Chapter Six: Ling's Granddaughter
"Aang, it's your turn to gather the firewood," Katara said.
Aang opened his resting eyes and looked up at his waterbending companion. "I thought it was Toph's turn."
The blind girl turned in Aang's direction. "I did it yesterday," Toph said.
Sokka unfurled his sleeping tent and slipped into it while saying, "Just go get it, Aang. It's past sundown."
Aang grumbled a bit and hopped off of Appa's saddle. He pat Momo on the head and wandered into the thicker end of the wood. He was still tired from traveling all day. And he could've sworn that it was Toph's turn to get the firewood. Nonetheless, he didn't like to pick fights. Especially not before bedtime. That's when his friends got cranky. Even Katara would start arguing if she didn't get some rest. He stumbled past a few thorn bushes and narrowed his eyes trying to find the firewood.
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"Kaya," Iroh said to her as she got up to find some wood, "be careful while you're out there."
It was the day after they had passed through the valley and they had stumbled upon yet another forest. This one was a bit thinner than the one they traveled through before though. Nonetheless, they decided to travel along the edge of the wood to catch the last of the meadow before they moved on.
Kaya nodded and pushed past some drooping pine branches as she walked into the wood. She looked around for some loose bark but all she could find was an abandoned bee's hive. She walked deeper still and found some branches and large chunks of bark. She picked them up quickly, a bit nervous about what might be lurking behind the trees.
Her arms were almost full. She spotted one last branch, thick and short. She crouched near the bushes to pick it up. But as she tried to pull it up, something pulled it back behind the bushes. She looked down and saw another hand on the other hand of the branch. She jumped back and let out a small squeal. The hand withdrew and a little bald head popped out above the bushes. A small boy with a blue arrow on his head and big, light brown eyes looked up to see what had happened. He observed her for a bit, as if trying to catch every detail from her long, ink black hair to her dark brown, rounded boots. His eyes widened.
"Ling?" he said in a stunned voice. "Is that you?"
Kaya stood up straight and shook her head. "No, my name is Kaya."
"Oh," the boy said, a bit disappointed. He climbed over the bushes and continued talking. "Sorry, it's just that you look a lot like an old friend of mine, Ling."
Kaya then realized a quick fact. "My grandmother's name was Ling."
The boy's eyes lit up again. "Really? Was she from the Fire Nation?"
"Yes," Kaya said. "How'd you know?"
"And she had a mother named Teia, right?"
Kaya nodded. "My great-grandmother; that's right. But how do you know all this?"
"I'm the Avatar," he said. "I lived over a hundred years ago. I was friends with your grandmother."
"Wow, the Avatar was friends with Grammy?" Kaya said in soft awe. "That's amazing! What's your name?"
They shook hands. "I'm Aang. Pleased to meet Ling's granddaughter."
"Likewise," she said. "You gave me quite a scare there."
Aang gave a nervous smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was looking for firewood. My friends and I are camped not too far from here. Wanna meet them?"
Kaya thought on it for a bit. "Okay," she finally said. "But not for too long. I have some friends waiting for me too."
Aang nodded enthusiastically and grabbed her wrist, leading her to the campsite at a fast pace. They finally came to a small clearing. There were two girls sitting and leaning against a large sky bison that was yawing lazily. A boy looking like he was around his teen years was sitting on top of his sleeping bag and sharpening his boomerang while a winged lemur was sitting on his shoulder and picking through his hair for bugs.
Aang ran into the middle of the clearing and finally let go of Kaya. "Hey, guys, meet Kaya!"
They all looked up except for the younger girl with black hair and blank eyes like glass, who simply put her feet on the ground.
"She's the granddaughter of one of my old friends," he continued.
The older girl wearing blue attire, dark skin and hair was the first to get up and walk up to Kaya. "I'm Katara," she said shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you." She turned to the rest of the group and pointed to the boy on his sleeping bag. "That's my older brother, Sokka." Sokka waved half-heartedly. She pointed to the girl with the black hair. "That's Toph. She's blind, but she sees with her earthbending, so don't underestimate her." Toph moved her right foot until she found Kaya and waved to her direction. Katara lastly pointed to the two animals. "And that's Appa and Momo."
Kaya smiled. "Nice to meet all of you." Her expression mellowed. "But I really should get going," she said. "My friends are waiting for me."
"Maybe you could introduce us," Aang suggested.
Kaya stepped back. "I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Okay," Aang said. "Then just bring me. I'm always eager to make some new friends."
"Aang, trust me," Kaya said. "I think you should just let it be."
What would happen if they found out about Zuko and Iroh? What if they turned them in? Kaya didn't want to take the risk.
Aang looked a bit sad, but nodded. "Can you at least tell us who they are?"
Kaya scratched the back of her head nervously. "I'm sure you've hear of them, but I'm not so sure you'd like to be friends with them."
"Kaya, we've been almost everywhere at this point," Sokka said, still working on his boomerang. "There are few people we don't know nowadays."
"Do fugitives count?" Kaya said under her breath.
"What was that?" Toph asked. "I thought you said something about fugitives."
Katara looked at her with concern and skepticism. "You're traveling with fugitives?"
Kaya put out her hands in a calming gesture. "Look, it's not what it sounds like. They've been really nice to me, and I trust them."
Aang looked at her suspiciously. "How many are there?"
"Just two," she said.
The Avatar's eyes lit up, but not with happiness as before. This time with an idea at mind. "Is it an old man and his nephew?"
Kaya hesitated, but at last nodded her head guiltily. Katara gasped.
"You're traveling with Zuko and Iroh?" she said.
Kaya didn't answer, but scuffed her left boot against the dirt.
"Kaya, those two are after Aang," Katara went on. "Zuko's tried attacking him several times."
Kaya's eyes widened. She had never known that they were out to capture the Avatar. She had only known that they were part of the Royal Family. "H-he wouldn't," she said.
Sokka laughed a little. "Are you kidding? Do you know how many times he's tried tracking us down?"
Kaya took a step back again. "No, I know him better than that."
Katara looked at Kaya sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth."
Kaya couldn't believe it. She looked at Aang who wasn't about to say anything. Instead, she took her wrist again and led her to a spot away from the others near a cluster of large shrubs.
"I need to talk to her alone," he said to the others. Crouching low behind the bush, he lowered his voice. "Do you know who the Blue Spirit is?"
Boy, did she ever. She nodded.
"Do you know who he really is?" he asked.
"Yes, he's Zuko," she said. "He helped me and made sure I wasn't arrested and brought to the Fire Nation."
"He's tried to capture me before, but Zuko has also saved my life before as the Blue Spirit," he continued. "I know how you feel. Like you know he can do better."
Kaya bit her lip, but nodded once more.
"Can you do me a favor?" Aang asked.
"What is it?"
Aang looked her in the eyes seriously. "I want you to go back and try to help him out. I know he has a lot on his mind a lot of the time. Try to figure out what's troubling him and solve the problem."
"I think I already know," Kaya said thoughtfully.
"You think you can do it?" Aang asked.
Kaya felt her optimism rise again. "I know I can. Thanks, Aang."
Aang gave a toothy smile and Kaya hugged him before they walked back to the others.
"I'm going back," Kaya announced. "It was very nice meeting you, but I have some unfinished business to do." She directed a wink in Aang's direction.
"You're not going to tell them where we are, are you?" Sokka asked.
Kaya shook her head. "I promise I won't. Cross my heart."
He looked at her doubtfully, but eventually went back to sharpening his boomerang. She bid them all good-bye and gathered up her firewood. By the time she got back, the two fugitives were getting ready to go to sleep.
"What took you so long?" Zuko asked.
She looked at him, but didn't answer. She simply smiled and prepared the fire. She would keep her promise a secret.
