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CU Neytiri -- looking away. Finally, reluctantly, her eyes

MEET HIS for the first time -- a riveting gaze with those big

gold orbs.

NEYTIRI:

Why save you?

JAKE:

Yes, why save me?

NEYTIRI:

You have a strong heart. No fear.

She leans closer --

41.

NEYTIRI:

But stupid! Ignorant like a child!

She turns away, stalking off, but Jake goes after her.

TRACKING WITH Neytiri as she climbs nimbly along a huge ROOT.

WIDER as she trots with perfect balance along the root, which

forms an elevated walkway.

Jake runs to catch up, realizing suddenly that he is far

above the forest floor. Throughout the following they move

through a GLOWING PHANTASMAGORICAL FOREST.

JAKE:

If I'm so ignorant, maybe you should

teach me.

NEYTIRI:

Sky people can not learn. You do not

See.

She leaps to another elevated root. Jake follows, surprised

that he made it.

JAKE:

Whooaa.

He runs to catch up with her easy jogging pace.

JAKE:

Then teach me to "see."

She stops and he almost runs into her.

NEYTIRI:

No one can teach you to See.

Then she turns and trots on.

EXT. GORGE - NIGHT

They run across the elevated root of an enormous tree -- a

horizontal trunk big as an oak.

WIDE SHOT as they cross a DEEP GORGE. A waterfall shimmers

silver in the Polyphemus-light. Vines hang down a hundred

feet into the gorge, and among them swoop stingbats and other

night flyers.

JAKE:

Hey, slow down. Look, I think we just

got off on the wrong foot and --

42.

Jake looks down, suddenly aware of the height.

JAKE:

--you just have to get to know me. I'm

Jake. Jake Sull--

A vine catches his spear and spins him off balance. He drops

the spear and almost falls off the root.

JAKE:

Whooaaa -- sh*t!

Neytiri catches him with one hand, gripping his bicep. He

watches the spear cartwheel down to splash in the river.

She pulls him upright. Shouts at him in English and Na'vi.

JAKE:

I need your help.

NEYTIRI:

You should not be here.

JAKE:

So take me with you.

NEYTIRI:

No. You go back.

DOWN ANGLE FROM FAR ABOVE -- several WOODSPRITES float down

through the trees. FOLLOW THEM as they descend silently

toward Jake and Neytiri.

NEYTIRI, sensing a presence, looks up to see --

The WOODSPRITES, PULSING with purpose, float right towards

Jake. They dance gently around his shoulders and head.

JAKE:

(off her amazed look)

What?

More woodsprites gather around him. Several ALIGHT on him.

Jake holds still, knowing he should be afraid -- but somehow

he's not. He spreads his arms. More sprites come, landing

all over his arms, hands, body.

JAKE:

What are they?

CU NEYTIRI -- reacting with a mixture of wonder and dread.

43.

NEYTIRI:

Atokirina'. Seeds of the Great Tree --

very pure spirits.

Jake -- now a pulsing, glowing, fluttering MASS OF LIGHT --

moves one hand slowly, not wanting to break the spell. He

studies one of the sprites dancing on his palm until --

-- WHOOSSHH! the woodsprites whirl up and away, scattering

into the darkness.

JAKE:

What was that all about?

Neytiri seems shaken. She seizes his hand and pulls him

after her.

NEYTIRI:

Come!

CUT TO:

EXT. RAINFOREST - NIGHT

TRACKING WITH JAKE as he gazes about him in growing wonder.

He touches leaves as he passes, watching the bioluminescence

shiver through them.

Jake looks down as -- they cross a bed of purple MOSS which

reacts to the pressure of their footsteps. Rings of green

light, like ripples on a pond, expand outward from each

footfall. Exploding rings of light where his feet touch

down. Dream-like, surreal beauty.

WIDE ON THEM as they run over a large root, across a mirror-

like POOL at the base of a WATERFALL.

Jake follows Neytiri, running along a raised root-trunk.

JAKE:

What's your name?

JAKE hears WHOOSH-WHOOSH and snaps a look as a BOLO flies at

him, spinning end for end and --

SHWHAP!! -- tangles around his legs. He topples off the root

and crashes into the foliage below.

JAKE untangles himself, getting up to run just as --

SEVERAL NA'VI RIDERS thunder toward him. They are riding

DIREHORSES -- six-legged, armor-skinned alien Clydesdales.

44.

We see that the riders' QUEUES are connected to the horses'

long moth-like antennae -- a neural-link with which they can

command the horse, leaving hands free for weapons.

The riders aim bows and spears at Jake as they approach. Jake

turns to bolt, but --

NA'VI HUNTERS melt out of the shadows, weapons aimed --

blocking his retreat.

Neytiri drops to the ground next to Jake and confronts the

LEAD RIDER. She shouts sharply in Na'vi --

NEYTIRI:

(SUBTITLED)

Tsu'tey, what are you doing?! He is my

captive!

TSU'TEY(tsu-Tay)is young and powerfully built, with sculpted

features and a proud jawline, piercing eyes. Tsu'tey swings

off his mount with fluid grace.

TSU'TEY

(SUBTITLED)

These demons are forbidden here. I will

kill this one as a lesson to the others!

Tsu'tey draws his bow but Neytiri leaps between him and Jake,

confronting him warrior to warrior.

NEYTIRI:

(SUBTITLED)

Stop! There has been a sign. This is a

matter for the Tsahik.

Tsu'tey clenches his jaw with frustration -- frustration with

her as much as the situation. He turns and angrily remounts

his direhorse, barking a command to the HUNTERS.

TSU'TEY

(SUBTITLED)

Bring him.

They grab Jake and haul him to his feet. Encircled by spears

and bows, he is shoved forward along the trail, as Tsu'tey

and the others ride ahead.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOMETREE - NIGHT

JAKE is hauled roughly toward Neytiri's village, which is

sheltered inside one of the GREAT TREES. HOMETREE is 250

meters tall, with a trunk four times the diameter of the

largest Sequoia, and a base of massive mangrove-pillars.

45.

TSU'TEY rides inside the columns at the base of Hometree,

shouting an ululating WARNING.

Jake is force-marched through the pillars into --

INT. COMMONS/HOMETREE - NIGHT

An open CENTRAL AREA. The villagers gather to see the

arriving hunt party. We see the people of the tribe --

mothers with babies, old women, young hunters.

They gawk at the alien, expressions ranging from curiosity to

outright hostility. The huge eyes of the children follow

him.

Jake is amazed at the size of HOMETREE inside. By the light

of the COOK-FIRES he can see up into a vast cylindrical

gallery -- a living cathedral.

Clear membranes -- sturmbeest bladders -- filled with

fluttering bio-luminescent insects, act as area lighting.

The central space is dominated by the SKULL of some enormous

creature, mounted with much embellishment on a TOTEM.

Standing in front of this, awaiting their approach, is --

EYTUKAN (AY-too-kahn), the Clan Leader. Eytukan has deeply

chiselled features and a long chest mantle of THANATOR CLAWS.

His normally stern features are clouded further by anger.

EYTUKAN:

(SUBTITLED)

Why do you bring this creature here?

Neytiri addresses Eytukan in Na'vi.

NEYTIRI:

(SUBTITLED)

I was going to kill him, but there was a

sign from Eywa.

He glowers at her as he responds, pointing at Jake.

EYTUKAN:

(SUBTITLED)

I have said no dreamwalker will come

here, to offend our home! His alien

smell fills my nose

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