Silent teachings

[Zazu]

Her frail hand rested on the edge of the tidal pool as she entered it, searching for a deadly, yet helpful, urchin. She climbed in slowly and as carefully as her weak body would let her. How long had it been since she entered these pools. She stepped carefully around the homes of the eels and crabs, allowing the colorful fish to dance around her delicate waist. She lifted the fronds of coral carefully, looking for this urchin under every branch that swirled around in these waters. She sighed when she saw that none of them resided here, and knew that her search would have to wait till later. She climbed out slowly and calmly, leaving the pool as undisturbed as before she had entered it.

She walked quietly along the shore, staff in hand and eyes weary with longing. She gazed out to the sea quietly, eyes focused on the ebb and flow of the waves as her white necklaces turned a soft gold in the rading sunlight. A strange scent drifted up to the woman, its smell full of promises of water and anger. A storm was approaching, but it wasn't one to worry over. It might throw the water up against the rocks and howl its name to her people, but it wouldn't cause them much harm to them. For now, it was best that the woman enjoy the last few rays the sun provided before the clouds covered it.

She heard the little padding of young feet behind her, and then the tugging of a timid hand on her loin cloth. "Tsahik Zera'que? Will you come tell us a story? Please?" Soon other little ones joined this one and all begged for a story. She smiled down at them and then motioned out to the waves with an elegant hand. "Do you know the story of the sea?" The little ones looked at the old woman, confused and full of curiousity. "No Tsahik. What is the story?" one of the bolder younglings asked as he approached, standing beside the old woman and gazing out to the sea also. "Listen to her and she will tell you her story." the woman said, motioning to the waves and cocking her ears forward to listen to the crash and soft ebb of the waves. "What does she tell you?"

The little ones stood confused for a while, listening but unable to provide the woman with any answers, until the youngest pushed forward a small question. "Is she telling us that she is here and always will be? That is what I hear." The old woman smiled upon the youngest one and patted her little head in approval. "A story has been told today. Now go and be good." The little ones scurried off, leaving the old woman alone again. Alone to gaze at the sunset touched sea and ponder the oncoming storm and the will of Eywa.

[Nayunva]

Zayna had been walking back towards the village with one of the hunters of the clan when she saw the Tsahik with the children. She hadn't seen very much of the old woman today, and it occurred to Zayna that she should go speak with her.

She waved goodbye to the hunter and began to walk towards the cliff side where Zera'que was standing with the children. Zayna crossed her arms across her chest as she approached, attempting to block out some of the chilly wind coming off the sea. She was just in earshot to hear the end of the Tsahik's story for the children. As the children scurried back towards the village, Zayna was stopped by a few who paused to greet her.

As always, the sight of the Tsahik teaching both encouraged Zayna and made her worried. Zera'que was a good Tsahik. Seeing her with the children made Zayna want to be as good of a Tsahik as she. But it also made Zayna nervous. She wished that one day she could be as wise as Zera'que and that she could be a good leader as well.

Zayna walked next to the old woman, touching her forehead, and speaking the familiar greeting as she approached her. "Oel ngati kameie." She stopped next to Zera'que and looked out on the ocean with her. The approaching sunset was beautiful. Zayna had always liked the way the ocean looked just before the sun completely vanished over the horizon. She couldn't help but to ask the Tsahik. "What are you thinking about?" Since Zayna was fourteen she had been training alongside the Tsahik. But she still couldn't read the old woman.

[Zazu]

More steps sounded behind, those of her young apprentice. She smiled softly, a shiver running through her body from a quick breeze. Zera'que was still facing the sea as the young woman approached her and gave a greeting. The old woman turned carefully and returned the gesture slowly, smile still on her face and gaze warm. "Oel ngati kameie." Then she returned to the sea, her thoughts from before returning as her trainee questioned the old one.

"The sea will always be here Zayna." she said, eyes narrowed as the sun slowly disapeered into the sea. "I worry, Zanya. I believe I am not ready." Her gaze strayed from the dying sun to Zayna. She focused in on her eyes serious, flickering with a golden fire. "They are not ready." No dicourse filled Zera'que's light voice, and she placed her hand on the youngers shoulder, leaving it there as she gazed back to the sea. Slowly and carefully, she allowed her feelings to be revealed, eyes welling with tears and falling down her face. "The things I have allowed to happen weigh heavy on my heart. I cannot push the picture of that tawtute being..." Her head fell forward and stayed that way until the sun completely disapeered into the water, so that her sorrow could not be seen.

Zera'que sighed and slowly gathered herself again, covering her aching heart and wiping the tears off her face, becoming the great woman she was around the others. She removed her hand from Zanya's shoulder and gave the woman a small touch of advice that she hoped the younger would take to heart. "When you feel something is wrong, exclaim it, scream it to the sky. Then you will not suffer." Her eyes focused in on the woman, looking into her, trying to make sure she was listening.

[Nayunva]

Zayna looked towards the sea as the woman spoke of it, smiling slightly at the old woman's words. The sea had always been here, and always would be. It was a comforting thought. She knew from the stories the Olo'eyktan told that the Skypeople had once tried to destroy many things, even the Tree of Souls. She knew, however, that the sea could never be destroyed, and it would never be lost.

Zera'que put her hand on Zayna's shoulder, and immediately Zayna changed her focus from the sea to the old woman. She flicked her ears, concerned, at the look on the Tsahik's face. As she spoke, Zayna's eye's narrowed in some confusion, until the Tsahik spoke of the Tawtute. Immediately, Zayna knew what the Tsahik was speaking of. Recently, a tawtute had found it's way to the village. A public execution had been held, to make an example of the creature. Zayna had supported the execution of the tawtute, but now as she looked at Zera'que, she realized that the woman must be feeling guilt for what had been done to the dreamwalker. The execution had hardly been quick and painless. The Olo'eyktan had made sure of that.

Zayna kept her eyes trained on the Tsahik as she continued to speak. When she finished, it occurred to Zayna that this was the Tsahik's own way of screaming to the sky. "You think we should give the skypeople a chance?" Zayna asked. It made her feel strange, asking it. She had never in her life doubted that the skypeople were nothing but murderous demons. Greedy and willing to destroy everything for a rock. She did not like them one bit. The dislike had been honed into her her whole life. Through stories from her parents, and stories from the Olo'eyktan. Additionally, Zayna couldn't help but to wonder who wasn't ready. But she would save that question for after the Tsahik answered her first one.

[Zazu]

"Do we not give our own people a chance? Do we... " she trailed off, sighing and shaking her head. She had to reveal the truth that she had known for so long. "Did your parents ever tell you that there were tawtute who fought alongside us in the war against their brothers?" Her eyes narrowed, anger filling them. "I know they did not. I know very few of our clan remembers and they do not want to remember." She turned back toward the woman, eyes not focusing on her, but on the soft fires flickering in the cliffs. Stories would be told soon, and the children would be taught the same old anger-filled stories as always. " The knownledge was destroyed as soon as the ones who fought war with the good ones died. Then the others could cultivate hatred."

"The Tsahik before me, however, remembered from her younger years the good tawtute and refused to allow me to be tainted by the others lies. she snatched me away from your disability." Her golden eyes flared with an angry fire as she continued her gaze up at the cliffs. "But I am as much to blame as anyone else. I allowed these things to happen because I feared being rose up against, to be hated for fighting against the many who hated them. The many who now control the clan's very thoughts on the tawtute." The fire in her eyes slowly died down and her once rigid shoulders slumped forward. She sighed softly and began her way across the beach, motioning for her younger to join her side. The waves licked at her thighs as the tide came in, slowly rising and tugging at her loincloth. "Before I die though, I will be heard and will chastize Sempul'tsyal and all the others for their crimes against the will of Eywa."

[Nayunva]

At Zera'que's words, Zayna flicked her ears with some confusion. She didn't recall any stories of a good tawtute. Perhaps one story. Of a toruk Makto that was tawtute. Or was he Na'vi? She couldn't remember. She just knew that the tawtute were evil, and could not be trusted. They destroy everything in their paths, and take whatever they want.

Zera'que then revealed that she knew that her parents and not told her of the good tawtute. Zayna was having a hard time ever believing that there were any good tawtute at all, let alone some that fought with the Na'vi. But, apparently, the Tsahik before Zera'que had known. Zayna's tail twitched at the information, still filling confused. She knew that her Tsahik would not lie to her, but she couldn't help but to feel as though surely if there had been good tawtute she would have known.

The Tsahik then expressed her fears, on why she had never spoke up before. It made sense to Zayna. Sempul'tsyal was not to be messed with. He had already killed two of the skypeople. Zayna knew that if Zera'que had attempted to speak to him, her pleas would have fallen on deaf ears.

Zera'que motioned towards the beach, and Zayna followed alongside her. The water washed against her thighs, and some of it splashed against her stomach. As it did, Zayna was given a momentary reminder of how much she loved the ocean. She spoke of going to speak up against Sempul'tsyal and the others who only believed that the tawtute should be killed on sight. Zayna was not by any means convinced that the tawtute weren't evil, but she was listening to what Zera'que had to say. "Sempul'tysal hates the skypeople. I don't think he will ever change his ways." The public execution had been evidence enough of that.

[Zazu]

Zera'que locked eyes with Zanya as they walked, considering her own answer to the younger's question. Then, in a stern tone she only used sparingly, she spoke, "My point is not to change Sempul'tsyal, any of the others, or even you. It is to instill an openess to the tawtute, a wary one at least. It is not Eywa's will for us to kill every creature we see as a threat." Zera'que paused, and grabbed up a piece of still-glowing seaweed from the oceans grasp. She glanced in over, examining the froth still on it and the various other features it beheld. Then with a small smile she returned it back to the water, in which it disapeered into the ocean's hold as quickly as it had appeared. "We do not kill every creature in the sea, air, or on the land because they frighten or enrage us Zanya."

Zera'que glanced up at the now moon and planet filled sky, sighing at the pure glowing beauty that Eywa had provided them. The waters reflected the green-blue glow of the sky, but were broken by a dark shadow in the depts. This movement did not go unnoticed by the tsahik, she felt the soft rush of the creature's movements against her thighs. She placed her hand quietly on Zanya's shoulder and forcefully she urged the woman as far up the shore as they could go, not stopping or looking back. Her face was rigid and concerned in the moonlight, not a good sign. The necklaces upon the old woman's shoulder made no noise and her hair barely swished as she made their way up the shore.

Once they were clear of the water, a loud splash and roar sounded from the water. The clear sign that a tlqsaytan had lost its prey. She offered a gentle smile as the thought of the creature throwing one of its temper tantrums under the sea's cover crossed her mind. She removed her hand from Zanya's shoulder and sighed. "You have much to learn Zanya. Much indeed. Consider this event as your lesson for the day." Zera'que glanced up at the reflection against the cliff face of the great campfire in the center of camp, a place that called to her now. "Let us go and get our dinner. I haven't had much today and I can teach much better on a full stomach." she said with a warm smile and a light pat on Zanya's shoulder. The old woman began her way up the cliffs quickly, staff helping her up the steep hill ahead of her. Boy was she gonna ache tonight.

(Forgive this OOC typing, but if you believe that I was god-moding and highly dislike what I did, please tell me and I will alter my post)

[Nayunva]

ooc: No, I didn't think you were god-modding. Your post was fine.

ic:

Zera'que explained the purpose of her speaking to Sempul'tysal, and Zayna nodded her head in understanding. The Tsahik's belief was very different from their own clan, and Zayna had a hard time wrapping her head around it. But she was beginning to understand. At once, there had apparently been good tawtute. And these tawtute fought against their brothers in the battle against the sky people. Hmm. It was hard to believe.

Zayna thought on the Tsahik's approach to the opinion of the clan. If she showed them that there was another way, Zayna had no doubt some people would believe her, and change there opinions. But, Zayna still believed that some members of the clan would react with some anger. Their clan was often thought of as one of the most savage. And for good reason.

As Zayna pondered her thoughts, a dark shadow moved in the water, and Zayna immediately tensed. There were many creatures, even in this shallow depth, that would not hesitate to harm a Na'vi. Zayna hesitated, not wanting to leave her Tsahik behind. But Zera'que guided both of them out of the water, hardly making a sound. Once they were on shore, Zayna let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding. Just imagine if both the Tsahik and the future Tsahik were snatched up at the same time! The clan would be in chaos.

The tlqsaytan thrashed about in the water, throwing a fit that it's prey had gone. This caused Zayna to laugh just a little, and at sight of the Tsahik's smile, she knew the woman was just amused as she was. Tlqsaytan, though fearsome hunters, also had a lot of personality. Much like how each Ikran behaves in it's own way.

Zayna looked over at the Tsahik as she spoke, and nodded in response. She would take as much as she could from the lesson. Things in this clan were unpredictable, and dangerous. Evidence of that was what had just happened. Any day, something could happen, and force Zayna to have to be ready.

The Tsahik patted her shoulder, and Zayna followed closely behind the old woman, who was moving rather swiftly. When Zera'que had mentioned food, Zayna had been reminded of how hungry she was. And suddenly, the firelight seemed very inviting.

[Zazu]

A thought filled Zera'que's mind as she climbed that hill. Zera'que hadn't even shown Zanya the most secret place, a place where only her trust in Eywa could keep you alive. She glanced over her shoulder at the woman behind her. Would she make it when the time came? Zera'que had barely made it, she had been fearful but for some reason Eywa had seen it fit to keep her. Of course Zanya would survive, the young woman was very brave. Why wouldn't she? The young woman observed and took every lesson to heart, encrypting Zera'que's teachings to her soul it seemed. But still...

These thoughts would have to wait for a later time it seemed, for the older woman's stomach decided to announce itself. She chuckled lightly and finished making her way up the hill, eager to get something to eat. She joined the rest of the clan in grabbing a driftwood plate of food, then settled down to her appointed spot by the firelight. For just a moment, Zera'que felt young and helpless again sitting beside her friends and family, as she first had when she became Tsahik. 'I guess the feeling never wears off,' she thought to herself as popped a piece of seaweed into her mouth, her favorite treat. She smiled softly as the warm taste filled her mouth and was content.