Katara woke up feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. She'd tossed and turned the last few hours, unaccustomed to her new time zone. Slipping out of her bed and shucking off her clothes from yesterday, she began digging through her bags to find something suitable to wear. I'm not going to be actually working today, she thought, but I suppose I might as well wear something suitable just in case.
Tugging on a blue tank top and some old jeans and a pair of hiking boots, she pulled her thick hair into a braid and walked to the little bathroom attached to her room. Putting on a touch of mascara, she went back out and grabbed her phone, dialing her dad's number. It rang twice before a familiar voice greeted her.
"Katara, I was wondering when I'd hear from you," Hakoda's warm voice sounded on the other end of the line. "How is everything, are you settling in well?"
Katara smiled, she already missed home so much. "Sorry I didn't call last night, I was exhausted. But yes, so far, I'm settling in well. There's a nice girl here my age who I think I'm getting drinks with tonight. It's warm here, I'm almost not sure if I packed cool enough clothes," she admitted.
Hakoda laughed, "I told you it would be warm in the Earth Kingdom, even if it is January. I'm glad that you're already making friends, though I wasn't worried about that to begin with." There was a pause on the other line, before he said, "Your mother would be very proud of you Katara."
"Thank you, dad," Katara murmured, feeling the tears well up again, "I hope somewhere she's keeping an eye on me."
"Well, I won't keep you on the phone much longer, dear. Bato and I are getting ready to go out hunting, I'll send you some blubbered seal jerky if we bring something home," he answered. Katara wished him luck and they exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. Almost as if on cue, there was a knock at the door and Song's voice sounded on the other side.
"Hey, Kat! You up yet?" Katara opened the door to see Song, one hand raised as if to knock again. "Oh, that's a yes then!" she said, smiling. "Are you ready to meet the vet and look around the reserve a bit?" Song asked.
Katara nodded, returning her smile. "Of course! I hope I'm dressed appropriately," she said, "I wasn't sure how much we'd be doing today."
"Oh, that'll be fine," Song said, "but don't you want a jacket or something?" she asked.
Katara laughed and replied, "In case you didn't know, I'm from the South Pole. I find it to be very warm here." Song blushed, apologizing with a sheepish smile, and out they went into the 'cold' morning.
It was a short walk to the Reserve Management building, and Katara and Song spent it asking little questions of each other here and there, each girl getting a feel for the other.
"So, you guys actually would ride the Penguin-Otters?" Song asked, laughing in disbelief.
Katara chuckled and nodded yes. "To tell you the truth," she began, "I think they enjoyed it as much as we did." Song shook her head, a broad smile on her face.
"Anyway," Song said, looking at the door, "are you ready to meet the vet?" She got a nod and opened the door.
Katara stepped into the spacious front room and stopped in surprise at who she found inside.
Song peeked around her, looking at Katara concernedly, and back to the vet with a happy expression on his face. "Have you met Dr. Tatkret?" she asked.
Katara grinned at her before shouting, "Pakku!" and embracing the man tightly. "How have you been? Gran Gran said you were in the Earth Kingdom, but I didn't expect you to be here!"
Pakku returned her embrace, smiling as he answered, "I've been well, Katara. I'm pleased to see you as well. I take it you're going to be my student once again?" A sly grin donned his face.
Katara's grin grew wider, "Yes sir, looks like it!" Turning back to Song, Katara explained, "Pakku is kind of like a grandpa to me. I used to follow him around at the Wildlife Center in the North Pole when we would visit and help him doctor the injured animals, he got me interested in vet school."
Song nodded in understanding and let the two exchange a few pleasantries before deciding on when she would need to be here in the morning for her real first day. The rest of the morning was spent exploring the reserve, Katara asking questions here and there about some of the more exotic animals, making small talk with Song. It wasn't long before they were back and changing vehicles to head into the city.
"So, have you figured out what kind of pet you're gonna get?" Song asked as they parked in front of the rescue. Katara shook her head in response.
"Not quite," Katara answered, "but I'll know it when I see it!" Walking in the big swinging doors, a cacophony of noises greeted them, animals of all sorts wriggling around in their pens, trying to say hello to their potential new owner. Slowly walking through the building, she cooed and made sure to say hello to everyone, before coming to a stop at an one-cat quietly studying her. Katara spent a moment smiling back at the creature before letting the employee know she wanted this one.
"Really? That's great! She's been waiting for a home for a long time," he said, grabbing a bag of feed and a kennel and bringing it up to a register. Katara went and grabbed some bowls and toys and followed him, paying for the supplies and adoption fees before her and Song shuffled everything back out to her jeep.
"She sure is pretty, Kat!" Song remarked as they drove back to the reserve.
Nodding in agreement, Katara answered, "That's for sure. Now to figure out what to name her." The owl-cat gave a soft hoot and purred, curled up in Katara's lap. She decided she'd wait a few days to name her, just until she could get a good feel for the animal. Back at the reserve, Song excused herself for afternoon feedings and let Katara know that she'd be back in a couple hours to get her for a night out in the city.
"Well, my girl, I hope it's not too cliché," Katara said to her new pet, yawning mid sentence, "but what do you say we take a little cat nap?" As if agreeing, the owl-cat jumped onto Katara's bed and curled up. "Well, you don't have to tell me twice," she chuckled, climbing into bed and falling asleep fast