Mina burst into Katara's room.
'Miss Katara, Miss Katara!' she called breathlessly.
Katara sat up from her sheets, surprised and a bit taken aback by Mina's dramatic entrance.
'What is it, Mina?' she asked.
'Something terrible has happened,' said Mina, wiping her forehead. 'I have just received a letter addressed to you. But the messenger... he said he was caught in a storm... so this letter has arrived 5 days late. I know you are very concerned about this...'
Katara's mind froze. She quickly grabbed the letter from Mina's hands and tore it open.
Dear Katara
Aang and I have realized how dire the situation has become. We were flying nearby the city of Omashu, and there was smoke rising from it. On its walls hung huge red panels with the Firenation insignia on them. The Firenation have taken Omashu. This is terrible news, because it doesn't really matter how many little villages we wrest from the grasp of the Firenation. If they take both Omashu and Ba Sing Se, the war is over. We didn't expect them to take Omashu so soon. We are mobilizing our troops. We plan to attack the Firenation Palace within one week. Get out of there. Aang is going to face the Firelord.
Your brother,
Sokka
Katara's hands were shaking. They were going to kill Zuko within the week? The letter arrived five days late which meant... Aang and Sokka's army are probably near the walls of the palace, planning their mode of attack. Katara felt torn. She had to warn Zuko.