Soon after the horn blew I saw smoke in the distance. I scrambled up and climbed the nearest hill of snow and ice. I squint my eyes. Boats were headed towards the village. A dragon perched on the largest one there. "Always have to make the entrance don't they?" I mutter, making my way back to the village.
By the time I had gotten back home the boats were already docked and I could see them getting off. My uncle and his family. They walked in a single file line, straight faced and I couldn't help but grimace. My cousins had always been uptight monkey-hog butts. I slowly approach the largest boat where my parents were.
"Good to see you Fire Lord Zuko!" My father and Uncle firmly handshake, my three cousins still in a single file line behind the Fire Lord, the baby in my aunts arms. I walk over to my mother and nudge her side gently. "Mom..Why are they here?" I whisper, obviously upset. "Did you forget Lauren? It's the Winter Solstice Celebration." I groan. Every year for the past six years on the Winter Solstice our family gathered here to celebrate. And by family I mean my fathers whole gang of friends and their children. Which meant spending an entire week with the fire brats and the Air bending hippie children.
I hated it.
"Permission to run away and hide for a week." "Permission denied." My mother reply. "Joy.."
"Eh why don't we all get inside. Lura, take your cousins to their rooms eh?" I look at my dad with a horrified expression but he simply nodded. I let out a loud sigh of annoyance and looked to the three of them. "Follow me.." I mutter, spinning on my heels and heading to our house.
I walk quickly, knowing my cousins will have a rough time with the terrain. Typical fire brats. I turn and see the eldest, Pheobe walking calmly. Ursa and Lu Ten the twins a bit behind. Ursa looked irritated with the snow and that made me smirk. The dragon from before was flying above Ursa.
The Dragon's name is Lightning. I dunno how my cousin got her. I think Aang and Zuko found it as an egg or something. I don't really like the dragon..She's got a nasty temper…Just like Ursa. Anyways who the hell gave her the right to have a dragon? She's crazy!
"Would you slow down Lauren! This snow is difficult, and it's cold!" Ursa complained. "What? Can't hear you over the breeze!" I called back making my way into the house. Marco had left the fireplace, probably somewhere reading. I honestly didn't care. Poca stayed back with my dad and I could hear them approaching as well. "Your rooms are up the stairwell and to the left." I tell them. "Why can't you direct us?" "Because I have better things to do." I mutter before leaving.
The second I made it out the door I was face to face with my parents. "I showed them their rooms. I'm out." "Lura where are you going?" "To go hang out with Sasha. It's too crowded." I shout as I made my way across the ice to my cousins igloo.
My dad watched me go before going inside with my mom, uncle, aunt and baby cousin.
"Knock knock." I say as I walk into Sasha's home. She was sitting at the fire place just watching it. She looked up. "Oh hi Lau." "Where are your parents?" "Dad's doing training and I dunno where mom wandered off to…" She mumbled. I give her a small smile as I sit down. "What are you doing here?" "The family came..Couldn't handle the fire brats." Sasha laughed a little. "Whuddya say we hang out by the water…There are some really cool ice patches to skate on." "Sounds good." I stand and then help Sasha up. We leave her igloo and head for the edge of the village. The two of us jump onto the smaller patches until we get to a giant sheet of ice. I tap my foot on it gently. "It's safe."
Sasha dived onto the ice, sliding on her belly and laughing. I grin and do the same. We slip and slide around for a while until a figure caught my eye. It was Ursa walking towards the ship. I poke Sasha's belly. And she looks in that direction too. The smirk on my face says it all. He dive in the water, making it shoot us towards the boat. As she boared I counted to three and we pushed a wave onto the boat, soaking my older cousin. Sasha and I broke out into laughter. The laughter stopped when my cousin saw us.
With a simple shout of "DADDY!" Sasha and I were inside my house, my father giving us a stern look and my uncle giving me a dirty one. He was sitting next to a shivering Ursa, wrapping a towel around her. Sash and I had towels but didn't bother to use them.
"I am very disappointed in you two. You know Ursa isn't good in the cold." "Dad. It was just a joke." "A joke that can kill my daughter! What if she were to get frostbite!"Zuko growled. "Frostbite is when you're in sub zero temperatures for too long." "Don't correct me child!" I simply roll my eyes. "Whatever. Look she's fine now. Now can I go back to having some fun?" Sokka let out a sigh "Fine y-" "Are you kidding me?! You're not going to punish her!?" Zuko interrupted. "You have to admit it's pretty funny…" "We are guests and my daughter was just mistreated." "I didn't ask for any of you to be here did I? It's not my fault she doesn't like the cold….Tell her to wear a sweater or something." I snap before standing up and leaving. Sasha quickly followed me. I could feel my uncles amber eyes burning a hole into the back of my head as I walked out but at this point I didn't care.
This was going to be a long week and if I had to suffer…Why couldn't everyone else?
"So…Where are we going?" Sasha asked as we left the village. "Just doing some wandering." I heard a bark and turned, seeing Poca rushing after us with my sword hanging around her neck. "Aw thanks girl." I give her a pat on the head and clip the sword around my waist. We kept walking until we slid down a snowback, tired. "Let's just rest here for a moment.." I mutter, closing my eyes.
We were all quiet so I didn't understand how we didn't hear the damn thing when it attacked. The Polar Bear Dog roared and swipped one of it's big front paws at us. With a shout I tackle Sasha and we tumble, the paw smacked down into the snow where my cousin just was. I stand quickly and draw my sword but the beast was fast. I was disarmed within moments and Sasha was dazed from the tackle. I couldn't send Poca in because it'd be scuisice then I realize.
I'm a water bender…Surrounded by snow. "Bring it you fluff ball!" I shout, sending a wave of snow into the beast. I squeaked in fear when It did nothing but irritate the animal.
I run. The thing chasing me. Not watching where I was going I ran face first into another snowbank and fell to the ground. "Ugh..How many of these things are there?" I mumble. As I came back into focus I felt something drip onto my face. I look up and scream. The Polar Bear Roared and just as my face was ready to be clawed up.
A loud whistle. The Beat looked up and a girl on a glider came down, landing in front of me. "Now mister! I'm going to have to ask you to calmly step awa-" The beast roared. The girl smirked. "You asked for it!" She quickly jabbed at the beast, sending it down paralyzed. She sighed softly and looked at me, leaning down with a smile. "Hiya Lau." She said happily. "Tess…"I mutter. "Wait one second. HEY DAD! BRING APPA DOW HERE!" A large shadow filled the sky and the bison landed. A bald man grinned, a woman with a long braid sitting beside him. "C'mon..We'll give you guys a ride back." Tessa tells me with a grin. "Sas-" "Huro has her and Poca safe." Tessa assured me. "My….Sword?" "He's got that too." Tessa held out a hand and I take it. She pulls me up to stand and we walk over to the bison. She easily jumps and lands on his back. For me, I climbed up from his tail and was greeted with flashy grey eyes and a smile. "Hello Lura my love." My eye twitched as I stared into the face of Tessa's older brother, Huro. "Um. Don't call me that.." I mutter. "Ah. Right right. You wish to keep our romance a secret." "There. Is no romance Huro." His face paled. "Hide it all you want!" I roll my eyes. "Whatever." "Hello Lura! Long time no see!" The Avatar says with a smile. The Ex Acrobat, a friend of my mothers gives me a small smile. "Yeah, it's been a while." I say. "We should get going now…No doubt your parents are worried. Yip yip!"
The Bison took off.
It only took about five minutes to get back to our village. Five minutes I spent with Huro trying to hit on me. Tessa was no help because she encouraged it. When Appa landed I jumped off of his back not even waiting for anyone else. Huro easily caught up with me. "Where are you going my love?" "Huro. Get the hell away from me." "You cannot deny our love Lauren! We are meant to be!" "I'd rather die!" Huro sighed dramatically. "Lura Lura Lura." He stopped when a shadow hovered over me. "Thank goodness." I ran behind my father. "Sokka!" Aang said, happy to see his old friend. "Hey buddy. Huro." "Sir." Huro nodded but backed up. "Dad I'm gonna go hang with Tess and Sasha. Come on guys." The three of us walk into the palace, where the twins were huddled by the fire. Tessa squealed and tackled Ursa and Lu Ten, getting shouts of protests. "HI GUYS. OHMIGOSH I MISSED YOU SO MUCH IT'S BEEN FOREVER HI HI HI!" "TESSA GET OFF!" They scream. I pull Tessa up by her braid and she whimpered. "I get no love around here." I grin a little bit. "Ursa's just mad cause she got soaked earlier. And Lu Ten's just grumpy always." I explain. "Ursa got soaked?" "Yep..She became one with the ocean." Tessa giggled but the look Ursa gave her shut her up quickly. "Oh. Here." Tessa gives me my sword. "Right. Thanks." I put the blade at its spot on my waist and felt much better.
"So. Any ideas on what we should do?" I give a shrug in response to Tessas question. "I don't really know…We've got a whole week here…I'm sure we'll think of something." "Right. Well how about we all just catch up? It has been forever after all." "Sounds cools." Momo escaped from Aang and perched himself on Tessa's head, making her laugh. "Maybe we'll finally get to go on an adventure." "Hah. Like our father's will ever let us go anywhere. Well…Fire Lord Sissy for sure won't let Ura leave his sight with me and you're dad won't let you go anywhere without..Him." "Aw come on Lura. Huro isn't so bad." "I know you love your brother and all. But he's a certified creeper." I shiver at the thought of Huro touching me. "Ugh. Just. Ugh."
Tessa gives a small smile. "Hey…Look we're all together!" She said with a smile, looking around the room. " "Yeah…" "Just like when we were little kids.." "Uh huh." "Are you listening to me?" "Nope." Tessa huffed. I grin. "Love ya too Tessy." "Don't call me that!" I smirk at her.
After hours of catching up and dumb old stories from the past, the sun had set and eyes were getting droopy. Nazaya, the baby had drifted off to sleep and Sasha had went home. I myself retired to my bedroom with Poca and curled up in my blankets, scratching my best friend behind the ears. I heard the door open and saw my mother standing there. I look up with a small smile. She made her way over to my bed and gave me a kiss on my forehead. Like she always did. I give her a tight hug and she tucked me in. Like she always did. I could hear the laughter from Tessa's room as her family did their own bedtime rituals of stories and warm tea.
I bid my mother goodnight and drifted to sleep.