Beta'd by the awesome Sylvacoer (I think known as 'The Narrator' on this site).
She did a great job at making this 1000 times better than what it was.
Yay! I have a beta.
This chapter also has some of a new ship me and Charlee like to call... Sobee (heh-heh reminds me of Sobey's...)
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"You didn't have to leave them behind!" Sokka complained, venting his irritation by chucking his boomerang at an innocent branch, slicing it clean from the canopy above.
"They were just going to get in the way" Katara huffed, trying to keep up with him, "We know what we have to do, so we should just get in and do it."
Zuko had said sneaking into the Fire Nation would require a "back door." The gang had gone in circles (literally and figuratively) trying to figure one out – until Sokka remembered Master Jeong Jeong. Guru Patik and Aang figured out how to narrow down the search using their combined spiritual powers, but it became clear that Appa would only attract attention as they neared the Fire Nation.
Everyone's tempers were short over the inconvenience, and Aang especially was anxious to leave Appa behind yet again.
"We can use all the help we can get Katara," Sokka pressed. "Ever since we lost Toph."
"I agree with Katara," Aang piped up from behind them.
"Big surprise," Sokka's usual sarcastic reply rang forth.
"We need to do this quickly. The less people the better."
"If Katara said we needed more people, you would agree with her there as well." He moved a little ways ahead of the group and looked longingly upwards. "Plus, they knew the trees, at least we could have used them for that."
"What's the matter Sokka? Missing someone to listen to your jokes?" Katara shot at him.
"I have Zuko for that." Sokka smirked and looked back at the sulky fire bender.
"Yeah… he's real receptive," Katara snidely retorted.
Sokka ignored her and the group continued on in sullen, uneasy silence until they reached the edge of the forest and made camp under the setting sun.
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Sokka was out for a walk. Not that he really had time for a leisurely stroll – oh no – he had to get firewood, since Katara and 'Fire Breath' had to practice with Aang. Grumbling under his breath, he struggled to pull a stubborn branch from the undergrowth until he felt a familiar tug on his hair.
"Ponytail!" came a hiss, as Smellerbee dropped down in front of him.
Sokka jumped about a mile.
"I thought you guys were left back at our old camp!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms defensively and pretending that no, the scary little hair-pulling girl did not just scare the life out of him.
"Well aren't you glad that we aren't?" Smellerbee said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Just surprised. Katara's going to have a fit." He looked at her suspiciously.
"Katara's not going to know, stupid!" she said irritably.
"You know, I'm really getting sick of girls calling me that," Sokka said, thinking back...
Toph, Suki... and now Smellerbee.
"Look. Longshot's hunting for some food. I just thought I'd let you know that we're not far behind, in case anything happens. We have to have someone we can trust in your crew," she said, hand idly reaching behind her back for her knife.
Sokka was nonchalant. "Our crew? I prefer to think of it as a squad..."
Suddenly, the two of them heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching.
"Just keep it quiet!" she hissed again and looked around wildly for an escape route – but the nearest tree was too far…
Sokka's eyes widened as well. And as the footsteps got louder Smellerbee did the only thing she could think of - grabbed the back of Sokka's neck, almost pinching it through her gloves, and pulled him down to her level, pressing her lips on his as her eyes darted around, wanting to see the intruder before they got a good look at her and secretly hoping the interruption was from exactly who she thought it would be.
