Chapter Forty-Nine

"Aah, the great outdoors!" Toph heaved expansively, "How I have not missed you!"

Following Toph's dreary declaration, Aang came traipsing out from the cluster of trees beyond them where he had disappeared ten minutes earlier. He brushed away the dead leaves and twigs that clung to his shoulders. "This looks like as good a spot as any to bed down for the night," he said, "It seems pretty remote."

"I kinda already told you that before you went on your little expedition," Toph pointed out dryly.

"Doesn't hurt to double-check," Aang replied.

Toph grunted at the response, a little offended that he'd felt the need to "double-check" at all. "Yeah, whatever."

Hoping to avert disaster because he recognized that they were all pretty sleep deprived after flying for nearly four straight hours, Sokka said, "We should set up camp and get some shut eye."

As he, Katara and Suki began working to unload the few bundles they'd managed to get onto Appa; Toph erected a sturdy earth tent and disappeared inside with a grumbled declaration that it was "too late for manual labor." Katara shot her a displeased look. "You know, we're all tired, Toph," she emphasized pointedly.

"So go to bed!" Toph retorted, "I'm not stopping you!"

"Everyone does their fair share, Toph," Katara declared, "and the only one who isn't pulling their share tonight is you!"

"Hey, if you want to spend all night unloading Appa and making camp, knock yourself out," Toph flung back, "We're not even going to be in this spot an entire day and I've had about an hour and a half of sleep! The world won't grind to a halt if I don't help you unload Sokka's funky sleeping bag!"

"You're just being lazy!" Katara accused.

"Come on, you guys, we're all tired and cranky," Aang interjected reasonably, "It's been a long night. There's no need to be snapping each other's heads off."

"Who asked you?" Toph flared, "Mind your own business, Lotus Blossom!"

"Hey! Don't you yell at him!" Katara fired back.

"Katara, it not's a big de—,"

"Stay out of this, Aang!" Katara cut him off sharply, "This is between me and Toph!"

Her sudden, violent flare-up had him retreating back a step. "Um…well, okay then," he replied slowly.

"Just walk away, buddy," Sokka advised in an aside as he passed by with an armful, "Don't make eye contact. Don't try to make it better. Don't get in the middle. Walk away."

Wisely heeding his friend's advice, Aang left Toph and Katara to their bickering and concentrated on helping Sokka and Suki set up the campsite. He had just finished starting the campfire when he noticed Zuko standing on the edge of their camp. He was leaned against a tree and obviously brooding. Aang immediately crossed the distance separating them. "This is just a minor setback," he said as he fell into step beside his reticent friend, "It's going to be okay."

The reassurance didn't go far in the way of comforting Zuko. In fact, he snorted scornfully. "Oh please, Aang, spare me the eternal optimism for one night," he groaned, "This is bad and you know it."

"Okay, I'll admit the situation isn't the best," Aang conceded, "but I have an idea."

"Great. Another idea," Zuko rallied without much zeal.

"I know what you're thinking," Aang prefaced, "You want me to shush up and I get that, but this isn't a hopeless situation."

"It never is with you," Zuko deadpanned.

"What if I told you that I know someplace we can go and that we'll be safe there for a while?" Aang insisted.

"Yeah, because it worked out so great with the last place you suggested!" Toph wisecracked from behind them.

"Wasn't it you who told me to mind my own business a few minutes ago?" Aang retorted irritably.

"Well, I want to hear your idea, Aang," Katara interjected in a gentle tone as a way of apologizing to him for biting his head off earlier.

A few seconds later, she, Suki and Sokka gathered around him and Zuko in a semi-circle. "So what's this place you have in mind?" Sokka asked, "We're all ears."

"Not me," Toph grumped. "I'm going to bed."

After she had shut herself up in her earthen tent, Aang told the group his idea. "There's a sword master who lives not too far from here," he began, "His name is Piandao. After I escaped from prison, he was the one who took me in when the Royal Firebenders were hunting for me. He risked his life to help me. He was the one who gave me food and money for the journey to Ba Sing Se. He's very loyal to my uncle and he lives in a sprawling, secluded compound, which would give Zuko the perfect place to train. If we go to him, I know he'll help us."

"You said the same thing about the beach house!" Toph commented from inside her tent, "And look how well that turned out!"

"As obnoxious as she is, Toph has a point," Zuko said, "If we go to this man, will we be safe from Azula?"

"She won't even know we're there," Aang replied.

"But won't we be imposing?" Suki wondered cautiously, "I mean if six teenagers, a lemur and a ten ton bison showed up on my doorstep looking for a handout, I'd be a little irritated."

"He'll help us," Aang insisted firmly, "Trust me."

"Then let's do it," Katara concurred, "Let's go to this Piandao. He's probably the best option we have."

"So we're agreed?" Aang asked, flashing a glance around at the circle of faces surrounding him. He was answered with unanimous nods. "Good," he said, "We should get some sleep then. We've got a lot of miles ahead of us."

They had only just finished stretching out in preparation for bed when suddenly the entrance of Toph's rock tent slid open. She poked her head through. "Do you guys hear that?" she demanded anxiously.

"Hear what?" Zuko grumped, eyes closed.

"Shh…" Toph admonished sharply, "Listen!" Dutifully and in various positions of alertness, they listened. Leaves rustled. Crickets chirped. The fire crackled. "See!" Toph hissed a moment later, "I heard it again."

"Toph, I don't hear anything," Zuko sighed impatiently.

"There it is again!" Toph insisted.

"Oh come on, Toph!" Sokka grumbled, "It wasn't even that loud! It's a perfectly natural bodily function! Do you have to bring it to everyone's attention?"

Grimacing, Aang pinched his nose reflexively. "Ugh, so you mean it was silent and deadly?"

"Ew, Sokka!" his sister balked.

Suki scooted her sleeping bag a few feet away, shaking her head at Sokka in mild disgust. "That's just wrong. I was lying right next to you!"

"Would you rather I hold it in?" he cried defensively, "That stuff can kill you!"

"Aren't we supposed to be sleeping right now?" Zuko stressed irritably. He growled his frustration, throwing his forearm over his eyes. "It's always drama with you people!"

"Blame Toph!" Sokka retorted, "She's the one advertising people's personal business!"

"I wasn't talking about you, oh Gassy One!" Toph snorted as she placed her hand flat against the ground so that she could listen closely to the vibrations. "I think…" she began, her brow furrowed in concentration, "I think I can hear people screaming."

That chilling declaration was promptly followed by shrieks of pure terror as an old woman suddenly materialized from the cluster of trees surrounding them. Trembling violently, the teenagers scrambled together and huddled in reflexive horror with Momo squeezed in the middle. "You children shouldn't be camping out here in the middle of the forest," the old woman told them, "This can be a very dangerous place at night." Her kindly suggestion didn't reassure them in the slightest. Despite her gentle tone, she was still partially cloaked in the shadows which created an unintentional, though undeniable, malevolence to her presence.

The group stared at her, shaking and wide-eyed. They didn't dare answer her and wouldn't have even if they could regain their power of speech. Undeterred, the woman finally stepped closer into the firelight, illuminating her craggy features and small, stooped body. She hardly appeared to be a threat, but that fact didn't relax their guards even a minimal degree. In fact, they tensed further, especially when her eyes came to rest on Zuko.

She sucked in a small gasp of surprise as she beheld him. "Are those Airbender tattoos?" she asked aloud, "Are you the Avatar, child?"

Toph was the first to compose herself and, therefore, was quick with a cover. "Nope," she lied baldly, "He's just a fan of arrows."

"And the sky bison out in the woods?" the old woman pressed knowingly.

"And rare bison," Toph tacked on, straight-faced.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Avatar," the woman reassured them, "I well know the dangers you face here in the Fire Nation, especially with the new laws. Like you, I am guarding my identity as well. My name is Hama and I'm not a native here either."

"You're not?" Katara asked, her interest instantly piqued, "Where are you from?"

"Are you from the Earth Kingdom?" Toph followed up.

"My home is very, very far away from this place," Hama confided with a touch of nostalgia, "At the very tip of the world. I hail from the South Pole, the Southern Water Tribe to be exact. But I haven't been back home in many, many years, not since I was a girl."

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara burst out excitedly, fear forgotten. She gestured between herself and her brother. "That's where we're from! How did you come to be so far from there?"

"It's a long story, little one," Hama said, "I'll be happy to tell it to you. I have an inn not too far from here. Perhaps, I can interest you children in a warm bed and hot tea?"

"Did you say a warm bed?" Toph echoed dreamily, "You're on."

Half an hour later they found themselves cozily ensconced before the fire in the common room of Hama's inn. Though the tea was warm and comforting, especially after the night they'd endured, none in the group could even keep awake long enough to drink it. Hama watched with affectionate amusement as they struggled to keep from toppling over in exhaustion. Sokka and Aang nodded off completely, their heads and shoulders pressed together, teacups hanging limply from their fingers.

"Let me take you to your rooms," she offered, "You're obviously very tired."

"But you were going to tell us how you ended up so far from home," Katara reminded her.

"It's a sad tale," Hama replied, "You don't want to hear it."

"Is it too painful to talk about?" Suki wondered.

"Very painful," Hama acknowledged, "You see, I was stolen from my village, taken in a Fire Nation raid."

"You mean you're a Waterbender?" Katara exclaimed in surprise. Smiling at her enthusiasm, Hama gladly demonstrated her bending skills on the tea, swirling it about the children's heads in a liquid dance before gracefully returning the brew to the pot. "That was amazing!" Katara breathed, fascinated, "I've never met another Southern Waterbender before!"

"You mean you're a Waterbender as well?" Hama asked in a trembling tone, "My goodness. I…I always believed I was the last one left."

"So did I," Katara replied emotionally, "It seems like we were both wrong."

"Well," Hama grunted, blinking back the tears that formed in her eyes, "I suppose I've kept you children up long enough." She pushed to her feet. "Come. Let us wake the others and I will show you to your rooms."

As the others got up to follow Hama up the steps, Zuko lagged behind, snagging hold of Katara's elbow when she would have gone with the group. She regarded him with a curious look. "What is it, Zuko?"

"I know you feel a kinship with this woman, Katara," he began carefully, "and I understand why, but don't give her your trust too easily. There's something about her that makes me feel weird."

"Zuko, she's a harmless old woman," Katara argued, "And she's shown us nothing but kindness!"

"Like I said, I understand what you're feeling," Zuko reiterated, "Just promise me you'll be careful."

Given his feelings of unease, Zuko opted to sleep in the stables with Appa while his friends took two rooms upstairs. It was decided that Toph, Suki and Katara would share one room while Aang and Sokka would share the other. Suki and Sokka were in the middle of bidding each other an amorous goodnight while Toph growled and buried her head beneath a pillow over the display when Aang came to say goodnight to Katara.

"It's been a crazy few hours, huh?" he said as Katara moved to greet him at the bedroom entrance. "I'd say goodnight, but it's going to be morning soon, I think."

"Yeah, it is." They regarded each other with shy smiles, suddenly and inexplicably awkward with one another. Katara absently twirled a strand of her hair. "Aang, about earlier tonight," she began in sheepish recollection, "I'm sorry for taking your head off…especially because of what happened earlier with the house on Ember Island. You know I didn't mean it."

He shrugged, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Besides, I'm used to it," he said, "I know how mean you can get when you're sleep deprived."

"I was not mean," she denied weakly before she conceded, "Maybe I was a little bit cranky…"

"Oh, you were soo mean," Aang contradicted, laughing, "And cranky."

Katara sputtered in response. "Well, if you feel that way…I guess you're not interested in getting a kiss goodnight then, huh?" she teased airily.

Aang grinned at her. "Now I didn't say that…" His lips had made only a few, grazing passes across Katara's when Hama made her approach. The young lovers parted awkwardly and turned to regard Hama with self-conscious smiles.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Hama apologized graciously with a fond smile, "I only came up to make sure you children didn't need anything further."

"No, we're good. Thank you," Katara whispered.

"Thank you, Hama," Sokka, Suki and Toph chorused from behind.

"It's my pleasure," Hama replied. "Sleep well, children."

Katara watched with a lingering smile as Hama disappeared down the corridor into her bedroom. "She reminds me a little of my Gran-Gran," she confided to Aang.

He made the mental comparison, well remembering how gruff and taciturn Katara's grandmother had been in contrast to how warm and gentle Hama seemed. "Yeah…I don't see the resemblance," Aang told her.

His dubious tone provoked a giggle from Katara, which ended too quickly and was replaced by a pensive frown. "Zuko thinks she's creepy."

"Is that what he said?" Aang half balked, half laughed.

"Well, not in so many words," Katara mumbled sheepishly, "but the sentiment was there."

"Zuko thinks that everyone is creepy."

"So you don't agree with him? You think she's okay?" Katara asked Aang. For some inexplicable reason, she needed Aang to approve of Hama, especially in light of Zuko's feelings. Perhaps because, even while she knew very little of Hama, Katara was growing very quickly attached to the sweet, old woman.

"I like her." His pronouncement brought with it Katara's sigh of relief. "She's been kind and open with us," Aang considered, "I don't see what the problem is."

"That's what I thought," Katara muttered to herself, "That Zuko."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Aang offered.

She shook her head. "No. He's entitled to his feelings," Katara considered pragmatically, "I don't want to make him feel like he's wrong." Without warning, she threw her arms around Aang's neck and pressed a sound kiss to his lips. "Thank you for offering though."

"You're welcome," he murmured in return. He would have gladly stood in the narrow hallway holding her in his arms for the rest of the night and it was that very realization that prompted Aang to pull away. She felt so good pressed against him that he knew it would probably be a wise choice if he said goodnight right then and so he did.

Katara kissed him again, ignoring her brother's sputtering protests, this time soft and lingering and loving. "Goodnight, Aang." They parted reluctantly a few seconds later, completely unaware that their private exchange had been observed by more than their three groaning friends.

The next morning the six teens stumbled into the dining room to find Hama and a huge spread of food waiting for them. "I know you said it was your intention to move on this morning," she said as they took their seats around the table, "but I was so hoping you'd stay awhile."

Sokka eyed the mouthwatering smorgasbord set before him. "Do you cook like this often?" he asked.

"Only when I have special visitors such as you children," Hama replied with a disarming smile.

"In that case, we can definitely stay a few more days," Sokka decided.

Zuko was adamantly opposed to the idea, but his friends seemed so excited that he refrained from saying anything about it. Something about the old woman was off. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. On the surface, she seemed kind and friendly. She had opened her home to a group of strange teenagers and had shown them nothing, but hospitality. Yet, in spite of that, Zuko continued to be unnerved. Consequently, while his friends took to Hama like a beloved grandmother, Zuko maintained his guard.

"I'm sorry if the food is a bit cold," Hama apologized as they began to dig in, "I was done making it an hour ago, but you were still asleep and I was reluctant to wake you."

"We don't usually sleep so late," Toph reassured her.

"Well, you did seem exhausted," Hama said.

"We had an exhausting night," Katara replied vaguely.

"No doubt that was the Fire Nation's doing," Hama determined, receiving several sharpened glances over the intuitive remark. She calmly took a bite of food before speaking again. "It's not very hard to figure out you children are on the run," she said, "You're traveling with the Avatar and the rumor is that he's dead. The Fire Nation will stop at nothing to maintain their tyrannical rule. I know very well how cruel they can be. I want to help you…keep you safe for as long as you are with me."

"Even if keeping us here means putting yourself in danger?" Suki wondered.

Hama smiled at her. "Even then. It's the right thing to do."

"Thank you, Hama," Katara whispered, "That means a lot to us."

"Good," Hama said. "Now we'll have no more of this unpleasant talk. Let's enjoy breakfast." As she started to bend tea into their empty cups, however, Hama realized that the liquid had grown tepid. She stood and reached for the pot. "I'm going to reheat this."

"That's not necessary," Aang said, reaching across the table to cradle the tea pot in his hands and warm the liquid via his firebending. He glanced at Hama, who regarded him with a stricken expression. Unaware of her unease, Aang flashed her a wide grin. "Saves you a trip to the kitchen."

"You're a Firebender?" she observed, her brows snapping together in surprise.

"Yes," Zuko confirmed almost in challenge, "Aang's been traveling with us since the beginning. He's a good friend."

Hama's craggy features crinkled even more with her answering smile. She lowered her eyes, hoping to conceal the malevolent hatred leaping in their depths. "Well, if he's a friend of yours, then he's a friend of mine," she announced, resuming her seat, "Let's eat."

Later on that afternoon, the group focused their attention on devising appropriate disguises for Zuko. There were lengthy discussions about hats, which Aang insisted weren't at all fashionable in the Fire Nation, and headbands, which would only do a partial job of concealing the giant arrow on Zuko's head. Sokka even suggested that Zuko re-grow is hair, which was absolutely out of the question as far as the young Avatar was concerned. No one could seem to agree on anything except the fact the tattoos needed to be covered.

Now that Zuko had them, he would be all the more visible when they were out in public. They had the advantage for now because the Fire Nation believed he was dead and, therefore, most of the wanted posters concerning him had been torn down. They still had to contend with the wanted posters for Aang, but now that he was missing his scar and his hair, it was less likely anyone would recognize him. Making Zuko unrecognizable, however, proved to be a more difficult task. The present priority for the group was finding a way to conceal Zuko's tattoos, but that simple task was made complicated because everyone had an opinion on how it should be done.

When Hama stepped into the stables to announce that lunch was ready, they were already on round three of the "discussion." However, with the mention of food, the argument was forgotten. As the others took off for the house, Hama and Katara fell into step with one another.

"I want to thank you again for opening up your home to us," Katara said graciously, "You've made us feel very welcome and safe."

"It's been a delight for me, little one," Hama replied, "But if you really want to thank me, Katara, why don't you allow this old Waterbender to show you a few of her tricks?"

"You would teach me?" Katara breathed in surprise.

"It would be an honor," Hama told her sincerely.

After lunch, she took Katara out to a secluded part of the forest just beyond the town's border. They seemed to walk on for miles, but the time flew by for Katara because she found herself growing increasingly fascinated with Hama. She soaked up Hama's words like a sponge, listening intently as the older Waterbender entertained her with stories of growing up in the Southern WaterTribe. Before Katara realized it, they were situated in a lush green pasture, full of blooming fire lilies and surrounded by the mountain chain which loomed in the distance. It was then that Hama commenced with the lessons.

"Growing up at the South Pole, Waterbenders are naturally at home surrounded by snow and ice and seas," she began, "But, as I'm sure you've learned during your travels, it's not like that everywhere you go." Hama gestured to the greenery encircling them, pretty and fragrant, but without a water source in sight. "You have to learn to control water wherever it exists," she told Katara.

"I don't understand what you mean," Katara murmured.

Hama regarded her with a secret smile. "Did you know that you can pull water out of thin air?" she asked. She weaved her hand through the space between them, collecting the humid moisture on the tips of her fingers. Katara gasped. "You have to keep an open mind," Hama said, crystallizing the water on her fingers into icy shards and flinging them into the trunk of a nearby tree with deadly accuracy, "There's water in places you never even think about, Katara."

"That was amazing," Katara praised breathlessly, "How did you learn all these things?"

"Back home, I had a very skilled master," Hama explained, "She taught me very well. After I was captured, I had to hone the skills she'd given me on my own. Who taught you?"

"A waterbending master from the Northern Water Tribe by the name of Pakku," Katara said, "I had to travel there so I could learn from him."

"I wasn't aware that the Northern Water Tribe trained female Waterbenders," Hama considered.

"He made the exception for me."

"Then you must be an exceptional Waterbender," Hama concluded with an air of pride. But then, she frowned suddenly. "Bah…the Northern Water style…there's nothing wrong with it, but it's not our tradition," Hama replied, "You should learn the waterbending style of your heritage, Katara. You and I are the only ones who can carry on the tradition and I won't be around much longer."

"I want to learn," Katara said eagerly.

"And I will gladly teach you what I know," Hama whispered, "Why don't you try mimicking the move I showed you earlier?" While Katara attempted to gather together the droplets of moisture from the air, Hama asked almost casually, "So tell me, was Aang with you when you traveled to the North Pole?"

"No," Katara replied, half distracted, "Unfortunately, we were separated for a while."

"I'm surprised your parents are comfortable with the idea of you traveling alone with a Firebender," Hama remarked.

That statement caught Katara's full attention and, for the moment, waterbending was forgotten. "My mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid," she explained to Hama, "And my father… Well, he's met Aang and he approves of him."

"Hmm," Hama replied, as if dismissing the conversation entirely. "Come over here," she told Katara, "I have something else I want to show you."

She led Katara further into the field so that they stood in the very center of a large bed of fire lilies. "These flowers are so beautiful," Katara remarked softly, "I love them. Aang told me that they only bloom here a few weeks out of the year."

"Yes," Hama confirmed, "They are one of my favorite things about living here. And, like all living things, they are filled with water." She did a graceful spin, sweeping out her hand as she did the turn so that she could draw the water from the lilies as she did. The move left them dark and shriveled. Before Katara had even assimilated what she'd done, Hama flung the gathered water out in a bladed slice, splitting a nearby rock cleanly in two. She turned to face Katara with a stern look. "You must learn to use your environment to your advantage, Katara."

Katara nodded. "That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen," she said, but when she stared down at the barren flowers that had once been a beautiful, vibrant red, she frowned. "It's a shame about the lilies though."

"They're just flowers," Hama dismissed, "They'll grow back. I have one more technique I would like to teach you, but it will have to wait until tonight."

"Why is that?" Katara wondered as they started back towards town.

"It can only be done during the full moon when your bending is at its peak."

"There's so much I don't know," Katara mumbled, suddenly feeling very inexperienced despite all she had learned as a Waterbender.

"Don't worry," Hama said with a smile, reaching out to grasp hold of her hand, "I'll teach you what you need to know."

"But…But we probably won't be staying on with you here very long," Katara explained glumly, "Aang has a friend here in the Fire Nation and we need to get to him so that Zuko will have a safe place to train."

"Your Aang seems like a very resourceful young man," Hama commented in a deceptively neutral tone.

"He's amazing," Katara agreed.

"You sound as if you're in love."

Katara smiled at the observation. "That's because I am. I've never felt like this before."

"Were there no boys you liked back home in your village?" Hama wondered.

"There were a few," Katara admitted, "But they left to join the war effort. Before that, there were some who were killed in the raids so nothing ever came of it. In fact, before Sokka and I decided to join Zuko, we were the two oldest kids in our village. All the other warriors had left and the Waterbenders had all been taken."

She recounted to Hama the struggles and strife that had finally led to her father's decision to leave their village and join the resistance forces against the Fire Nation. Katara didn't realize how much bitterness and anger saturated her tone as she spoke, but Hama was very aware. By the time Katara had finished her tale, she and Hama were standing at the old Waterbender's front door. She was mildly embarrassed by the realization, unable to understand what it was about Hama that made her want to pour out her heart without reserve.

"That must have been difficult for you," Hama murmured sympathetically when Katara had finished speaking. The younger Waterbender nodded, made somber and reflective with the relived memories. "So you never really had an opportunity to enjoy your childhood, did you?"

"Not really," Katara confessed, "There was too much work to do."

"And Aang? He's the first boy you've ever loved, isn't he?"

Again, Katara found herself smiling. "Yeah, he is."

"Have you two been together very long?"

"Not long," Katara admitted, "It took me a while to figure out what I really wanted."

"Hmm…it's not all that surprising you struggled with the idea, considering…" Hama deliberately left the last of that statement hanging and Katara, predictably, took the bait.

"Considering what?" she prompted.

"Well, think about it," Hama murmured, "Aang's people are responsible for destroying our culture and way of life. They decimated our villages and our families. His people are the reason I was taken from my home and your mother was killed. They are the reason that you and I are the only two Southern Waterbenders left!"

"I've never associated that with Aang," Katara said.

"Maybe you should," Hama suggested softly, "After the horrible atrocities the Fire Nation committed against our people, it's…it's almost obscene that you should love him." Katara inhaled sharply. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, child, but you must be realistic. While your father may approve of this boy, it's not likely the majority of our people will. Think of our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in those senseless raids! Think of your mother, Katara! The truth is you would have likely never even looked twice at that boy if young men of your own culture had been available to you, young men the Fire Nation stole from us!"

Katara was so stunned in the aftermath of Hama's tirade that she didn't even detect Aang's rear approach until he asked, "Is that how you feel, Katara?" She whirled to face him, unable to answer the question right away, caught between extreme guilt and anger over Hama's words. However, to Aang her silence was as good as an admission of guilt. He immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Well, okay then," he uttered tersely, "It's good to know how you feel!" Without giving her the opportunity to explain at all, Aang turned on his heel then and walked away, ignoring Katara's plaintive cries from behind for him to wait.

She snapped back around to glare at Hama. "Why did you do that?" she cried, "You don't even know him! He's not like those Firebenders you described at all!"

"It seems to me, Katara, that he doesn't know you," Hama countered quietly. "He was rather quick to assume the worst of you, wasn't he? It's something to think about."

Without another word, Hama stepped inside the house, leaving a shaken and confused Katara alone in the open courtyard.