The Soldier's Journal ch.1: the new soldier

March 4th 1861

It was a hard day today, My two friends and I were walking to a town that had a fortuneteller in it. I was in front of the two thinking. Sokka was complaining about hardly any sleep and only little food. Katara was looking at the woods that surrounded us. I leaned my glider on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, breathing in that warm spring air. I opened my eyes. I just kept walking. My friends from the water tribe were looking around. I just kept walking. My two friends were siblings. I myself have siblings. They are brothers. I have two brothers. One named Tyler Hanson James, after my uncle Hanson Tyler James, who was killed in the Indian Wars and my brother Thomas or Tommy Harrison James after my grandpa who fought in the War of 1812. I am Aang Harrison James. Named after my dad's grandpa.

I noticed a man in blue walking. His blue kepi hat covered his eyes, he had brown hair, his left arm on his uniform was torn, his was limping, his pants on the left leg was blood stained, his whole uniform was blood stained. He looked at me and I was looking at him. He nodded hi to me. I nodded back. He looked on and I looked on. I was still thinking of that soldier. "Aang" said my friend Katara who was trying to break my trance. "Aang!" she yelled. "W-what?" I stuttered in surprise. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Yeah I'm fine just lost in my thoughts" I said. She nodded. "You know pretty soon Aang, you'll become one of them" said my friend Sokka. "I know and yet I will see more death than ever before" I said. "Let's hope we find your brothers here. That man looked like a man from his army." Said Sokka. "I know" I said. I looked on and I was still walking.

Katara was standing next to me now, a man was trying to fight some creature. He got himself tangled in some vines and the creature was charging at him. Sokka's knife was in reach. I grabbed it. "Hey!" Sokka said. "Aang!" Katara yelled. I cut the vines, helping the man. The creature came at me. I tackled it to the ground. He tried to bite me. I almost slit his throat. I moved the blade closer to his back and slit that part. He yelped. I got off and he ran off. The man was extremely grateful. Katara and Sokka were both astounded. I handed the bloodied knife to Sokka. "You could of killed it for meat!" Sokka yelled at me taking his blade. Katara patted my shoulder.

The man gave us an umbrella. It started raining. Katara and I were under the umbrella. Soon Sokka had an egg in his hands but he had to keep dry. I just smiled. It stopped raining all the sudden and we kept walking. Sokka kept grumbling about being wet and cold. Katara was holding the umbrella closed at this time. I just leaned my glider on my shoulder like before. We entered the town. People looked at us. I smiled. "Its him" said some talking about me. We were walking.

We came to the fortuneteller. Her name was Aunt Wu. She had a helper named Meng. She was about 11 or 12 about my age Sokka would say. Aunt Wu came out. Soon she asked one of us to come in her room and she would tell a fortune. I couldn't help but listen in to Katara's since I have a big crush on her. Her's was something about marrying a strong bender and I think I was a strong bender so there was chance for me for her to love me. I silently jumped for joy then I ran back to my place.

I was next, I walked into her room and sat down. She told me to throw a bone into the fire pit. I threw it in there and it made the fire glow brighter but then just got back to its normal self. She said "You are Aang James, a James Brother, becoming a soldier" I knew she was right. But then she said "You will be seeing a lot of horrific moments in this war" I nodded. "But good news is, you aren't renited with your brothers yet are you?" she asked me. I shook my head. "No miss" I said. "Well you will be soon, they are here in this town" she said. I looked at her wide eye. "My brothers…they're here?!" I asked. She nodded. I got up and looked at the window. She smiled. "Good luck finding them" she said. I nodded and left the room.

After I heard my brothers were in the town, I wanted to go look for them. I saw soldiers but no man that looked like me. Sokka was having disbeliefs about Aunt Wu. I was just focused on finding my brothers. Katara came to me. "Any luck?" she asked me. I shook my head. She said "I know you'll find them" she said patting my shoulder. Meng came up. "Hey Aang" she said. "Hey" I replied. Katara looked down at her. "I know where your brothers are" she said. "Really where?" I asked. "Near the south end of the town about 1 mile." She said. Katara looked at me. "I'm going to meet them" I said to Katara. She nodded. I ran off and into the woods I went. I soon heard guitars and banjos playing. I saw tents. They were everywhere. I saw a man on horseback ride to me. "State your name" he demanded. "Aang Harrison James" I said. "Oh God, please come Avatar James" he said. I followed him. We stopped and I saw two men talking. They were at a table with a map laid out. One was wearing his hat the other wasn't. They both had brown hair. They both had arrows. "Captain and Lt. James. I bring before you your brother" the man said. The two looked up and I revealed myself. "Aang!" they both said. They came to me. One who had green eyes hugged me. The other who had blue eyes like Katara hugged me last. "I'm sure you don't remember me." Said the green eyes boy. "You're Tommy" I said. Tommy nodded and gave me a man hug. "And you are Tyler" I said. Tyler nodded.

My brothers and I were talking for hours, soon I came back into town. I went into my home and I fell vast asleep. Katara and Sokka were already asleep. We slept until 8am. I went back to camp with Katara and Sokka to meet my brothers. Then we finished talking and I headed back into town with Katara and Sokka. I found out about the panda lily from Tommy. Who had a girl back at home. So I decided to give it a try. Tyler said it wouldn't hurt to try. I went up the hill and there I spotted the panda lily and something else and the Confederate headed straight to the town. I dropped the lily and Sokka and I ran back into town warning people but it was too late Aunt Wu was making a big mistake by checking the clouds. We tried all our best to help the town.

I heard gun fire. "Not today they don't!" I yelled. Katara and Sokka said "No Aang!" but it was too late I joined up with Tyler's regiment. My brothers didn't agree of me fighting. They said it was for trained soldiers but I didn't listen. The confederates headed right at us. I waited until the first casualty and that came soon. The first shot ranged out and it killed a private right next to me. Then we started firing. The private said "Please for God sakes take my gun, my bayonet, my ammo and hat and show who we are" he then died. I took his hat. I picked up his ammunition pouch and slugged it over my shoulders and drew the bayonet. I started firing at the rebs. We soon charged.

The rebs retreated and I was wounded in the arm making it my first wound of war. Tyler and Tommy came to me. "that may have been the best battle I ever fought in because you were right there with us" Tommy said. He was like a pastor. "That is true brother" Tyler said. I smiled. Tyler handed me a package. "We'll meet you tomorrow morning, 7am, report to duty." Tyler said. I nodded. Tyler saluted to me and left. I opened the package. It was a blue uniform. Katara and Sokka ran to me and hugged me. Tommy headed out of town with Tyler. I walked back to the house I was staying at. Today was a great sad day for all of us soldiers.

To be continued