Chapter Two: part one: running
Ty Lee's pink clad feet pounded the forest's ground, and mud splattered up, staining her pants. Azula's high cruel voice echoed in Ty Lee's head. '…traitor…" Ty Lee wasn't a traitor. She had no idea she could airbend.
Her feet twisted around a hidden branch, and Ty Lee stumbled, and fell into the cold, wet mud. Shaking, she got to her feet, and continued to charge thru the forest, slipping and sliding from the slickness of the ground. Several more times she slipped, soaking her clothes, and body, but still she ran. The forest soon became a green-brown blur in her tired eyes, and she bent her head down and kept charging thru the forest. Ty Lee tried to force all her thoughts on running away from Azula, so the wouldn't dwell on the princess's words. Branches that seemed to come out of nowhere slashed at her, scraping her face and ripping her clothes. An inhuman echoing yell that came from somewhere deep in the forest sent a shiver up her spine. A crinkled sob escaped from her throat, and the forest became even more of a watery blur. Minutes passed, and still Ty Lee ran. Her long legs, strong and swift from working at the circus, soon began to ache, and Ty Lee was thoroughly soaked. She had two stitches in her side, from her running. Her mind finally gave way to think about what Azula had said, now to distract her from the pain of running.
An air bender. How could I be an air bender? She thought as she darted through the woods, dodging the trees.
I was raised in the fire nation, how am I an air bender?
Ty Lee thought about something she had learned at the Royal Fire Academy. There was an air bender, named Afino or something, who betrayed the other air benders, and was greatly rewarded. Ty Lee tried to remember what happened to him. She couldn't remember. Ty Lee didn't think he died though. He probably was allowed to live in the fire nation, along with other fire benders. Ty Lee wondered, could she be a descendant of him? She tried to remember more facts of air benders who may have survived the attack, but she couldn't. Suddenly, a whistling noise that wasn't her coming from in front of her brought her out of her thoughts.
Suddenly Ty Lee stopped. She quickly ran up to the tree nearest to her. She kneeled down, her ears pricked up. She put her hand up on the tree, felling its rough surface, as she listened. Her heart pounded, No doubt about it, there was something near her, sloshing thru the mud, and whistling. Ty Lee was gasping for breath from running so much, but she tried to silence herself. There it was again. The slosh noise. The person was definitely coming towards her. Judging from the noise the person was making, s/he was about 10 or more feet away from Ty Lee.
Azula! Thought Ty Lee, frantically, her heart pounding even more. But how'd she catch up to me that fast?
The thing was getting nearer, and she held her breath so it wouldn't hear her. Her heart pounded even faster, and her senses sharpened from the adrenaline coursing thru her body.
Ty Lee squeezed her eyes shut, and thought to her self, please, doesn't let her see me! Don't let Azula see!
Sweat dripped down her small nose, and the person suddenly stopped. Ty Lee opened her eyes, waiting for Azula to move again. But the person was still, and all that Ty Lee could hear was her heart beating in her chest, and the noises of the forest, and some unidentifiable animal screeching in the tree tops. Ty Lee's curiosity got the best of her, and she turned her head very slightly around the wet, rough tree trunk, to see the person. She gasped.