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Ashes in her Wake | C39

“<How was your walk?>” Alma asked as she watched Mäzan accept her fruit bowl and food that they had left over from the trip. Dinner. Mostly that stuff because she still had no idea what food was for what nor certain preparation means. There was plenty she could hazard a guess on but she’d rather not waste food, because flavours and textures were still at risk incompatibility. Mäzan had returned only a few minutes ago, walking a moment to get a drink of water and to wash his hands before her question. Tabitha was just opening up of her heated ration pack on the mat, eating with them though it looked like the human woman was eager to get to bed.

“<Delightful.>” Mäzan said, smiling with genuine pleasure, his eyes alight. “” He sighed wistfully, a hand coming to his heart. “<Home.>”

Alma smiled, mostly enjoying seeing how happy he was. It was… infectious. Like a weight off her own shoulders. He was truly comfortable here. “<So, tomorrow. You want to show me about?>”

“<Yes, that will be important.>” Mäzan said, focusing a bit as he picked up some of the fruit to eat. “”

Alma raised her remaining eyebrow at him. “<Did she say that or you assuming that?”

“<Nìlayk said that… in a more subtle fashion. She hopes to not offend you either.>”

Alma considered it for a second, though… it seemed somewhat reasonable and honestly, she wasn’t too fussed. Curiosity was far different to the disrespect she was used to for being a Dreamwalker. The Tsahìk had never met one before so… it was natural to want to know more, especially running comparison to Na’vi forms to Dreamwalkers. The woman probably had no idea what to expect or something.

“<I’ll keep an open mind.>” Alma allowed. “<Can you make breakfast tomorrow? I have no idea how to prepare these foods and how alike or different they are to ingredients from the jungle or human sort of food.>”

Mäzan spared a look to the food in their supply then down to their evening meal then grinned sheepishly. Probably forgot that they didn’t know enough about these sorts of food. “<Of course.>”

“<Lova came down earlier>” Alma said, picking at her bowl though opted to change topic from that for now; she’d learn the cuisine soon enough. “<He wanted to talk to Tabitha about expectations for the human-side of living here.>”

Mäzan looked down to Tabitha in question who fitted her mask on with a final hiss and set her empty packet into the bowl. “<It went well, I hope?>”

“Yeah.” Tabitha yawned. “Seems very well settled. He says he’ll pick me up tomorrow to show me about and find me a suitable starting point. I do want to be a healer but he says we have to try about first.”

“He’s not wrong.” Alma pointed out, “I can see the pros and cons. My ability to swim is still not easy with a brace on. If I want to be a gatherer, I need to work around that or find a new job.”

Mäzan hummed softly. “<You still have your crutch, do you mind if I take your walking brace down to the wood shapers? We can remake the brace with peat-wood. It’ll be durable and resistant to water rot.>”

“”

“<Bog wood will float initially, but we can treat it and remove internal air pockets in the creation process. It will be only a little heavier but you’ll be able to walk and swim with it. The Ke’awa wood is treated and sealed with air inside which is why it’ll always float.>”

Alma perked up a little. She didn’t mind the extra weight if it worked! The brace needed to be only dense enough against water. Still, she still wanted to see what other jobs that were there. They might surprise her with something. “<Sure.>”

They finished up the evening meal, Tabitha took a small pitcher of water with her to her tent and zipped herself in for the night with a quiet murmur. Alma, occupied with making some beads, watched as Mäzan set the fire bowls up for the remaining night, moving the bladder lanterns outside. Though she watched, surprised to see him move a mat, initially set off to the side and set it over the door frame, latching it in place and did the same with a window piece. It wasn’t enough to block or stop anyone from entering, the bottom could be pushed to allow entry so Tabitha could still entre in the night. But it closed them off from the outside world. Felt nice and cosy inside as he joined her on the floor.

“<Privacy screens. Night use mostly. Some are fine without but typically our people enjoy the night for each other. If thing progress sexually in their home, then they do not wish to give their neighbours a display accidently.>” he said, picking up a finished bead she had made to examine.

“<Anything I should know in advance tomorrow?>” Alma said, “<Tsahìk trip will burn a lot but my morning’s still going to be very open even after you show me about.”

“<Most new people start their journey at food processing at the communal area and go from there.>” Mäzan said, “I heard there are four newcomers that came a few months ago that have joined us, all recovering from severed kurus from a Mangkwan raid. People recovering will have a Nantang hide kuru wrap to protect the growing appendage. Do not stare at that if you can help it. It’s still very raw for these people.” He said in English, gently.

Right. Sounded fair in light of their situation. With the kuru cut, the protective braid had also been cut and would also take time to grow in again. “Are these people here to stay or here to recover?”

“Personal choice, but all stay here for the duration of the regrowth at the very least. They learn the way of our clan and can make their choice once their kuru has reached their previous length.” Mäzan continued, setting the bead down but picked up his own knife to help with the remaining. “<At food processing, you’ll be shown how to clean gathered items and how to sort and by what judgement. Most newcomers aren’t as experienced with our food so there are plenty of people to ask without judgement on unfamiliar foods. Things are easier for new comers to adapt once they know how to feed themselves?>”

“<Are there cooking lessons?>”

“<Most people will tell you what things are used for and how they’re prepared. But for specifics, you can ask some of our elder cooks for some advice, they hold the communal recipes for special occasions. That does remind me that on two months’ time, there a communal festival to celebrate the births that has happened. Most babies now are grown enough for their clan lip tattoo now they have reached their first year of life.>” Mäzan said, not looking up as he crafted the bead with ease and speed.

“<We can circle back on the festival a little later but it sounds exciting. I do want to learn to cook.>” Honestly, Alma didn’t want to feel like a weight in this relationship. Ignorance was something only she could sort out.

“”

“<Only if she wants to.>” Alma didn’t know Mäzan’s brother well enough past their brief meetings to draw too much of an opinion of him but Teyfa, so far, had shown good management skills and thinking of the clan. Was the sister going to be similar or someone less open minded? What if she judged her for being a Dreamwalker and not a full-blooded Na’vi? She had known he had siblings and his parents were still alive, but it had a little more passing conversation. Seemed prudent now to get to know his family. “<What’s she like?>”

“<Tsavo?>” Mäzan paused in consideration. “<She’s… sharp but kind. Her role is to assist with new mothers and those with a lot of children. Parental guide. Often young or new mothers struggle and often this will fall to the maternal or grandparental figures in the mother’s life, not everyone in our clan has family or elders to aid. Especially those who join later in life or their mate has passed to Eywa before or sometime after birth. Tsavo ensures the mother is cared for and that their home is safe and the children are well. She will clean if needs be, take note of what needs to be filled, or hold and look after the child while the mother rests. If the father is alive, then she helps him learn how to help his mate and child in the delicate times after birth. She also helps with any carrying surrogates in after-birth once the parents are caring for the baby. They need someone to look after them too, even though the receiving family will still aid them for carrying the child for them.>”

So complex, and sounded like a very emotionally labouring job. Caring for others that needed it. Of course, it wasn’t a single-person role and no doubt a ton of other people were part of it. She was one of many extra hands that reached out among the clan for those who needed it. Her eyes flickered about, noting the size of their home. Big for just one. Big for even two of them. He had this home made for a family he wanted.

Alma sighed softly. “”

Mäzan’s eyes flickered to her though his eyes were sad, there was clear understanding of why. She could not emotionally bear the weight and responsibility of that; not with her history. Her own, possible kids was one thing but someone else’s? It was the same as why she’d never adopt; something she had told him.

“” Alma asked, lips pursing. “I don’t want to hide what I have done in the past.”

“The Tsahìk’s home is not in a completely private area. That is not gossip to be heard or spread about. Your meeting with her tomorrow is for you two to learn each other’s behaviour and expectations. If she asks, then you can tell you have blood in your past but not in the right place to say. She may choose to go elsewhere to talk privately or wait for another time.” Mäzan said, finishing up the bead and picked up another. “<The choice is yours, love.>”

Alma nodded slowly. Setting her bead down and began to clear up, not just the beads but also from dinner. Washing up their ‘plates’ which were woven and easy to rinse and he showed her a type of powder they used to clean them properly, which was by a removable washing bowl.

Eventually, they both made their way up to the second later which took only a third of the hut space above, the floor was woven though tightly bound to support beams that hung from the ceiling above. This allowed them their hammocks to be bound to support beams… but also more than just one or two. They could house many people here. The latter half of the woven floor was of course the hair preparation. As she had already placed her stone mirror down onto the shelves there but it was a big space. Probably coupled as a more private space during the day. Still, she had plenty of time to learn how to grow and use this space herself.

Their hammocks were set up, side by side, though starting at the same central pole, they Ved out to two separate ones.

“<I’m surprised you put out both, not just one of them.>” Alma smiled, drifting to hers, which was the smallest since Mäzan was deliciously tall.

Mäzan chuckled. “<When we mate, we’ll be gifted a shared couples hammock by my family. Often parents of the couple create it together, but since it is only my parents and siblings, they’ll be doing it.>”

“<Both my parents are dead.>” Alma said quietly, “<but I like that notion of connection between the stages of life.>”

“<I’m sorry.>” Mäzan’s hand came and brushed her arm. “<For your loss.>”

Alma moved, her arms wrapping around him, setting her head against his chest. He hugged back, chest rumbling softly. “” Perhaps it was implied, given with Tabitha’s situation. “<My father died in a transport accident when I was fourteen. My mother died twenty years back in a home invasion. I don’t know if my brother is alive or not. I just assume he’d dead at this point.>” She had gotten the news a few years before TAP was closed down. She was still allowed to get news so… she knew what had happened to her mother at least. She could hope that he was, but she’d likely never see him again so… dead was easier to cope. He was four years younger than her. Alma knew she had a memory of him back from the hospital… but nothing came to mind...

Another lost memory.

“<Would you like to make an 'oksrok for them?>” Mäzan asked gently. “<We craft them for family who are gone. Many former Tlalim members have them to remember who died in their raids. Family, friends. Loved ones.>”

“<Maybe.>” Alma allowed, “I’ll think in it. I’m kinda tired.”

-

“Ugh, I have never been more envious of the fact that I can’t eat that yet.” Tabitha said, seethingly jealous as Alma accepted the warm cup of soup from Mäzan at their morning meal. “It looks so yummy!”

The soup was a creamy purple grain-base, with finely cut up vegetables, green leaves. There was flakes of a type of fish that was seen as it was stirred with a type of wooden spoon, allowing them to fish out large chunks without needing to ‘drink’ the whole thing at a time. It smelt wonderful and it was nicely seasoned too.

Alma was happy to eat it and feel full. Mäzan though ate it slowly with clear reverence, eyes closed and clear delight in the taste of home. He was in his happy place. It made her smile.

Tabitha was just watching his expression, pouting. “Oh, he makes it look so good!”

Mäzan cracked open an eye, though chortled a little and continued to eat with vigour until he was done and they cleared up both breakfast and the preparations from it.

“<Come, let us go and start the day with a tour.>” Mäzan said, pushing the bead curtain from the entry way aside and let Alma and Tabitha leave first. Alma though took her crutch but held it as she walked for now since she had her brace on.

Outside, Alma let her eyes roam from each massive tree, each holding up to one or two separate huts with small storage huts dotted about, one hut lower to the roots yet some higher with walkways up and down. Boats were slim and a few around had experienced people punting with a large stick to push their way across the swamp waters without oars. Baskets and some kids in the boat, moving supplies.

“<Those people are the gardeners, they check and maintain our manufactured lands. It looks like they’ll be planting a new yield of rin’om, grass grains. They are those purple seeds we have in those bags.>” Mäzan said, noting her gaze with fondness. “<Agriculture has become a stable necessity for our clan since the war. Crops across the water means we do not need to till open soil and limit Eywa’s beauty for our own needs. Our waters have fertile soil under the water.>”

“<That’s founds like a fair balance.>” Alma agreed, though she was aware of the passing faces; the curious people and their gazes as their eyes lingered on her or Tabitha, who was close enough to grab her tail often enough when they were walking too fast.

There were a lot of huts spread across the swamp, some more distant, some close together. People coming and going, some with full baskets, some empty. The heart of the people was clearly at a large communal platform made from large peat-boards and supports with long fixed docks and mobile canoes docks.

The Morning gatherers were already setting down their recant hauls of fresh goods. The fishermen, were holding baskets of crab-like creatures that were still alive.

The main area where people were set out to sort and organise. It was all sectioned off, fresh herbs, fish, crayfish and all sorts of foods. Water was uses to wash and clean, using what looked like a gourd-like sponge. It appeared the section was managed by a few people, Mepa, Käta and Ketslì, Mäzan introduced in passing.

Alma couldn’t help but notice a two-year-old eating her way through a very large pulpy green fruit under her mother supervision, a little preoccupied trying to keep an older child from getting nipped by one of the cray-fish like creatures they were trying to clean.

“<Ma daughter, you’ll soil yourself if you keep eating that!” the mother said, finally noticing the tot and trying to get the sweet treat from the baby.

Alma couldn’t help but notice that… the young children and babies had their kurus covered up as well; the kids that had their braid grown in, strips of leather and beads were interwoven with their dark hair of the braid. The babies and kids with exposed kurus had a full woven cover with the end looking like it was removable, though it had to be affixed with a band that trailed up across the forhead, like a headband. Casual protection.

The Water gatherers had their own set up away but still close enough to be useful or to top up, pouring water from sacs into a collection of filter baskets, no doubt stones, sand, and charcoal in each one, allowing the water to filter and be split off for boiling for the secondary cleaning. The fires was tended to by a single person each, but it was clearly a respected job to maintain the fire to keep the water change overs going as efficiently as possible. Water was taken to cool and later placed in ceramic canisters or were split off to wanting people who filled their own. Some Water gatherers were running their shifts to take the water to homes. It made more sense to why they’d space out refills. The water gathers were overseen by an elder called Tohak, a reef man with high standards.

Mäzan kept them going, though they’d be circling back here later.

Further away, last night’s hunts were still being processed. People were was busy with removing smoked meats from ground racks and replacing them with marinated meats. Bones from the hunt were taken down to another tree and platform, where the Bone shapers worked more indoors away from the bustle of activity, though their main entry way was massive. Many people were cleaning bone and setting them out to dry. Many people, were looking through the stands and baskets of bones, filling a few of their baskets with them and walked away with them in excitement.

“<Any bones out are for the taking in that area.>” Mäzan said, “<Boneshapers will keep bones of their desire in personal baskets unless already claimed.>”

“Those bones are bigger than me!” Tabitha whispered.

Mäzan looked more amused at the statement, greeting the man passingly. “”

The man nodded, his blue eyes landing on Alma and Tabitha though bid them farewell with a gesture.

“<He is mated to my sister.>” Mäzan said, noting Alma’s curious look.

Mäzan continued them through the village, reaching the woodshapers hut, some adult but there were a handful of younger being taught the craft with spare, gathered wood and there were pots of a bronze-tinted liquid.

“<The wood from under the bog is gifted to us, to learn that art, you must first learn how to meld the wood. Wood taken above surface is easier and malleable, but you must master that before you are to touch the gifts from Eywa. Peat wood is long-lived and must be cared and respected.>” The teacher was saying.

“<May I have your brace?>” Mäzan asked quietly, nodding down to her leg.

Alma nodded, taking a second to remove it from her knee before setting her weight onto her crutch and handed it over. Mäzan took it with a nod and stepped into the hut. The lead guy looked up and called for the students to choose their wood before heading forwards to greet Mäzan.

“” He said, open and friendly.

“” Mäzan greeted with just as much warmth with a genuine smile. “”

Mänay'a spared a look to the brace before he pulled it from his fingers, turning it in his hands. “<Kame’tire woodcraft.>” He noted, “<They do beautiful work with woodshaping and this looked very practical.>”

Alma moved in a little closer. “<It is very useful.>” She smiled. “<but it floats. I cannot swim well in it.>”

Mänay'a chuckled softly, then nodded. “<That does not surprise me. It will take me a few days before a new one is completed. What is the brace’s purpose?>”

“<Support mostly. My knee is weak and is prone to buckling and wavering my weight.>” Alma explained. “<It is stronger than it used to be but the healing is slow.>”

Mänay'a hummed in acknowledgement, a finger running across the worn edges and seemed to be thinking about it. “<Mind I keep this for the time being? It is a good reference.>”

“<Yes, I have a crutch to use in the meantime.>”

“<Thank you.>”

-

The village had a lot of nooks and crannies, smaller jobs and there were still a lot of people busy in their homes. Some weaving, loudly inviting people to home to craft items together. A few parents trying to get their family together. There were a lot of kids, Alma realised as they walked back to the heart of the clan. Families looked to have a minimum of four children per couple. Some kids were entertained by other adults in the clan, grandparents and older kids. A few homes had their screens across, which Mäzan explained due to newborn privacy. The babies in their tsalnu pods were kept in the privacy of their home until they were ready to emerge. So parents stayed and grandparents, or aids came to help where they needed. Not even Water gatherers were allowed in so the water had to be left at the door or brought in by someone aiding the family.

Mäzan did not take her to their sacred sites, with a small apology on the matter; that would come later once she had integrated more with the clan. When her spirit was more settled. Alma considered that fair, for now.

Lova finally caught up with them and Tabitha went his way with a wave so it was just Alma and Mäzan for the last stretch and being careful of tails and moving bodies.

“” Mäzan said, guiding her to a space further away to a ring of seven men and women working on deshelling light blue seeds and other crops. There was a few baskets, half-filled though each person had three bowls between them to hold, deshell and empty before the last bowl was filled with seeds until that was emptied to the main basket. “<Mepa, please.>” he called to the lead of this area.

Mepa was a forest man, long dark hair in tight braids and highly decorated with beads. His face held a tattoo along one side of his face but most as sat at his chest and the insides of his arms

“” Mepa said, his yellow eyes sliding to Alma. “<You must be Ul’ma, I have heard of your arrival earlier.>”

“<Just showing Ul’ma about the village this morning>” Mäzan said. “<Mepa oversees the care to our seed, roots and grain-like crops.>”

“<You say that like I stand and watch, I help too with the work.” Mepa remarked, amused though he seemed pleasant. “”

Alma offered a smile, though slowly sank down carefully and set her crutch to the side, well aware of the few glances to it before three bowls were shifted and moved to in front of her by one of the women, a swamp women with dark blue eyes, holding out one of the nuts.

“<Have you seen how these are deshelled before?>”

Alma gave it a proper look. “<Oh, these are like> pistachios.”

The woman cocked her head in confusion. “<What is that?>”

Alma blushed a little. Right. Why would they know that? “<It’s a nut on Earth; two exterior shells you snap with your fingers to release the nut inside. They’re often sold with shells on and often salted. The notion is familiar.>” The only difference being that the seeds were as big as her little finger and looked closer in shape to a mussel. It had a slight crack that the people were using blunt bone knifes to slip in and get their fingers in to open.

Alma did watch to make sure she was correct; the knife went in, a sharp twist before there was a crack, then their fingers went in and pulled the rest apart. The inside showed four interior seeds that were sprinkles into the third bowl. Looked simple.

She was handed a blunt knife before some got to work.

Mäzan move to sit a deshell another type of nut, looking akin to feather seed; cutting into the shell entirely and opened up the entire thing filled with corn-sized nuts, which in Na’vi hands were basically like the size of poppy seeds in human hands.

Out of the seven, Saso was the one that Alma was vividly ware of watching her work, though it seemed she struggled to know what to talk about. The work was initially easy, the notion was familiar and a few others spoke up about turning some of these seeds into starch or flour. But, as Alma worked, her weaker arm was feeling the strain of consistent, repetitive work over the span of the hour.

“<Is everything okay?>” Saso finally asked as Alma almost slipped with the knife.

Alma sighed apologetically. “<My left arm is weak still. I’m… struggling to keep a grip on the knife after repeated motions.>” it wasn’t too out of place on the fact that she was left handed in the avatar, which was ironic because before, in her human body she was right-handed. It had flipped. Yet, in her first avatar, she had been right-handed too. But this second avatar had flipped her dominant hand. This had fascinated Norm back in the early days to no end, as a few other drivers shared the flipping of dominant hand. But it didn’t help her out post-lightning strike.

Saso nodded slowly, lips pursing. “<Do not hurt yourself with trying too hard, the knife may be mostly blunt but with enough force can still do damage.>”

“<We have softer shelled seeds, or perhaps you can clean some of these shells? We often turn these shells into light paint. They have to be clean first.>” The group was trying to be nice, Alma could see them wanting to keep her involved rather than send her off to somewhere ‘easier’ so, Alma just decided to take that option for now, cleaning the shells which was less straining.

Cleaning was easier and it was rather enjoyable, allowing her to clan and talk, washing off any lingering plant matter from the exterior and pulling away any interior remnants of the seed covering until the shell was clear and tossed into a finished bowl and she picked up the next. The colour, she realised was much like the came as Mäzan’s home. It had been painted, that much she knew to lighten and bright the space but.. was the pigment taken from the shells?

Alma pondered on that quietly.

“<These seeds good is they’re roasted,>” Letxo suggested, on Alma’s other side and working with deshelling with Mäzan. “<They have a good crunch. A little salt or nectar drizzle…>” He finished it with a pleased hum.

Eventually, Mäzan pulled her away from the shells to the other areas of the processing, now finding a limit in her capacities, though they did find Tseke talking with one of the Ikran riders, disinterested in the main communal area of the gatherer’s goods.

“<But where is your Ikran care and set up?>” Tseke was saying to two of the men, frowning. “”

“<Our Ikrans have spaces available but we have not had the time to develop our Ikrans out in the way that the Ke’awa have.>” one of the men said, “<Our Ikran is two years away from being stable and self-sufficient without needing to go to outside rookies. We haven’t been able to prioritise anything other.>”

“<Than allow me to build such a foundation.>” Tseke said, “<Your Ikrans deserve to be protected and I work best with their needs. At my clan, people sought me out to create fine amour for their Ikrans. All that I need it to know where the materials are sourced.>”

The two men did spare a look, though certainly interested in their proposal. “<We… should start to expand our Ikran needs. We can ask the Olo’eyktan about getting an area for those interested in Ikran amour and advanced care. What we have is basic but the next few years will fly by that it’ll be good to have a new foundation for our companions.>” One said to the other.

Alma smiled softly though before she knew it, she found herself at the Tsahìks hut.

Her eyes widened a little, her heart thumping in anticipation as Mäzan kissed her cheek. “<Knock if you want. I will be at the centre.>” he said.

“Thank you.”

Slowly, Alma plucked up the courage and knocked on the frame.

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