Title: Unguided
Rating: K
Character/Pairing: Katara, Sokka
Summary: After they lose their mother.
A/N: Written for 31days, theme: when a woman learns to walk, she's not dependent any more. Set pre-series, in the aftermath of the raid on the Southern Water Tribe that took Sokka and Katara's mother.
For the first two weeks after the raid – after the loss, after the funeral, after the inevitable cleaning up and packing away – Katara curled into her bedroll facing the corner of their little tent and refused to move or talk or even generally acknowledge anyone else's existence.
No one wanted to bother her; they were all grieving in their own ways and by silent, mutual agreement they decided to give her time.
It wasn't until Sokka crawled into the blankets next to her one evening – because it was the best way to stay warm in the south – that she really seemed to wake up and notice him again.
"Ugh, Sokka, you smell," she muttered hoarsely at him, her voice clogged and a grimace on her face.
"Sorry," he mumbled, turning into the pillow. "I'm out of clean socks."
"Where's Dad?" she asked.
"Helping repair the boats from the last hunting expedition." He blinked sleepily into his pillow, wondering why she was asking.
"Then where's Gran Gran?" she continued.
"Helping to prepare the meat from the last hunting expedition." Sokka answered patiently. It had been necessary to go almost immediately after the raid; the Fire Nation had burned all of their supplies.
Katara sat up and looked at him. He looked right back at her, and a long, silent moment between siblings who'd both faced the same loss ensued. Finally, Katara heaved a huge sigh and held out her hands. "Give me your socks. And the rest of your laundry."
"Right now?" he asked in confusion, sitting up and reaching under the blankets for his feet.
Katara wrinkled her nose. "I'm not getting any sleep with you smelling like that."
Originally posted 05/24/08