Chapter 21: "Bato of the Water Tribe" (Part 2)
Power.
That's what I felt when I woke up the next morning. A warm energy traveling up my legs, passed my stomach and stopped at the top of my forehead causing me to slowly wake up. I grumbled sleepily and rubbed my eyes until my bleary vision focused and gazed around the abbey in confusion. The courtyard was completely deserted.
Appa continued to snore, undisturbed, as I sat up on his leg; a gray blanket slipped off my body and flopped on the ground. I frowned in confusion and slid off the bison's leg; I don't remember grabbing a blanket last night? I picked it off the ground and realized it wasn't mine. It was Bato's. He must've checked on me last night while I was asleep. I exhaled deeply and folded it neatly into my arms. I should probably return this to him.
I walked over to his hut and was about to knock on his door when it slid open. Bato stood in the doorway, startled at first then smiled.
"Good morning" he said pleasantly.
"Morning" I mumbled awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other. "Uh, this is yours" I said, handing him the blanket.
He took the blanket from my outstretched hands and stepped aside. "Come in, have some breakfast. I was going to grab some water from the well"
I stepped inside the hut. Should I bring up last night? I really wanted to talk to him about it. As I was about to open my mouth, Bato had already stepped out into the courtyard towards the well. I sighed and turned around to see Katara sitting by the fireplace with a bowl of oats.
"Good morning" she greeted.
"Morning. Where's Sokka?" I asked, scooping a bowl of oats out of the warm pot.
"He went to go see if there's any meat around this place" she replied, chewing slowly on her oats. "Talia… does Bato not know you're a waterbender?"
I gave her a look. "Huh? Of course not. I told you, the only person that knew I was a waterbender was my mother" I said "Oh, and thanks for nearly blowing my cover last night" I added dryly, bringing a spoonful of oats to my mouth.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, and I waved it off.
Katara stared at the bowl in her hands. It was obvious there was something else she wanted to say.
I put my bowl down and let out a deep sigh. "What?" I asked bluntly.
"Huh?"
"You have a look on your face like there's something else you want to say to me. What is it?"
"It's nothing" she said
"Katara…"
She sighed. "Honestly Talia, I don't think you're being fair to Bato"
It took me a minute to realize she wasn't talking about my waterbending, but rather everything that happened last night.
"Would you rather I say nothing and let him go back on the front lines?" I asked.
"I'm not saying that" she said harshly. "I'm saying you should spend your time with him a little more wisely. I'd do anything to see my Dad again and your wasting time arguing with yours"
"I'm telling him he's too injured to fight anymore and he should go home!" I defended before groaning in exasperation. "I don't need this…" I said, abandoning my breakfast.
I walked out of the hut, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of all the people, I thought Katara would at least be on my side. When I looked up I saw one of the perfume-makers staring down at Aang with a crumpled ball of paper in her hand.
"Aha, I caught you. You should be ashamed of yourself" she scolded. Aang's face etched with guilt and fear. The woman held out the scrunched-up ball of paper to Aang. "Littering in the courtyard" she said.
The guilt and fear wiped away from his face which turned into relief. "I'm sorry, I'll take care of this" he said quickly.
As the woman walked away, he stuffed the object underneath his vest. I raised an eyebrow and walked over to him.
"Littering isn't exactly protecting nature, Aang" I teased.
Aang jumped upon hearing my voice and I honestly thought he was going to fly several feet into the sky. "Talia!" he said in surprise, turning to face me with his hands folded behind his back. "What're you doing here?" he asked nervously.
My eyebrow arched even farther. "Where else would I be?" I asked, scratching Appa's snout and frowned suspiciously. "You seem awfully jumpy. What's going on with you?"
"I'm not jumpy" Aang disagreed, smiling.
I fixed him with a look. "Aang, seriously, what's going on? " I asked crossly.
Aang didn't say anything at first, but eventually he sighed and hung his head solemnly. "Okay…" he started, "I'm really glad you guys are seeing someone from your tribe after a really long time, but to be honest, I've been feeling a little… left out" he admitted sheepishly, rubbing his arm.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Was that why he was acting so weird? He looked away, ashamed.
"Oh, Aang…" I said, pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to make you feel that way" I told him, squeezing his hands in mine.
"It's okay, Talia. I get it" he assured, "It's just that…"
He looked away again, his face ridden with guilt. My eyebrows furrowed, something else was bothering him. I was about to ask again but was interrupted by Sokka who was waving wildly at us out of the corner of my eye.
"Hey, Bato's gonna show us his boat! You guys coming?" he shouted
I glanced over at Aang, who seemed hesitant. I smiled and grabbed his hand. "Yeah, we're coming!" I called back, jogging towards the entrance of the abbey where they were waiting.
I needed to talk with Bato later anyway.
The ocean waves crashed against the shore as we walked onto the beach. As I walked next to Bato, I realized he smelled like medicine. The women from the abbey must've given him something for his wounds. No matter how hard I tried to enjoy this moment I was having with him right now, I couldn't take my eyes off his bandages. If he still needed medicine for his wounds, that meant they weren't completely healed yet.
Bato ran his hand against the side of the ship. "This ship is sentimental to me, it was built by my father" he mused wistfully.
"Talia, is this the boat he took you ice dodging in?" Sokka asked. I looked over at his beaming face, staring at me with awe.
"Yep, the exact same" I replied, glancing at the boat.
"And it's got the scar to prove it" Bato laughed proudly.
I rubbed my neck sheepishly as he pointed at the long, jagged mark along the hull. It was the week before he had to leave for the Earth Kingdom, Bato promised to take me ice dodging before he left. It'd been such a thrill to weave between the icebergs, I still remembered the adrenaline I felt that day. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out completely unscathed, hence the scar.
"What about you, Sokka? You must have some good stories from your first time ice dodging?" Bato asked expectantly, to which Sokka disappointedly shrugged and looked away.
"He never got to go; Dad left before he was old enough" Katara responded for him.
Bato's smile fell and he gazed at Sokka sympathetically. "Oh, I forgot you were too young" he replied apologetically.
"What's ice dodging?" Aang quipped curiously.
"It's a rite of passage for water tribe members; when you turn fourteen, your dad's supposed to take you" I explained.
Bato put a hand on Sokka's shoulder, his smile returning. "You know what, you're about to find out" he declared.
"Really?!" Sokka beamed.
He nodded. "Right now," he gestured us to board the boat.
Sokka and Katara scrambled onto the boat excitedly. Aang shifted awkwardly on his feet next to me, I could see his lonely expression returning. I stayed on the sand and glanced up at them as they stood there, waiting for me.
"Talia, aren't you coming?" Katara asked.
"I'd love to you guys, but I've already been ice dodging. It'd go against the ritual if I helped" I pointed out.
Sokka frowned as he pondered my words. "Well, what're we supposed to do? We need three people"
I clapped a hand on Aang's shoulder. "What if Aang takes my place? That way it won't be cheating" I suggested, pushing him up the ramp. "I'll be cheering you guys on from the beach. Let's see if you can do better than me" I added to Sokka.
That was all he needed; his eyes glinted at the challenge. "You're on" he grinned, then turned to the young airbender. "Come on Aang, we're gonna show her who's boss! " he proclaimed and sprinted towards the mainsail.
Aang stared at me with wide, grateful eyes and I gave him a wink. He smiled and aired himself onto the deck eagerly. As Bato was walking up to the deck, he stopped and patted his pockets.
"Hold on you three, I forgot to grab something" he told them.
"I'll go with you" I said.
"Hurry up, Bato!" Sokka called, anxiously bouncing on his feet as Bato and I disappeared through the trees.
Bato put a hand on my shoulder as we walked towards the abbey. "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" he finally said. Sometimes he knew me a little too well.
I took a deep breath. "Bato, did you think about what I said last night?" I asked as we crossed the courtyard.
He sighed. "I haven't changed my mind, Talia" he replied, opening the door to his hut. I stepped inside with my arms folded as he rummaged through his tent.
"So that's it? You're just going to forget about us?"
"I'm not forgetting about anyone" he replied sternly, as he slung a satchel over his shoulder and stood. "I told you last night, I have a duty to see this war through to the end"
I dug my fingers into my arms, feeling tears pinch behind my eyes again. But I wasn't going to cry this time. "Bato, we don't have anyone else besides you. I know I'm not your flesh and blood, but if you're not going to go home for me, then do it for Sienna"
His head suddenly snapped up as if he'd been shocked and looked at me. "Is that what you think?" he asked, bewildered, and pulled me into a hug. "Talia, just because you are not my flesh and blood doesn't mean I don't care about you"
I pulled away. "Then why are you doing this?"
He exhaled and squeezed my shoulders, pursing his lips as if he were thinking. "Wouldn't you do the same for Aang? Or Sokka and Katara?" he pointed out.
I looked up at him, surprised and shocked by his words. Of course, I'd be there for them, that's wasn't even a question. And judging by Bato's smile, he knew it too.
"That's… that's different!" I sputtered.
"Is it?" he enquired calmly with a raised eyebrow, an almost amused grin on his face.
I wanted to argue, but I couldn't find the right words anymore. I only managed to stutter out a few words like 'but' or 'that's not' but unable to form a complete sentence. Finally, I looked away in frustration and anger. Anger because he was right; if I got hurt, it wouldn't stop me from trying to get back to my friends. So why would Bato do anything different for Chief Hakoda and the rest of the warriors?
I hung my head in shame, realizing my own hypocrisy. "I'm sorry" I mumbled, embarrassed.
He chuckled and squeezed my shoulders again, I looked him in the eye. "We each have our own journeys to take, but destiny was kind enough to have our paths cross. Maybe we should enjoy the moment it's given us" he said.
I couldn't help the small smile that appeared on my face. Two years didn't sound like a long time, but it was. I didn't even think about how different I must've looked since he left.
"Okay," I said.
As we walked out of the hut, all I could think about was how I couldn't wait for this war to be over so that he could come back home. And we could rest easy knowing he was back safe and the war was won.
Back at the beach, Bato boarded his boat and sailed out to the sea. Meanwhile I waited on the beach, watching with anticipation. Bato told me he was going to have Sokka, Katara, and Aang weave through the rocks since there were no icebergs all the way out here. I only wish I could see Sokka's look of horror when Bato showed him the rocks.
As I jogged down the beach, following the boat, I could see Katara handling the main sail and Sokka at the steer, which meant Aang was controlling the jib. I hope they told him the proper way to control it. The waves pushed the boat towards two rocks with a narrow gap between them. At first it looked like it was going to crash when a strong gust of wind blew into the sails, causing the boat to drift just enough to narrowly avoid it.
Was that lucky or did Sokka mean to do that?
I didn't think about it for long and continued running down the beach. The wind began to pick up and so did the boat, this time it was headed right towards a wall of rocks.
I watched anxiously, my feet pounding in the wet sand as I ran even faster. With the speed they were going at, if they didn't do something quick they were going to collide right into it!
At the last minute, the boat jerked and swerved out of the way. I huffed in relief, dropping my hands on my knees. Was Sokka trying to see if I can die from panic?
As I stood up again, thinking I'd see the boat make port, but instead it was headed right towards an island of rocks with no way around. What were they doing? They were going to crash! I watched in horror as the waves became one and got bigger and higher.
Wait, higher? Waves don't move like that.
I started to sprint again, this time watching in confusion. There was a lot more wind in the sail too. Were Katara and Aang bending? What were they trying to do?
The wave got higher and higher with the boat riding on top until it was almost leveled with the rocks. I grit my teeth, wanting to look away, but at the same time couldn't bring myself to do it. They were too close, they weren't going to make it! At the last second, I turned away, waiting to hear the impact but there was none. Instead there was a loud splash and I looked back to see the boat safely harbor back on the beach.
My jaw hit the floor. Tui and La, they made it.
With a shake of my head, I rushed towards the boat. By the time I made it there, they were already stepping down the plank.
"Are you insane?!" I cried with wide arms.
Sokka jumped down from the plank. "Ha, ha! How's that for ice-dodging?" he exclaimed triumphantly, looking positively giddy with himself.
I folded my arms over my chest and grinned, shaking my head. "Alright, that was pretty impressive" I admitted, glancing back at the scar I left on the boat. And this idiot didn't leave a single scrape.
"And…?" he pushed, smirking from ear-to-ear
I rolled my eyes. "And I admit that you're better at ice-dodging than me. But no bragging rights! " I added quickly, pointing a finger at him and his arms fell at his sides.
"Come on, it's not over until the ceremony" Bato ushered as he grabbed a small bowl of paint from his pouch and the three of them lined up. I stood behind him as he started the ceremony.
"The spirits of water, bear witness to these marks" he recited proudly and dipped his fingers in the paint, "For Sokka, the mark of the wise—the same mark your father earned" he added in a softer tone as he drew the symbol on his forehead.
Sokka beamed as he stepped away next to me and I good-naturedly nudged his elbow, grinning.
"For Katara, the mark of the brave—your courage inspires us" Bato continued, drawing a crescent moon symbol on her forehead and I subconsciously touched my pendant.
Katara took a long stride towards us and I threw my arms around both their necks, pulling them into a hug and feeling like a proud sister. "Guess you're 'official' water tribe members now" I whispered, and we laughed quietly as Bato finished the ceremony.
"And for Aang, the mark of the trusted—you are now an honorary member of the water tribe" Bato finished, drawing the last mark on Aang's forehead.
I outstretched the arm around Sokka's neck a little further, waiting for the young airbender to jump into the group hug. But he stayed rooted to the spot, his expression changing from perplexed to shocked.
"I-I can't…" Aang mumbled, looking away.
"Of course, you can!" Katara encouraged.
He wiped the mark from his forehead. "No, you can't trust me" he admitted, stepping back almost guiltily.
I frowned in confusion and dropped my arms from around their shoulders.
Katara stepped forward with her arms out like she was about to hug him. "Aang, what're you talking about?" she asked.
Aang reached into his vest and pulled out the scrunched-up paper ball he hid from the abbess earlier. "A messenger gave this to me for Bato" he explained shamefully.
Confused, Katara took it from his hand and uncrumpled it, Sokka peered over his sister's shoulder.
"You have to understand, I was afraid you wouldn't—"
"This is the map to our father! You had it the whole time?!" Sokka exploded and Aang flinched back.
"What?" I said in disbelief and took the paper from Katara's hand. Sure enough, it was a map from Chief Hakoda leading to the rendezvous point. Sokka snatched it from my hands, glaring back at the young airbender.
"How could you?!" he demanded, to which Aang didn't reply. "Well, you can go to the North Pole on your own! I'm going to find Dad" he declared, stomping away.
My eyes widened. "Sokka, hold on. I'm sure Aang has—"
"Katara, are you with me?" he interjected, staring at his sister.
She glanced back over at Aang's saddened face and hung her head. "I'm with you, Sokka" she decided, although she sounded reluctant. Katara walked towards her brother and he looked back over at me.
"And you?" he asked.
I looked at Aang and back at him, feeling lost. "I… I'm sure Aang has an explanation for why he did this" I said delicately.
Sokka's eyes widened. "Fine, go with him!" he shouted and stormed back towards the abbey, his sister and a stunned silent Bato followed him.
I glanced back helplessly at Aang, who hung his head. His wide eyes looked up at me as I put a hand on his shoulder, unable to find the right words. "You… you know what you did was wrong, right?" I managed to ask.
"I know" he mumbled regretfully. "I was just afraid of losing you guys"
Despite knowing what he did was awful, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. His jumpiness from this morning made a lot more sense now and I remembered how dejected he looked this morning. There was no defending what he did, I knew that. But maybe I can make them understand why.
I sighed. "I'll try and talk to them"
With that, I left the young airbender on the beach and sprinted after Sokka. They were halfway up the rocky path until I caught up to them, nearly tripping as I brushed past Bato.
"Sokka, hold on" I called. "I think you should at least hear what he has to say"
"'Hear what he has to say'? I didn't know there's a grey area in this" Sokka remarked sarcastically.
"Yeah, believe it or not, there is" I replied sharply, stopping as the hill became steeper.
He stopped too and turned his head to give me a confused look, angry, but confused nonetheless. Katara stopped too, patiently waiting for what I had to say. Sokka turned on his heel and faced me with his arms crossed.
"Fine, then let's hear it" he said,
I looked over my shoulder at my stepfather. "Bato, can you give us a minute?" I asked.
"I'll erm… wait for you kids at my hut" he said sheepishly and went on ahead.
I waited until he disappeared out of hearing distance and looked back at the siblings. "Look, you guys have every right to be upset. But you have to understand, ever since we got here, Aang's been feeling left out"
"Oh, and that gives him a right to keep us from our father?" Sokka snapped.
"I'm not saying that!" I told him defensively.
"How would you feel if he kept a map that led you to Bato? " he demanded coldly.
"I'd be upset, same as you! What he did was terrible, and he knows that and he's sorry about it, but he's been feeling lonely and ignored. Come on you guys, we know what that feels like better than anyone" I reasoned softly. "He's family too, remember? Or was that just words?"
Katara wasn't meeting my eye, but I could see the regret on her face. Sokka clenched his fist and looked away as if he was pondering my words and for a moment, I thought he was going to change his mind; there was a beat of silence and Sokka looked back at me.
"Are you coming with us or not?" he asked bitterly.
When I didn't say anything, he took my silence as an answer and continued walking towards the abbey. I stared at his sister.
"Katara…"
She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "I'm sorry… " she muttered softly and followed her brother.
They were out of my sight before I could say platypus-bear and I stood alone in the forest. It wasn't that I wasn't on their side, I was. And I hated that there was a part of me that really wanted to go with Bato, but it didn't feel right abandoning Aang.
I screamed out in frustration and threw my fist at the nearest tree. To my shock and horror, flames erupted from my knuckles like a ripple around my hand. It grew and grew before disappearing into nothing. That was when I felt an unbearable throb course through my fist and up my arm.
"Ow! OW!" I shouted painfully, clutching my hand to my chest. I glimpsed at the scorch mark left behind on the tree, the pungent smell of burnt wood swirled around me. When I examined my hand, there was a large burn across the back, and when I flexed my fingers the pain coursed through my veins.
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
Thankfully, the abbess didn't ask me how I got the burn when I walked into her dispensary. She examined the injury and bustled around the room until she found the right medicine and came back with some bandages. When she opened the little container, the ointment reminded me of the same medicine Bato smelled of.
"The burn isn't severe, so it won't take too long to heal" the abbess explained, as she finished wrapping my hand. "Keep that on and take this with you" she added, handing me the little container.
"Thank you,"
"Apply that every four hours and it'll be gone within a day or two" she instructed.
"How much for it?" I asked, reaching for my little coin bag.
"For the Avatar's friend? Free of charge" she replied.
I blinked. "Please ma'am, I insist"
But she merely raised her hand and shook her head, not accepting any money. "If you'd like to pay me, then rid the Earth Kingdom of the Fire Nation and I'll consider that payment enough" she said, her eyes twinkled at her little joke.
I laughed awkwardly. "Right, of course…" I murmured, staring down at my hand, and walked out with my medicine before she could say anything else. As I stepped out the door, I nearly ran into Bato. He smiled down at me, as if to ask how things went with Sokka and Katara. I sighed. "This is a mess…"
"I take it things didn't go very well" he stated, to which I shook my head. "Talia, I hope you'll come with us"
I stared up at him, my eyes wide. "What?" I asked in disbelief.
"It's been over two years since I last saw you, and now that you're here, I don't want to lose you" he said.
"Bato, I don't want that either" I admitted, feeling guilty as I thought of Aang and I looked away.
He squeezed my shoulders. "I'll respect your decision, whatever you decide" he promised, "We're leaving this afternoon, think about it" he told me before striding back to his hut to pack up his belongings.
I ran a hand down my face, groaning.
What a mess…
Bato helped Katara with her bag as she pulled it over her shoulders. Aang sat on top of Appa's head with his knees pulled up to his chest. I looked from him then back to Bato, before exhaling deeply and walked over to him.
"Can we talk?" I asked
"Of course" he smiled, and we walked a few feet away from the others.
I bit my bottom lip before speaking. "I'm really glad I got to see you again, Bato. And I'd love to go with you to the rendezvous point"
"Well, I'm glad to hear that because—"
"But I can't" I interjected, which caused Bato to raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I know Sokka and Katara are upset with Aang, but I don't have a reason to abandon him and... I came on this journey for a reason" I added, gently holding my pendant between my thumb and index finger.
His eyes fell to look at my necklace and something changed in his eyes when he saw it. "Talia..." he started.
"She's alive. I can feel it" I said firmly.
"You don't know that" he said gently.
"We don't know that she isn't either" I countered. "I'm going to find her and Avani and I'm going to bring them home"
Bato nodded, not meeting my eye. It was obvious he wasn't happy about my decision, but he promised to respect it. I smiled and unclipped my necklace from behind my neck and held it out to him.
"Sienna gave this to me before I left, I want you to have it. Just in case you need something to keep you going" I told him softly, placing it gently in his hand.
He stared at the necklace in his hand, holding it tightly before hugging me tightly. "I'm so proud of you. We'll see each other again" he said, before pulling away and kissing the top of my head. "This war will be over soon enough, and we'll all be back home"
"Yeah," I said, tightly hugging him one last time. Soon couldn't come fast enough.
I walked back over to Appa and Aang's head suddenly perked up when he saw Katara walking towards us. She wore a sad expression as she looked at us.
"Good luck" she told us sadly.
"Okay, you too" Aang replied softly.
I gave her a small smile as she glanced over at me. "Take care, Katara" I told her.
She smiled back and gave me a quick hug before letting go and walking out the abbey with Bato and Sokka. I climbed into the saddle just as the abbess in charge walked over to us.
"Guess we should be moving on" Aang said.
"That would be best" she answered curtly.
Aang pulled on the reins and led Appa out of the abbey. He stopped on the pathway and watched as Katara, Bato, and Sokka hiked in the opposite direction.
"I'm such an idiot" I heard him mutter as he led Appa down the other path.
I moved up to the front of the saddle. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
"No" he mumbled.
He sighed dismally and hung his head. I hopped out of the saddle and slid down next to him.
"Okay, listen, I'm not going to say what you did was right. But I'll let you in on a little secret" I said, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. "Us water tribe can never hold a grudge for long. They're angry right now, but deep down they know you're not a bad person" I assured.
"That doesn't make me feel better" he replied reproachfully.
"I'm saying they'll come around" I said emphatically.
He looked hopefully at me. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"Give them some time, they will" I reassured.
The young airbender looked at me and a small grin crept on his boyish features. "Thanks Talia" he said.
I gave his shoulders a squeeze as we came to the beach. Aang jumped down lightly on one of Appa's horns and tightened the reins. I moved to the other one and did the same. We weren't there long until the head abbess came rushing towards us.
"Avatar, you must leave!" she said hurriedly.
"Okay, I get it, everybody wants me gone" Aang said impatiently.
The woman clasped her hands together. "A group of people came to the abbey looking for you" she explained.
This caused both of us to turn our heads. "Who?" Aang asked.
"A fierce looking woman with a horrible monster and a young man with a scar"
Aang frowned. "Zuko" he muttered.
"Zuko's here?!" I exclaimed in disbelief. How did he find us? Last time we saw him was at the Yu Yan base. It was miles away from here. There was no way he could've caught up to us.
"The beast was using the scent of a necklace to follow you" the abbess explained.
Aang and I frowned in confusion. Necklace? My eyes quickly widened as Aang and I exchanged looks.
"Katara!" we both gasped in alarm.
Aang grabbed his glider and unclasped it. "Talia—"
"Go! Appa and I are right behind you" I urged. He nodded and flew into the air as I quickly snatched my water pouch from the saddle and secured the reins on the bison's horns, grasping them in my hands. "Appa, yip yip!" I said.
I guided Appa to follow Aang and looked down at the abbey below. As I looked down, I saw a big and ugly animal in the middle of the courtyard and walking in circles. Sokka and Katara were on its back, but they weren't moving. Why weren't they moving? Aang dived towards the animal and it stood on its hind legs and shot out its tongue, nearly hitting him in the leg. The animal lost balance and everyone on its back fell off. The woman, who I guessed was the owner, ordered the animal to stand as she climbed on its back. I lowered Appa towards the animal and the bison knocked it away from Aang, throwing the animal against a wall.
As the dust settled from the collision, Appa growled and snorted angrily at the animal. I jumped off Appa's head and ran towards Aang and Zuko when the young airbender blocked me with his staff.
"I can handle him; just get Sokka and Katara to safety!" Aang shouted as he blocked a fire blast with his staff.
I hesitated for a minute before running towards Sokka and Katara. "What happened?" I asked.
"Talia, watch out!" Katara cried.
I barely ducked in time as the spiked tongue shot towards my neck, freezing it with my water as it was receding. The animal howled in pain as it clawed at its frozen tongue.
"Talia, be careful, that shirshu paralyzes with its tongue!" Sokka called out.
I raised my eyebrows and glanced back at the shirshu as it barreled towards Appa. "No one said this would be easy" I remarked sarcastically, tightening the strap of my pouch just as two abbesses emerged from their rooms. "Get them to safety!" I told them, pointing to Sokka and Katara, before sprinting towards the shirshu.
Appa headbutted the beast at the other end of the courtyard once again, but it didn't stay down long. I jumped onto Appa's head, hoping to assist Aang on the roof, but as the bison jumped in the air, the shirshu shot out it's tongue and grazed Appa's leg. I held onto the reins tightly as Appa crashed onto the ground.
"No, Appa, come on buddy!" I said, patting his head.
Just as I looked up, the shirshu's tongue shot towards my head, I turned just in time, whipping it sharply away with my water.
"That thing's so annoying!" I retorted, and the woman in black that was riding it, smirked at me. I glared, preparing to fight alone when the bison rumbled beneath me and stood on its legs. I gave him a reassuring pat and whipped the reins once more. "Come on, Appa!"
This time Appa took the offense and charged towards them, this time headbutting it so ferociously that the woman flew off its seat.
There was a loud crack and Appa howled in pain. The woman had used her momentum midair to lash her whip at Appa. When I turned to see where she'd fallen, she rolled out of the way just as Appa's foot came down on her. She stared at the cracked earth in horror. I hopped off the bison, hoping to pin her down but she'd already scrambled back onto her pet. The shirshu lunged over our heads and onto the roof after Aang. Appa turned on his feet and whipped his tail once, the force of the air broke parts of the roof, the debris unfortunately falling on Sokka.
Aang dived into one of the troughs in the center of the courtyard to avoid the shirshu. Before I could do anything, the beast jumped onto the roof, avoiding another blow from Appa. Aang and Zuko took their fight by the well as I tried to ward off the shirshu while keeping my distance. Every time it shot out it's tongue I ducked, dodged, and water-whipped the tongue away, narrowly missing me every time.
The woman on the shirshu cracked her whip at me and I used the opportunity to shoot my water at her, the force making her drop her whip on the ground. The woman glared, as she was too far to grab her weapon. Appa roared and charged as Aang and a soaked Zuko ran into the fray. I stumbled out of the way near Sokka and Katara, as both Appa and the beast's tongue almost hit me. Then the bison was hit with a barrage of lashes from the shirshu until Appa finally fell on his side, paralyzed.
The woman and her pet made a beeline for Aang and Zuko. I was about to come to his aid when the head abbess ran around me with a bottle that had a strong aroma and held it under Sokka and Katara's nose, causing them to stand up straight.
"I can't pin down that bounty hunter without that ugly shirshu getting in the way" I said, uncomfortably watching as the shirshu and Zuko had Aang pinned against the wall.
"It sees with its nose" Sokka observed, "Let's give it something to look at"
"The perfume?" the abbess asked.
Sokka nodded confidently and the head abbess ushered the other sisters to bring out barrels upon barrels of perfume. Katara and I stood in a stance as they tipped the barrels around us and it flooded around our ankles.
"Alright Katara, just like we practiced" I told her.
She grinned as we moved our arms around in big circles, the perfume swirling around us. The smell was really overwhelming, but we managed to wave it above the shirshu that was still attempting to paralyze Aang. Katara and I brought our arms down sharply and the perfume doused not only the shirshu, but Zuko as well. The animal shook its head in confusion and began to randomly throw its tongue around, hitting Zuko in the chest. As the woman tried to control her pet, it hit her too. The animal ran around the courtyard in a fright. Katara and I jumped out of the way as it ran past us and over the roof.
"I don't think they'll be getting up for a while" I said, putting my hands on my hips and glanced towards our paralyzed foes.
"Let's not stick around to find out" Sokka replied.
We ran over to Aang who was picking up his staff, seeming exhausted. One of the abbesses made Appa smell a more concentrated formula of the perfume and he was back on his feet. As I looked back to see the bounty hunter and Zuko, I was surprised to see General Iroh lying next to them. His eye met mine and he winked. I hated to say I wanted to laugh.
We thanked the women of the abbey and clamored on top of Appa before soaring away. The sky was a deep orange color as we flew higher up and the abbey below disappeared behind the trees. I threw myself back against the saddle with a loud huff, exhausted.
"So, what now?" Aang asked delicately.
"We're getting you to the North Pole" Katara declared.
"Yeah, we lost too much time as it is" Sokka agreed.
Aang's head popped up from over the saddle. "Don't you want to see your father?" he asked, perplexed.
"Of course, we do, Aang. But you're our family too; and right now, you need us more" Sokka replied.
"And we need you" Katara added, bringing her knees to her chest.
Sokka looked over at me and sheepishly rubbed his neck. "So, uh… we cool?" he asked awkwardly.
I raised an eyebrow and chuckled, outstretching my arms. "Bring it in" I said as we scooched closer to hug it out.
Katara rolled her eyes at us and Aang smiled, resting his head over his folded arms, and looking over at the girl. "I wish I could give you a little piece of home, Katara. Something to remind you..."
"I'll be okay" she told him softly.
"Still, just a little trinket" Aang continued eagerly, "Maybe something like... this?" he said, holding up a blue ribbon with a pendant hanging off it. It was the necklace she lost at the mining village. Well, not so lost anymore.
"Aang, how did you get that?" Katara gasped in delight as she clipped the necklace behind her neck.
"Zuko asked me to be sure I got it to you" Aang said simply.
"Aww, that's so sweet of Zuko" she gushed in a mocking way "Could you give him a kiss for me when you see him?" she asked
"Sure" Aang responded. Katara gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek and he blushed, unable to hide his smile.
I chuckled. "Told you they'd come around" I said, scratching Momo's head as he landed on my shoulder.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked.
"Oh, nothing!" I waved off.
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