The air was thick and hot, but after a while they got used to it.
"Here's ya food" the guard grumbled placing five pots of food into the chamber.
"This is all we got today dad" the 18 1/2–year-old Sokka told his father.
"Only five" Hakoda complained. When they first arrived they gave them ten pots but every couple of months it would become less and less. "they used to give us ten"
"that would be nice wouldn't it" 14-year-old toph added. "but the guards aren't stupid more and more of us keep dying in this place and the more of us die the less food we'll get until….." she trailed off feeling no reason to end her sentence, everyone knew very well what the outcome was.
They had been captured for almost three years every member of the water tribe and some new captured ones form the earth kingdom had been thrown into this dreadful prison, a little more of the prisoners withering away each year. They didn't have much time the all had to escape or else the water tribe would have the same fate as the air nomads.
Hakoda, of course, was their humble leader but he was becoming sick as well so Sokka began to take on the roll more and more. With the other commander, generals and such from the earth kingdom to help. But was it enough?
"Hakoda the children are becoming sick as well what should we do?"
"Toph" Hakoda acknowledged. "see what you can do for the children in the right corridor of the prison. It was a rather big prison- bigger than most- but seemed to, still, be too small for all the people even with most now dead. Toph on the other hand had taking a doctor type roll to the group since Katara left. With her bending gone, she couldn't see at all. At first she just felt helpless and scared for perhaps the first time in years but with her sense of "sight" gone she now had the most acute hearing. She could tell so well now when people were sick just by breathing patterns and sounds of the inner bodies. Although there was little she really could do for the older members she could at least tell the few water bending healers left what need to be done.
"Try and stand still" Toph instructed one of the younger ones- he was trembling fiercely- she was trying to map out his body the best she could with her acute sense of hearing but when he was moving around like that it was hard to tell. Sokka smiled fondly at the healer. She had grown so much. She was always a little tough one but ever since the imprisonment it showed a kinder more sensitive side of Toph. One Sokka really couldn't ignore.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"hey what do you think your doing?" Nana asked Katara as the teen packed away all her belongings.
"I really don't think it's any of your business" Katara responded dryly. Nana rolled her eyes sensing that Katara was still sour about the conversation they had had that morning. Just then Aang entered the shed with an arm full of food when the packing water witch caught his eye.
"hey what are you doing Katara?" he asked. Nana rolled her eyes once more at the fact that she had just asked that question. Katara sighed and stopped packing for a moment.
"I'm leaving" she said simply.
"w-what?" Aang objected. "Katara you just can't leave like-"
"oh yes she can daddy" Nana jumped in. "you said she had one day to explain all of this, so she explained it and well times up!" she was rather cheerful.
"well what if I said I've changed my mind and I want you to come with us?" Aang justified. Katara's brow raised and let her unpacked clothes she was holding drop.
"y-you want me to stay?" she asked quietly.
"well uh…yeah" Aang blushed madly trying hard not to meet her gaze.
"well …thank you Aang I didn't think you-"
"well I do" Aang blurted as if he knew what she was going to say. Katara smiled at the flushed boy. Maybe he is Aang, she thought again but then sighed. This was becoming an old internal argument and wished she'd just make up her mind. But he seemed so unstable he had highs and lows that were very difficult to map out. But now that he wanted her to stay she would maybe get the chance to find out what was causing them, or at least what they were about. " I just really don't want you to leave that's all" Katara's smile only widened which for a strange reason made the room very hot for Aang.
"what the heck is wrong with me?" Aang asked himself under his breath. He knew what this feeling was it was right under his tongue but for reason he couldn't think of the word. He quickly shook his head, though, he knew he shouldn't be having such feelings of any kind about any girl. I have a girlfriend, I have a girl friend, he would tell himself.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"so what's this all about?" a general asked. They where having another "leaders meeting" as they would call it where they all discussed the weeks events and new escape plans.
"well the younger ones are starting to complain about not getting enough food so the older ones of our group are giving then their share. I'm afraid to say but if we don't get some more food we might lose some more of our older members." Every simply nodded. After hearing the same news, the same fate, being heard over and over they were used to the tragic fact.
"so we'll beg the guards for some more food, they'll laugh and refuse and more people will die, la de da" Toph spewed. She was becoming rather sick by this whole situation. Not that this was new news either. She quickly stood and went toward the wall were some more of the sick children moaned in pain.
"I'll talk to her" Sokka sighed. Usually it was best to leave Toph alone at a time like this but this was getting far to old. "toph" Sokka addressed.
"shhh, it's okay" toph assured the kids softly in a voice of sympathy, though in the back round of her voice she sounded annoyed. She suddenly turned when hearing sokka's voice. "what?" she asked bitterly.
"toph this has gone on long enough" Sokka stated. "I know it's hard right now but we have to-"
"stand strong, get through this together, stop acting like your twelve again I know the drill Sokka okay, just leave me alone!" she turned back toward the moaning children. Sokka sighed.
"your wish is my command" he whispered and walked away.
Whew that actually turned out longer than I thought it would. But I don't like this chapter at all, promise the next one is were all the drama starts, and we find out who Azula's babies father is and who Aang's so called girlfriend is. Next chapter: In Open Arms