, it would be unbearable. Turning, he held one hand for her to stop before pointing from Nayunva to a nearby area. You, attack there... Then, he touched his own chest and pointed further away. I lure them there.

She was the snare, he was the bait. And he would be completely relying on Nayunva to be able to down one or otherwise do enough damage that the rest would veer away between the two Na'vi into a stampede, giving both of them opportunities to shoot freely... instead of directly towards him where he'd end up desperately clinging to a tree while they tried to kill him. It would require perfect coordination between them, and true, he'd never hunted with her before or even seen her fire an arrow yet, but he'd heard of her skills, seen her kills, and, looking at her, he just knew deep inside that if he could trust anyone in the clan, it was her.

He didn't wait very long before he was moving away towards the place he'd indicated earlier, and he vanished into the trees ahead soon after. Perhaps a minute passed. Then, his sharp whistle sliced through the air like a knife, echoing loudly through the entire area. Every single creature in the area jerked its head up in his direction, instinctively freezing for just a moment, caught on the knife's edge of uncertainty between fight and flight. And in that moment of frozen silence, his arrow shot out from the tree he was in, arching through the morning light. It came down and smacked directly between the closest tailoang's left eyes before bouncing off harmlessly. The large creature reared up and roaring angrily. He'd actually been shooting for the larger eye, but that had been very much a long, stylistic shot. The effect was about the same, regardless.

All five of the talioang roared in unison and the hollow amplified their cries until it sounded like a thousand of them calling in unison. The angtsìk quickly formed a circle around the smaller of their herd while the rest of the creatures scattered in all directions like a mad flock of birds and the syaksyuks began screaching and swinging away madly through the trees. And the tailoang themselves all charged as one, splashing great waves across the waters as they ran directly towards the male Na'vi who was quickly notching another arrow.

Their angle would soon be perfect for Nayunva - at least for one or two shots. After that, they'd reach Atxkxell.

[Nayunva]

Nayunva stopped as Atxkxell motioned her to, then he directed her to another area. He motioned where he was going, and from the different vantage points of the area's, she assumed what was supposed to happen. He would trigger the beasts toward him, and she had to take the shots. It was the only thing that made sense. If they stampeded at her, it wouldn't give Atxkxell any sort of shot. He was baiting himself.

Her eyes flickered with worry for just a moment, and her ears tipped back for just a second, but then he was off. She was surprised he was baiting himself. She had assumed he would want to take the shots, but he was giving her the chance.

As he moved away toward his own destination, she moved toward her, finally settling down in her vantage point. When the beasts ran to wards Atxkxell, she would have a clear shots for a couple of seconds. She would have to make those seconds count, or risk Atxkxell getting trapped. Once the creatures realized they were actually being attacked from her side, they should deviate away from Atxkxell, keeping him safe. That was, if she hit the creature and injured it enough to give the other beasts reason to alarm. No pressure.

She strung her bow, and waited, the taliolang splashing in the water, unaware of the danger they were in. She focused now on the wind, checking and double checking the breeze. She had to be precise.

There was a shrill whistle, which caused the creatures in the area to immediately jolt up, alarmed by the foreign sound. A single arrow flew threw the air, hitting one of the taiolang's. The effect was almost instantaneous. The creature roared, and it's herd joined in, creating a massive trumpeting sound. The rest of the creatures in the hollow scattered, quite alarmed, save for the angtsik, which formed a protective circle.

The taiolang then charged toward where the arrow came from, and Nayunva knew it would be precious seconds before she would be able to shoot. She pulled the arrow as tight as the bow-string would allow, and aimed for the oncoming taiolang. it must have been two seconds past, and then one of the creatures was in her shot. She didn't bother deciding between difficult and easy shots. The easy shot was the only option.

She released the arrow, and it ripped away from the bow, creating only a whooshing sound. She quickly loaded another arrow, just as her arrow hit it's mark. The beast let out a trumpeting cry of pain, and as he did, she loaded another arrow and let that one go. It hit again, not as good as the first shot, but it worked just about as well. One of the creature's front legs went out, causing it to stumble and crash into the ground. The rest of the taiolang turned sharply in alarm from the attack, and began charging the other way.

As the creature tried to get up, she fired another shot at it, tail lashing. It cried out, but continued to try to stand. Once standing, it stumbled forward some more steps. She decided at this point, Atxkxell could have his own shot at it. He was no longer in danger of the oncoming stampede.

While the toxin's their arrows were dipped in were not usually meant for creatures this large, her three arrows plus the arrow Atxkxell was sure to be shooting shortly could only help their cause.

It then occurred to her, that the task was practically over, and her eyes grew wide with excitement, and her tail lashed back and forth. This would be a story to tell!

[fuzzydude]

For a split second, Atxkxell felt terror grip him as he watched the entire herd trampling towards his tree. A tree that suddenly seemed all too small. The air was filled with the pounding of heavy feet, the deep huffs and cries of the taiolang and the thumping of his own heart.

C'mon... c'mon...

It felt like a moment and an eternity. Then, there was a whoosh as an arrow sliced through the air. It was, perhaps, one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. The arrow hit one of the larger taiolang, causing it to twist and stumble. Then another arrow flew, another, and another, each striking true. And then the herd was running the other direction, while the wounded taiolang tripped over its own feet.

It took a second for it to register. It'd worked! It'd worked!!!

They'd done it!

He couldn't hold back the whoop of triumph.

And caught in the moment, he looked in Nayunva's direction, forgetting that the hunt had not quite ended yet. Below, the taiolang staggered back, grunting and swinging its head. Then, it gave a limping charge blindly forward, smashing directly into Atxkxell's tree.

Caught off guard, the Na'vi lurched forward, then overcompensated and tilted dangerously backwards. For a frozen moment, he remained precariously balanced, tail whipping around and arms windmilling. And then with a yelp, he lost his footing and fell backwards off the tree.

He landed directly on the taiolang.

Having found something to blame all its suffering on, the creature grunted and began turning, stomping its feet and throwing its head back and forth. And Atxkxell found himself holding on for dear life, hanging off the side of the creature with his arms wrapped around its neck as it swung him back and forth like a rag doll. Whatever control he had before evaporated. The male's ears were pinned back, his face locked in an expression of pure fear as he held on with all his strength, unable to let go without risking being trampled by the angry beast.

Hooking his legs around the creature, he freed one arm and fumbled for the knife he carried. With a yell, he stabbed blindly, but the blow glanced off the thick armor. He tried again and again with no avail. It was too well protected and he couldn't reach the vulnerable, huffing breathing holes.

Taiolang were notoriously dim-witted creatures, but this particularly one finally got a bright idea and suddenly tilted off to the side, smashing into a tree with Atxkxell still clinging desperately to the creature. Somehow, he hung on while trying to regain his breath. The taiolang backed up again, preparing to smash the Na'vi between itself and the tree once more.

[Nayunva]

Nayunva watched the creature continue to stumble blindly forward, and she waited for Atxkxell's shot that never came. The creature was out of range for her, now, and it suddenly began to pick up speed, right where Atxkxell's tree was. Her eyes widened in ear and her ears laid back against her head as the creature smashed into the tree. Then something large and blue fell out of the tree. Atxkxell.

Nayunva watched in horror as the male hung on for dear life to the thrashing creature. She raised her bow, but with Atxkxell on the beasts back, it was too close of a shot. One shift in the breeze and she could shoot Atxkxell straight through. Her tail thrashed wildly as she tried to figure out what to do. But as she was coming up with a plan, the beast suddenly got a bright idea, and slammed it's body against a tree. This was not good. She only had one idea to try to help Atxkxell, and she hoped that it would work.

She turned and scaled down the tree, just as the taiolang was preparing to slam itself against the tree again. Nayunva landed on the ground and drew and arrow back, aiming at the beasts face. She shot, and her arrow bounced harmlessly off the creature's armor right near it's mouth. She was hoping that it would have the same effect as earlier, and cause the creature to turn it's attention on Nayunva.

It worked. The creature righted itself, and planted it's legs on the ground. And then began a headlong charge for Nayunva. Nayunva thrashed her tail back and forth as she waited in fear. If she messed this up, she would be dead, and within minutes, Atxkxell probably would be too.

The creature neared her, and she felt the ground tremble as it drew closer to her. Nayunva's ears were pinned back against her head, and she hissed at the oncoming taiolang. The last second before it would have hit her, she threw all her energy into dive-rolling to the side, being narrowly missed by the attacking creature. Not having time to slow, it collided into the tree that Nayunva had once been in. Giving her the split second she needed.

She strung another arrow, and aimed directly for the taiolang's eye. At this range, it wasn't a difficult shot to make. Her arrow hit it's mark, and the creature gave a trumpeting cry of pain. She strung her last arrow, and aimed for the breathing hole on the beasts back. From this range, she doubted she would hit Atxkxell. She fired, and the arrow hit it's mark. Not as well as what she would have hoped for, but it would have to be enough. All she had left now was her dagger. If the creature turned on her, she would most likely get trampled. Her only hope was that either the creature fell over, or Atxkxell was able to finish the job from atop the creature.

[fuzzydude]

Atxkxell braced himself, but instead of getting smashed into the tree, he felt the taiolang jerk around. His eyes opened, then shot open wide. Nayunva was standing right there. On the ground. Right in front of the taiolang. Where it was charging at right now.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

He didn't even have time to yell out a warning as both he and the creature rapidly drew closer. Then, suddenly, she was gone, as if the wind had simply swept her away. The taiolang rammed head-first into the tree behind her, throwing Atxkxell forward so hard it felt like his arms had been left behind him. He twisted, planting one leg against the tree and used the leverage to turn. He pushed off the tree, leaping back and grabbed the creature's back ridge, hanging off the side with one arm and bracing himself against its flanks with his legs. With a savage snarl, thrust his knife as hard as he could into one of the breathing holes along its back.

Nayunva's arrow hit the other side at the same time. Any one of the blows could have been fatal by itself especially to the already poisoned beast. With the both of their attacks hitting at once, the taiolang simply dropped, right there, on the spot.

Leaves and grass flew up in the air as it fell on its side towards Atxkxell and the disappeared from view.

Silence descended on the jungle as everything grew still.

Atxkxell found himself on his back, panting quick, shallow breaths, staring up at the sky with wide eyes and laid-back ears. His leg was stuck under the body of the taiolang. Every inch of him felt battered and by nightfall, he'd no doubt be an odd shade of purple. He could feel something warm and wet on one of his arms where a broken branch had earlier stabbed into it thanks to the taiolang smashing him into the tree. Strangely, it didn't hurt at all, which was good because he had enough to try to get his head around already with all that had just happened.

Another second passed. Then another. Then, still laying on his back, he began laughing. At first, it was pure released nervous energy but it quickly moved into an excited, disbelieving, happy laugh that echoed through the now-empty hollow.

Atxkxell propped himself up with a giant smile on his face.

"That was great! Did you see-" he broke off. Of course she saw that. She'd done it. They'd done it together. The two of them. They'd taken down a taiolang by themselves, on foot, here of all places!

"They are never going to believe this!" he chortled, completely ignoring his still-bleeding arm and the fact he was partially pinned under the taiolang's body.

He shook his head in disbelief before looking back at Nayunva.

"Nayunva... you were incredible..." His voice was soft now, full of pure admiration.

[Nayunva]

Nayunva watched as Atxkxell also slammed his blade into the creature at the same time her arrow hit. The creature seemed to hold still for a brief second, before it fell over on Atxkxell's side. Atxkxell disappeared from view, and the creature fell over with a thud.

And then everything was silent. Her tail-tip twitched nervously and her ears pricked forward, listening for some sign that the creature hadn't crushed Atxkxell, but all was silent. She crept around slowly to the other side of the beast, almost afraid of what she'd find.

Her ears laid back against her head and she held her breath as she walked around the Taiolang. She saw Atxkxell laying on the ground, one leg under the beast. At first, she wasn't sure he was okay, but then she saw his chest rising and falling rapidly. Relieved, she hurried over to kneel next to him, and he began to laugh. As he did, it became almost contagious, and she began to laugh too.

He began talking rapidly, the excitement in his voice obvious. She sat next to him, and let out a huge breath as she finally relaxed after the hunt. As she remarked that no one was going to believe this, she nodded in agreement, just now realizing how out of breath she was.

She looked over at Atxkxell, and he spoke again, but his voice was much softer now, and calmer. At his words, she felt a flush creep into her cheeks that she hoped he didn't notice. "Thanks." she replied as her ears flicked with slight embarrassment and sudden shyness. "But I couldn't have done it without you. You came up with the plan end everything." She quickly returned. "And, you baited yourself. You could've gotten killed. But you knew that before we started." She paused, and her voice grew just a tad softer. "It could’ve been me on top of the taiolang. Thank you." She had kept her eyes downcast for most of the talk, but now she looked over at him. ”We need to get you out from underneath this thing.” She said quickly, back in her normal voice. She shifted to go and help him when she noticed his arm. ”And you’re bleeding!” Immediately her healer instincts kicked in and she thought about every recipe for a wound. But the priority was getting him out from underneath the Taiolang. She moved towards the beast, and prepared to attempt to life the beast. It wouldn’t lift far by any means. Hopefully, it would just lift the skin enough up that after a few attempts he may be able to yank his leg out.

[fuzzydude]

"Me? Killed? That's ridiculous. I'm invincible!" he said.

The slightly awkward delivery and the heat rising right up to the tip of his ears made it extremely clear how embarrassed he really was.

"Well, except for this arm," he added, grinning. "It's my only weak spot," he whispered conspiratorially.

Along with my leg... and my back... and my other arm... my head... my shoulder...

She moved next to him, bracing herself and began pushing the taiolang upwards, trying to free him. If she'd been amazing last night, after what had just happened, she was nothing short but breathtaking. Trying to ignore her close proximity, he pressed his back against the ground and pushed with his free leg. The creature was heavier than it looked.

"It occurs to me..." he said through gritted teeth as he pushed even harder. The pressure lift somewhat from his leg and with a grunt, he pulled it back, slipping it out from under the taiolang. "... that I have no idea how we're going to get him back."

He tenderly tested his leg, then rolled his ankle in a few slow circles. Everything was sore, but seemed largely undamaged.

"I hadn't quite planned that far," he admitted ruefully. Favoring one leg, he pushed himself up to a crouch, rested one hand on the taiolang and, bowing his head, quietly murmured this thanks to the fallen animal. After all it'd gone through, it most certainly deserved it.

He retrieved his weapons before carefully standing, holding his hand over the wound in his arm. Now that things had begun to calm down, it was starting to hurt, though he did his best not to show it.