Chapter 4: The Warriors of Kyoshi
"This doesn't make any sense."
"What doesn't?" Zuko asked, turning to face his sister. Azula was standing hunched over the ship's map of the southern seas, which seemed to have been marked over with ink lines in various colors, as well as what appeared to be various calculations and speculations she'd begun and then abandoned in the margins. The expression on her face was one of mixed frustration and anger.
"The Avatar," she replied, straightening up and gesturing to the map. "I've been marking down all reported sightings we've encountered since we left Zhao's base, and trying to figure out where he and his friends are heading next, but it all looks completely random." Azula turned to face the map again and made a quiet snarl; Prince Ozai's younger child wasn't used to problems that perplexed her royal will, and meeting one now wasn't pleasant for her.
"He's obviously an expert at evading pursuit," Zuko told her. "But it doesn't matter. We'll find him before long."
"There's got to be logic to his movements," Azula muttered, bending back down over the map. "When I figure it out, we'll have him- and this time, we won't underestimate what he's capable of."
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"Do you have any idea where we're going?"
Aang shrugged and looked over his shoulder at Sokka, grinning sheepishly. "Well, kind of," he said. "I know it's an island, and we're in the right ocean!"
Sokka glanced over Appa's saddle at the expanse of featureless blue water that stretched out to every horizon beneath them. "Great," he said. "That's really reassuring."
"Oh, Sokka, don't be so hard on him," Katara put in. She moved closer to Aang, with Momo, the flying lemur the trio had picked up at the Southern Air Temple, perched on one shoulder. "So, do you mind telling us about this island we're going to be visiting?"
"Oh, it's great," Aang said. "It's called Kyoshi, after one of my past lives, but that's not the really great part. There's these giant fish called elephant koi that live around it, and if you're a really good swimmer, you can catch up to one of them. Then you can ride it- it can be pretty hard to stay on sometimes, but that's half the fun!"
"Riding a giant fish sounds a lot less interesting to me than catching and eating one, but whatever," Sokka said, lying back on the saddle and apparently trying to get in a midair nap before they reached their destination.
Aang gave a slight snicker watching him, then turned to Katara. "You want to see an airbending trick to pass the time?" Before she could react, he'd whipped a small set of marbles from his pocket and set them spinning in a tight circle between his hands. Katara shot him an unusually nonplussed look; the young airbender decided she'd probably liked the trick better the first few times he'd shown her. Sighing, Aang pocketed the marbles and turned his full attention back to steering Appa.
Several hours later, even he felt like he was beginning to nod off, but his eyes widened and he sat up straight when he saw the distant bump on the horizon. Looking more closely at it- yes, it had to be an island! "Sokka, Katara, wake up!" Aang shouted.
"What, are we under attack by air pirates?" Sokka demanded sleepily, apparently still under the influence of whatever dream he'd been having.
"No, we're here! I give you, Kyoshi Island!" With land in sight, Appa seemed to have perked up as well, and the island quickly grew larger ahead of them. Shortly, Aang could make out the bay, the small forest- and something else, which caused his eyes to widen in surprise.
"What's going on down there?" Sokka asked, now alert. "It looks like they're getting ready for battle!"
"I… I think you're right," Aang breathed in surprise, leaning forward past Appa's horns for a better look. Far below them, several small ships were drawn up on the island's coastline, and figures could be seen milling about as they loaded cargo. Most of them wore blue, but there were some who were clad in what looked like vivid green robes.
"What do you think's happening?" Katara asked, coming forward to sit near Sokka and Aang.
"I don't know," the airbender replied, "but let's find out!" Pulling on Appa's reins, he brought the sky bison about and turned him towards the island as they came in for a landing. Appa came to rest on the beech a fair distance away from all the activity, and Aang patted his head fondly before leaping off and landing on the ground in front of him, while Sokka and Katara dismounted as well beside him.
Down the beach, the green-clad figures turned to watch them, and Aang realized they were wearing heavy makeup- he'd seen people from all over the world, and he was pretty sure skin didn't come that white naturally. The lead figure was pointing directly at them, and did not look happy. "Invaders!" the figure shouted in a high, clear voice. "Take them!" The villagers who were wearing blue scrambled backwards, but the ones in green drew what looked like fans and charged.
Sokka's eyes narrowed as he listened to the voice. "Hey, wait a minute-" he began, but before he could communicate whatever thought was bothering him, the island warriors were on them. In short order, both Water Tribe siblings had been knocked to the ground and bound tightly- these people really were good at this, Aang thought- and the airbender himself was backed up against Appa, hands raised and trying to figure out what he could say to convince them that they were harmless. As the warriors gathered in a semicircle around him, his eyes darted from each to each, and he registered what he figured was probably what had caught Sokka off guard- as far as Aang could tell, all these warriors were women, or maybe even girls- it was hard to tell their ages with all that makeup.
The lead warrior leveled her fans at him. "Give up now, and we'll go easy on you," she said. "Resist, and we'll show you how the Kyoshi Warriors deal with invaders."
"I'm not an invader!" Aang protested. "I'm the Avatar, and I just wanted to ride the elephant koi. Now, will you please let my friends go?"
"Avatar?" The leader laughed. "Not very likely. The Avatar disappeared over a hundred years ago."
Aang sighed. "I really didn't want to do this," he said, and then leaped forward and thrust both hands out before him. Wind rushed around the young monk's body and exploded forward, striking the lead warrior and knocking her and the ones who stood near her back. Stumbling back into standing positions, they regarded him with expressions of wide-eyed amazement.
"An airbender," the leader breathed. "You are the Avatar. Forgive us- we were only trying to defend our home." She bowed to Aang and motioned to her companions. "Release his friends."
Quickly, the other girls undid the cords binding Sokka and Katara and pulled the gags from their mouths. Sokka stumbled to his feet and faced the lead Kyoshi Warrior, studying her up and down with a scowl.
"What's the matter?" she asked, a faintly teasing tone in her voice. "Don't like that a bunch of girl's kicked your butt?"
"That- that's not what happened!" Sokka spluttered, crossing his arms and attempting unsuccessfully to maintain an air of dignity. Several of the Kyoshi Warriors looked like they were smothering giggles at the sight.
Katara sighed and stepped forward. "Don't mind my brother," she said. "He doesn't like being one-upped. I'm Katara, he's Sokka, and the airbender's Aang."
"I'm Suki," the leader said.
"So what's going on around here, anyway?" Aang asked, looking around the beach. "Sokka thought you were preparing for battle, but I don't see anyone to fight around here."
"The battle isn't here," Suki said, looking off to the north. "Ever since the fall of Ba Sing Se, Omashu has been the last bastion of the Earth Kingdom- to all practical intents and purposes it's the capital, though that's not saying too much since apart from it there's only a bunch of villages and refugee camps that are still free of the Fire Nation. But there've been rumors that the Fire Nation has amassed a new army, with the Fire Lord's own son in command- and there can only be one place they're going.
"Here on Kyoshi Island, we tried to stay neutral, but Omashu's too close for comfort. If it falls, then the Fire Nation will be right on our doorstep, and there wouldn't be anything to stop them from gobbling us up whenever they feel like it. I talked with Oyaji- that's our village elder- and we decided that we can't stay out of the war any longer. The Kyoshi Warriors are going to Omashu, and we're going to help the king fight the Fire Nation when they come."
"And you think a bunch of girls with fans are going to help an Earth Kingdom city fight the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked dubiously. Suki whirled on him and stalked towards him, eyes burning.
"Do you have a problem with it?" she demanded, her face inches from his. "You fight for your people, and we'll fight for ours. Maybe we'll make a difference, maybe not- but we are going to try."
"Whoa- everybody, calm down!" Aang said, stepping forward. "Fighting with each other isn't going to stop the Fire Nation. But I know Omashu real well- I used to visit a friend there all the time, and I'd love to see it again. How about we all travel together- there's safety in numbers, and maybe the king knows where we can find Sokka and Katara's dad and the Water Tribe fleet!"
"Do you really think so?" Katara asked, turning to Aang.
The airbender shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, "but I think it's worth a shot. So, Suki, what do you say?"
The lead Kyoshi Warrior glanced from Aang to Katara to Sokka, as if weighing options in her mind, and then she smiled and made a small bow. "We would be honored to travel together," she said, "so long as certain parties behave."
All eyes turned to Sokka, who shrugged. "What?" he asked.
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Zuko opened the door to the bridge as lightly as possible and stepped inside. Night had fallen outside, and Azula lay slumped over her maps, apparently having fallen asleep in the middle of her calculations. The prince studied her for a moment- asleep, his sister almost looked peaceful- and then shook his head and turned to leave. Before he made it a single step, however, Azula's head shot up and her eyes opened wide. She fixed him with a sharp golden stare, and said two words- "Kyoshi Island".
"Come again?" Zuko asked.
"Kyoshi Island is named for the Avatar two incarnations ago, who was its founder," Azula explained, apparently unaware of the ink smeared on her face. "It seems very likely to me that the current Avatar will stop there on his journey, or has been there already. Even if he hasn't, the villagers will likely have heard news and may be of use to us. It's our best option."
Zuko regarded her for a long, quiet moment, and then nodded. "All right," he said. "I'll find the captain and tell him we have a destination."
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The Kyoshi Warriors wouldn't be ready to depart for Omashu until tomorrow, but the villagers were more than willing to offer the Avatar and his companions accommodations until then. They had been treated to an outstanding feast (or, in Appa's case, several bales of hay and a number of apples Aang slipped him) and had then retired for the evening. Aang and Sokka were both fast asleep in the guest house, the lemur Momo curled up on Aang's head, but Katara found she couldn't sleep. After tossing and turning for she didn't even want to know how long, she finally got to her feet and crept from the building, careful not to wake her brother or friend.
She made her way through the village square and then, on impulse, along the path that led to the north, deeper into the island- she vaguely remembered having seen Suki and some of the other Warriors heading in that direction after the dinner had ended. Finally, a small building came into sight, with lights that appeared to be still lit. Katara approached and saw that the door was open- inside, she could see Suki and her comrades drilling.
She watched for a few minutes, until one of the warriors noticed her and tapped Suki on the shoulder. She turned and saw Katara and smiled. "You're up late," she said in a friendly tone.
"Couldn't sleep," Katara said, shrugging. "You're up late too, though."
"Tomorrow, we're leaving to aid in the defense of Omashu," Suki said. "We need to get in as much drilling as we can before we go. Battles are nasty, and the Fire Nation isn't going to go easy on us just because we're kids."
"Believe me, I know," Katara said. The two girls stood silently for several more minutes, and then an idea began to take shape in the waterbender's mind- something that varyingly seemed like a good plan, and a completely insane one, and she couldn't decide whether to act on it or not. Finally Suki took the matter out of her hands.
"All right," she said, "you're thinking hard about something. What's on your mind?"
"Well, you know I'm a waterbender," Katara began, and Suki nodded, the matter having come up in conversation during the feast, "but I'm the only bender left in my tribe. There are masters in the Northern Tribe, but they have this crazy idea that girl benders can only be healers, and shouldn't be fighters."
"That's stupid," Suki said.
"I know," Katara muttered. "But the point is, I want to fight the Fire Nation, and right now I don't have any way to learn combat bending- unless I'm lucky, I might never have the chance. And it's just so… frustrating."
Suki regarded the Water Tribe girl critically. "Well," she said, "I'm no bender, so I can't help you there, but I do think I could give you some pointers before we get to Omashu."
"Really?" Katara asked excitedly. Suki held up one hand.
"Now, I can't make you a warrior overnight," she said, "and like I said, I can't help you with your bending problem at all, but I can teach you some stuff that can come in really handy in a fight."
"Thank you," Katara told her. "I really appreciate this."
Suki shrugged. "No big deal. Anyway, to start off, keep in mind that almost everyone you or I fight is going to be bigger and stronger than we are- most soldiers are full-grown men in heavy armor- but that's not nearly as big an advantage as it looks. Our techniques are based around using speed, skill, and your enemy's own strength and momentum against them to level the playing field and take even the biggest down hard." She dropped into a fighting stance and drew her fans. "Now, watch and learn…"
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The next morning, the villagers of Kyoshi Island gathered on the beach to wish their warriors and guests off. Aang could see and hear a variety of reactions from the crowd, including tearful farewells from individual Warriors' families, shouts of encouragement from others, and one poor man who became so distraught he had some sort of fit and had to be quietly escorted away while foaming at the mouth. That matter attended to, Oyaji stepped forward and wished success for Suki and her companions, as well as for the Avatar, and called on Avatar Kyoshi's spirit to watch over them. Suki bowed to him, and Aang gave a cheerful wave; then the Kyoshi Warriors boarded their two boats, Aang and his friends scrambled into Appa's saddle, and they began their journey to Omashu.
Appa hung low over the Kyoshi Warriors' boats- high enough to avoid the sea-spray, but close enough for the two groups to see each other and stay somewhat closely in contact. "Well, we're going to Omashu, buddy," Aang said to the bison, ruffling his fur. "You remember where that is, don't you? I wonder if Bumi's still around after a hundred years- if he is, maybe we can see him?" Appa gave an encouraging-sounding rumble, and Aang turned to face his Water Tribe friends.
Sokka was staring at Katara curiously. "You look tired," he said finally. "All right, tell me- what's going on?"
"Going on? What? Nothing!" Katara said in a tone of innocence too exaggerated to be entirely real. "I just had trouble sleeping last night, that's all."
"Uh-huh," Sokka said. "And how come when I got up in the middle of the night last night to get a drink, you weren't there?
"I was just- going for a walk," Katara told him. "Yes- that is all. A walk." She smiled and nodded in a very deliberate manner that left Aang feeling like scratching his head. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was pretty sure it was something more than a light-night walk.
"You're hiding something," Sokka said.
"Yeah, Katara," Aang put in. "What is going on?"
"Okay, fine," the watebender said, throwing her hands in the air. "I went to see the Kyoshi Warriors last night, and Suki showed me some of her fighting techniques, all right?"
"Hey, that's cool!" Aang began, but before he could continue Sokka broke in with an expression of utter shock on his face.
"You what?" He demanded. "Katara, what were you thinking? Water Tribe girls aren't warriors- it's just not done!"
"You've been spending too much time around the Northern Tribe warriors," Katara shot back. "Our tribe never had a problem with letting female waterbenders fight before, and if I can't find a master who'll teach me combat bending- and we don't know if I can- I need another way to make a difference apart from just being Miss Healing Hands!"
"But- but-" Sokka began, but before he could clearly articulate exactly what he felt about the situation Aang pointed over his shoulder towards the sea behind them.
"What's that?" he asked. "Is that smoke?" Both Water Tribe siblings turned to follow the direction he was pointing and saw the thin black plume rising into the sky- still distant, but getting closer every moment. They looked at each other and nodded grimly.
"Smoke," Sokka agreed. "This far out at sea, it's got to be a Fire Navy warship. They could be headed for Kyoshi Island!"
"I don't think so," Katara said. "They were going in a straight line, and it looks like they'd miss the island. I think they're heading for…"
"Us," Aang finished. "It's got to be Zuko and Azula. We need to warn Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors!" Turning back to Appa, he pulled on the bison's reins and directed him to drop towards the two boats below.
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"I see them!" Zuko said, lowering his glass. "It's the Avatar's bison, which means he's got to be there. I thought I saw some boats nearby too, but we don't need to worry about them- the Avatar's the prize." He turned to Azula. "You were right."
She shrugged. "Of course," she said. "Now the hunt is on again- and this time, we won't let him slip away."
"Helmsman!" Zuko shouted. "Full power to the engines! We need to catch that bison."
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"A Fire Navy ship?" Suki asked Aang. Appa had landed beside her boat and now swam to keep pace with it in the water; the Avatar and his friends perched on the bison's head.
"Pretty sure," Sokka told her. "We think it's this ship that went after us before, at the south pole- it's commanded by two kids who said they were the Fire Lord's niece and nephew, an obnoxious guy with swords and a creepy girl who's a scary firebender."
"They're called Zuko and Azula," Aang put in helpfully. "I'm pretty sure they want to hand me over to their dad- I don't know what he'd do to us, but I don't think we want to find out."
"I don't think we want to either," Suki said dryly. "Problem is, we don't stand much of a chance of outrunning a warship in a couple of sailboats, and I don't think we could take them in a direct fight." She looked at Aang thoughtfully. "Do you think Appa could carry all of us?"
Aang shook his head. "Maybe for a little bit," he said, "but there's too many of you to keep it up for long, and we're still too far from the mainland to make it in one trip- and I won't leave any of you behind. But if we can't outrun them and can't beat them, what can we do?"
"Suki," one of the other Kyoshi Warriors said suddenly, lowering her spyglass, "they're getting closer. The ship isn't that big- but it's big enough to take care of all of us!"
"What we need is a plan," Katara grumbled, "and we don't have one."
"Plan," Sokka said suddenly, narrowing his eyes and rubbing his chin. "I think I might have an idea- but we might need some really good warriors with us to pull it off."
Suki looked him straight in the eye. "You've got us," she said. "But I hope you don't screw this up."
"So do I," Sokka muttered in a voice that was almost too low to hear.
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"What are they doing?" Azula asked intently, leaning over the ship's rail to get a better look. "It looks like the bison is coming directly towards us! Have they gone mad?"
"It doesn't matter," Zuko told her. "They may have the Avatar, but we have them outnumbered. If they come for us, there's only one way it can end."
"For once, brother," Azula said in an almost approving tone, "you're talking sense. Captain, all marines to the deck now- and prepare to fire."
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Appa soared low over the warship's deck, dodging the fireblasts that its crew shot into the sky with help from Aang, who perched on his head and used his staff and airbending to deflect any that made it too close. Finally, the sky bison lighted near the edge of the deck and used his tail to blast several of the soldiers backwards. Aang, Sokka, Katara, Suki, and two of her best warriors took the opportunity to leap onto the deck; riders deposited, Appa launched himself back into the sky, while Momo remained perched on Aang's shoulder.
Firebenders closed in around them in a semicircle, with Zuko standing in the middle, directly across from Aang. "You made a real mistake by coming here, Avatar," the prince said, drawing his swords. "You were lucky to get away last time, but you're no match for all of us, even with a bunch of girls in too much makeup backing you up."
"I don't want to fight you, Zuko," Aang said, though he held his staff in a warning position. "You can turn around now and stop chasing us."
"Sorry, but I can't do that." Zuko gave a tremendous shout and leaped forward, fire playing along the edges of his twin blades. Aang spun his staff and deflected the fire, dodging out of the way of the physical blows and shooting blasts of air at his opponent. Behind the prince, the firebenders raised their hands and unleashed their element, and battle was joined.
The other two Kyoshi warriors darted forward among the Fire Nation soldiers, using their superior precision and maneuverability to avoid their attacks and deliver several of their own, leaving their opponents stumbling back. Katara looked nervous, but she'd pulled a slender whip of water from the ocean and held it suspended before her, sweeping it back and forth menacingly in front of the handful of soldiers who'd focused on her. Momo darted among the soldiers, diving at their heads and forcing them to duck and shield themselves from a flying target too small and fast moving to hit. Sokka and Suki stood together, their focus on the ship's bridge.
"That's where I've got to get," Sokka said. "Think you're enough of a warrior to guard my back while I get there?"
"Think you're enough of a warrior to keep up?" Suki shot back, though this time there was an almost playful edge to her words. Sokka looked at her and nodded once, drawing his boomerang and bone knife. Then the two warriors were off.
They charged directly towards the bridge tower, their skills, while vastly different, being enough to clear the path of Fire Nation footsoldiers. The two watched for threats to the other and countered them- several times, a soldier would strike for Sokka only for his blow to be parried by Suki's fans, or for a soldier aiming to attack the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors to be knocked to the deck by a blow from the Water Tribe boy's boomerang. Finally, they reached the stair that led up to the tower, but before they could begin to climb a fireblast struck the deck in front of them, causing both to jump back. Sokka looked up to see the armored girl who leaned against the railing halfway up, smoke trailing from her fingers and a malicious light in her eyes.
"Azula," he said.
"You know, I thought one of you might try something like this," the princess said casually, "but I was expecting the Avatar, not you. This won't even be a challenge." She raised her hand to unleash another fireblast, but before she could Suki was up the stairs with agility that would do Momo proud and tackled the other girl, knocking both of them to the deck below. The scrambled back to their feet and faced each other, both poised and deadly.
"Sokka, go!" Suki shouted. "I'll hold her off!" Sokka hesitated- he wasn't comfortable leaving a girl in danger, or letting one fight his battles for him, but he had to grudgingly admit that here, Suki would probably handle herself better than he would- and there was something else he needed to do here. He nodded once at her, and then began to climb.
On the deck below, Azula looked at Suki's armaments and snorted disdainfully. "Silly Earth Kingdom girl," she said, "haven't you heard that fans only make flames stronger?"
Suki returned her malevolent grin. "We'll see about that," she said, and lunged forward to meet the princess of the Fire Nation.
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The lead soldier facing Katara stepped forward, his gaze uncertain as he studied her improvised water whip. Lowering his spear, he poked at it tentatively, and the waterbender winced as it exploded into a shower of wet droplets. The soldier smiled cruelly and advanced, lunging with his spear.
There was no time for thought; only action. The little combat waterbending Katara had worked out on her own was too basic to work here- instead, she remembered her lesson with the Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors the previous night. As the soldier struck, Katara managed to dart aside and lunged with an open-handed strike directly to the center of his chest. The soldier's eyes widened as he was knocked off balance, and then he stumbled back into his comrade who stood behind him, sending them both sprawling. The third soldier, though, was a firebender; he raised his hands to unleash an attack, but before he could do so, Momo landed on his helmet and twisted it around, cutting off his vision. The lemur chattered as the soldier stumbled about and tried to hit him; Katara was forgotten.
The Water Tribe girl looked down at her hands, and then over at the two soldiers who now lay sprawled in front of her. "Yes," she murmured happily, and a triumphant grin slid over her face. *
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There was one sailor at the controls in the bridge as Sokka burst in; he looked up at the Water Tribe warrior with a shocked expression. "I'm terribly sorry," Sokka told him as he let his boomerang fly; it struck the man's head and left him sprawled out cold in the middle of the floor, "but I am claiming this room for the Water Tribe." Pushing past the downed man, he made his way to the controls and looked them over.
"Doesn't this thing come with a manual?" he asked no one in particular upon realizing that there was little to no marking to indicate which control did what. Shrugging, Sokka focused his attention on a likely-looking lever and pulled hard on it; he was rewarded by feeling the ship shake under him as it came to a halt. "Knew there had to be an anchor somewhere," he said. "Now, to make things a bit more difficult for 'em."
Raising his boomerang, he brought its sharp edge down on the lever, snapping most of it off. Rooting around in his belt, he pulled out a short knife and jammed it deep into the lever's groove; satisfying himself that it was wedged so tight as to be next to impossible to get out, he hurried from the bridge and back onto the deck. "I got it!" he shouted.
Down below, Aang paused in his duel with Zuko to wave in response, and then he raised his staff into the air and snapped the glider open. It was answered from the sky with a low bellow, and then Appa descended, slamming against the ship's side and shaking it while it lay at anchor. Quickly, the Avatar, the Water Tribe siblings, and the Kyoshi warriors hurried to the bison and climbed back onto his back before he launched himself back into the air. Fireblasts followed them- including a couple that were powerful enough they might have come from Azula or Zuko themselves- but with the ship stationary, Appa quickly outpaced them.
"They'll get that fixed pretty soon," Sokka said, "but by the time they do, we'll be out of their range and well on our way to Omashu."
"Good plan, Sokka," Aang said, and Katara smiled; she looked very happy about something. After a brief moment of silence, Sokka turned to Suki.
"Look," he said, "I know I've been a bit of a jerk to you, and I'm sorry- I saw what you did out there to the Fire Nation, and you fought really well. Not just for a girl, but for anyone." He paused for another moment. "And, well- I couldn't have done it without you."
"Thanks," Suki said. "And you're not half bad yourself- but I hope you learned your lesson today." Suddenly, apparently on impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, leaving Sokka sitting perfectly still and with a shocked but not entirely unhappy expression on his face.
Sokka watched her return to her boat as they deposited her next to it with a smile. "You know," he said when she was out of earshot, "that Suki's not half bad looking…"
"Sokka!" Katara said, but her brother raised his hands.
"What? I can respect her as a warrior and still think she's cute, right?" He glanced to the Avatar. "Aang, back me up here!"
But Aang and Katara only laughed. "Next stop, Omashu!" Aang finally said, which Sokka noted didn't remotely have to do with the conversation, and then he took the reins to steer the bison towards the Earth Kingdom's last stronghold.
*No, I'm not going to turn Katara into a full on Kyoshi Warrior- while Suki and the KWs are sticking around for next "episode", that's not enough time for her to get really good with their techniques. Rather, in this AU she knows that she may well have to teach herself combat waterbending, and decided here to pick up a little mundane fighting as what you might think of as a sort of "insurance".