Chapter Five
"Escape"
Bojing watched the others, doing nothing to bring attention to himself. They seemed to be holding out strong without his help anyway. A grunt from behind caused him to turn about in remembrance of the bison behind him. He smiled as a thought struck him. There was a way he could be of help.
With everyone else distracted, Bojing slipped into the shadows and moved up to the large bison. Cooing to keep him calm, he discreetly shot thin firebolts through the ropes that bound the beast. The ropes soon fell away and he smiled in success.
The great beast broke away with a great groan, causing Aang to look at him, a smile on his face. The boulder before him, which he had formed from the pillar, fell to the ground as he lost his concentration. Bojing quickly climbed onto the bison's back.
"I've freed Appa! Let's go!" He called to the others.
He watched as Aang turned to Toph. "Come on, Toph!" He grabbed Toph's hand and pulled her toward Appa.
Both climbed on as one of the men was just about to reach them. Appa quickly took to the air, leaving the men to watch in annoyance. They quickly sent large boulders into the air after the flying beast, but Appa was able to avoid them, easily.
Bojing looked to Aang who was atop the bison's head. Aang laid down upon it, giving it a huge hug, a happy smile on his face. The bison let out a happy and contented groan. Bojing smiled at the sight, happy for the reunion of boy and pet.
Katara watched her brother pace about the room in annoyed and bored frustration. She busied herself by stroking Momo as she sat on the bed.
"I always have to wait behind!" Her brother protested. "Is it just coincidence, or is there something wrong with me?"
Katara looked up with a smile, ready to answer with a smart remark. Sokka instantly put up a hand to silence her.
"Don't answer that!" He said with a second thought on the matter.
Katara laughed. A sound from outside soon interrupted her. She looked up in question, as did Momo and Sokka. She stood to her feet.
"What is that?" She questioned.
Sokka turned to the door, growing serious. She followed him to the door as Momo watched from the bed.
Suddenly Dai Li agents burst into the room without warning, causing her to gasp in fear.
"Where's the Avatar?" One of the agents questioned.
Katara frowned, moving into a fighting stance. Having gotten no answer, the Dai Li agent threw his earth handcuffs toward her, but she was ready with a water whip. It hit the handcuffs and stopped their sped so that she could side step out of the way.
Other Dai Li agents were throwing their earthen handcuffs at her and Sokka in an instant. Sokka was able to knock them away with his boomerang, and she kept up with her water. Seizing an open chance, she used her water to form a long water whip and wrap it around one of the agents.
She heard a chirping from above and noticed Momo flying overhead in fright. Seeing the fight, he soon leapt upon one of the agent's heads, causing him to loose focus and fall away from the fighting. Sokka, meanwhile had avoided more handcuffs and had managed to move up behind an agent, where he raised his boomerang to bring it down on the man's head, sending him sprawling to the floor.
A familiar bellow soon sounded outside and brother and sister looked up in question. Momo, too, looked up, let out an excited screech and flew toward the door. Outside a nearby window, Katara saw the familiar form of Appa, Toph, Aang, and Bojing on his back. Her spirits lifted greatly.
"Appa!" She cried in excitement.
She released her waterwhip hold on the man before her and turned toward the door, sending the waterwhip out behind her to block the earthen handcuffs that sailed toward her and Sokka. At the same time, Sokka threw his boomerang sideways at a low angle so that it blocked all of the earthen handcuffs heading for his and his sister's feet as both ran toward the door and the freedom outside. Sokka caught the boomerang up in his hand just before he ducked out the door after his sister.
Outside, more Dai Li agents waited. Katara used the water from a nearby bucket to send a wave toward the men coming at her. Sokka flung his boomerang through the air again to take out the others.
Appa soon lowered in the night sky before them. Bojing leaned over the side of the great beast while Aang steered and Toph hung on for dear life.
"Come on! We have to get out of here!" Bojing called to the two on the ground.
Sokka's boomerang returned to him and he ran toward Appa, grabbing Bojing's hand and pulling himself onto the bison's back. Reaching the safety of Appa's back, Sokka looked back. His eyes grew wide in alarm.
"Katara!" He shouted and sent his boomerang into the air one last time.
Katara felt someone move up behind her at the same time Sokka's shout reached her ears. She turned about in fear. A Dai Li agent was almost upon her. Just in time, Sokka's boomerang smashed into the man's head, sending him sprawling. With a sigh of relief, Katara retrieved Sokka's boomerang and rushed toward Appa.
Grabbing Bojing's hand, she felt Appa lift into the air and head away from the fray. Bojing helped her onto Appa's back as he flew away. Once aboard him safely, Katara turned to look back. Momo flew up from below to land on her shoulder as the Dai Li agents watched in angry disappointment.
Katara turned to her companions in relief and was just in time to see Sokka fall back with a happy sigh.
"Some night!" He said.
Everyone smiled at that, and in relief that the night was finally over. But soon Sokka frowned as he lifted his hand, looking at it. Something was in it. It looked like a rope. And the end of that rope was singed as though by fire. Katara frowned at the sight of it. Her brother did, too.
And then understanding dawned and Sokka turned to the silent and grinning boy at the back of the bison. He lifted his hand to point an accusing finger at Bojing.
"You're a firebender!"