"Miss Katara?" Soft knocks come from the door. Katara slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the window to find it was late morning, she had slept longer than usual, something she typically never did. She hastily sat up and wrapped a robe around her self and walked over to her door.
"Good morning." Katara greeted the servant as she slid the door open.
"Hardly morning anymore miss." The servant chuckled with a polite smile and Katara chuckled with her, but felt slight shame for wasting her morning in bed. "You have received a letter this morning, ma'am." She went on and presented the letter to Katara.
"That's great news-" She began excitedly, but her smile soon faded when she noticed the fire nation seal on the letter. It wasn't from Aang this time.
"Something wrong miss?" The woman asked carefully.
"Oh, no. Sorry I just-" Katara hesitated, no need to pour her heart out to this woman, it's not her burden to bare. "Nothing!" Katara plastered on a perfect fake smile. "Thank you for bringing this up to me." She politely added.
"Can I prepare you some breakfast ma'am? Some tea maybe?"
"Uhm, no. I think I'm going to go out for some lunch today. Thank you." Katara smiled one last time and shut the door as the servant bowed her head. She walked over to her bed and sat down, looking over the envelope with the fire nation seal upon it. "Must be from Zuko?" She pondered out loud and broke the seal with her finger.
'Dear Miss Katara,
I am sending this letter to ask you to come present waterbending skills and speak on the history of the Southern Water Tribe in our academy here in the Fire Nation. It would be our honor to have a guest as noble as yourself.
-Professor Sanako of the Fire Nation Academy of Learning'
Not exactly what she was looking for, but good news nonetheless. Katara always loved to teach children about waterbending and her homelands, she felt it was her duty to help the legend of the original Southern Water Tribe to live on through her bending and her stories. A small part of her sunk when she saw the letter wasn't from Fire Lord Zuko. A small part she couldn't connect with and make that sad feeling go away.
The feeling was soon forgotten when the preparations for her trip to the fire nation had to begin. She wasted no time in the opportunity to get out of her lonesome house and do something productive for herself, get her mind off of Aang being gone for so long.
"Shoji?" Katara turned the corner into the sitting room on the lower level of the large house their families shared in upper Ba Sing Se. He was sitting on the sofa with a sleeping Izumi in his lap, watching over Naomi practice earth bending in the yard outside.
"Hi Katara." He spoke kindly, noticing the bag Katara had lugged down the steps with her. "Going somewhere?" He asked curiously with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
"Hello, and yes. I was called for some business in the Fire Nation so I am going to be leaving soon. Any word from Toph?" Katara walked over and sat on the chair facing the sofa. She lowered her voice enough so Naomi hopefully wouldn't hear that they were speaking of her mother. Shoji smiled at hearing his wife's name.
"I received a letter from her today, it was short and to the point, but you know how Toph is." He chuckled. Katara's heart sunk when she heard that Shoji has received word from Toph and nothing yet from Aang. She wondered sadly to herself what could possibly be taking Aang so long to send a letter.
"They're doing good over there. She says they will be home for long weekend in about two months then they will be going back, but they will for sure be back for the big reunion on Ember Island this year." Shoji smiled brightly, he was so proud of Toph that the distance didn't bother him so much, but Katara ached inside to have Aang home, for good. She wanted what Toph had given Shoji before leaving, a marriage and two beautiful children.
"That is great news, Shoji." Katara plastered on her fake smile again and walked over to give Izumi and quick kiss and a quick hug for Shoji. "I can't imagine that I will be there for long, and I know you got it on a handle here."
"Safe travels. See you soon." Shoji gave a wave as Katara picked up her bag and made her way out the door.
The air felt fresher and full of more promise then the dingy air in the house, the sun warmed Katara to the core and small goose bumps crawled up her back and a smile crept onto her face. She let out a laugh of relief and joy to be out and doing something again, this was going to be great.
