Barely had Zuko and the others managed to put the food down in Hamas kitchen before Sokka loudly announced.
"All right! Now is our chance!" Sokka exclaimed. "Let's search the inn!"
"Wait. What?" Katara asked.
"Come on. Something is definitely off here." Sokka said. "Let's figure out what it is before Hama comes back."
"Sokka!" Katara exclaimed. "That's rude! She's only been really nice to us."
"Hey. If she has nothing to hide she wont mind us having a look around." Sokka replied back.
"I can't believe you." Katara said. "Zuko help me out here."
"Erhm… I like the idea of better safe than sorry honestly." Zuko admitted as he scratched his cheek. "We don't really know anything about this woman."
"You guys are unbelievable. Aang! Tell them." Katara demanded.
"I… I don't know." Aang said. "I mean it would be really rude to search a house she willingly invited us into. But also this place is weird… Really really weird. I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Okay Katara is down voted!" Sokka exclaimed. "Now hurry up!" he exclaimed and turned around to run up the stairs.
There was no more arguing after that. Sokka had already vanished up the stairs.
"No. Don't… SOKKA!" Katara exclaimed as she ran after him. Honestly though there was no stopping the guy and well. Zuko had been living a life where not being in the know could mean instant death so… He rather make sure honestly.
And thus he willingly helped Sokka as they started to check rooms and… everything looked perfectly normal. Just more rooms for potential guests to sleep in. The inn twelve guest rooms total. All upstairs.
Downstairs there was the kitchen they had all ready been in, the private dining room they had been eating in. A larger dining room that seemed to be for the guests. Hamas private bedroom which was unlocked and going in there was indeed stepping over Zukos own boundaries.
Beside the bedroom looked perfectly normal and well kept. Sparse but nice.
There was a wash room for clothes washing. A clothes line outside for drying. A private garden which had a few fruit trees and vegetables.
Everything looked perfectly tranquil and normal. As well was everything unlocked and they could easily move through the entire inn. The weirdest thing they found was a collection of marionette puppets. But as Katara had said. It wasn't unusual for people to have a hobby or collection special objects like that. Obviously Hama spend the most of her time alone, so of course she would have a sort of hobby.
All was peaceful, normal and unlocked.
That is all except one single door… Just the one door at the upper floor was locked and Sokka grinned.
"This gotta be it!" Sokka grinned. "This is the only locked door in the entire inn!"
"Don't you think maybe it's locked for a reason?" Katara asked.
"Well yes!" Sokka exclaimed. "Which is why we want to find out what's in there!" he exclaimed as he pulled out his sword and jammed it into the lock, starting to fiddle with it and surprisingly it actually worked the door opened to reveal…
An empty room. The entire room was all empty except a little box standing in the middle. "That's totally suspicious!" Sokka shouted as he grabbed the box and tried to open it only to realize the box was locked as well. "Urgh! Come on stupid thing!" Sokka hissed. "Katara! Don't you have like a hair pin or something?!"
"I am not going to help you open up Hamas secret box!" Katara huffed.
"But… Aren't you just a little curious?" Aang asked.
"Hama has been so nice to us! She's given us beds to sleep in and food! This is rude!" Katara exclaimed.
"Here let me try." Toph asked as Sokka willingly handed the box over to her and Toph used the bit of space rock she had to make a key. "Okay… Here goes."
"Children. What are you doing."
All stiffened and then they turned to see an old lady standing in the door.
They all gaped.
"I… I'm sorry!" Katara gasped. "I told them not to do it! You have a right to privacy!"
"What's in this box?" Sokka asked. "This is highly suspicious."
Hama blinked. Then exhaled deeply. "In that box… It's my greatest treasure." she said. "It means the world to me. Here." she reached out her hands. "Let me show you."
Toph hesitated a bit but finally offered the box back to Hama who smiled.
"Forgive me children. I didn't mean to keep secrets from you. But also I didn't know how to say it." Hama said as she pulled a small key out from her pocket and then in a click unlocked the box. "This… This is the only thing I have left. From home." she whispered as she reached in her hand and then pulled out…
A comb… A white comb with elegant blue decoration. The comb seemed to be make from saber-whale tusk like many items at the poles.
Aang blinked. "A comb?" he asked.
"It looks like… It came from a water tribe." Katara gasped.
"Yes." Hama smiled. "I have not seen my homeland for sixty years. You are the first I have even seen or met, in such a long time. From my home. The southern water tribe."
Every bodies eyes widened and they gasped.
"You… You… You're from the southern water tribe?!" Katara asked stunned.
"Yes. The same as the two of you. If I'm not mistaken." Hama smiled her eyes looking misty while she looked at Sokka and Katara.
"How did you know?" Sokka asked.
"I overheard your camp fire stories." Hama smiled. "The story of Nini is an old classic. My own mother told it to me as well. Though she spoke like she had been the one who found Nini's ghost. I believe that's how it's supposed to be told. Like the story teller herself was the one out in the snow."
"Tui and La." Katara gasped holding a hand over her mouth.
"How come you didn't say anything?" Sokka asked.
"I…" Hama said. "I have not seen anyone from my tribe. For so long." she said. "I thought I might have just imagined. And I wanted to imagine for a little longer even if I happened to be wrong." she said. "And the food I bought today. I thought I would make traditional water tribe food! I have only been able to cook such food for myself."
"Of course." Katara said. "That's so nice."
Hama smiled. "Would you mind helping me in the kitchen Katara?" she asked. "I'm afraid I couldn't get all the right ingredients here but ocean kumquats almost tastes like sea prunes if you stew them long enough."
"Of course I'll help." Katara beamed. "I knew it! I knew I felt a connection to you."
"And I knew she was hiding something. So we were both right!" Sokka huffed.
Hama chuckled. "You have the eyes of water tribe people too! It's been so long." she smiled looking genuinely happy. "Oh hear me babble on as if dinner is going to cook itself." she shook her head. "I'll just be in the kitchen. You kids just make yourself comfortable. Though I could need help in the kitchen for those who lacks things to do."
"I'm coming right now!" Katara exclaimed as she ran after Hama and Hama smiled warmly.
"Thank you Katara."
As dinner was served the oddly specific scent of southern water tribe food penetrated the air. Katara and Sokka were both ecstatic as Hama smiled warmly while she chuckled.
"This is incredible." Sokka gasped. "You only lack the jerky and it's a true southern water tribe feast!"
Aang looked like he had already gotten something stuck in his throat despite the fact that none of them had eaten anything yet.
"Who wants five flavoured soup?" Hama asked.
"Me! Me!" Both Katara and Sokka cheered as Hama lifted her hand and then… the soup itself levitated from the pot and spread out into six portions. One for each.
Zuko halted, his eyes wide at Hama. So were all the others and Katara gasped.
"You're…" Katara gasped. "You're a water bender!"
Hama smiled. "I was the last water bender at the southern water tribe."
Zuko halted, suddenly it felt like he was the one who had gotten something stuck in his throat. In spite of not having eaten anything.
Sokka as well quieted. "How did you end up here?" he asked.
Hama sighed deeply. "It is… not a happy story." she said. "I was a young girl. I believe your age." she began as she glanced down at her soup. "I remember the first time the black snow fell from the sky. Or rather… ashes." she said. "And they came. In their big machine ships made of metal! They melted our walls and burned our villages." she said.
Zuko swallowed as he looked down.
"But we are people of the ice and snow. We fought back!" Hama said. "With water benders at our side. Being in their natural element we took down those metal monsters. So they retaliated… and they took our water benders. One by one. Water benders were either captured or killed. No one was safe, you never knew who would be gone next or who had just been taken the day before! I watched them drag people away and fought to my last breath. But it wasn't enough. Every time we took down ship ten seemed to appear in its place. There was just... so many. They overwhelmed us. And finally… I was the last one standing. The last water bender." she closed her eyes. "I remember… It was just me and a circle of soldiers dressed in armour. They were everywhere and I… I wasn't strong enough." she swallowed. "So they took me… They put chains on my hands and feet and dragged me unto their big metal ship. And that was the last time I ever saw my homeland." she whispered, her eyes closed. "Then I was taken to a prison. Here in the fire nation. It was deep underground where the light from Tui was never to find us… Only many years after I managed to escape. I was the only one." she whispered her head low.
"How?" Sokka asked. "How did you manage to escape? Why didn't you come back to the water tribe? We would have welcomed you."
"I… I'm sorry." Hama gasped. "It's too painful I… I can't."
Katara got up on her feet and walked to Hama. Embracing the old woman. "It's okay." she assured. "you don't have to say anything. We found you and that's a good thing. It's okay." she said.
Zuko swallowed… he had lost all of his appetite. He felt that sick nauseous feeling in his stomach like he was going to vomit any second and finally he bowed his head. "I am so sorry." he whispered. "May I please be excused."
"Of course young man. One shouldn't bring up such disturbing tales at a dinner table. I apologies." Hama said.
Zuko swallowed. "No. I'm glad I got to know. I just.." he said. "I need some fresh air." he said as he turned and made his escape to the outside where Agnis was sinking behind the horizon and the moon which was practically full was starting to shine white above him. Then Zuko turned to the barn and opened up to get a peek of Appa and the other two animals inside.
Without a second thought Zuko threw himself on Appa and then just laid there as he tried to settle his squeeshy stomach.
He wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed as Toph suddenly stomped in. "Yo! Zuko!" she exclaimed. "You do know this isn't your fault right?"
Zuko swallowed. "Yeah."
"Hama was taken sixty years ago! Way before you were even born. You had nothing to do with it." Toph said. "So stop feeling so guilty."
"If I had been ordered to capture water benders at the southern water tribes I would have done it!" Zuko exclaimed. "I'm no better than those people."
Toph sighed deeply then walked over to Zuko and then she slapped him over the face.
"What was that for?!" Zuko exclaimed.
"I needed to slap some sense into you!" Toph stated. "You're not who you were when you were hunting the Avatar. Obviously! And even if you were, you didn't do it." she said.
"Yeah no. Just my father and my grandfather before him!" Zuko exclaimed. "And my great grandfather who started this whole mess."
And then Zuko got a second slap.
"And you're not any of those people." Toph stated. "We don't blame you. None of us do! It didn't even cross Katara or Sokkas mind. They have no idea why you were upset."
Zuko glanced down and Toph sighed.
"Well, there's nothing more I can do." Toph stated. "Just… Don't destroy yourself over this okay? You had nothing to do with this."
"Yeah I… I'm just going to take another couple of minutes." Zuko swallowed and Toph shrugged.
"Kay. I'm going back." Toph stated as she turned on her heels and headed back while Zuko burrowed his face in Appas fur again. Couldn't he just sleep out here tonight? It felt so much nicer anyway.