The Return

[Tanhì Atan]

                                                           The Return

    The hunting trip had been a success, but Omati had been moody.  He had looked up to Tsu'tey, and hoped to learn from him to be a great hunter and warrior.  But now, this was not to be.  He had gone into the forest to clear his mind.  To come to terms with the death of his much admired eyktan.  Jakesully had been kind to him, but the world still seemed incomplete.

    He communed with the Utral Aymokriyä.  He sought the deep forest, drank rain harvested from broad leaves.  He tried to merge with the cousciousness of Eywa.  He heard a sound that did not belong in his mind.  The sound of wood, a staff.  He turned.  A figure moved slowly toward him.  Tsu'tey!

    He felt like stone.  Tsu'tey.  Alive!

    "Did you think that I had lost the ability to ride the forest to the ground?"

    "But.. you were shot!  With machines!"

    "And I have never endured wounding before?  You yourself have seen me fall while leading the hunt.  More than once."

    He walked slowly and carefully.  Now Omati saw that leaves and healing herbs were tied to his chest.

    "Will you lead us again?"  Omati whispered.

    Tsu'tey smiled.  "That is for my brother now.  I will carve a new place, never fear."

    "We want you to teach us."

    Tsu'tey clasped his shoulder.  "Perhaps.  Eywa will show where my path leads now."

    Omati nodded.  "We will all rejoice that you return."

    Tsu'tey seemed to smile in spite of himself.  When he nodded it was as if that was all he trusted himself to do.  His road to healing had been a long journey.  But it was only a beginning.

                                                                   *  *  *

    Tsu'tey had assumed that Omati would send someone for him.  What he had not expected was to see Jakesully riding uneasily on a direhorse and leading another.  And the skxaung totally missed the nantang in the bushes.  Tsu'tey sighed, glad he had sharpened the end of his walking stick and coated it with a neurotoxin—and the evil smelling weed the viperwolves hated.  As they sprang, he held his chest bandage with one hand and then launched the spear.  They yelped and scattered, more from the smell than from his weak throw.

    Tsu'tey was amused at Jakesully's expression.  Wide eyes tracked from the running nantang to Tsu'tey, back to the nantang.  Clearly, Jakesully had not believed Omati's report.  Tsu'tey enjoyed watching the tawtute's discomfiture before he recovered and leaped from his pa'li's back, arms extended, looking like a giant four-armed night squirrel.

    Then Tsu'tey's sore chest was crushed in a hug.  All the air left his lungs.  He gasped like a faketuan who'd dropped his mask.  He tried to knock Jakesully across his ear, but his arms did not move as strongly as before.  Finally, the skxawng pulled away, a vacuous smile lighting his face.  He was really all that pleased?

    Tsu'tey coughed.  His lungs still had injury.  The skxawng looked confused.  Well meaning, but..

    "There has been an empty place for everyone, before you returned, eylan.  My friend," Jakesully said.

    Tsu'tey would have thought the strange being was lying, but the face was too open.   "The young ones wish me to continue to train them.. until I am better."

    "That's a great idea!"  Jakesully's face became even more wreathed in smiles than Tsu'tey thought could be possible.

    "Until I lead the hunting parties again," Tsu'tey clarified.

    "We have had too many young hunters being carried back for healing," Jakesully said sadly.  "They have need of your wisdom, as do I."

    Tsu'tey shook his head.  The skxawng was learning to speak like a Tsahìk.  He nodded briefly, once, then stepped back as quickly as he could, for the four-armed tree hugger was advancing again with extended arms.
   
    Jakesully nodded in kind, in respect for Tsu'tey's wounds.  Jake waited for the tsamsiyu, knowing how it was.  Only if Tsu'tey were unconscious would he assist by lifting him to the pa'li's back.  It took Tsu'tey three tries to mount the direhorse.  As Jake turned away, vision blurred.  Something felt.. right with the world.. again.  Complete.