Sorry I'm late. Traffic.

Toru had been suspicious of the Avatar and his friends ever since they'd arrived. He knew they had good, world-saving intentions, but they were involved in the war somehow--they had to be. The Avatar had no choice. What if the Fire Nation was chasing them and tracked them down here? His home could be ashes by morning!

And he'd admitted minutes ago that watching them like this would do nothing to prevent that from happening. So why was Toru watching them so intently? Was it to make himself feel better? Was it to make them want to leave faster?

Toru was watching Katara and Aang in awe. He had never witnessed any Water Bending in his life. Ever.

He'd seen Earth Bending, and that grew boring after awhile, but Water Bending just fascinated him so intensely that he couldn't look away even if he'd wanted to.

The Avatar and Katara had asked earlier in the morning if there was a place where they could practice, and Min-Jee had told them the location of a stream deep in the forest that surrounded the village. It wasn't terribly large, but it would suffice.

And guess who was sent to lead them there.

Toru had sat down on a nearby rock, having told the group that he was there to lead them back should they forget the way. He could've left at any time, but he decided to be nice just this once and watch.

Katara and Aang moved the water through the air, sparring with each other, practicing forms…

And splashing Sokka every now and then when he wasn't looking. They looked like they'd wanted to splash Toph, too, but they thought better of it.

Though Toru was apparently an acceptable target, as he found out after receiving a face full of water. He coughed and spluttered in surprise.

"Hey!" Toru growled, clearing his wet bangs from his eyes, "what was that for?!"

"Sorry!" Aang looked sheepish, "that one was an accident. I lost focus."

"Oh right," Toru huffed, "and I suppose Sokka's all wet because you 'lost focus'?"

"The first time it was an accident."

"Just watch what you're doing," Toru glared at them fiercely before turning away to watch a bird peck at the ground.

"It's just a little water," Sokka reminded him, shrugging.

Just a little water.

Sokka had been soaking wet since the beginning of this training session. Why wasn't he angry? Why wasn't he glaring at them or confronting them as Toru, had it not been for his leg making it difficult to get up, would have loved to?

Toru shifted his gaze away from the stupid bird to watch again.

These people were weird.

Toru didn't know why, but it seemed that a lot of people around the village found Min-Jee's hut and everything inside of it extremely interesting, and the four intruders were no exception. He didn't get it--the only things in the hut were smelly herbs, various liquids, and other such things. In the very back there was one small door that led to a small wall of rock where a small waterfall--if it could even be called that--that basically functioned as a shower for patients and the other residents. The hut had been built up against a stone wall at the edge of the village, leaving a space to get access to the corner through which the water flowed, falling into a small crack where the ground separated from the wall. This acted as a drain, and Toru figured the deep crevice carried the water through to the river. That was the only place it could really go, after all.

Really though, when you lived in such an interesting place, it just stopped being interesting after awhile. Toru wished the other villagers could see that side of the place and leave him alone.

"Don't touch that." Toru said without looking up, knowing Katara had found something she wanted a closer look at. Though Min-Jee had wondered if the girl had healing powers (some Water Bender thing. Toru hadn't been that interested.) and Katara had confirmed it, the young Water Bender couldn't help but be slightly fascinated with Min-Jee's somewhat odd methods of healing--Toru had to admit that Min-Jee had a very unique way of caring for her patients.

Katara silently walked away from whatever she had been looking at. She wanted to ask him what some of the things were for, but she didn't approach him, not wanting to inadvertently start an argument.

"There's a book on that table over there," Toru continued absently, "it's got information about all of this stuff, she let's anyone read it as long as she's not using it. Just be careful with it…it's old."

Toru heard Katara's quiet footsteps as she walked near where he had directed her. He sighed, going back to his work. He'd asked Lian and his friend Chen to go out and get some honey--the rain the night before had apparently gotten people sick. He'd gotten all kinds of complaints, from sore throats to runny noses. Nothing could really be done about runny noses, but sore throats could be soothed with honey. Toru wasn't able to go on his own, as he wasn't fast enough for the job.

Getting honey wasn't easy. Toru was busying himself with making the ointment for bee stings.

The two boys came back, panting, with two chunks of honeycomb on strings dripping with the golden liquid.

"In the jar," Toru told them, and Lian and Chen carried stuffed the honeycomb into a glass jar so that the honey would drip to the bottom and the wax could be removed. "Come here," Toru beckoned them back, getting a good look at the boys, covered in red welts and stings. Toru sighed and pulled out the ointment for them, "can you apply this yourself or do I have to do it?"

Lian obviously remembered yesterday's incident. "I think we can handle it ourselves."

Toru shrugged. Less work for him. He shook his head, sighing and lying down on one of the cots with his book spread out in front of him.

"Plantago:

Uses--Anti-toxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine…poultices of this herb treat insect bites and have shown to counter the venom of the two-headed rat snake and the lethal black stinging spider…also used in salads and soups…"

"Hey Katara," Toru winced as Aang broke the comfortable silence he had once had. "Appa's getting restless, I'm gonna take him out for a little, wanna come?"

Toru listened carefully. Please say yes, he thought.

"Uhm," Katara mused, "I think I'll hang around here a little more."

"Why?" Aang asked, feeling a little put out.

"I want to talk to Min-Jee about some things, that's all."

"We wouldn't be gone long."

Toru's eye twitched, "would one--or preferably both--of you just leave, already? I need to concentrate."

Aang looked at him curiously, "on what?"

"Why do you care?" Toru asked.

Aang frowned slightly, but shrugged, "I'm curious is all. You told me you needed to do something, and I asked what it was."

Toru sighed, "Min-Jee gives me little pop quizzes all the time," Toru closed his book and heaved himself off of the bed. "If I don't know my stuff she…she doesn't punish me, but she gives me one of those disappointed looks." Toru paused before continuing.

"If you're not going to go on your bison thingy then give it this," Toru handed them a few stems of a flowering plant. "Chamomile. Relaxant. Either have him work the energy off or give him this. Just…do something. I'll be in my room."

Aang and Katara looked at him as he retreated. Did they just have a conversation with him?

Toru sat down on his bed, his eyes widening as he heard something from down the hall.

"Thanks."

Toru suddenly got an odd, warm feeling in his stomach when he heard that word. It felt nice.

See, he's got a heart in there...deep deep in there...