Six months passed. No word had been breathed of the Kyoshi Warrior's efforts or their whereabouts. Every day Yuri followed the same pattern; chores before preparing breakfast, training before lunch, which usually included using sticks as swords—though Yuri decided she was more comfortable with the shorter duel weapons—and healing every tiny wound she gained with her bloodbending.
Then she worked in Suka's home for five copper pieces doing random chores around the house. Shopping for dinner and listening to all rumours she could hear in the marketplace near the docks, Yuri was always listening for news of the Kyoshi Warriors, and when she didn't get that, she tried to find out about the Northern Water tribe and the Royal family.
There had been an attack on the Northern Tribe about five months ago, which failed thanks to the Avatar. He left with his party shortly afterwards, having need to move on to continue learning the four elements. There was no news on how the Royal family fared.
"That's right, Pirates. They have been under the Fire Nation's thumb for months now, but no one knew it until last night when there was a raid on Kangaroo Island."
Pirates. The only lowlifes gutsy enough to try to get past the Unagi for a raid on Kyoshi Island. Yuri kept this in mind as she browsed a stall with luxurious fabrics.
"Do you find something you like, miss?" Said a resounding male voice, smiling warmly, "I have all sorts of fabrics from all around the world, and a few other items of value as well, for those willing to pay."
Yuri looked up, a bit startled since the voice had disturbed her train of thought. What startled her even more was the brilliant blue of his eyes.
"Oh." The young man gasped lightly. He looked her age, maybe a year or two older, with dark skin and shoulder-length black hair pulled into a
"You—" Yuri tried to find her voice, but it failed her. She had never seen another member of the Water tribe up close before. She only had her Aunt and herself that could tell her how they looked. Even the boy she'd caught a glimpse of six months ago had been covered with makeup and he features marred. This young man was the first male of her kind she'd ever seen. Needless to say, Yuri was rather speechless.
Apparently though, the young man was not. He smirked and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "What is a pretty young water tribe girl like you doing on Kyoshi Island?" He asked, then held out his hand, as if to take hers. "Name's Setto, Northern Water tribe. You are?"
Yuri was shocked, and suddenly very cautious. Instead of taking the boy's hand, she backed off a step. "…if they're from the northern tribe, then they could hurt you! We are fugitives, criminals on the run, sentenced to death by your own—our chief." Yuri remembered her Aunt's words well, and now she believed them.
"I-I'm sorry." She stuttered. "I have to go—make dinner."
"Setto, I'm back, it's time to close!" Another male voice called from behind the stall, and Yuri didn't take the chance to see the other man, she ran out of there as fast as she could, completely forgetting that she hadn't actually bought anything to cook.
The sun was setting by the time Yuri got home, and only then did she even notice her purse was heavy with coins and her arms as empty as her stomach. The one thing she was full of was conflicted thoughts and feelings. She was right to run, if only she could have slipped away without being noticed at all, then there'd be no doubt the boy wouldn't have questions she couldn't answer.
But what about the questions he could have answered? What if she'd closed the door to some information she'd been trying to gather on the Northern tribe for six whole months? He obviously didn't come here often, or Yuri'd have seen the stall earlier, so what if he never came back?
Yuri looked up at the sunset sky. The moon was rising slowly, full and bright, looking like a berry about to burst. The smooth-looking blue of the sky reminded her of the blanket made of fine silk that was still locked away in a box, along with her aunt's old betrothal necklace. Nothing had been moved in that room since her Aunt had died on Yuri's sixteenth birthday, except that the sheets had been stripped from when Suki had found her crying in the backyard and brought her into the house.
Suki had left the next day, after making sure Yuri was safe, and after much prodding from her best friend. Remembering that conversation, the girl looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, from which dangled tiny fan-shaped wooden charms. They were a present from her best friend, someone who was out in the world, trying to help in any way she could.
And what was Yuri doing? Training every day, without anything like real weapons, listening to rumours at the marketplace, and running away from people who could give her real answers about what had happened at the North Pole. She felt like she was failing her promise to Hanna to protect the village. Of course there was nothing to protect it from at the moment, but she was hardly prepared to do so if there were any danger. Her head was beginning to ache, trying to put all these thoughts into their own little categories was too much. She missed the time when all she had to worry about was getting her chores done on time and not letting people find out about her bloodbending. She sighed and started heading into the house
"Hey!" Yelled a voice from behind her. "Hey, girl!" Yuri turned around to see the same boy from the market breaking through the trees that separated her house from the rest of the village, looking rather out of breath.
Damnit! Yuri looked around, but there was no escape, he'd found her home, and there was nothing she could do to stay away from him.
"What do you want?" She asked somewhat bitterly. Her head still hurt and she was too hungry to think about running.
Setto stopped about a foot from her, panting heavily. There was a large basket in his arms, and he seemed to be very careful about not spilling it. "I-I—whew, you're in really good shape, did you know that? Especially for a girl, it's no small hike up here."
"The point of a mountain home is privacy." Yuri snapped. "Now tell me why you followed me before I attack you for trespassing." It was a total bluff—she didn't have the energy to fight anybody right now—it was more likely if he didn't leave soon she'd pass out in front of him.
He caught his breath and smiled shyly at her. "I um, noticed you didn't have any food with you when you took off, so I guessed I scared you and you forgot to get anything." Yuri flinched mentally at the truth in his words he continued. "So I started asking around town about you. I found out you live up here alone, so I made some food and brought it up to you."
Yuri was shocked. "You brought food." She said slowly.
Setto nodded. "Yes,"
"All the way here through the forest."
He nodded again, this time with his eyebrows raised.
"What do you want?" Yuri asked simply. She was relieved she wouldn't have to go hungry tonight, since she was a girl with a healthy appetite for all her normal exercise, but at the same time she knew she couldn't just turn him away now.
He looked hurt. "Hey listen, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I don't want anything, except maybe a thank you, for bringing you something to eat all the way from my oat at the docks."
Guilt washed over the girl. "I'm sorry," she said, staring at the ground. "I guess I'm just a little cranky from hunger. I cleaned Suka's attic for her today and then had to run all the way home when I—" She stopped, not wanted to admit she'd been running from him, even though he could probably have guessed. She looked up and smiled at the boy politely as she changed the subject. "Anyways, thank you for the meal. I can pay you for your troubles; I have the money in my purse."
"I don't want any money." Setto held out his hand to reject the offer. He smiled shyly again. "I just wanted to apologize for scaring you earlier. And maybe ask if I could eat with you?" he twiddled his thumbs nervously. "I brought enough for two, and um , a blanket and some candles." Yuri thought she could see him blush in the dim light of dusk.
None of what Setto had said or done made any sense to Yuri. Why would this boy want to stay outside to eat with her? Being raised completely around girls, she didn't understand boys at all. She knew the basic differences biologically, and she knew where babies came from and how it happened, but the social patterns and interactions between the sexes were something totally foreign to the girl.
The gurgling of Yuri's stomach interrupted all the questions floating around in her head. Well, if hat's what he wants for the food, then I'm not about to argue. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll eat dinner with you."
Smiling goofily, the boy opened the basket and pulled out a blanket big enough for them both to sit on. This he stretched over the ground flat, and set the basket down on top of it. Next he pulled out two cups with thick white candles inside, lighting them with a pack of matches he had in one of his pockets.
"I have some strawberry wine inside, and some glasses." Yuri volunteered. "I'll go grab them while you finish here." She walked away, feeling awkward at watching him work, his face all serious and concentrating.
Yuri didn't know how to make the bittersweet wine from fermented berries, it was a secret Hanna had taken with her when she died, but there were a couple of bottles in storage for special occasions, and the girl thought this might as well be considered one, since she hadn't had anyone to dinner since Suki left. She blew the dust off of a bottle and had to search around the kitchen for a corkscrew and the right glasses.
"Hey I hope you're okay with tumblers, I couldn't find any wineglasses anywhere." She said as she walked up. Then the smell of steamed fish hit her nostrils and Yuri almost fell over, it was so good. Setto was smiling as he opened two containers of the steaming food, and held out his hands to take the wine bottle and the corkscrew.
"I like this a lot better than tea," Yuri admitted, sipping on her glass after the boy poured them out. "especially in the summer when it's already warm, even at night."
Setto smiled. "You know, I still don't even know your name. Do you remember mine or did I spook you too much for you to notice?"
Now it was Yuri's time to blush. "I'm really sorry about that. I was just surprised, and I, um..." She had no idea how to explain her behaviour without giving herself away, so she tried to give him a half-truth. "I've never met another member of the Water tribe before, besides my Aunt, who passed away six months ago."
"I'm sorry to hear about your Aunt. Can I ask what you were doing here with her on the island? My family comes here every summer to trade, but I don't ever remember seeing you here, or any other member of the Water Tribe."
Yuri came up with the lie easily. "We were refugees from the South. My parents were taken away for being benders, but my aunt took me with her when she got away."
"That's awful." Setto said, his head low. "You must have had a very hard life."
Yuri shook her head. "No, not really. I was just a baby when we came here and never knew my parents well. My Aunt took good care of me and I made some very good friends, like Suka, and her daughter Suki."
"Suka, you mentioned her name before. Do you work for her or something?" The boy asked, taking a bite of his fish.
Yuri raised her eyebrows, then quickly finished her bite of fish before saying, "I think I've answered enough of your questions, Setto." She said, smirking at his blush. For some reason she found it really funny. "My name's Yuri, by the way."
He smiled, and something about it made the girl feel like she'd just shared a very intimate secret with him. The sparkle in his blue eyes tugged at something deep within her, and Yuri had no idea what to do with that feeling, so she ate her fish to cover her blush.
They ate in silence for a while, and when they were finished Setto put away the containers and poured more wine. "My parent's won't worry about me, I'm seventeen, and we'll be here for another week or so before heading out again so they know I can take care of myself."
Yuri smiled. "Thank you again for bringing the fish, it was delicious." Then, without knowing what to do with herself, she took a long, deep drink of her wine—it was starting to make her feel warm and giddy, as if all her problems were too far away to care about. She looked up at the sky. "The moon sure is bright tonight." She said, her voice sounding distant.
She heard Setto chuckle. "I don' even think we need the candles." He aid, and she heard him shuffle around a bit, and the whoosh as he blew out both candles and put them off to the side.
Frowning, Yuri noticed it was a bit colder—even with the affects of the wine—without the tiny flames. "We might not need the light, but the warmth was nice." As soon as she said it, she felt him move closer, his warmth emanating. She still shivered—but not with cold. Again there was the feeling she couldn't quite place. She looked into his eyes and the feeling got stronger, so much that Yuri felt she couldn't bear it. She looked away quickly and stared at the moon, feeling the power it gave her as a distraction.
"Am I bothering you?" Setto asked, his tone worried. Yuri force herself not to look at him directly, and she could tell that he was hurt by it, but she was too confused that she didn't know what else to do.
"No, you're not." She insisted. "I'm just not used to being so close to people, since my aunt died and Suki left to help with the war effort, I haven't really been around anybody."
"You mean you've never been close to any boys?" The boy sounded surprised, and Yuri looked to make sure he wasn't making fun of her, but his eyes were sincere, and they still had the same affect on her.
"Why is that so surprising?" She asked, truly curious.
He smiled and blushed. "Maybe because you're so pretty."
Yuri felt her cheeks get hot. Her Aunt had called her beautiful before, but no one else had ever complimented her looks. Everyone always said Suki was pretty, but they never said anything about Yuri, probably because she was so different. "You really think so? I don't know how other Water Tribe girls look so—"
"Yuri." Setto interrupted her. "I don't mean you're pretty for someone from the Water Tribe. I've been all over the world. You're one of the most beautiful girl's I've ever met." Then he brushed his hand over her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. His hand was so warm, Yuri closed her eyes, loving the feel of it. While her eyes were closed, she felt a pressure on her lips that made her open them wide with surprise.
He pulled away, and looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Yuri had to fight with her emotions. So this is what it's like to be a normal girl. Her head was swimming from the wine, and her body felt like it wanted to kiss Setto again, in fact do much more than kiss him. The full moon itself was shining down on her, heightening her senses and her emotions. She smiled and leant her face close to the boy, keeping her eyes closed. This time she could feel a warmth in her that didn't come from his body or from the wine. Something overshadowed the moon, but neither of them noticed as the kiss deepened. At least they didn't notice until fat drops of rain started to fall on their cheeks, making them pull back from each other like they were shocked.
"It's raining!" Yuri said, upset. "We'd better get inside, before the blanket gets too wet."
Setto laughed. "Not a problem." He said, and waved his arms rhythmically in the air. Suddenly there was a shield of water above them, pushing the rain aside and away from them. "Now you can grab the blanket, and I'll get the basket." He said, smirking. Yuri obeyed and lead the way into the house, Setto following closely, being sure to keep her under the cover.
The moment the two got inside, Yuri saw the flash out the open door, and heard the thunder. "The storm's right on top of us." She said, frowning. "I think it'd be best if you stayed here the night." All the warm affects she'd been feeling disappeared. Yuri hated thunderstorms.
Setto put a hand on her shoulder, but the girl didn't feel the warmth. "I can sleep on the floor, since I have my blanket I'll be fine." He said. "I can even start a fire, do you have tinder?"
Yuri nodded and silently showed Setto exactly where she stored the tinder and logs to protect them from the elements. When a small fire was crackling in the fireplace, the boy coaxed her to sit with him in front of it.
"When I was little I was out playing with Suki, but her mother called us in when it started to rain. She went inside, but I didn't want to go, so I kept playing. I thought the thunder was exciting, and the lightning pretty then. A bolt hit one of the trees near me, and it started to fall. Suki's dad had been running home and saw me, if he hadn't knocked me out of the way, I would've been crushed." She never took her eyes from the fire as she said it.
Yuri tried to ignore the fact that she was sharing intimate secrets with a complete stranger, also not trying to think of how she'd just met him today and he knew more about her than anyone save two people alive right now. Did normal girls do this often? And my first kiss… I'd never even thought about it before. Did he want to kiss me all day? Is that why he came by? She thought about it, as Setto hugged her around the shoulders, trying to be comforting.
A few hours later, they decided to get some sleep. Yuri insisted that Setto take the bed on the main floor, and that she'd go to her own room in the attic. She was too tired to think of anything after saying he could sleep there, and the minute she got to her own room she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
****
The next morning was bright and warm, the scent of rain heavy in the air, a smell that Yuri loved even if she hated the storm itself. She wiped her eyes and got dressed in a fresh, clean tunic and pair of leggings for her morning training before heading downstairs. She expected Setto to still be asleep so she was surprised to see him waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her. She was even more surprised to see the grim look on his face, and the small box in his hands—her aunt's chest. It was open and inside she could clearly see the baby blanket and the betrothal necklace placed on top of it.
"What is a refugee from the South pole doing with a betrothal necklace from the North pole, and not just that, but a birthing blanket with the crest of the Northern Tribe's Royal family?" He said, pressing his lips together until they were a thin line.
"You went through my things?" She asked angrily. "They weren't any of your business!"
"I thought I at least deserved better than to be lied to. Tell me, who are you?" He asked, his eyes sharp, and Yuri knew there was no escaping this, the stubborn look in Setto's eyes said it all. He would not leave until he got his answers. I had one night of being a normal girl. She thought sadly. Was it even worth it?