Short story that I did for a contest. I wanted it to be longer but it would have went over the word limit. Never got a critique or any comment at all. I assume that it was too late for entry. Oh well. A story with OCs. I'm working on a sequel that actually, you know, has a decent plot...
"I'm tired."
Chenoa's exhausted and crippled legs folded under her. She looked up at her brother Awan with pleading eyes.
"I am too, sis, but we need to keep going if we're ever going to get to Omashu. I couldn't bear to see them get their hands on you again. We have to get as far as we can from them; that was the point of running away from the tribe."
"But can't we please stop? I really need to rest. It's getting dark anyway."
"I know you are but…oh, whatever. I'm tired too. We'll eat and make camp for the night."
"Thank you!" Chenoa threw her arms around her big brother's waist. For being born with weak legs, she had way too much energy.
Awan gathered fallen branches, twigs, and made a fire. He took some jerky from his bag, handed some to his sister. "Be right back," he muttered.
He grabbed a pan and made his way down to the stream for water. Awan returned to camp and put it on the fire to boil. "Tea'll be ready in a minute."
He grabbed his bag, pulled out a fistful of berries and herbs, and threw some in the bottom of each of two cups. A hundred and fifty is-it-ready-yets later, Awan pulled the pan from the fire and poured steaming water into two cups.
Chenoa spread out her bedroll and snuggled into it. Awan handed her a clay mug of tea before laying down himself, for the night.
A bitter cold gust came in over the mountains. Chenoa's dark braids blew as she lay down in her sleeping bag. A shiver racked her small body.
"Rain must be on the way. Hopefully we'll be out of here before it falls. Cooled the air. You want another blanket?"
"Nah, I'm good, Awan. Thank you. Good night, brother, love you."
"Goodnight, Chenoa, stay warm." But before Awan's intense blue eyes fell closed and his brain shut off for the night, he laid thinking.
I love you too, sister, and I'll protect you; I'm going to keep you safe, no matter the costs…
##
Kai reclined against a rock, tired from a long day of walking. She had finally sold her last crate of tea, and her transportation with it. She was left to walk home - all the way to Ba Sing Se.
She rested with her coolie hat tipped forward to shield her face from the rain. She didn't mind the rain falling on her, drenching her loose boy-like clothes. It was only when she heard a loud crash of thunder and noticed a cool sensation rising up her thigh, that she stood dazedly to her feet. Kai slid her hat back over her tightly coiled, brown bun. She looked down to see that she was ankle deep in rain, and it was rising fast.
##
Thunder rumbled and Awan jolted awake. Out of habit, his eyes darted to his sister and saw Chenoa was already up. He followed her frightened gaze. It was fixed on water filling the valley to the top; the top that was not five feet from their camp.
"Oh smoke!" he finally snapped out. "Chenoa! Grab you bedroll and pack!"
Easy to say, he grabbed up his sister, their stuff, and ran.
##
Harsh winds drove the rain as Kai edged along the cliff's narrow path. Earlier that day the teenager had noticed a cave high up in the cliffs as she walked along. Now that observation would come in handy. The water, she was sure, would come to at least her ribs, and probably mid-chest on a shorter person.
She felt her way along the cold, wet cliff wall. The ledge ended and she fell on the muddy floor of a dark cave. Kai gave a silent gasp and blinked water from her eyes. The teen looked up at the earthen ceiling and knew she was safe for the night.
##
Wind howled. The banshee at their backs, Awan and Chenoa dashed on and up. The water wasn't far behind them as they ran. Chenoa stumbled and fell. Awan picked her up and kept going. They were close to the cliff. So close to salvation. But the water was high now. They had to make it up the cliff very soon, or they'd be trying to swim there.
Chenoa ran ahead, stumbled, and fell. Awan caught up and helped her up. "Where were you going?"
Chenoa pointed at a spot on the cliff. "A cave!"
He nodded curtly and gave her his pack before setting her on his shoulders and moving on.
They were soon at the cliff and Chenoa tried to climb up. She slipped on the rain slickened face. "Falling!" she cried out.
Awan caught her and set her down beside him. He noticed a narrow ledge that spiraled almost all the way to the cave. He grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her to the ledge's lowest point. He hoisted her up and scrambled up behind her.
##
Kai was bone tired as soon as she hit the floor. She picked herself up heavily and dropped against a wall in the pitch black. She was far enough from the mouth of the cave that the rain wouldn't blow on her. Kai was asleep as soon as her eyelids shut.
Awan stumbled into the cave, his exhausted sister in his arms. Rain beat loudly and his mind was fogged with thoughts of sleep. Drenched, he could barely sit his sister down before he collapsed to his knees. He curled up next to Chenoa and fell immediately to sleep, still unaware of another person in the cave.
##
A column of sun beat at Kai's cold wet clothes and began to dry them. "Ugh," she muttered.
"Huh?" A mop of brown hair went flying forward as the boy jerked up. "Wha?"
Kai turned. The two blinked confusedly at each other. That's when trouble started.
"Who are you!" He screamed as he jumped up.
"What are you doing here? Get out!!" she replied.
"Me? We were here first, fella!"
Kai didn't correct the gender mistake. "Actually," she managed in a calm level tone, "I was here long before you."
"Whaaa? I don't think so!" His blue eyes were the size of saucers.
"What is it, brother?" yawned the young girl, rubbing her eye.
"What is going on, is that you all are in my source of shelter," said Kai. "And you should be leaving," she gestured out into the raging storm.
He marched over, looked down, and froze.
"I don't think we can do that," he commented.
"And why is that?"
"Look." The water was rising fast.
Kai sat down and blew a puff of air. No getting back to grandfather today, not even closer.
The boy laid down. The only ray of light closed over. The warmth on Kai's clothes was lost. Chenoa laid on her bedroll. There was a long pause.
"So…when you think it'll go back down?" Awan asked.
"In truth or hopeful thinking?" said the brunette girl. She tipped her hat back briefly, though not enough to show her face. Her low, boyish voice grated with skepticism.
"Er…both?" he replied.
"Hopeful says every day makes a difference; truthful and statistical say it could even be weeks," she snapped. Another silence befell the odd-mod group.
"I'm hungry, Awan." Chenoa gave her brother a hopeful look. He dug around their bag, wary of the angry stranger across from him.
"So…what's your name?" Chenoa asked innocently. She eyed the girl that was lying on her back, hat over her eyes. She briefly wondered if the other girl was dead.
"What's it to you?" came a snap from under the large brim.
"I wanna know; I'm Chenoa!" she said, happy to talk to someone.
"Don't tell your name to strangers!" Awan scolded, brushing crumbs from his blue and white shirt.
"I would listen to your brother. Go be a pest to someone else," she replied. Chenoa gasped.
Awan turned to the stranger. "What's with that? She was just trying to talk to you…aww, don't cry, Che," he said softly. Tears streamed from the little girl's eyes.
"If she's going to start bawling, she doesn't deserve comfort. If she doesn't have strength to carry herself, she'll fall anyway the second you let go," she said calmly, no mercy in her voice.
"She's eight," he replied in disbelief that anyone could be, in his opinion, so completely heartless.
"At eight I was doing hard labor in my grandfather's tea shop," she said in monotone. She rolled onto her stomach to glare at him from under the brim of her hat.
He glared back at the so-called-person. In his opinion, if you didn't have a heart, you couldn't be an actual human. Just a shell.
Silence befell the cave, the only sound howling wind and pounding rain.
Evening came. They ate separate dinners, and Awan tucked Chenoa to bed. He swiveled on the stranger with the sheathed swords on their back.
"What's your problem?" he snarled.
"My problem? From the looks of it, you've the problem."
He glared at her. She returned it, much stronger. He didn't back down.
He slowly went for the axe on his hip, hidden under his shirt. She held an easily transformable stance.
"You insulted my sister."
"Every word that came out of my mouth was the truth." Kai slowly unsheathed her broadswords and held them down at her sides. She made quick swipes; the left sword nearly slashed open his stomach.
He raised his axe and blocked. He lunged; she dodged. He kept pace and ran up to the wall. He bounced off near the top and sprang, axe first, at her with both arms. He was putting force into one strong move.
She had messed with his sister; she would be taken out, like all the others.
Kai barely managed to dodge before the axe would have come crashing through her head.
He landed on his toes in a crouch and pivoted, aiming for his opponent's neck.
Kai caught the axe with her swords and put full force into it. But he was simply stronger.
The locked weapons were inching towards her. Would he attempt to cut her throat with her own blades? What had she done?
She dropped the lock and ducked under the weapons. He grabbed Kai by the throat and yanked her forward. He switched the axe's handle to her throat and shoved her against the wall.
Kai's eyes caught something and moved up. They immediately widened. A wall of rocks covered the entrance to the cave.
"What?" Axe still in hand, he slowly turned and took in the sight of his sister, curled up and staring in the same direction as his opponent. Getting the drift he was missing something, he turned to look. There stood a new stone wall blocking the entrance. He gaped. Sensing motion, Awan turned and saw the other teen sheathing the swords, but felt eyes on him. What was this kid playing?
Evidently their battle had been too much for the storm-weakened walls.
Immediately Awan raced to the cave-in and started chucking rocks. How could they be stuck here? In this cave? Staying in place meant their pursuers could catch up to them.
His thoughts broke when he heard counter beats to the "thunk" of rocks he threw hitting the ground. Awan looked over his shoulder to see his rival matching him stone for stone. They had just been in heated combat. Now the kid was helping him?
Chenoa snapped out of her shock. The two were digging at the pile but making little progress. Then it occurred to her.
"Why don't we just go that way?" she said, tilting her head and gesturing at a tunnel. Kai and the boy turned and stared.
"A…tunnel. There's a tunnel?" the boy stuttered.
##
Kai stalked towards her corner. She took a lantern from her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then strode towards the tunnel.
Awan blinked at her. "And just what're you doing?"
"I realize now, it would be a waste of energy to even try and dig out that wall. It won't work. I think since we're not running low on air, there must be another opening. I'm going to follow this tunnel." She walked on and soon only the dim glow of her lantern could be seen.
Awan sighed and pushed a hand through his bangs. He gathered their things on his back and his sister in his arms. He dashed to catch up with the teenager-he-couldn't-tell-was-a-girl.
##
Kai walked on, the other two right behind her. She wasn't sure, but she would guess it was night again by how tired she was and how long they'd been walking. The little girl, Chenoa, was now on her brother's shoulders, complaining of boredom -- which was annoying.
She elected to just ignore it. She needed to get back home. Grandfather needed her help in the tea shop.
Kai looked over her shoulder. "We're approaching the exit."
Awan nodded. A soft breeze swept through the tunnel. It smelled like a forest after a rainfall.
Chenoa made a loud groaning noise as light assaulted her eyes.
Kai tipped her hat down further and stopped to blow out the lantern.
Awan took a deep breath and immediately lost it as he looked down. The slope was vertical with no clear way down. How would they get to the bottom?
##
Kai looked over the edge. It would be a bugger getting down there. Maybe she could just slide. The water had receded, leaving it muddy and the most she would get was a sprained ankle; then again, she'd have to walk all the way to Ba Sing Se with a sprained ankle. Her eyes flickered over to the brat and her brother. She wasn't sure why, but she wondered about them getting down.
Now, Kai wasn't a fool. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed the little girl's limp. She would guess she had broken or fractured her legs several times and they hadn't healed quite right. The girl could walk, even run, she would guess, but it seemed to really tire her. She was worried about someone like that trying to slide down. Kai sighed.
Then it occurred to her.
##
"Hey, Awan, was it? Give me any rope you have."
Awan's eyes darted to the green-clad kid.
"Huh? What?"
"Give. Me. Your. Rope."
"Huh?" This kid had insulted his sister, done battle with him, and caused a cave-in. Why was he supposed to help again?
"Why would I do that?" he bit.
The kid turned to him. He could feel the glare he was being dealt.
"Look, I don't like it anymore than you do, but we need to work together on this."
"I don't need to do-" he cut off and his eyes flicked to the eight-year-old, "anything. Me and Chenoa are heading out on our own and forgetting we ever met you."
"And how do you intend to do that if you can't get down without breaking a leg? Look, neither of us can get down on our own. But maybe together we have enough rope to anchor it up here and slide down. It's worth a shot, isn't it?"
Awan blinked and considered just turning it down…but Chenoa. Wouldn't it make him just as bad as the others to hurt her leg without reason? If he could help otherwise? He sighed, took off his pack, and started searching through.
They pieced together a pretty decent collection of rope scraps. Once Kai ran out, she started tying it together. Awan continued to pull out what seemed to be a never ending supply. But it wouldn't be enough. Most pieces were only six inches to a foot long.
He dug through the bag a bit more and said, "That's it, no more rope."
Kai made a few more knots and stood up.
"And the moment of truth." Kai went over and tied the rope to a jutting rock, the sturdiest thing near by, before chucking it over the edge. All three gathered at the side and watched it spiral down. They smiled as it landed maybe three feet from the ground.
"The rewards of playing nice," Awan smirked.
Kai smiled softly to herself. "The brat's lightest and it'll be worst for her if the rope snaps under one of our weight. She can go first," said Kai.
Chenoa shuffled to the edge. She looked down at the great height and grabbed the rope before clumsily easing herself down with her strong hands. Her arms were aching and every time the wind blew, moving the rope, she would shiver in fear of falling. When she finally reached firm ground, she looked up to see her big brother smiling down at her. She could tell he was proud.
Awan went down next, almost as badly but with less fear.
Then came Kai. She backed over the edge and let the rope spin until she was facing the wall. She planted her feet and rappelled to the bottom. Grandfather's tales of his young days finally came in handy.
Awan watched with grudging admiration as the other expertly made their way down. "Well, see ya' around?"
"I thought you were going to 'head out on your own and forget you ever met me?'" Kai teased lightly.
"Yeah, well…whatever. We'll just let fate decide. Good traveling, Kid," He took his sister's hand and headed south.
Kai went north. And even though they were headed so oppositely, it was the same sun beating on them both.
Review? (BTW: I hate that they put in a seperate button for reviews, I keep clicking that old button out of habit...!)