Chapter 14:
Katara, Aang and Toph all fell asleep over the map, Katara with her hair sprayed over it, Aang with his head on his knees and Toph on the ground. Freya had a book in her hands and was leaning on Appa's legs as the bison also slept.
"Sokka's coming!" Toph suddenly snapped up into a sitting position, a grin on her face. Aang and Katara snapped up in the same manner, beaming as they turned. Sokka walked up the ridge towards them wearing a deep brown robe.
"Hey, guys. What are you doing?" he wondered casually. Toph, Katara and Aang ran up to the boy and tackled him with a hug.
"Sokka!" Aang exclaimed happily.
"You're back." Toph said
"We missed you so much." Katara admitted
"Don't know why it's hardly even been a day." Freya mumbled as she turned the page in her book.
"Say something funny." Aang demanded, stepping back from the boy expectantly.
"Funny how?" Sokka asked and both Aang and Katara started laughing.
"What's their deal?" Sokka asked Toph as Freya eyed the two.
"I don't know."
"It's called desperation." Freya mumbled
"They missed you or something. I didn't care." Toph turned away and smiled as a blush moved over her cheeks.
"They've been bored without you. Turns out their useless unless your facilitating our day-to-day activities." Freya admitted.
"Thanks. That warms my heart. Anyway, I need some help." Sokka admitted and Freya looked up from her book as he asked. Katara and Aang stopped laughing and Freya stood, walking over to them as Sokka grinned.
"Remember that meteor? I want to use it." Sokka admitted
"What for?" Aang asked
"My sword."
"What sword?" Katara wondered
"You're making a sword?" Freya asked
"Master Piandao said I'm ready for my own." Sokka said "I want to use the meteor from last night, but I need help getting it to his place."
"We'll do it." the three chorused.
"I think they're keen for something to do." Freya said and Sokka nodded awkwardly.
The five moved back to the crater from the night before and sitting right in the centre was a ball of black rock. With Toph and Aang's earth bending they managed to get it out of the hole.
Aang, Freya, Sokka and Katara guided the rock and Toph moved behind them, earth bending it up the hill towards the house that sat much apart from the others. It was designed slightly different in that its walls were white with red roofing. A gate sat before them, red and with a knocker on each door. It had a golden circle and carved into it was a flower. Freya rose an eyebrow as she noticed it was a lotus. In the middle of this was the Fire Nation insignia.
When they reached the door Sokka moved quickly and grabbed the two knockers. He banged them both repeatedly until the door opened. Standing there was a tall, slightly thin man, with greying black hair pulled back, a similar robe to the one Sokka wore, his beard and moustache joining and the same colour as his hair. He had a sword in his hand, sheathed, and leaning against his shoulder, the other hand behind his back.
Sokka jumped back from the door as it opened and this man walked towards him.
"Who's this?" he asked as he looked at the four newcomers
"Oh, these are my friends. Just other good Fire Nation folks." he added nervously as Piandao bowed to the children as Freya, Katara and Aang bowed to him. "Do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?" Sokka wondered.
The swords master placed a hand on the rock.
"We'll make a sword unlike any other in the world." he agreed.
They marched the rock inside and found the cilm as Piandao had his own. A fire was lit and coal was shovelled into the cilm by Sokka. Piandao stood by the meteor and his handyman brought a sledge hammer. Sokka held a chisel and flinched every time the sledge hammer hit it, beginning to chip away at the meteor. Once they'd dug into the rock Sokka began to chip off small pieces which rolled to the floor. The pieces were collected and placed in a bucket which is taken to the forge as Sokka worked at the bellows.
Aang, Katara and Freya peered at Sokka, who'd removed most of his clothes as he worked by the fire in the hot day. He remained determined and worked hard on his sword as the bucket went into the fire and the heat was to melt the meteor.
Sokka sat by it and he watched the fire, getting up and adding more coal so that it remained hot and didn't go out. He worked into the night even after the sun had set. Piandao watched him as he worked, hardly resting but working diligently.
The bucket was removed from the heat when the meteor fragments had melted and Sokka moved it over to a mould of a sword blade. He tipped the hot liquid in and it sizzled as it touched the cooler stone.
The rock hardened and with a pair of tongs it was removed. Piandao took a a hammer and shaped the hot metal against stone, raising it to his face to examine. Sokka stood behind him and beamed excitedly at the hot metal. The sword was placed in a bucket of water and the water bubbled and boiled around the hot substance, cooling it down. The glowing red vanished to show a black blade.
Freya, Katara, Toph and Aang sat in a hall and Sokka sat before them. The door stood wide open beside him as Piandao stood in front of the boy.
"Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle, and twice as big." Sokka looked at Piandao slightly surprised, there was doubt in his expression, almost guilt. "And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me." The sword master turned and was handed Sokka's sword as the man kneeled while handing it over. "No, it certainly wasn't your skills." Sokka looked down and looked shameful. "You showed something beyond that." Piandao removed the sword from it's sheath and the black blade shot out to his side, the blade gleaming and Sokka looked up at it. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence... these are the traits that define a great swordsman. And these are the traits that define you." He sheathed the sword, kneeled and handed it to Sokka. Sokka took the blade, his head bowed, but he didn't look at all excited. Freya watched the boy slightly confused. "You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."
Sokka stared at the weapon in his lap and bowed his head, frowning.
"I'm sorry, Master. You're wrong. I am not worthy. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." Aang, Katara and Toph all gawked at Sokka in shock for his confession while Freya rose an eyebrow and glanced at the master before them. "I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry." and Sokka held the blade back to him.
Piandao looked at him strongly, perhaps with anger but there was something Freya couldn't quite place.
"I'm sorry, too."
Piandao turned around quickly before he had a sword in his hand. Sokka looked surprised but jumped to his feet to avoid it. The master swordsman lunched again and Sokka blocked with his sheathed sword.
Aang, Katara and Toph all got to their feet and took a bending stance to help the boy but Sokka rose his hand to stop them, shaking his fingers.
"No, this is my fight, alone." Piandao smiled slightly.
The two moved outside and stood on a courtyard, swords up and Sokka removed his sheath. The four stood watching from a balcony that overlooked the courtyard as the two swordsmen faced on another.
Katara had her hands clenched together before her as she and Aang watched in doubt while Freya had her arms crossed and watched carefully.
Piandao struck first and Sokka moved backwards to avoid the blade that came at his face. He rose his own sword and played defence. He struck at the master and he moved slightly sideways so the black blade moved off past his neck and Sokka leaned back as the silver one went over his head. He ducked and jumped to avoid the opponents weapon before he launched forwards. Sokka looked worried as his blade slid along Piandao's blade as the master sent him flying backwards by thrusting his handle into Sokka's chest.
Sokka hit the ground and skidded along towards a small pond in which a bridge sat over. He flapped backwards to get right to his feet, stumbled and grabbed the bridge's post to regain his balance. He got to his feet and climbed onto it as his master ran at him. Sokka jumped to the other post to avoid the blade and then again, moving further up the bridge. He rolled along the wood from side to side as the blade waved over his head before he blocked, protecting his face from behind his back. Sokka jumped back onto the bridge's railing and then jumped away, turning in the air to avoid the blade.
"Excellent! Using your superior agility against an older opponent…smart." Piandao praised. He rose his sword and ran at the boy who looked determined and blocked the blade with his own. Sokka backed up towards a set of stairs and began to climb them, still blocking the master's weapon. Sokka had his back up against the walls lining the stairs and he thrusted his blade upwards to moved Piandao's sword off course before ducking as it swiped over his head. It came a few more times and Sokka moved to avoid before he dived sideways, planted his feet and shot off at the master, blade pointed. Piandao moved and Sokka went right past him, rolled along the step and then jumped up onto the walls of the stairs, fighting from above.
"Good use of terrain… fighting from the high ground." They blocked and struck before Piandao had his sword caught under Sokka's who stood on the other end of his, pinning Piandoa's weapon to the wall. The swordsman pulled and yanked on his handle to remove the weapon before he planted his feet and shoved it upwards. Sokka went stumbling backwards. He slammed into some bamboo shoots that had grown out and Aang, Toph and Katara all winced, the avatar was hanging over the railing as he watched.
Sokka looked up, his hair beginning to fall from it's tie. Piandao had climbed the level and stood before him as he raised his blade. Sokka ducked and the bamboo behind him was sliced through before Sokka ducked into the bamboo forest. He moved through the path and swung his sword around. The bamboo all began to fall inwards on the path as Piandao followed. He held a hand before him, holding his centre and swung his own blade to remove the obstacles from hitting him. Sokka stumbled slightly as he ran before he turned a corner and grabbed one of the bamboo shoots. He released it and it swung around to whip at the master who swung his sword. They fought around the chunk of bamboo, Piandao having to block Sokka who was now behind him.
"Yes, use your surroundings. Make them fight for you!"
Sokka grabbed another stalk as he ran away from the master and let it fling backwards at him. Piandao cut through it before Sokka came running out of the bamboo shouting in fear. The master followed as Sokka panted and arched around as Sokka looked back. He turned in time to have Piandao's blade shoot in front of him and the boy ducked so that he slid underneath it. He lost his balance as he ran forwards and stabbed his sword into the ground. He swung his weapon and dust kicked up at the master, covering his face and his eyes. He closed the lids and blinked but the dust prevented him from being able to see.
"Very resourceful." Piandao turned and held his hand up as he listened to noises. Sokka looked at him before he began to tip toe sideways, watching the master. The boy however was unlucky and stood on a twig, which snapped. Piandao turned at the noise and with a wave of his weapon he launched at Sokka. The boy blocked but Piandao rounded his hand until Sokka lost his grip and his weapon went flying sideways. It stabbed down into the ground and Sokka looked at it before he turned to the master, he waved his sword and Sokka stumbled around to avoid the blade, hitting it by the man's arm, tripping over his knee and slamming into the ground.
Sokka looked at Piandao worried who pointed his sword. Katara, Toph and Aang and jumped the railing to land down with the two swordsmen and ran towards the two. Freya was leaning on the railing watching with amusement. The master rose his sword from Sokka's face and flung it sideways, causing the three to stop.
"Excellent work, Sokka." Sokka looked at the man confused. Piandao rose his hand as the three benders had taken a stance and his sheath was thrown at him. Piandao spun around and pointed his sword. Despite having no vision he sheath slid straight onto the weapon perfectly.
"I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar." he said and Aang and Katara looked surprised. They shared a look as all three relaxed their stance and Freya landed down beside them grinning.
"How did you know?" Aang wondered as Piandao was handed a white cloth and Sokka got to his feet.
"Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up." he wiped his face of the dust and opened his eyes. "Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe." Sokka frowned slightly. "You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name. Try "Lee." There's a million "Lees"." he took the drink that was handed to him and took a sip.
"But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?" Katara questioned.
"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." he handed his sword on before moving to pull Sokka's from the ground. He turned to the boy and handed it to him. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am."
The two bowed to one another as the others smiled.
They were escorted from the house, Sokka back in his Fire Nation clothes and now with a strap to hold his sword to his back with.
"You know, I'm a little insulted that Freya didn't run to my rescue like the rest of you." Sokka said
"Well you weren't in any danger?" she shrugged
"You know he wouldn't hurt Sokka?" Katara asked
"Not at first but I had my suspicions when he started complimenting Sokka's skills… who does that in a serious battle. Seemed more like he was testing you." she said
"Did your teachers do that to you then?" Sokka asked
"Not my teachers, but I was randomly attacked in order to have skills developed." she mumbled "Coming at me with no warning…"
"Did Zuko do that?" Aang asked.
This time the girl was ready for it as the pang went through her chest. She balled her fist by her side.
"Aang!" Katara scolded and the boy looked confused.
"Yes." Freya returned and she left it at that.
"Wait." they all turned to see Piandao's second running towards them. "The Master wanted you to have this, as something to remember him by." he handed Sokka a small brown bag and they all bowed to him before he turned back to the giant house. Sokka turned to the others and undid the bag before pulling out what was inside.
"It's a Pai Sho tile." He said as he held up the round disk.
"The white lotus. Hm." Aang noticed. Freya turned to the gate wall before them, the lotus carved into it.
"Iroh used to use that tile, it was essential to his technique… he once changed the course of the ship because he lost his and needed another one. Actually I think that was when you guys ran into the pirates." Freya chuckled.
"What does it mean?" Katara wondered
"I don't know, I never asked what was so special about it." Freya said and they turned to Sokka.
"I have no idea." he agreed and they turned back to the doors as they closed behind the man. The same lotus symbol on the door.
"Ooh, that reminds me." Sokka said as he put the tile back in the back and dug into his pocket. "Toph, I thought you might like this since you've probably never had a chance to bend space earth before." he pulled out and handed her a black rock from the meteor. The girl took it grinning.
"Sweet." she held it in both hands and it moulded into a swirl, then squashed and became a star. "Check this out." it became a splat looking shape.
"You know, I don't think there's such a thing as "space earth." If it's from space, then it's not really earth." Katara said as they turned and began to walk down the path.
"Must you ruin everything?" Sokka complained
"I can't believe I missed you." Katara mumbled
"How about we just call it space rock." Freya offered "Although it must have some particles the same if Toph can bend it."
"So we can call it earth." Sokka grinned
"No." Freya agreed and he slumped.