【 CHAPTER ELEVEN 】

THERE was a roaring in her ears, her glassy gaze focused on the ground in front of her. She'd been frozen quite some time now, caught somewhere between a raging storm of grief and fury. The peace Ruth and Tsu'tey had been able to hold with one another through the previous night vanished by morning as if having never happened, bringing them to where they were now. Something akin to guilt made her chest hollow for her inherent relation to the humans, for she was one outside of this body, outside of the life she lived with the Omaticaya. As someone living with a foot planted in two different worlds, Ruth was trying her best to remain calm despite knowing the storm that was ahead. And all of the destruction that would follow it.

In a blissful sequence of events, she and Tsu'tey had spent most of the night on the soft grass of the river bank, talking about their hopes and dreams and memories until eventually drifting to sleep whilst nestled against each other. During their long, in depth talk, she'd learned much of him as he learned of her, telling of earth in the most simple way possible for a Na'vi to understand what kind of world she'd come from. She told him everything she could while stifling her desires despite the almost romantic setting they had been in with the glowing forest around them and the song of the night's hum. In realty, it had been picturesque. Something she'd been longing for since the early weeks of her training when she'd begun to realize she no longer viewed Tsu'tey as an acquaintance, but something more.

Ruth had been hesitant to return to Hometree early in the morning after having slept in Tsu'tey's embrace for a few hours in the quiet night. Waking to early light of dawn gently pulling her from her to wakefulness after managing to rack a few hours of sleep in her human body, she'd almost considered staying right where she was if not for Tsu'tey stirring as well. For a short time, she had been able to pretend nothing was wrong in her life while they'd sat near that river bank. That there was not so many things she needed to find solutions to.

How badly she now wished she were back to the night before. Before everything went to hell.

The disastrous news of RDA's insensitive destruction of the Tree of Voices with their incredibly large bulldozers threw the clan into a rage, none other than Tsu'tey to bear the news to the Olo'eyktan when he arrived from an early hunt with a few others in the late morning. Ruth had sat among a few others to take a sewing lesson, reminiscing on the night before and the peace it had given her when the news was announced to all. Quickly her mind had been filled with all the possibilities this attack presented.

Now, she watched as the clan rallied together under the totem of Toruk, every warrior preening to launch an attack against the humans in retaliation for their selfishly evil act. Ruth hadn't said a word on the matter, her ears remaining pinned back and an expression of grief stuck on her face as she contemplated any way she might try to diffuse this complicated situation that seemingly had no solution, temporary or permanent. The clan had every right to be angered, to be filled with furious grief. As well was the attack entirely unprovoked to her knowledge. Ruth regretted that she couldn't have prevented it from happening in the first place if she had had any inclination.

"My people, Tsu'tey will lead the war party," Eytukan declared to the listening clan from where he stood just below the totem, the elder Na'vi leader raising a fist in the air. The Omaticaya erupted in a roaring war cry, bows raised and tails thrashing as they bared their fangs. Ruth looked around at all who cheered as her heart sank, her eyes eventually landing on Tsu'tey where he stood just a few paces away from her.

Tsu'tey had turned something fierce from the time he left for the hunt in the early morning and returned to Hometree, having witnessed the destruction of the clans sacred site. Going from high spirits when he'd left for his hunt to hollow and vengeful upon his return, he was poised to snap at any moment.

Ruth tentatively stepped forward to grab Tsu'tey's elbow, that of which caused him to quickly look back. His expression softened slightly from the grimace he'd held once he realized it was her, but did not betray his grief and rage. Revenge would only begin to sate the fury inside him.

"Please," she murmured in English. "Attacking them will not right their wrong. Many will die if you attack them. You know this." She knew an attack against the firepower of the humans would be futile. She was far from versed in military logistics or operations, but Ruth knew Hell's Gate had enough weaponry to decimate the forests within four hundred clicks of it. The clans arrows and blades wouldn't do justice in the slightest, not with the numbers of the clan alone. The humans would decimate them.

He shook his head in reply, ears pinned back against his skull. His jaw jutted forward as he frowned angrily, as if he were trying to contain himself from all of the emotion that brewed under the surface. "No, Ruth," he replied as the clan continued to rally around them, their loudness almost deafeningly. "The people will avenge their sacred place." He pulled away from her grip, leaving her hand falling to her side, his touch phantom on her skin. Her features contorted into a pained frown and she shook her head, but the parting of those standing a crossed from them drew her attention.

Neytiri gazed around, her eyes wide. Ruth's own eyes wandered to where her hand gripped Jake's, who followed close behind her. Ruth's heart dropped in realization. Instantly, Ruth began to connect dots she didn't know were there. Quaritch had Jake here with the clan for a reason, she'd known, but had never known why. He'd never actually told her. His vague warning to remain ready for anything flashed a crossed her memory and she began to pray that this all wasn't at the hands of her friend. Someone she'd grown to care for like a brother. Because of his complacency to just tell her, this could have been avoided. Her chest blossom with rage the longer she looked at him.

"You!" Tsu'tey quickly peeled away from where he stood by Ruth, charging for Jake, as if he were the single reason for the attack on their sacred site. It was perhaps the truth, Ruth had begun to believe. A shove against his Jake's chest by Tsu'tey quickly earned the defensive retort of Neytiri, who hissed and demanded he stepped away, her forearm trying to shove him back. Ruth already knew the other truth that was apparent just by seeing it all unravel, but the clan would now see it as well. It would appear there were no more secrets for Jake.

Shit is about to hit the fan, the scientist thought to herself in a panic. In the back of her mind, she was grateful she and Tsu'tey hadn't caved to mating the night before, something that would have been far more final she began to realize. The demands of desire had muddled her reasoning could have made this so much worse. She could only imagine how much worse this all could be despite already being bad.

Tsu'tey, with Neytiri's body creating a barrier between the angry male and Jake, let out an indignant growl. His body language told Ruth enough the longer she watched. He knew what they had done and what it meant. His tail thrashed behind him as he pointed an accusing finger and spat at Jake, "Have you mated with this woman?"

His question sent a ripple of hushed murmurs and sounds of disbelief through the clan that witnessed the confrontation.

"Is this true?" Mo'at breathed, aghast, accentuating each word leaving her lips.

Neytiri's effort to raise her chin proudly in response to her mother's question was soon followed by her response.

"We are mated before Eywa," she muttered almost defiantly, sealing her fate with the truth. A woman who had only ever wanted to just live her life, forced into a role she didn't want. "It is done."

Despite the current situation, some part of Ruth felt utterly relieved at the revealing of Jake and Neytiri becoming mates, that Jake had taken care of one of the obstacle stopping she and Tsu'tey from being together. Subconsciously, her eyes flitted to Tsu'tey, who held the same look of understanding in his eyes as he risked a glance to her despite maintaining an aggrieved expression. Now was not the time for the clan to know the truth between them as well, not after it had been hidden so well. Looking away quickly as not to betray even the slightest of what they were both thinking, his features turned to a scowl. Ruth's attention then turned to Jake.

"Brother, please," Jake tried to reason.

"You're not my brother!" Tsu'tey spat.

"I'm am not your enemy!" He gestured to Ruth, who stood nearby, frozen. "We are not your enemy! They're out there," he pointed. "And they are very powerful! I can talk to them."

"No more talk!" Tsu'tey spat.

Before Ruth could even analyze Jake, Tsu'tey lunged toward him with his drawn knife. The tension that had remained between the two males came to fruition as Tsu'tey finally had an excuse to challenge Jake. Despite Ruth's efforts to convince Tsu'tey that Jake wasn't that bad, there still seemed to be some rivalry.

Quickly, Jake dodged Tsu'tey's swipe of his blade, returning the favor with a most characteristically American punch to the jaw. Ruth bit her lip as she saw Tsu'tey drop to his knees, hand wiping away the blood that now streamed from his nose.

"I am Omaticaya. I am one of you." Jake roared, fangs bared and fists balled until his knuckles began to turn pale blue. "And I have the right to speak." The clan spoke hushed words to each other as Jake glanced around to find they were willing to listen. "These words are like stones in my heart..."

Before he could finish his words, Ruth's vision turned black.

RUTH dropped limp to the ground, meaning her human body must have woken up from what she had told him about in the weeks of her training. Tsu'tey rushed over, his hand touching her as he searched for any wounds caused by her fall amid his panic. After assuring she was unharmed, he looked to Jake with blood still running from his nose.

"What is wrong with her?!" He furiously demanded to Jake, his teeth barred. He hovered over Ruth protectively, her features soft as she slept.

Jake's eyes grew wide at the sight of her body limp on the ground, something like realization flashing a crossed his eyes. "You— you have to listen to me," he looked between Neytiri, Mo'at, and Eytukan. He was frantic getting his words out. "I came here to—"

Jake's eyes rolled back as his body grew limp, dropping to his knees on the moss covered dirt just as Ruth's had. Tsu'tey watched as Neytiri rushed over to his aid. He looked back to where Ruth lied on the ground, the long strands of her hair splayed around her head. Despite the rage that filled him, Tsu'tey gingerly picked her up from the ground and deposited her on a large growth of moss near the totem of Toruk

"We will deal with these Dreamwalkers," Eytukan uttered with a sneer to the restless crowd. He motioned for a few nearby warriros ro retrieve Jake and Ruth's body's, but Tsu'tey bared fangs to those that grew close.

"No," he uttered, leaning up from where he'd been hovering over Ruth after setting her limp body down. He looked to the clan leader. "We wait for them to come back."

Eytukan appeared surprised that Tsu'tey would disobey his order, as he never had before. But the Olo'eyktan must have understood the seriousness in Tsu'tey's voice as he dipped his head and turned to his mate to likely speak on their course of action.

Around them, the clan members began to scatter from their groups for the time being to wait for Jake and Ruth to return.

Looking back to Ruth one more time where she lied on the moss below the totem, Tsu'tey turned heel and made his way over to Neytiri, whom searched Jake's skin for any marring after having fallen to the ground as well. His eyes gazed upon the male's features where he lied on his back, his too small eyes and ears, but Tsu'tey felt none of the rage he'd shown upon the discovery of their mating. He could only thank the skxqwng for solving an issue he thought had no solution.

Neytiri looked up to him and rose from her knees after assuring Jake was unharmed. Her eyes remained in every other direction than to meet Tsu'tey's as they stood in each others silence for a few moments.

"Why did you mate with him?" Tsu'tey asked Neytiri simply. He wasn't wounded. Truthfully, he didn't care. Her actions had solved many issues for him.

She pursed her lips. "Because I chose him." Her answer was simple enough for him, for he entirely understand. In reality, they were much alike in the manner of wishing for another. Now that she had mated with Jake, Tsu'tey might very well have Ruth. He would step down as future Olo'eyktan if that was what it took. "In the same way you chose her."

Neytiri had never been like Sylwanin, who had been dutiful and obedient. Neytiri was wild and wished to forge her own path, something Tsu'tey respected about her. Both of their eyes looked to the unconscious Ruth, her breath slow and even where she lied on the moss. They looked back to each other.

"This changes everything," he said to her quietly as he eyes looked around for any stray listeners. "You can no longer be Tsahik."

"But I can," she muttered in retort, lips in a thin line. She said it despite Tsu'tey knowing she didn't want it. It was the last thing she wanted. "Other clans have Tsahik and Olo'eyktan that are not mates. Why can we not do the same? I will remain in my position with Jake as my mate, and you may take Ruth as yours."

Ruth had mentioned the same thing previously, before things had changed and they were still bound in the promising to each other. Diverging from tradition was not something the people did often, if at all. Convincing Eytukan and Mo'at to allow this arrangement would be difficult if the clan leader didn't already plan to replace Tsu'tey with another.

"We can try," he conceded despite having low hopes. "But we must work together."

Neytiri nodded.

SHE woke with a rage. Still disoriented after being ripped from her other body unexpectedly, she was immediately erect from where she had lied in the link chamber. Eyes blinking and head dizzy, it was as if she'd been ripped from the deepest dream ever while also drunk, the closest description she'd ever been able to give. Once somewhat aware, Ruth did not expect Miles Quaritch to be standing over her, his lips set in a firm line, blue eyes narrowed on her. The scent of his bourbon breath and sharp cologne wafted into her senses, suffocating. He only cracked into the slightest smirk when he saw her shocked reaction to his presence at site 26. He'd always loved getting reactions out of others.

"Hello, sweetheart," Quaritch purred, cocking his head at his hand gripped the lid of link chamber behind her, his body hovering over hers. "Sleep well?"

"What the hell, Miles!" She growled, pulling away loose strands of her hair that strayed from her braid. Her heart pounded angrily in her chest.

"Your buddy over there," he gestured his head with a nod toward an unconscious Jake with a bloodied scrape on his brow, who was being lugged from his link chamber by two marine grunts. "He done crossed the line. By association, so did you."

She wanted to scream. Wanted to cry.

"You can't fucking do this!" She blubbered as Quaritch's calloused hands reached to grab at her, beginning to pull her to her feet. "Do you know what the fuck your doing?! This is dangerous!" She immediately began to thrash and kick, batting against his solidly muscled chest, but his grip was too well placed as she was thrown over his shoulder like a rag doll as Lyle Wainfleet slapped cuffs on her, which she responded to by spitting in his face. For that, Miles pulled her in front of him and slammed her back against the wall, causing her head to immediately throb upon impact.

"You think I can't do whatever I want?" He seethed after bringing his face inches from hers. The wicked set of scars on the left side of his scalp seemed so much more prominent with the proximity. He looked her up and down, his blue eyes resting on her full lips. "I think you forget yourself, Carson. The men and women that protect you, provide all your science shit, keep this whole operation going," his lips formed into a smug line. A signature look of his. "They're mine. And they'll do as I say."

"You and Parker did this," she uttered through the pain that had grown worse, the back of her skull pulsing. "You ordered for the tree to be bulldozed."

Miles chuckled. "Quotas gotta be made. I'm in charge of ensuring that. And your little forest friends are makin' that difficult. We'll deal with them accordingly."

"They'll kill you," she growled. "I'll kill you."

Her threat earned the laughs of Quaritch, Wainfleet, and the few others that were present. She looked toward her feet in a wounded way for being mocked by the men around her. Her threat still held true, no matter how little they took her seriously.

"Remember what I said, Carson?" Quartich muttered. "You made your bed. Now you're gonna sleep in it."

With a wave of his hand, the pissed off Wainfleet didn't hesitate to yank her with a horribly painful grip to her arm, yearning a yelp from the woman as she still fought against him. His grip didn't relent the entire way to the waiting Samson outside, Ruth wreathing in pain the entire way. Spitting in his face likely didn't help, she'd realized.

The flight back to Hell's Gate was intense, Ruth spatting obscenities at the colonel through the deafening noise of the helicopters propellers, continuing to fight against the cuffs to no avail. Two marines remained posted at her side to prevent any further effort to launch at Quaritch. Around them, the wind battered against from the gaping openings at the sides of the Samson's cargo body. Only once she was lugged from the airfield and into the control station of Hell's Gate to stand in front of the leading officials of the base, Parker present with an angry scowl on his features. Grace and Norm were present when she and Jake were dragged in, still cuffed, likely having been escorted out before they'd even ripped she and Jake from their link session.

A monitor with footage was pulled up and ready for their viewing by Parker. Ruth, Grace, Norm, and Jake watched in silence as the video was started and panned out. There was no doubt that the Na'vi man that crushed the cameras was Jake, his face visible upon Quaritch pausing it.

"See, Jake," Miles muttered once turned around, his waist resting against the desk. "You let me down, son."

Between them all, Parker paced angrily.

"So, what?" Miles leaned in towards Jake, who kept his gaze locked with the colonels. A challenge. "You get yourself some local tail and you just completely forget what team you're playing for?"

"Parker, there is time to salvage this situation," Grace curtly tried to reason.

"Shut your pie hole," Miles rudely interrupted her, accentuating each word.

"Oh yea, Ranger Rick?" Grace muttered, her hands on her hips. "Or what? You gonna shoot me?"

"I can do that," Miles replied simply, almost with a smile.

"Can we knock this shit off," Ruth said before he could say another word. She looked to Parker. "You need to muzzle your dog."

"Yeah, can we just take this down a couple of notches?" Parker agreed, stepping between Grace and Quaritch.

"You say you wanna keep your people alive?" Jake asked Quaritch somewhat rhetorically. He gestured to Ruth and Grace, who stood next to each other. "You listen to them."

"Those trees were sacred to the Omaticaya in a way you can't imagine," Ruth told both Parker and Quaritch as if they were children being taught a very simple concept. Because to her, they were. They understood none of this, nor did they care.

"You know what, you throw a damned stick in the air around here it's gonna land on some sacred fern for fucks sake," Parker scoffed in indifference.

"We're not talking about some pagan, voodoo shit," Ruth cut him. "We're talking about something real, something measurable in the biology of the forest.

"Which is what, exactly?" Parker muttered, crossing his arms.

"What we think we know," Grace went on to explain to them for Ruth. "Is that there's some kind of electrochemical communication between the roots of the trees, like synapses between neurons. And each tree has ten-to-the-fourth connections to the trees around it. And there are ten-to-the-twelfth trees on Pandora."

"Which is a lot, I'm guessing," Parker said indifferently again, shrugging.

"It's more connections than the human brain. Get it?" Carson said. Despite feeling as if the explanation was futile to an indifferent corporate man such as him, Ruth continued. "It's a global network that allows the Na'vi to upload and download data. Memories. At sites like the one you just destroyed."

They stared at each other for a moment before Parker starting laughing. "What the hell are you guys smoking up there? They're just damn trees!"

"You need to wake up, Parker!" Ruth spat.

"No, you need to wake up, Carson," Parker quipped.

"The wealth of this world isn't in the ground. It's all around us," Ruth began to grow frustrated, ignoring his slight. "The Na'vi know that and they are fighting to defend it. If you want to share this world with them, you need to understand them."

"I'd say we understand them just fine thanks to Jake here," Quaritch said, drawing their attention back to the monitor they'd just watched the footage on. He looked to Ruth in particular. "Hey doc, come take a look."

Ruth flashed him a sneer before wandering over to watch the video, Grace close behind.

On the screen was a video log of Jake late in the night at site 26, likely while Ruth and the others were long asleep. Likely a couple weeks ago, if she had to guess. He talked about the clans likeliness to move from Hometree, that it wouldn't happen. The humans had nothing they wanted. From what Ruth understood, Jake was sent to convince the clan to leave Hometree. Yet had never managed to mention.

"So, since a deal can't be made," Miles said as he paused the video log. "I guess things get real simple. Thanks, Jake. I'm gettin' all emotional. Might just give you a bit wet kiss."

"So you knew this whole time?" Ruth uttered, turning to Jake. Some part of her felt betrayed. The other parts were full of rage. "Why didn't you tell us they had you doing this? You knew they'd do this shit over Hometree?"

Jake held a guilty, wounded expression, his eyes turning downcast where he sat in his wheelchair. Ruth couldn't decide if she was enraged with him over his deception, or understanding because it was Miles and Parker behind it all.

"Aw, he didn't tell you?" Miles smirked evily at Ruth, not giving Jake the chance to speak. "Your buddy here has been playing double team. He was supposed to get them to move."

"Fuck you, Miles," Ruth muttered and flung a vulgar gesture at him as she began to leave the control station. Grace, Jake, and Norm followed close behind, nothing else left to say to the colonel or the corporate man behind them.

The four of them ended up in the biolab to stew over the confrontation they'd had with Parker and Quaritch, sipping at coffee and contemplating everything that had just happened. Ruth contemplated throwing a heavy object through Parker's office window and wrecking the command station, but better judgement kept her from doing so.

"You know, they never even wanted us to succeed," Grace muttered in defeat as she set her coffee cup down.

"They bulldozed a sacred site on purpose to trigger a response," Ruth agreed, her brow furrowed in a stressed manner. "Fabricating this war to get what they want. I wouldn't expect anything less of them."

"This is how it's done," Jake muttered. He picked up the thick book Grace had written, The Na'vi. "When people are sittin' on shit you want, you make them your enemy. Then you're justified in taking it."

"You didn't tell me why you were reporting to him," Ruth's eyes narrowed to Jake. "I was in the dark the entire time. Your vague warning to always be ready wasn't forgotten."

Jake frowned. "They wanted me to convince them to move. Things changed."

"Yea, apparently," Ruth muttered. "And you thought mating with Neytiri was going to be a fix all? While we sat in the background having no idea the storm that was coming?"

"That's the least of our worries right now," Grace signed in disappointment. "Betrothals and tradition are going to be the last thing the clan is worried about if this situation escalates anymore."

Suddenly, Trudy ran into the biolab, her flight helmet in her hand. Her breath was laborer from running. "Quaritch is rolling in gunships, they're gonna hit Hometree."

Ruth was hit with immediate, heart wrenching fear. She could possibly convince Tsu'tey of the dangers coming, but could she and Jake convince the entire clan? They would sooner die defending their home, but Ruth refused to consider not trying to warn them.

"We have to try and get them out," Jake was quick to say, alarm in his eyes.

"We have to be quick," Ruth agreed as she got to her feet, the angering she'd been projecting at him vanished. "Let's go."