"I know you can do it Katara." Sokka said as sweetly as she could. "Just guide it into the basket. The water can then drain out and you can water bend that water out."
"It's not that easy Sokka!" Katara complained. "I can't do that!"
"That's fine," Sokka tried to say reassuringly, "Do what you can."
Her words seemed to calm Katara briefly as the girl turned towards the water and tried to bend it to the best of her abilities. The water came up above both of their heads with a fish swimming in it. The nets were currently out of commission and Sokka didn't trust herself with a spear. Her preferred weapon of choice was her boomerang or her club.
Soon the water was above the basket, but as a current suddenly got hold of their canoe, Katara's concentration was broken. The ice cold water dropped on Sokka and the fish dropped back into the water. Before she could worry about that though, Sokka focused her attention on navigating through the water. And Katara helped. But even with the two working together, soon the boat was crushed and they are left stranded.
Knowing Katara's emotions could get the best of her, Sokka wanted to make sure she didn't get to upset about the little mishap. If she could just assure Katara that the crash wasn't her fault, hopefully they could work together to find a way back to the village without freezing. But before Sokka could even start to formulate what to say, she heard ice cracking very close to her. Worried that she was about to get separated from her sister, she scrambled to get to her, noticing that Katara was kneeling on the ice, shaking in anger.
"Katara, I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention and I got us swept up into that current but I'm su-"
"Stop it!" Katara yelled. "You should've known I couldn't do it! Now we're stranded." The ice around them kept making the ominous cracking sounds.
"Now don't tell me not to believe in you, I know my talented sister can do anything with her magic an-"
"It's not magic Sokka! It's bending and maybe if I had a teacher or even just more information about what I could do I would be able to do all the things you think I can do but I can't!" Katara finally looked at her older sister, but found the other girl starring at something behind her. She turned around to see a giant glowing orb that had risen to the surface of the ocean.
They do end up getting their ride back to their village, though not in the way Sokka ever would have expected. She sits quietly listening to Katara and Aang chat. She doesn't know if she trusts this young boy, but nevertheless she has given him one of her jackets to wear. Despite what he says, Sokka knows he has to be cold in the clothes he is wearing. She's not as warm as she could be, but by wrapping her arms around herself, Sokka feels that she'll make it back to the village with no frostbite.
She does not admit that part of the reason she gave Aang her coat is because his large beast had sneezed on it.
By the time they get back, the sky is dark and everyone but GranGran is asleep. Sokka feels disappointed in herself for not bringing back any food but knows that they have enough to last them another week, so Sokka knows she will have another chance to go. Sokka goes to wash her hair while Katara explains Aang to GranGran, and by the time the older girl returns, everyone is asleep, including the beast Aang called Appa.
The next morning Aang continues to worry Sokka with his presence. He knocks over one of her watch towers, and though she knows it was an accident, it still bothers her. She is pleasantly surprised when he shows his talents at entertaining the children. It gives Sokka and the other women more time to fix the nets so Sokka can go catch more fish.
Once the nets are done, Sokka decides it is time to work with the young boys of the tribe, reminding them that they are warriors. She would never give them actual weapons, but she lets them work with staffs. Sokka knows that someone else should be teaching this, but she is the only one there. As they get older, Sokka plans on learning more about the fighting styles of the tribe from what the other women can remember, but for now she uses basic attack and defense moves. None of the boys seem to take her too seriously, and soon most of them seem to want a potty break. Usually she can keep their attention for at least an hour, but she has a feeling that Aang plays some part in their distraction.
Luckily Katara offers to teach Aang how to catch penguins, and it gets him away from the village for a bit. Sokka is still a little wary to send the boy off alone with Katara, but she knows that Katara can protect herself with even her basic knowledge of water bending. Aang's absence gives her the opportunity to get more done without distraction.
Soon Sokka's left regretting that decision as she sees the flare from the abandoned Fire Navy shipwreck.