Chapter 4

Meeting Ellen

Katara woke up and saw land, plus fishermen and children by the harbour; she began to waterbend herself to the shoreline and looked at the people and groaned, "Please tell me this isn't the Fire Nation…"

Katara pulled her boat aside and took off her parka and took her bag and walked into the marketplace and looked around, and looked at a shop owner and asked, "Excuse me, do you know a place where a traveler could stay?"

"Yes, down the street to the right."

"Thank you sir."

"Not a problem my dear."

Katara walked down the street and turned right and looked at the inn and muttered, "Great, there is no way I could afford to stay here."

Katara turned around and walked over to a shop and an old woman began, "Hello, how could I help you?"

"I am hoping if you know a cheap place to stay?"

The woman looked at Katara and asked, "How cheep exactly?"

"I was hoping three copper pieces for a night?"

"That will not do, but how about this, I have extra room at my farm how would you like to stay with me, and I could give you a job?"

"Sounds good, my name is Luna." Lied Katara.

"Mrs. Ellen, call me Ellen for short, so where are you from?"

"The Southern Water Tribe, there is an illness there and the ship I was on gotten ill and many people were dying, So I fled, We were heading North until our soldiers and crew men all died."

"Oh poor dearly, what kind of illness is this?"

"Frost Flu, it makes you sneeze and cough constantly, its a very deadly illness." replied Katara.

"Well then, you can stay with me as long as you like, I get lonely without my son being here, he died from the war that happened two years ago, all I have left is my husband."

"I lost my mother, she died from a raid."

"Poor you and where is your father?"

"Up at the Northern Water Tribe with my brother Sokka and my Gran-gran."

"Well then, come in, you must be starving…"

"Yes, I am, thank you." chuckled Katara.

"Well here help yourself with some Jerky and some water, when you are done, I'll be by the counter."

"Thanks."

Katara ate hungrily and drank lots of water and put her dishes away and walked up to the counter and began, "I put the dishes away."

"Thank you Katara, now you could put on this apron and help me serve the food, this place will be packed within seconds, and I have a reservation waiting so I would need all the help I could get, I'll pay you one copper piece an hour."

"Okay, thank you." smiled Katara as she began serving.

Katara came back with the dirty dishes and began, "Just to let you know that I am a waterbender to make you aware."

"That will be fantastic; you could help me a lot with your waterbending."

"Thanks, I am a Master Waterbender, so no need to worry."

"Is that so? You know my mother used to be a waterbender, but she was never a master."

"Yeah, well better get serving."

Katara began serving once again as she saw people crowding up around the restaurant and Katara asked, "What's going on?"

"Oh my! The Fire Lord must've been the one who asked for reservations!" exclaimed Ellen and began, "Katara set up the table, and fill their cubs with some tea and quickly!"

Katara got straight to work as she placed the dishes on the table and put the tea kettle resting in the middle.

A guard came in and began, "Your lord is here."

"Yes, please tell here we are ready for him, his tea is all already."

"Thank you miss." And the guard went out and was lead in by two people in red robes and saw them take your seats and Ellen bowed, "Good morning Fire Lord Iroh, your tea is nice and hot, please tell me when you are ready to take your order."

Ellen bowed again and went behind the counter with Katara and began, "I have a new water boy, but he constantly spills the water on the floor, could you waterbend the water before it happens to hit the ground, I don't want to go to the well again."

"Don't worry I'll take care of that." Nodded Katara and saw the lord raise his hand and Ellen hurried over and asked, "Yes my lord, may I help you?"

"Yes, I'll like to try the jerky and my nephew…"

"Salmon."

"Jerky and Salmon coming right up!" replied Ellen as she took their menu and gave them to Katara, who put them away and gave the order to the chefs.

Katara made the tea, the rum, and the other drinks until she saw the water boy come up to the Lord and began, "Would you like some water?"

"Why yes please young lad!"

The boy began to poor the water when some boy happened to walk by and shoved the kid making him spill the water.

The lord gasped and gazed the water as it went safely into the cup and another that froze the child which held him from falling.

Ellen let out a breathed that she had no idea that she was holding and looked at Katara and smiled as Katara came over to the boy and unfroze the water and balanced the boy to his feet once again, as he looked at her and mouthed, 'Thank you'.

The guards stared at Katara as everyone else did except for Ellen that came to Katara's side and whispered, "Go into the kitchen for now."

Katara nodded and left everyone in silence….

Lord Iroh coughed and began, "No, no, everyone, lets enjoy our meals now shall we?"

Ellen nodded and hurried to the kitchen and patted the water boy who headed his way to the kitchen.

Iroh looked at his nephew and whispered, "Zuko is there something wrong?"

The prince recovering from shock closed his eyes for a moment and replied, "I'm not hungry, could we bring my meal home, I rather eat in my room."

"If that what you wish, fine with me." Replied Iroh as he called Ellen over and told her he was taking the meal home and Ellen nodded and came back a few minuets later and gave them their meals and was paid.

The two men left with their guards as Ellen headed back into the kitchen and saw Katara waterbending and smiled softly and began, "Luna, we will be closing soon, so could you wash the dishes?"

Katara nodded and began washing the dishes.

Once all of the customers left they closed the restaurant and locked it close and began walking down the road and Katara began, "Do you walk to work everyday?"

"Not always, I have two horses but they have fallen ill, one is blind, another has a injured foot."

Katara thought for a second and looked at Ellen, "I can heal the injured one if you like, and maybe I can tame the blind one."

"That would be wonderful Luna." Smiled Ellen as she and Katara walked through the fields and Katara asked, "Do you own all of this?"

"Yes, it belonged to my family for generations!"

"Wow."

"Yes indeed incredible."

They made it to the house and were greeted by Ellen's husband and came up to them and began, "Hi honey, oh who is this you brought home?"

"This Luna from the Southern Water Tribe, she'll be working with me in the shop."

"That's good, my name is Larry, I work in the fields." He turned to his wife and began, "Talking about farming, Hail seems to be getting worse."

"Who's Hail?" spoke up Katara.

"Hail is the one with the injured foot I told you." replied Ellen.

"Then I should get to work shall I? I will need some cloths and lots of water." Replied Katara as Larry led her into the sables and Ellen when to get the supplies Katara mentioned.

Katara was greeted by a black stallion and Larry replied, "That's Hail, she isn't so well."

Ellen came with the supplies and gave it to Katara as she soaked the cloth and began, "Hold her steady…"

Wrapping the cloth around the injured leg and waterbended water onto her hand and formed a glove and pressed her hand against Hail's leg as she healed it and watched the water disappear and looked up and at Larry and Ellen, "She should be all better now."

Larry and Ellen backed away from Hail as she stood up and moved around her foot.

Larry and Ellen cried with joy as Katara stroked the horse's face and looked ahead of her and saw a white horse and asked, "Is that the blind one?"

"Yes, we have no hope left for her." replied Larry.

Katara walked over to the horse and looked into the eyes and replied, "It's not blind, it looks scared of something, what makes you think of that?"

"We met her owner who said she was blind and said we can take her for free."

"Good deal, because you have a healthy horse, she just needs to be loved."

Larry and Ellen nodded and began, "We are going to start dinner you may stay here with her."

"Have you named her?"

"No, we just got her a few days ago; you could name her if you like."

"Really?" squealed Katara, "Thank you!"

"Well what are you going to name her?" asked Ellen.

"I'll name her…Luna."

"Nice name." smiled Larry as he and his wife went to go and make dinner…

Katara stroked Luna's face and gave her all the attention she could possibly get…

Katara had no idea how long she sat with Luna that Ellen gave to come and get her.

Katara had a feeling; she was going to like it here, a lot!

Disclaimer: YA! Secret Parings fluff! Oh and Katara's healing power helps her friend, and Omg get on with the chapter 5!