Rise from the Ashes Chapter 10: Returning Home
The hut was cramped and cold, but the worst of it all was that the stench of death was in the air. Casualties were as low as Katara could have realistically hoped for before the invasion started, but eight men had died and every death that did occur twisted the figurative knife deeper into her gut.
These were men and boys I have known since childhood...and now they are gone.
One young man had died last night that was only a few years older than Sokka and he looked similar to her brother as well making that passing even harder. The young man had looked peaceful in his last moments surrounded by his family as he had finally accepted his fate. That did not give Katara much comfort.
Her unique healing ability had certainly saved some lives over the last three days, but every man that succumbed to his wounds felt like a personal failure on her part. The population of the southern tribes had dwindled over the century, and every death put a strain on the tightly knit community. The loss of every able bodied man was vital and a brutal loss to their families.
That threat of death was ever present in Katara's mind, as if it were lurking in the shadows ready to strike and suffocate the lone remaining patient at any moment.
No more. Not if I can help it. Please…not dad. The young waterbender continued to use her gift of healing on her bed ridden father. The wound on his chest would otherwise have been fatal, but she could bring him back from the brink of death. She was sure of it, or she forced herself to hope that it was true. Perhaps she had already done all she could. Aang, Sokka, and Toph had all said as much. In fact that was likely true, yet should could not force herself to stop for fear of the worst that may come.
Katara was not alone in her struggle. The whole tribe pitched in their efforts in any way they could. However, as the days went on it became clear that the common medicine and care that they could provide was not going to be useful. Now all the tribe could do for Hakoda was to pray to the spirits for him to be spared.
Aang, Sokka, and Toph all lent their aid to keeping Katara well by providing her food, tending to her injured hand, and lending her emotional support. That alone was worth more than all the gold at the imperial palace to her at this time.
She grit her teeth as the pain in her hand began to throb. She resisted the urge to whimper from the pain. Katara had been fighting skilled firebenders for over a year but had not taken a serious, debilitating injury. She had been burned accidently by Aang during his failed firebending lesson but this was not comparable.
On the deck of that ship it had taken several seconds for her to even process how badly the fire blast from the admiral had hurt her. The nerves in her hand had been severely damaged. The center of her palm had gone white while other parts of the hand had turned as black as coal. The sudden shock had overcome and paralyzed her. Without treatment, she would have been disabled. As she had healed herself, the nerves had been improved but still brought her sudden physical pain. The scars no longer looked so severe, but a red burn mark remained. Her hand would never truly be the same again, it would be a constant reminder to her of the injustice that took place that fateful day.
She was a master waterbender, but in those moments on the battleship deck she had been rendered helpless. She had been unable to help Aang, and he had to kill a man in order to protect her. She feared that Aang's actions would break and jade him. That the youthful energetic boy that she had affection for had died as well that day.
We won this battle. We kept my people's freedom, yet it feels like such an empty victory right now. But if we can weather this storm...if I can keep my father alive...we may have a path towards a true victory some day.
She had borne witness to the unleashed power of the Avatar. Aang had killed the Fire Nation Admiral in the blink of an eye. One moment the man who wished to subjugate her people stood before her. In the next moment he was gone, vaporized in an instant.
I am glad that vile man is gone, but I wish Aang did not have to do it. I fear he will have to do the same many more times.
There was a reason the Fire Nation princess had sent a lethal blow toward Aang as he had begun to summon his power in the caves under Ba Sing Se. It was out of necessity, and it was out of fear. Aang had the power to repel armies.
That damned backstabbing prince, his sinister sister, the vile Fire Lord. They can be beaten.
I have to be by Aang's side. All of his friends have to support him, and we cannot give into single-minded vengeance. Otherwise we may lose our humanity as well as our lives. A person blinded by rage and despair makes fatal mistakes.
Katara tried to keep her attention focused on her father, but found it harder and harder to concentrate with each passing moment. She had fallen asleep due to exhaustion in the early hours of the morning after the invasion. She had awoken and instantly returned to her father's side. The wound in his chest had initially been ghastly. Chief Hakoda's wounds were grievous. Initially it had seemed to be surely fatal, Katara's efforts had improved his outlook significantly. But if she had the power to help him and did not do enough...she had lost her mother in a hut similar to this due to the Fire Nation. She would not lose her father in the same way. She was helpless then, she was not helpless now. She could make a difference, she could save him.
Katara continued her healing efforts as Hakoda continued to sleep well into the day. She lost all track of time and began to feel dizzy.
"You will be no good to Dad if you are dead on your feet. You need to see the sun and get some rest away from here. There are many who can watch him for a few hours." Her brother said as he put an arm around her shoulders. At the moment, she lacked the strength to resist him.
"I will be right here with him." She heard Aang say. "He will not leave my sight."
Toph slept soundly on an open bed, for she had been awake with Katara throughout the entire previous night.
After weakly expressing her thanks Katara allowed Sokka lead her out of the hut. She winced at the light as she came out.
"Does your hand feel any better than it did yesterday?" Sokka asked with concern as he led her across the village. He had a wooden pole under his arm to help him keep the foot he had injured in the battle off of the snow.
"It's better." She confirmed. "Don't worry about me."
"That's not going to happen. Dad will get better, and you need to make sure you are alright as well."
The brother and sister, one walking slowly and the other hobbling around, made for an inelegant sight. It wasn't exactly how Katara and Sokka imagined they would return home from their grand adventure.
When they reached their old family hut Katara fell asleep the moment she laid down. The sleep was not peaceful however. Her dreams were muddled and unsettling. There was nothing formative in the dream, but she had felt as if she was falling deeper and deeper into an inescapable chasm. She awoke suddenly and was shaking from head to foot.
"My poor child, how I wish your burden was lighter." A familiar voice whispered at the foot of her bed.
Katara sat up suddenly and held her grandmother close as she fought back the tears that were threatening to be shed. She failed in her effort as she felt moisture trickle down her cheeks. The embrace was delicate, but even so Katara's injured hand gave off spikes of searing pain in protest. That did not matter now, it had been nearly a year since she and Sokka had left their home behind. She needed the time to be with her grandmother now. She had seen her while she was healing her father, but that work prevented her from having a proper reunion.
Gran-Gran smiled as she pulled away for a long minute and sat down on the ground. Sokka was seated as well and Katara joined him, her previous distress forgotten temporarily. "You both look so much older," Gran-Gran said with pride. "And you have returned wiser, I can see it in your eyes. You are not children anymore. You both have been carrying a great burden for some time."
"It was an eventful journey. It was even fun at times. But it's far from over" Sokka responded.
"I knew that you would not be staying here indefinitely. But you must take the time to rest when you can. You do not know when you will have an opportunity to do so again. I could not be more proud of you. Both of you."
"You believed in us Gran-Gran. You trusted us enough to send us on our way when we needed to. Thank you." Katara said warmly.
Gran-Gran continued to smile. "I could see your bending from the shore Katara. I had not seen proper waterbending since I was young, many years ago. You clearly found the master you were looking for."
Katara's thoughts immediately went to the Northern Water Tribe and towards Master Pakku who had been engaged to her Grandmother many years ago. It would take a while for word from the north to travel to the other end of the world, but in her heart Katara knew the likely outcome for the tribe and her former Master.
Sokka had a small look of unease as well. Silently the siblings agreed this was not a good time to bring up what they had learned about their Grandmother's past. It may potentially open a new wound for the old woman.
"Yes. Yes I did." Katara responded simply. "How is my father? How long was I away?"
"Hush child, my son is fine. I was just visiting him. In his condition I believe he will pull through thanks to you. He is stubborn and has been ever since he was a boy. He won't let death take him yet."
"He looks so much better than when he took the wound. I have faith as well that he will be fine." Sokka said with confidence. He squeezed Katara's shoulder lightly to show his support.
Sokka always puts stock in reason, not faith or hope. If he can bring himself to believe, then so can I.
"The warriors are speaking to everyone of your bravery, Sokka." Gran-Gran prompted.
Sokka looked noticeably embarrassed and Katara felt a source of pride for her brother and his efforts.
He really has grown over our journey together.
"Yeah" He said hesitantly. "The enemy just couldn't withstand this great warrior over here that charged head first into battle." He smiled sheepishly. "Really though Gran-Gran, those men are exaggerating."
"I have known all those men since the cradle, through childhood and finally adulthood. I know well that they exaggerate about all sorts of frivolous things when it suits their pride." The Grandmother said. "But, I have never known a man to exaggerate their admiration of another man's character."
Sokka's embarrassment grew even more and he seemed uncharacteristically lost for words. Katara found herself laughing for the first time in recent memory. It had only taken a few short exchanges with her family to feel like she was home again. Her fears and anxieties were forgotten for a few blissful minutes.
"Neither have I." Katara confirmed. She returned her brother's prior gesture and squeezed his shoulder with a smile in support. "We are pieces of a whole, along with Toph and Aang. Alone we cannot do enough, but with the others' support there is hope for all of us.
Gran Gran began to rise and her Grandchildren helped her to her feet. "Sometimes recognizing the simple truths is an expression of great wisdom." The old woman said, her eyes beaming with pride. "Keep your friends close, especially the young Avatar. You remember the stories I used to tell you as children? You would never tire of them no matter how many times you heard them."
"Of course" The siblings replied. "The ones about the great heroes of the world, I could practically recite them even now." Sokka confirmed.
"I had many stories to tell." Gran-Gran said. "Some are true, some most certainly were not, and others fell somewhere in the middle. All those stories had individuals who were selfless and performed great acts that helped many others. I have told those same stories many times over the years because they all have one thing in common, they are old. There has been an absence of such acts over this last century. Now the next time the children come to me begging for a story I will have two new ones for them about two young heroes. Those will be far and away my favorites to tell.
A/N
The next chapter will have the rest of the Gaang. It's been a while so I wanted to get this uploaded today when I had the chance.
Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. I am looking forward to the next few chapters I have planned out ahead.