A/N: Here's the next installment. Readers please leave a review or two. Let me know what you like or dislike about this story. Help me get the interest in this story up. I think it is a one people will enjoy if they'd only give it a chance.

Chapter 3

I turned and looked at Karra and the fear in her eyes reflected my own. Karra and I are the only ones in the village capable of defending our home and we were both hunters not warriors and with my injured arm it was even worse. But this was my home and I promised dad I'd protect my tribe and my sister with my life.

"We need to prepare the village for an attack." Karra said breaking my thoughts.

"You're right let's go." I said as I spun on my heels and ran to get Gran-gran.

The entire tribe had the same idea as we did because the women were already preparing. More than half the village was moving the food stores into the underground hiding spot that was prepared for these occasions. The Southern Water Tribe is nothing if not adaptable. Our element is water the element of change after all. I got to Gran-gran who was barking out orders to the other women.

"Hannah, go get our medical bags we need to be ready in case the Fire Nation attacks. Nala, I need you to take the children to the underground snow caves."

"Gran-gran where's Katara?" I said in a panic.

"She's off with that airbender." She replied.

"Shit." I said under my breath.

"Language young lady. I swear you're as bad as your father." Gran-gran chided half-heartedly.

"Sorry Gran." I apologized. "Most of the women are moving our food into the hiding spot and Karra is taking care of the dogs. I think she's keeping Bear and Kojo out just in case."

"Good. Listen Sokka, I know you're not the warrior your father wanted you to be, but today you have to be. What you lack in strength you make up for with instincts and bravery. You and Karra are the only ones that can defend our tribe, our family. I have faith in you my brave hunter." Gran-gran said looking me straight in the eyes with an intense stare.

"I will. I will defend our tribe with my life if I have to." I said sharply as I hugged my grandmother.

"Go now and prepare yourself for battle." She said just as hard.

The entire village gathered at the opening in the wall as Aang and Katara were seen walking toward the village.

"I knew you would bring trouble to our village. You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare and you're leading them right to us." I growled out as soon as they were close enough.

"Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." Katara defended.

"Yeah, we were on this ship and there was this booby trap and we stumbled right into it."

"Katara you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger." Gran-gran snapped. Her voice was harsher than I've ever heard.

"Don't blame Katara. I brought her there. It's my fault."

"Aang, you're banished from the village" I said sternly.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake."

"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad. I'm protecting you from threats like him." I said cutting her off.

"Aang's not a threat. Don't you see he's brought something to our tribe that we haven't had in a long time. Fun."

I lost it. "Fun! We can't fight firebenders with fun. We can't defend our home with fun." I screamed.

"You should try it some time." Aang said happily.

I was nearly seeing red by this point and the sooner he left the safer he'd be. "Get out of our village. Now!" I said with as much venom as I could.

"Grandmother please, don't let Sokka do this." Katara pleaded.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. That boy has brought enough trouble. It is best if he leaves." Gran-gran said full of disappointment.

"Fine, then I'm banished too. Come on Aang let's go." She huffed.

I couldn't believe she said that. She would turn her back on the village for some boy, some bender she just met.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the North Pole. Aang's taking me there to find a master."

"You're going to turn your back on your tribe; choose him over your own family?" I said full of hurt.

Katara and Aang had a quiet conversation I couldn't hear and then they turned their separate ways and he left on his bison. Gran-gran went to Katara but I was too angry and hurt to face her now.

"Come on Karra we need to prepare." I said and I grabbed her hand and started towards the warriors' tent.

We both shed our parkas and donned the warrior's garb. It was much thinner and provided better mobility. We took turns painting each other's faces in the warrior's mask. The paint is made from the oils of whale fat and it helped protect our faces from the elements. The dark under our eyes protected us from snow blind and the design was meant for intimidation.

I looked in the water at my reflection. The dark grays and blues contrasting my light blue eyes looked almost ghostly. I may not be a good warrior, but even I have to admit I looked scary. Karra too looked scary; the hard set of her jaw and the anger in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine.

"Whatever happens, we're in this together." Karra told me with our eyes locked together.

"We're the only ones that can defend our tribe and if I have to lay down my life for it I'd rather be at no one else's side but yours." I pulled her in for a tight hug before we exited the tent.

A heavy fog rolled in making it impossible to see if there were any ships coming until they were right on us. Karra and I stood side by side on the wall overlooking the ocean trying to look through the fog. After several minutes we felt the ground shaking and heard the ice cracking. The cracking Ice split in front of us and up the wall right between Karra and I. That's when we saw a massive black shape forming in the fog right in front of us.

"Come on Sokka we need to get off the wall. The ship is coming right for us." Karra shouted to me.

I jumped off the wall and landed in a roll just as massive black ship came to a stop right at the edge of the village. Steam rose from the bow of the ship accompanied by a loud hiss and the entire bow of the ship dropped down destroying the rest of the wall and one of food storage igloos. The dropped bow created a large gang plank which five Fire Nations soldiers walked down. The one in front wore a black and red armor with gold trim. By his dress I assumed he was their commander. After I got a better look at him he looked no older than me. He had very pale skin and a gnarly scar over the left side of his face, mostly over his eye.

"Leave now!" I said fiercely. "You and your kind are not welcome here!" Karra followed up just as fiercely. The boy ignored us as he continued looking over our tribe, who were all huddled together, minus the children.

"Where is he? Where are you hiding him?" He shouted angrily.

"Him who? Do you see any men here?" I retorted.

"Don't play dumb with me." He snapped.

The boy then walked over to Gran-gran and snatched her by her parka and turned her to the villagers. "He'd be about this age, master of all elements."

I'd had enough. I lunged forward and slapped his hand off of Gran-gran with my left hand and struck him open palmed in the chest with my right.

"That's enough! There are no men here." I shouted and positioned myself between him and the village.

He sent a wave of flame above everybody's head and shouted "I know you're hiding him."

"I'll say this one more time. There are no men here. Leave now!" I shouted as I stepped up to him.

He was half a head taller than me and he scared the crap out of me, but I didn't let it show on my face. He scowled down at me and his golden eyes seemed like they could set me ablaze.

"Fine. You want to have it this way, we'll do this the hard way." He said through gritted teeth. "Men, search the area." He barked.

"Over my dead body!" I shouted as I pushed him.

"With pleasure." He snarled with an evil smirk.

I swallowed the fear down and charged him with my club. He side stepped and tripped me as I went past him. I growled, got to my feet and got in a fighting stance. He smirked again and waved me on. I bared my teeth at him and started circling him. He went on the offensive this time and punched a flame at my face. I spun out of the way and swung my club at him. He easily dodged my clumsy swing. I swung again he leaned back and kicked the club out of my hand. I was easily outmatched by him, but I had a village to protect and I wasn't going down without a fight. He shot another flame at me and I rolled out of the way. As I came out of my roll I pulled my boomerang out of its sheath and threw it at him. He narrowly dodged it and snarled at me. I leapt at him but he countered with an elbow to my mouth and sent me sprawling to the ground. I looked down to the snow as I got to my hands and knees. There was blood dripping from my split lip and staining the snow. I got up and growled at him. I caught a shimmer of light in the sky behind him and I smiled as my boomerang slammed into the back of his head and knocked his helmet off. I took this distraction to charge at him. I slammed my right fist into his face. I swung at him with my left but he caught my forearm in a vice like grip. I shrieked in agony as he squeezed on my wounds. He wasted no time in twisting my arm away from him and leaving my entire front exposed. He shot a flaming palm into my chest and sent me flying backwards.

I landed next to a tent that conveniently had my bow and a quiver of arrows leaning against it. I dragged myself up and grabbed them. I heard a cry of pain and looked in horror as I saw Karra trying to fight off three men. She was fighting like a crazy woman but she was outnumbered and outmatched. One man back handed her across the face and spun her away from a man with a spear. The man thrust his spear through her back and the tip came through her stomach. She let out a blood curdling scream as the spear pierced her body. The man tried to pull his spear back but it just pulled her with it. He tried again and pulled her again. He then kicked her in the back and sent her face first in the snow.

"Karra!" I screamed and nocked an arrow.

The man turned just enough that the arrow went through his jugular and out the other side lodging itself into a tent pole. I shot two more arrows in rapid succession and dropped the other two men.

I turned back to the leader to see that he was sending blast after blast of fire at Aang who was deflecting the flames with his staff. I turned and sprinted to Karra after seeing Aang was handling the threat at the moment. I dropped to my knees next to Karra. The snow all around her was stained red and my chest tightened with panic. I rolled her over onto her back and looked her over. The hole from the spear was on the left side of her abdomen and blood was flowing freely.

"No, no, no, no, no, Karra, please you can't die I need you." I said in panic

"Sokka." Karra said weakly.

"Sh, Karra save your energy." I managed to sputter out.

"You're going to be okay. You're strong. You'll pull through."

Tears were flowing down my face as I ripped my right sleeve off and pressed it to her wound. Karra gave off a pained moan as I applied pressure to her wound.

"I'm sorry Karra, I'm sorry I couldn't have stopped them sooner." I said looking deep into her eyes.

Karra reached her hand up and placed it on my cheek and gave me a weak smile.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Sokka. You're such a brave girl. I know you'll continue to provide for the village without me." She said weakly.

"No, don't say that. You can't leave me. I'm lost without you. I need you." I said barely holding myself together.

Hannah came running up to us with her medical bag. She opened the bag up and pulled out bandages and a secret tribal recipe used for stopping bleeding on severe injuries.

"Karra this is going to be very painful okay? Sokka hold her hand and have her bite on this." Hannah said as she handed me a bone wrapped in leather.

I put the bone in her mouth and squeezed her hand tightly. Hannah poured thick liquid on her wound and Karra wrenched on my hand and screamed through the bone. Hannah then cut off Karra's top and I helped lift her enough that Hannah could wrap the bandages around her entire stomach. I looked Hannah in the eye and begged her to tell me is Karra was going to make it with my eyes.

"It was close but I think we got to her in time. I think she'll pull through." Hannah said as she put a hand on my shoulder.

Karra had passed out by this point and the shallow puffs of her breath were the only thing showing me she was still breathing. I picked her up bridal style and followed Hannah back to the villagers.

"Secure the prisoner and ready the ship." The boy with the scarred face shouted.

I caught the eyes of the boy and I gave him the harshest glare I could muster and then I turned and handed Karra off to a couple of other women who took her in a tent.

"And she comes with us." The boy shouted.

I turned back to him to see him pointing at me.

"She killed my men and I will see her punished for her crime against the Fire Nation."

Two of his men went to grab me. I punched the man on my left in the stomach and I bit the other one when he put his hand on me. The man I punched returned the favor and slugged me in the gut. I dropped to my knees from the blow as all the air rushed from my lungs. The two men grabbed me on either arm and started dragging me to their ship. I struggled to get loose from their grip, but they were too strong. I looked over my shoulder as best I could. I locked eyes with Katara and Gran-gran and saw tears running down their faces.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." I lied. "Take care of Karra. Katara take care of the village. It's your responsibility now." I shouted as I fought to turn and see them for as long as I could.

They dragged me up the gang plank and into the ship. When I was inside the ship the bow closed back up cutting me off from my tribe. I turned back to the front and the scarred leader was standing right in front of me.

"You've caused me quite a bit of trouble little girl."

I spit in his face and shouted. "I'm going to cause you a lot more."

He turned and wiped the spit off of his face and he laughed darkly. I saw him put something in his hand and he drew back and punched me in the face, knocking me out.

0o0o0o0o0o

I came to in a dark room with only a dim lantern for light. I was in a cage within a larger metal room and my hands were tied around my back. The fog in my mind began to wear off and as it left the pain in my body replaced it. My bottom lip was split open in the middle and my left eye was nearly swollen shut.

"Ugh, my head." I said out loud to myself.

"Sokka! You're awake." Aang exclaimed loudly.

I turned my head swiftly to glare at him and I regretted it immediately. I became light headed and my brain felt like it was pounding inside my skull.

"Not only am I a prisoner of the Fire Nation, I have to be stuck in here with you? The universe really does hate me." I mumbled.

"You're not stuck with me. You get to be with me. Now you have someone to talk to." Aang cheerily replied.

"Ugh, pass. It's your fault I'm here in the first place."

"I know, I'm sorry Sokka." He said downcast.

I wanted to be mad at him and yell at him but he looked like I just kicked his puppy and it stole all my anger.

"We need to figure a way out of here. They didn't punch you stupid before they brought you in here, what can you tell me about the ship?"

"Um, it's big, metal, and really warm inside."

"No kidding." I bit off sarcastically. "I'm talking about layout, guards that sort of thing, genius."

"Oh, that. Well I wasn't really paying attention." He said sheepishly.

"Of course not, why would you?"

"Uh, was I supposed to?" He said looking confused.

"Did you plan on breaking out of here at any point or were you just going to let them take you?" I asked sharply as my frustration started to build.

"Well I was just going to play it by ear, you know wing it."

"And you're the Avatar? Great, we're doomed." I mumbled the last part under my breath.

"Don't worry Sokka, I'm sure things will work out." He said cheerfully.

His cheerfulness was really starting to get under my skin. 'Katara's irrational optimism was bad enough now I gotta deal with this nitwit.' I thought to myself.

"You know Aang, things don't just work out you have to make them work out." I said as I scooted close to him. "Are your hands tied behind your back?" I asked him.

"Yeah, why?"

"Listen. Turn your back to me. I'm going to put my leg by your hands and I need you to reach in my boots and pull out my knife." I told him.

"Your knife? Wh-why do you need a knife?" He ask nervously.

"So, I can cut the ropes. Do you even... Never mind just get the knife."

I put the opening of my boot right at his hands and he started squirming around and after a few minutes he pulled out the knife.

"I got it!" He shouted.

"Shut up! Do you want the whole ship to year you?" I said through clinched teeth.

"Oh, yeah right, sorry."

"Just give me the knife."

I shifted around so we were back to back and I took the knife from his hands.

"Now hold still so I can cut your ropes off."

I took the knife from him and started sawing through the ropes but his constant squirming was making in near impossible.

"For the love of, will you hold still? If you keep moving like that I'm going to accidently cut you." I huffed at him.

He didn't hold still, but he calmed down enough that I was finally able to cut the ropes on his hands.

"There you're free. Now quick, cut mine off and if you cut me so help me I'm going to punch you."

Aang managed to cut through my rope, but of course he cut the crap out of my left thumb.

"What did I tell you about not cutting me?" I growled at him.

"Um sorry Sokka."

I faked a punch and he flinched.

"Two for flinching." I said as I socked him in the arm twice.

"I guess I deserved that. Hehe" He laughed nervously.

'That and so much more you little twerp' I thought to myself as I gave him an un-amused look.

"Listen, I bet almost anything that there is at least one guard on the other side of that door. I think I can use my knife to break us out of this cage but I need you to use your airbending to take out the guards as quietly as you can. If we can silence as many guards as we can without them sounding the alarm the better. I'm not in much shape to be fighting so I hope you've got some skills with that airbending of yours. You follow?"

"Well I am an airbending master after all." He bragged.

"Good. Get ready to go." I said.

Breaking out of the cage was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Just a simple twist of the blade and bam the door swung free. I got to the main door and positioned myself so I could pull the door open and allow Aang to do his stuff.

I gave Aang a silent three count with my fingers and I yanked the door open on one and Aang did an airbending move and both guards slammed into the opposite walls and slid to the floor out cold. 'Maybe this kid's got some skills after all' I thought. We continued down through the ship looking for his staff and a way out. We encountered minimal resistance until we found his staff in the quarters of the angry teen commander. After a brief scuffle that I conveniently stayed out of things got a little hairy. We made it to bridge of the ship but we collected a whole slew of pursuers. Aang threw his staff out the window as it folded out into a glider and he leaped out the window after it. The commander was hot on his heels and I tried to stop him, but someone caught me from behind by my hair and yanked me back. I turned and elbowed the man in the temple and sent him crashing back through the doorway to the bridge. The man I hit crashed into a few others and now there was a pile of fallen men blocking the doorway. I took the momentary distraction to locate a way out. I found a side exit that led to a catwalk along the outside of the bridge. I rushed onto the catwalk and found a ladder down to the deck.

I peered out over the deck and saw the angry teen hanging onto Aang's feet as they were falling to the deck. I quickly descended the ladder to catch up to Aang. I got to the bottom of the ladder and I took off towards Aang. I was cut off from Aang as two Fire Nation soldiers brandishing swords came from below deck. I stopped in my tracks and took a quick peek over my shoulder. There were men coming down the ladder from the bridge. 'Great, trapped like an elephant-rat' I thought as I looked over my situation. I heard a roar off in the distance. I looked over my shoulder again and saw what looked like Aang's giant fur-ball flying towards us. That distraction was enough of an opening for the soldiers with swords to move in on me. I heard their footsteps just in time to turn and avoid a sword in the back. I snarled at the man and got into a fighting stance. One man swung and me I danced out of the way but I was a bit too slow and the tip of his sword sliced horizontally across my right shoulder. I grabbed the new wound with my left hand and hissed in pain.

I was saved from another attack when Aang burst out of the water riding a cyclone of water. His eyes and tattoos were glowing just like when he first emerged from the iceberg. He landed on the deck of the ship and a massive wall of water followed him. He spun the water around him and then he shot it out in all directions and the water slammed into all the Fire Nation soldiers. Unfortunately for me I was not spared as the violent force of the water hit me and sent me flying across the deck of the ship where I slammed into the railing of the ship. I was seeing stars from the impact and it took me at least a minute for my vision to return and my head to clear.

I pulled myself up using the railing for help when I saw Appa land on the deck and Katara to slide off the beast. Katara ran over to where Aang was laying. Apparently when he goes all glowy it makes him faint afterwards. I stumbled over Katara and Aang. The simple act of walking over to them was a bigger challenge than it should have been. I was still dizzy from my rough meeting with the ship's railing.

"I dropped my staff." Aang moaned and pointed in the direction of his staff.

"I'll get it." I volunteered.

I stumbled again across the deck of the ship, I managed to only fall once; right before I reached the staff. I decided to crawl the last three feet to the staff. I grabbed the staff at the same time as the scarred teen as he was pulling himself onto the deck of the ship. He was half hanging off the side of the ship and I took advantage of the situation.

"I've had about enough of you." I said as I kicked him in the face and sent him flying off the ship.

My legs were still wobbly, but I made it over to Appa with the staff in hand. I started to climb up the creature and Katara offered me her hand to help me in the saddle she was already in. I foolishly reached out my left and she grabbed me by the forearm. Pain shot through my arm at her grip on my forearm and I cried out, but I didn't let go and I let her pull me in the wide saddle.

"Yip yip." Aang called out and Appa took to the skies.

I pulled myself up to look over the edge at the ship we just escaped. My eyes widened as a huge fireball was sailing towards us. Aang reacted quickly by swinging his staff the air current he bended at the fire ball made it veer off course and slam into a glacier. The impact of the fireball caused a large section of the glacier to break off and it ended up burying half the Fire Navy ship.

"Man, glad that's over." I sighed in relief.

"Oh my Sokka you're a mess." Katara gasped before wrapping me in a fierce hug.

"Tell me about it." I said as I returned the hug with less vigor.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but Katara what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Aang's the Avatar. He's the only chance we have at ending the war." She replied.

Logic. Makes sense, I'm kind of proud of her for finally using it. Still I couldn't help but feel a little hurt that she didn't mention me in her rescue plan.

"So what's the plan?" Aang asked.

"You're the Avatar right?"

"Yeah." He answered confused.

"Well then the plan is Katara's original plan. We head to the North Pole where you and Katara can learn waterbending from a master."

"Great! Now I can finally learn under a master." Katara said with glee.

"Katara, you didn't happen to bring any of my stuff did you?" I asked.

"Yeah, Gran-gran packed a couple changes of clothes, a sleeping roll and some food."

"Okay, all good things, but what about my weapons; my bow, boomerang, my club?"

"Of course. Karra wouldn't let me leave until she knew I packed them."

"Karra." I whispered.

"She's going to be okay Sokka. She told me to tell you she loves you and she's proud of you and to be strong wolf slayer." Katara said with a gentle voice and a comforting hand.

I couldn't stop myself. Tears began flowing from my eyes and I clutched Katara and I sobbed into her shoulder. Everything that happened to me today hit me like a ton of bricks; my best friend almost dying, being forced to take the lives of those three men, being captured and being pulled away from my family, my tribe. All of it overwhelmed me and it was more painful than any of my wounds.

"Katara, I killed today. I killed three men. I took their lives. I did what I had to do, but it was horrible. I can still remember the face on the man when the arrow went through his neck and his blood spewed out in the rhythm of his heart beat." I said quietly after I had regained control of my crying.

Katara sat next to me as I laid down. She held my hand until I drifted off to sleep. She may be impulsive and have a bad temper, but she's caring and nurturing just like mom was.