"But the space between heaven and earth…"
Sokka woke with a start, coming out of a deep sleep so quickly his head was spinning and his parka was buttoned before he realized he didn't know why he had put it on. Before he stopped to think about it, however, he was out in the predawn twilight. It was still summer, so the sun was riding parallel to the horizon. It would not set properly for a few more weeks.
Sokka ran along paths of snow permanently packed hard from centuries of wear. He knew, somehow, that she was out near the ocean, past the ramparts and the sentries. He shouted orders at his men as sprinted past, sending some for the Avatar, some for the Fire Nation Ambassador, and some for his grandmother. He also sent a few more out to search, though he knew he would be the one to find her. But he had to be responsible, just in case. He yelled Katara's name repeatedly. Echoes reverberated over the empty ice and bounced back off the wall that protected his tribe. Just as he felt his lungs beginning to burn he saw her.
She was right on the edge of the ice, kneeling where it melted away into the ocean. Her braid resembled a frayed rope, with loose strands floating in the freezing air. She was not wearing her parka and her bare hands rested limply in the snow at her sides. Even from a distance he could see her body shivering and shaking, but she continued to kneel, facing seaward.
"Katara!" Sokka wheezed but he disregarded it, trying desperately to make the distance between them disappear. As he took the last few steps in leaps, ignoring the stitch in his side, she whipped her head around and the water and snow around her followed the movement feebly. Sokka stared in horror as his worst fears were confirmed. Katara's lips were blue and her eyes were cloudy and ferverish. Small rivulets of water had frozen on her cheeks.
"Sokka…" Her voice was hoarse and barely audible. "Dad's ship… should have come last night… I missed it, Sokka…" Her eyes grew cloudier as tears filled them up. Sokka hurriedly removed his parka as he shushed Katara. He put it around her shoulders and started rubbing her hands as tears began to slip down the icy slides streaking Katara's cheeks.
"C'mon, Katara," he coaxed, trying to help her to stand, "we need to go back to the village." Katara seemed to come to for just a moment. Her eyes cleared and she whispered.
"I… can't…" Sokka understood that she was too weak to support herself, so he scooped her up as though she were a small child. She was not as heavy as she should have been. He turned towards the ice wall and saw Appa sailing towards him, capped by Aang and Zuko. Aang's face was white with worry and Zuko's mouth was a grim dash. Appa hit the ice with a grunt and Aang flew off him. Farther off Sokka could see a group of his soldiers scurrying along the wall. Water benders, some of whom Katara had trained, began opening the wall.
"Sokka!" Aang called to him. He was fast approaching.
"Aang!" Sokka yelled in return. A second more and Aang was beside him. "Aang, take Appa to the Northern Water Tribe and bring Yugoda back with you. Come back as fast as you can."
"But…" Aang began to protest, his eyes resting on Katara, who had fallen unconscious in Sokka's arms. Sokka refused to argue.
"Aang! Go! Now!" Aang turned back to Appa, fierce determination now etched on his face, as Zuko caught up. He was panting as Sokka had been. "Zuko, she needs to get warm. Will you come with me?" Zuko nodded and Sokka transferred Katara to his arms. Steam began rising from Katara's hair. "Slowly." Sokka warned. He turned to the wall. The water benders had bended a path in the ice by turning it to water. A canoe was speeding towards them. When it reached them, Zuko stepped on, gingerly. Spiraling tendrils of steam continued to rise from Katara's wet clothing into the grey twilight. Sokka sat in front of Zuko to block the wind that rushed by as the canoe was bended at top speed towards the gap in the ice wall. It was only after the water benders atop the wall had closed the corridor behind the little canoe that Sokka realized he had finally remembered Yugoda's name.