It's so annoying to put page breaks in...

"We're coming down!" called Aang.

Katara clutched the front of the saddle where she had been sitting backwards, talking to Sokka, and Sokka grabbed onto the side of the saddle as Appa swooped down. Elsie closed her eyes and tightened her hands over her ankles.

"Aang!" yelled Katara. "Why are we going down so fast?"

"Because it's more fun this way, Katara!" he yelled back. "Yeah!"

Sokka put a hand over his mouth. "Oh man, I think I'm going to be sick!"

"Not over me, you're not!" Katara told him, still yelling over the rushing air.

Elsie began sliding down the saddle, seeing as how she had not gotten hold onto anything but herself. She gave a yelp but instead of grabbing the saddle like any sane person, she just tightened her hold on her ankles and squeezed her eyes even further shut.

Sokka turned his head at the squeak he thought he'd heard and saw Elsie beginning to slide forwards and off the saddle. Amazing the first sound she'd made all day and he heard it. She hadn't even thanked them for her food, merely nodded.

With one hand, he lurched forward and grabbed the back of her shirt.

The action seemed to waken her like the falling hadn't because she immediately turned around and clutched his arm for dear life, her eyes still shut.

Sokka pulled her up until she was close to his body.

"Hold on to my neck!" he told her.

Elsie didn't think. She just moved her arms from his elbow to his neck.

Sokka blinked. He'd never seen anyone move that fast – not even Aang when he was jumping and airbending all over the place. But he put a hand around her waist to keep her from ripping off his neck and held onto the saddle with his other hand, his heels digging into the leather.

Finally, with a bump, they landed.

Sokka stood up, thankful to be on the ground and sighed in relief.

It was then that he noticed the small girl, still clutching his neck, her legs squeezing his waist. Her eyes were still closed.

She was so light. Did she eat at home? Was her village starving and she left to leave food to those who needed it more? If so, why didn't she just tell Katara, Aang and him? Maybe her tribe kicked her out.

No. The Water Tribe would never do that, no matter how hungry they were.

But no matter the reason, the girl was still too light to be healthy. And she would not let go.

"Umm," Sokka said.

Aang laughed.

"Hey, Sokka!" he called. "Who's your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Aang!" Sokka could feel himself blushing.

"That's right," said Katara sarcastically. "That was Suki who was your girlfriend. It's a good thing she's not here right now – she'd be jealous. But then, maybe she wouldn't even recognize you without your dress."

"It wasn't a dress!" Sokka yelled. "It was a warrior's outfit and it all represented…" Sokka struggled to find the words in his frustration. "…stuff!"

"I think it wouldn't matter what you wear," came a soft voice from his side. "As long as you were strong and brave."

Sokka looked down. Elsie was looking up at him with bright blue eyes. She looked so innocent. She wasn't smiling at all; she looked perfectly serious about what she had said.

"You spoke," Sokka said stupidly. Elsie blushed.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking down.

"Right," said Sokka slowly. "Ummm, do you think you could get off of me now?"

Elsie's head dropped so low that it hit her chest. She slid off and stepped away quickly. She wouldn't look at him in the face.

Sokka could feel the warmth of that side of his body where she had been touching. For all she didn't eat very much, she sure did create a lot of energy for heat.

Sokka scratched his head. What now? He shrugged and turned to the saddle where he grabbed the supplies.

"Oh, finally," he said. "I'm starving."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you just about to throw up?"

"Yeah, but now I'm hungry," he replied. He opened the bag. "Hey! Where'd all the food go?"

"I didn't take it!" Elsie screamed.

They all turned to look at her. She was standing there, her hands held up to her chest, her eyes wide.

"Umm, we didn't say you did," Katara said kindly.

"Did you?" Sokka demanded.

"Sokka!" Katara warned him.

"I'm just saying," Sokka swung the bag with one hand. "Who else would have eaten it?"

"You?" Aang asked (sort of) innocently.

Katara laughed.

"Oh," Sokka smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. I think I might have had a tiny snack." He held up his thumb and his forefinger to indicate how small the snack might have been.

Katara sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Now we have to go into town and buy more supplies," she said.

Aang pulled the map out of his belt.

"Well," he looked at it. "I think we're here – on this archipelago. That means there's a town right here. Actually, we should be able to see it from the other side of the island."

Katara, Sokka and Elsie all looked over, further into the woods that covered the island, towards where the town would be. They couldn't see it through the forest.

"Well, let's do that, then," Sokka sat down on the ground. "We'll eat this and go for some in the morning."

"What'll we eat for breakfast?" Katara asked, her hands on her hips.

Sokka shrugged. "We'll just get some there."

Katara rolled her eyes. "We don't even know how far away it is."

"I think it'll take us only an hour to get there. Maybe less," Aang rolled up the map. "We can make it, Katara. We'll just be hungry for an hour longer in the morning than usual. We've been through worse."

He sat down next to Sokka and began eating a mango. Momo jumped on his shoulder and Aang offered him some.

"Fine," Katara gave in. "I'm going to go practice my waterbending skills." She turned to Elsie. "Do you want to come?"

Elsie shook her head vigorously.

"Okay, then," Katara walked away towards the sound of running water. "I'll see you later."

"Eat?" came the muffled sound from Sokka's mouth as he offered up a mango to Elsie. Elsie nodded and took the fruit, jumping back and sitting away from Aang and Sokka.

Sokka shook his head to himself. That girl was so weird. But, he was starting to feel a little sorry for her; she was so thin.

Elsie saw him shake his head. He didn't like her. It was because she'd touched him.

Sokka woke up in the middle of the night.

A strange noise was coming from somewhere in the camp. It sounded like rustling leaves and cloth and maybe even someone who was whimpering.

Grabbing his boomerang, Sokka stood up slowly and made his way in the darkness. There was no moon and Sokka couldn't see exactly where his feet were landing so it wasn't that surprising when his toes landed in a small hole in the ground and he tipped forward.

It was simply his magnificent skills as a highly trained and professional warrior that kept him from screaming out loud as he landed face-first into the leaves and dirt.

Elsie sat upright. Her fingers were clenching the edge of her sleeping bag and her hand ached.

"W-who's there?" she whispered.

Sokka pushed himself up so he was kneeling and swatted at his pants before tucking his boomerang back into his belt.

"It's just me," he sighed. "What's the matter?"

Elsie blew out her breath.

"Oh, nothing," she said. "I was having a bad dream." She laid back down, expecting him to leave.

Sokka rolled his eyes to the dark blue and purple sky. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No?" Elsie said confusedly.

"Are you sure?" Sokka said exasperatedly. He knew that girls liked talking about stuff that bothered them, like dreams. "Cause I know girls like talking about stuff like that."

"They do?" asked Elsie.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Don't they? I mean, wouldn't you know? You are a girl, you know."

Elsie blushed and looked down.

"I suppose," she said. "But nobody's ever asked me if I wanted to talk about my dreams." Elsie wrinkled her nose in the dark. "Nobody ever talks to me."

"Why not?" asked Sokka curiously.

Elsie's mouth dropped open. The question drew so many memories that flashed across her mind's eye faster than lightening. Oh dear – how could she forget herself? Maybe it was the dark and she couldn't see his face so it was like talking to herself, but with a different voice.

"I-I don't know," she said softly. This was who she should be – soft and quiet, not loud and brazen. Good girls were demure. "I guess not so many people like me."

"Well," Sokka stood up and brushed off his knees once more. He patted Elsie on the shoulder. "I guess I like you, and Katara definitely likes you, so if you need stuff, don't be afraid to ask me or Katara or Aang." Sokka thought for a moment. "Though I guess Katara would be the best person to talk to since you're both girls and you're both waterbenders."

He walked back to his sleeping bag and climbed in. He dug his hands into his bag and groped around, grunting. Sighing, he pulled out his boomerang and placed it on the ground near his head. Sokka then rolled over and fell asleep.

Elsie laid back and stared up at the starless sky. Sokka liked her. Not as a girlfriend or anything, just as a friend.

And that was better. Nobody had ever liked her as a friend before, not even when she was a little girl and nobody knew any better.

Elsie smiled, tears coming to her eyes. She had a friend. There was nothing greater than that in the world. Elsie would rather live one day with a friend than a thousand without one.

She fell asleep.

Not that there are so many pagebreaks in this chapter...