I eye down each one of the eerie gang members who are all waterbenders (one of the requirements for Yakone's followers). I have heard stories of these men. In school, other children murmur about their rumored ability to control others when the moon is its fullest, however, whenever I question my mother about these so-called powers, she nervously changes the subject, as if the idea triggers a painful memory from her past.
I silently uncap my water skin that hangs from my side, bending its contents in front of me, but my mind suddenly goes blank of all the waterbending training I've had. Do I really expect to beat these men? These powerful, skillful men, who will surely fight dirty. They're closing in on them now, and I understand that I must act now. I dive into the alley and spin my water into a wheel-like form that churns powerfully, ready to be released. I chose my target, the closest one to the two young benders, and let it fly. Thankfully, the attack comes to them as a surprise and I land a direct hit on the threatening gang member. The man is lifted off of his feet by the blast and slams into the brick wall behind him with a loud thud. The other waterbenders see me now, and send their own blasts of water in my direction. With no water of my own to defend with, I have no choice but to dive behind the corner once again. At least five streams of water crash into the wall behind me before the attacks begin to seize. I peak my head around the corner and see Tenzin and Lin have taken matters into their own hands.
A powerful jet of air fires from Tenzin's hand, sending a man crashing into one of the brick walls that box us in. Lin stomps the ground, sending an earth pillar surging upward out of the ground, effectively knocking two men out of the fight. Two other men lock onto me, however, and begin to bend their own water into menacing forms. Having no water myself, I opt to run from the dangerous men who peruse me. Their water crashes around me as run out of the dark alley, and, although not of their attacks hit, it's futile to run. I collapse to the hard ground and the two men stand above me.
"What do you think you're doing in New Moon territory?" questions the one man in a heavy Water Tribe accent.
"Wait a sec, Ruttaka, isn't she the Avatar's daughter?" says the other man, nudging Ruttaka with his elbow.
I'm too scared to respond.
"Yeah, yeah, and that was her brother, the airbender," responds Ruttaka, "Yakone will be most delighted if we were to bring in two children from the Avatar."
I begin to crawl backwards on my hands and feet, my heart pounds out of my chest.
"It's no use, daughter of the Avatar," says the other man, grabbing me off the ground and binding my hands behind my back with a chain. He and Ruttaka guide me back to where Lin and Tenzin were last seen fighting the other gang members. Unfortunately, my brother and Lin have met the same fate as me and are being led into a carriage pulled by an ostrich horse. As we reach the back of the carriage, the two men lift me and begin to push me into it. I begin to panic. My legs push against the back of the carriage and I scream for help, but nobody comes.
"Shut up, girl, nobody can hear you," says a man.
I turn my head to see Ruttaka uncap his water skin, bend its contents in front of him, then fire the water at my back, effectively sending me into the back of the carriage along with Lin and Tenzin, who gaze at me with terrified looks.
