It was awkward when we all ate, none of us talking. It's not like I knew them, so I didn't know what to say. Aang knew them, but for some reason felt uncomfortable. Blaming me was my only solution...like it always was. Sighing, I drank the soup a bit more, making Sokka look up at me. That just made it all the more awkward, since he had a piece of fish hanging out of his mouth. "What?" I looked at him and scratched my face where the fish was hanging out of his mouth. Immediately he ate the fish and looked back at the sky. "So tell me somethin' Teiko. How'd you survive for over one hundred years?"

A frown immediately went upon my face.

"Yeah, I've been wondering that as well." Katara joined in with Sokka, but Aang stayed quiet.

"I'd rather not talk about that…" Sheepishly I smiled at them and then continued to take sips at the soup.

"Oh, that's okay. We just met you anyway, I wouldn't expect you to." Katara spoke to me with a…motherly tone? No, maybe a really kind teacher, that had to be it.

"I would've expected her too." She nudged Sokka in the guts, making him spit out some of his soup. "Thanks Katara, you're the nicest person in the world!"

"Thought so, so Teiko, what Air Temple were you from?"

"Uh…" Aang rested a hand on my shoulder and shook his head 'no'.

"Originally Southern like me, but had to move to Northern." Katara looked like she wanted to dig into his words, but stopped herself. Sokka on the other hand raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

"So you stayed in Southern while she left to Northern?"

"Yes, can we please not talk about it now?" Aang's anxious voice made Sokka startled and apparently hungry, so he continued eating. It was silent again except for slurping of soup and munching of meat until Katara said, "I'm going to go look for a village, anyone care to join?" No one changed what they were doing as Katara stood.

"Teiko, why don't you go with her?" Aang offered, setting his empty bowl down and standing. "Sokka and I can wash the dishes and find berries."

Katara clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled, come on Teiko!" I frowned at how she had called me after her like a pet, but still stood and walked beside her into the forest. But the farther we walked, the more I had the feeling that we were just edging farther in, not out. We both had the same pace, the same expression on our faces, but I could still tell Katara felt like she was going the right way. Even so, I followed my instincts.

"I think we should stop." I finally spoke, looking up at the trees looming above us.

In sync we both stopped, now facing each other. "Why, do you think we're going the wrong way?" It sounded polite enough, but I didn't want to believe she was so good.

"Well, yeah…actually, I do." Katara raised an eyebrow at me, now seeming to be a little annoyed.

"Oh," She started her voice a bucket full of annoyance. "So you don't think I'm leading us in the right direction?"

I kept my mouth a then line, pushing back the on-growing smirk from her words. "Well, that's what I just –" Suddenly I felt the Earth slip out from under me, and the whole world went black.


"Sokka, I need to talk to you about something." Aang said while picking up a piece of driftwood from the ground. Sokka made a sort of moaning sound from behind a stack of twigs and branches, trying to carry them over to Appa. "Those twigs aren't going to work, Sokka." Frustrated, Sokka dropped his supply on the ground and looked at Aang. "Be serious for a moment, Sokka, I need to tell you something."

"Is it about Teiko having your face, but still being attractive?" Sokka said, picking out the thick branches of wood in his pile.

"Sort of…" Aang spoke awkwardly, picking up another piece of driftwood. "Sokka, I need you to stay away from Teiko…like, relationship wise."

Sokka spoke quickly, "Why would I do that? She can't be my friend?"

"No, she can be your friend, but when it comes to being her boyfriend and such…" Aang stopped, thinking of how he should put this. Neither of them moved during the silence. "…well, to be honest, Sokka, you're kind of a player." Sokka broke into laughter at his words, dropping the branches he had been holding.

"Seriously Aang, what's the reason?" Aang stayed silent, looking at Sokka. "You're serious?"

"Yes, I am, Sokka. I don't want Teiko to get hurt emotionally or physically. But nearly every town we've been to you've fallen for someone and they've fallen for you. Don't you get it, Sokka? What if you two get together and Suki comes back? Or that girl from the village before –" Stopping, Aang rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I think I went too far."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Sokka waved a hand at Aang sloppily and continued to sort out the heap of branches and twigs. "I'll be sure to leave her alone for ya."

"Thanks, Sokka."