19. Marriage(200)
Kya's fingertips brushed her necklace. Engagement necklaces were a custom of the Northern Water Tribe, but her husband's mother, Kanna, had passed it down to her this morning, since she hadn't married the man who'd given it to her.
The Tsungi Horns played. Kya stepped past the silk curtain and started down the ice path they'd smoothed out for her. At the end of the aisle stood Hakoda, his sapphire eyes glinting in the sun. Joy sparked in her heart.
When she reached the altar, Hakoda's mother had them recite their vows. They were simple—words that had been spoken a thousand times by a thousand tongues before her. Hakoda's eyes never strayed from her face.
"Hakoda, do you accept this lovely woman as your wife?"
"I do."
"And Kya, do you accept this brave warrior as your husband?"
Tears burned in her eyes. "I do."
Kanna smiled and stepped forward, wrapping a length of rope around their wrists and tying it tight. "I hereby pronounce you man and wife. May your union be forever loving."
Hakoda leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips.
"I love you," Kya whispered, tracing the ropes that bound them together. "Forever."
20. Earth Rumble
The arena shook with the song of boulders being smashed together. The crowd cheered, the sound as deep as the growl of a badgermole.
Toph leaned forward. A grin split her face as she pressed her feet against the floor to get a better view of the action. "Fight!" she yelled. "Take him down!"
Truthfully, she wasn't sure which competitor she'd cheered for. She'd wandered into the arena by accident, discovering it with her still-developing seismic sense, so she knew none of the competitors.
Doesn't matter, she thought. One day, I'll be there, and everyone will be rooting for me.
21. Delivery
"Bumi, there's already a delivery system. Why are we doing this?"
The earthbender grinned, picking up the package. One eye opened wider than the other, making him look somewhat . . . insane. "To ride the mail chutes, of course!"
Aang blinked. "Huh?"
Half an hour later, they were sitting in a stone cart high above Omashu. "Ready, Aang?"
Aang braced himself, angling his staff away from him so it wouldn't stab him if this ended badly. "Ready . . ."
Bumi pulled them over the edge of the hill.
Gravity grabbed them and yanked them to Omashu's residential district.