He woke to see himself in a hospital room.
"You're awake. Good."
"Where am I?"
"We found you passed out in a forest nearby and brought you here. What is your name?"
He thanked the gods that he had the odd idea to change it. That would make it harder for his father to track him.
"I'm Mark."
"From where did you come?"
'Is it not obvious?' he thought, thinking about his heavy coat that was folded in a corner of the room. Instead, he calmly answered:
"I come from a Water Tribe village."
"Really? All the way from there?"
And then he remembered of how he went crazy and flew using steam all the way from the Southern Water Tribe to there. He was at the Earth Kingdom, from the looks of clothes. Now he understood why he passed out as soon as he landed.
"Yeah."
"Odd question: where are your pants?"
And then he remembered: since he did not have time to get pants, he did that journey without them.
"I have no idea. Where am I?"
"Kyoshi Island. It was odd to find you. Nobody ever comes here without a boat."
"I did. So, where can I get some pants?"
"Calm down, stranger! You can't be out of that bed yet!"
"Don't worry. I was just exhausted. I'm fine, really. Besides..."
"Besides?"
"I have to leave. My father is the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He is kind of a tyrant and I am fleeing from him. So the longer I stay here, the riskier it is for me to get caught."
"Yeah, right."
"I'm telling you the truth!"
"So I am to believe you swam from the Southern Water Tribe from here because your father, who is the chief, is chasing you."
"Yes. He arrested me in Ice, but I was able to break out."
She decided it should be a little fun to follow him in his craziness.
"And how were you able to break out? I hear all waterbenders that try end up frost."
"I can turn water and ice to steam. That's also how I flew here."
"You FLEW here? A waterbender? That's too much to believe."
"Get me some water, I'll prove it to you."
"Fine" she said and gave him a cup of water. He focused for a moment and pulled it upwards and thought of the heat...
And the water evaporated almost instantly.
"NO WAY!"
"Way."
"So... everything you said..."
"Truth" he said and stood up "now, where can I find some decent clothes? I can't walk around pantless, can I?"
"I'll get you some pants. Stay here."
"Oh, since you're at it, can you get me a shirt and shoes as well?"
"Fine."
He threw her two gold coins from the money he got from some guard's pouches before leaving the castle. It wasn't too honest of him, but then again, he was a runaway, so he did not have so much of a choice.
"Thanks."he said and she left.
'Kinda cute, even if a little skeptical. Too bad I can't stay here for long, I'd like to know more 'bout that cutie.'
And waited, for he could not leave again without pants... specially considering the climate over there was getting too warm for him to use that big coat.