Let me know how I'm doing on the accents. As I have it set Sokka's got a full blown one, Azula somewhat does but uses things like 'to' instead of 'ta' and 'your' instead of 'yer' and such. Tylee has a bit of an accent. And Mai won't really have one at all.

Azula perched herself upon the picket fence with an empty tin bucket in hand.

Swinging her legs in the air, she looked at Sokka. "Anythin' else you need me to do?"

Sokka looked around. "I think that's 'bout it." He took the bucket from her hands and set it to the side. In place of the bucket he rested his own hands. "Thanks fer yer help. Gotta lot more done then I thought I would."

Azula cocked her head, "you mean I got a lot more done then you thought you would."

Sokka slung an arm around her neck nearly knocking her off of the fence. With his free hand he playfully drove his knuckles into her head, the way he always did with Katara. Azula wasn't all that different from her, when it came down to it. They offered the same type of laugh and smile at his playful banter. The only difference was that when Azula fought back, she'd usually have him pinned to the floor until he threw his hands up in a mock surrender. Today, however, was one of those days where she simply let him finish ruffling her hair, maybe offer him a punch to the arm, and carry on talking.

"After all I done did all of the hardest work. All y'all did was carry 'round some hay. I was actually in the field." Azula pointed out.

The girl wasn't wrong, she'd gotten nearly all of the harvesting done. A ton of wheat and even more corn. All he had to do was get Hakoda to double check her work and begin the process of selling the harvest. This year if all went as planned he'd be able to pick and choose which foods the family would keep.

"Ya got any werk you need done on yer own farm? I could help." Sokka offered.

"Don't be silly, Sokka. You know that daddy has someone ta do that that for us should ZuZu not finish. But believe it or not, ZuZu usually does get everythin' done." Azula shrugged. "I ain't allowed to have any fun, 'less I come over here." She rolled her eyes. "Speaking of, I best get back home. Gotta wash off before daddy gets home. He'll throw a mighty good fit if he catches me like this." She motioned to her muddy clothes and knees and dust coated cheeks.

"What's he got 'gainst a lil dirt?" Sokka asked. "Shows you bin workin' hard."

"It ain't so much that I been workin'. He's just getting' tired of buyin' me new clothes over 'n over. I think he's also tired of waitin' for the shower."

"So yer allowed ta werk the fields 'nd the animals, long as ya don't git dirty?"

"Som'in like that." Azula shrugged. "That's the problem though, can't get anythin' done 'less you get messy."

"Suppose yer right." Sokka agreed. "But ya can't stay even jus' a lil longer."

"Well, I also told TyLee that I'd help her tend her stables." Azula replied. "I would tell her that somethin' came up, but I think she needs me. Sometimes I think that, that girl can't tell a garden hoe from a rake."

"Maybe I could stop by some time." Sokka suggested.

"Well that's up to you." Azula snatched up her cowboy hat and leapt off of the fence. "I'll see ya 'round, Sokka." She winked.

Sokka watched her walk away until her body became an indistinguishable speck off in the distance.

.oOo.

TyLee gave the reigns two swift flicks. As her horse, a beautiful and graceful gypsy horse, rounded the bend, she hugged her legs tighter to the horse's side. With the swift turn the gypy's mane fanned out. The fur adorning it's four muscular legs fluttering in a similar manner.

She was nearly at the end of her morning ride. All she had to do was bring Kahnim to a stroll and leisurely take the forest route black to the stables. TyLee had been riding Kahnim since she was a little girl and had learned that the horse liked to cool down using the forest route. She took her hand away from the reigns briefly to flip her braid back over her shoulder. "You did good taday." TyLee beamed at the horse, stroking her neck lovingly.

She brought the horse to a halt, listening to the clomp of his hooves against the dusty gravel path. She carefully leapt to the ground and took hold of the reigns again. From there she'd lead the horse back into the stables.

"Looks like Kahnim is gonna get some extra exercise today."

"Azula!" TyLee let go of the horse and ran up to Azula, squeezing her long-time friend in a tight embrace.

"Alright, alright! That's a'nuff Ty." The girl couldn't even begin to fathom why TyLee still got so excited every time she saw her.

"What are you doing here?"

"You asked me to help you get to cleanin' the stables. Remember?" Azula put her hands on her hips, tilting her head slightly so that her bangs fell into her face some.

"Oh yeah. That's right!" TyLee recalled. She gave the horse a few pets, "alright looks like you do get more play time."

The horse whinnied. TyLee sighed, "well we have to clean yer stall, boy, ma and pa have been tellin' me ta do it for a while."

"I suppose it'll be good for him to get the extra outside time, with the big race commin' up 'n all." Azula remarked as she watched the horse trot off to join his companions.

TyLee lead the duo into the stables.

"When did you last clean this!?" Azula scoffed at the stench.

"Oh I'm sorry, Azula! It's been a while. I'm not very good at this." TyLee winced.

"Well you're gonna have to make it up to me sometime." Azula smirked. "How 'bout this? As punishment, you get to muck the stalls. I'll do everythin' else." Azula picked up a stall fork and handed it to TyLee.

"Yer so mean 'Zula." TyLee pouted.

"And ya'll need to learn to clean your stalls more regularly." Azula countered. "Now, you use that", she pointed to the fork, "to get clean out most of the hay. Might need a shovel to scrape what remains. 'N you put it the hay in this here wheelbarrow. After you do that, I'll lay down the new beddin'." At this, Azula snatched up a pitch fork.

Upon noticing TyLee's pout, Azula made another offer. "If you can muck out the stalls, I'll even stick 'round and help you clean the horses themselves."

TyLee considered, tapping her chin. Well it did mean more time with Azula...
"Alright, I'll try my best."

Azula rolled her eyes, she'd probably end up finishing the job. But somehow it didn't matter, she'd grab a shower at TyLee's place afterwards and then tell her father that she'd simply decided to give riding a try.

TyLee hugged her again, "thank you so much, 'Zula."

"Work now. Hug later." Azula tilted her hat and pointed at the fork.

TyLee nodded. "So how's Sokka? You see hi. Lastly?"

"Yes I seen 'him. He's doin' well." Azula answered, she'd engage her friend so long as it kept the girl on task.

"Of course you've seen him." TyLee winked.

"I was helpin' him finish some of his field work." Azula replied nonchalantly.

"Right that's what you been doin'." TyLee began making childish kissy faces.

Azula lifted the pitchfork, pretending to hit her with it. "It ain't like that."

"Ain't it?" TyLee giggled, she'd finally gotten her first scoop of hay into the wheelbarrow.

"There ain't nothin' 'tween me and Sokka." Azula insisted.

"If you say so." TyLee shrugged. "Guess next time I wanna know I'll have to ask Mai or Zuko."

"They'll tell you the same." Azula replied. Even so, images of lovely summer nights filled her brain. The ones that had her stomach fluttering pleasantly. Sokka had a certain something about him that Azula liked. Liked more than she normally would. "Ain't nothin', trust me."

"You aren't gonna write a song about him?" TyLee asked.

"I will sit this pitchfork down and leave you to clean this yourself." Azula threatened, knowing good and well that she wouldn't actually abandon TyLee. Not so close to the fair anyways.

She'd put up with the girl's teasing and chatter until the job was done. And then she'd be heading to Sokka's again the next morning. She had been promising him for weeks now, that she'd show him a song or two.