Chapter 24:
The sand glider soared over the sand as Aang bended air into the sail, Toph sat with her hands around her knees and Freya watched ahead of them while Katara looked between the compass and her start charts.
"The needle on this compass doesn't seem to be pointing north according to my charts." Katara admitted over the wind rushing past them.
"Take it easy little lady. I'm sure the sand folks who built this baby know how to get around here." Sokka replied dreamily as he sat at the back of the boat holding Momo by the tail.
Katara turned away from her brother before she gasped, before them was a rock sticking out of the sand.
"That's what the compass is pointing to! That giant rock! It must be the magnetic centre of the desert." she realised
"A rock? Yes! Let's go!" Toph cheered
"Maybe we can find some water there!" Katara hoped. Freya's eyed narrowed dangerously around her amber orbs and Aang muttered what she was thinking.
"Maybe we can find some sandbenders."
They headed for the rock and the sun had begun to rise as they reached it and found a path. They walked up towards the top of the rock before Toph flopped herself down with a crash.
"Ahhh... Finally! Solid ground!" the girl began to make an earth angel in the rock.
"Well, no water." Freya said as she glanced around. "Not unless there's some in there." There was several caves with round openings in a mound on the top of the rock. The five moved towards one curiously and moved inside.
Sokka took a few deep breaths as they walked inside
"I think my head is starting to clear out the cactus juice." he exclaimed before he looked at the wall. There was a gooey substance upon the rock. "And look!" Sokka dipped his hand into the substance and he and Momo licked some of it. Sokka spat it out quickly and began to gag.
"This tastes like rotten penguin meat! Awww I feel woozy." he muttered
"You've been hallucinating on cactus juice all day and then you just lick something you find stuck to the wall of a cave?!" Katara scolded with irritation.
"I have a natural curiosity." Sokka admitted
"It'll get you killed some day." Freya said as she looked around.
"I don't think this is a normal cave. This was carved by something." Toph admitted as she traced her hand along the rock.
"Yeah... look at the shape." Aang noticed
"There's something buzzing in here. Something that's coming for us!" Toph explained suddenly.
The five turned and ran out of the cave. Very quickly giant wasp looking bugs flew out of the holes and the group cried out as they were chased.
The air above them was filled with the bugs and buzzing filled their ears as the five stood back to back and took their stances. Aang blew away one that rushed at him, Toph bashed one that landed on a rock. Toph and Sokka turned to one that flew between them and Toph launched a rock that landed less than a metre from Sokka.
"What are you doing?! That rock almost crushed me!" he complained worried
"Sorry, I can't tell where they are in the air!" Toph admitted.
There was a burst of fire and Freya went launching through the air before she whipped the water she had left at one of the bugs, cutting it's wings off. She moved in the air and did the same to another that shot at her before she landed and rolled along the rock to miss another that swooped her. It flew past Sokka and Toph and Sokka ran after it.
"I got this one." Sokka ran after it and started swinging his machete madly.
"Sokka, there's nothing there." Katara called and the boy stopped and looked around. He had been attacking air.
"I guess my head's not as clear as I thought." he mumbled
"Or it was until you licked a wall!" Freya said as she cut another down.
"We have to get out of here! I'm completely out of water to bend!" Katara admitted
"Just because you're helpless." Freya said as she cut down another
"Well not all of us can bend two elements!" Katara snapped back and Toph and Sokka looked at the two confused
"Two elements?" Toph asked.
A bug flew past and grabbed Momo who had been crouched on the ground, flying off over the sand with the lemur in it's clutches.
"Momo! I'm not losing anyone else out here." Aang ran forwards and jumped into the air to glide after the bug and lemur.
"Come on." Freya said and Katara shot her an annoyed look but nodded and they began to run down the path.
The buzzard wasps flew over their heads and they moved against the rock wall carefully, Katara holding Toph
"Toph, shoot a rock right there." Katara turned the girl and Toph rose a collection "Fire!" it smashed into a wasp that screeched as it fell.
"Yeah! You got it! She got it, right?" Sokka double checked
"Yes. Now let's move." Katara continued as Freya cleared one from their path and they continued towards the sand.
They reached the bottom of the path and the buzzard wasps began to hover down towards them. Katara clutched behind Toph and instructed the girl were to fire.
"On your left!" Toph flew a rock and it collided with a wasp.
"Freya do something!" Katara demanded.
The girl jumped onto the sand before she took a breath. She began to circle her hands and lightning sparked before Freya directed it at a wasp. Sokka gapped in surprise as Freya continued the movement and many fell charred. She began to go again before suddenly, all around them sand rose up as if an explosion had gone off. They rose and caught the wasps before dragging them down and scaring the rest off.
The four covered their faces from the sand that flew around them before looking up surprised. Before them were more sand benders and their gliders, all staring at the four.
Freya balled her fists and instantly felt rage rise up within her. Aang returned and landed down beside the girl on the sand, glaring at the men before them.
"What are you doing on our land with a sandbender sailer? From the looks of it, you stole it from the Hami tribe." the man who seemed to be the leader addressed the five. He and one other were the only ones who had removed the bandages from their faces.
"We found the sailer abandoned in the desert. We're traveling with the Avatar. Our bison was stolen and we have to get to Ba-Sing-Se." Katara explained as she stepped forwards slightly.
"You dare accuse our people of theft while you ride in on a stolen sand sailer?" the younger unmasked man snapped at them. Toph's eyes narrowed.
Freya looked at the man angrily.
"Did we say you took him?" instantly she hated him. Who would jump to such a conclusion unless they knew something?
"Quiet, Gashuin." the man snapped at him "No one accused our people of anything. If what they say is true, we must give them hospitality."
"Sorry, father." his son apologised.
Toph's eyes widened with realisation as the young sand bender spoke.
"I recognise the son's voice. He's the one that stole Appa." she said
"Are you sure?" Katara asked
"I never forget a voice." she assured.
Aang took several steps forwards, wind blowing around him and Freya took a bending stance instantly, her fire coursing through her.
"You stole Appa! Where is he? What did you do to him?" Aang demanded angrily.
"They're lying! They're the thieves!" Gashuin returned.
"You stole our friend and dare to accuse us!" Freya asked angrily and her fists were covered in flames.
Aang swung his staff and exploded one of the sand sailors in a blast of air.
"Where is my bison?!" he demanded. "You tell me where he is now!" Aang said. When no one spoke he destroyed another glider.
The sand benders watched shocked before the man turned to his son.
"What did you do?" he demanded
"I-It wasn't me!" Gashuin stuttered.
"You said to put a muzzle on him!" Toph said pointing.
Freya cried out in anger and Aang looked enraged.
"You muzzled Appa?!"
Aang's eyes began to glow as his tattoos did the same. He spun and sent a gust of wind at another glider.
Fire bursted out of the sand and smashed another as Freya ignored the wind that began to blow out from Aang.
"I'm sorry! I didn't know that it belonged to the Avatar!" Gashuin said with fear.
"He's a sky bison from the Air Nomad temples!" Freya said "Who the hell else would he belong to!?" Fire swirled it's way around the girl and her hair was blown upwards from behind Aang as he pointed his staff at the young bender. "What gives you the right to take him anyway!?" Freya shouted over the wind.
"Tell me where Appa is!" he demanded and there was a second, deeper voice behind his own.
"I traded him! To some merchants! He's probably in Ba-Sing-Se by now! They were going to sell him there! Please! We'll escort you out of the desert! We'll help however we can!"
Freya didn't feel any happier and neither did Aang. Air swirled around him and sand was blown around.
Sokka jumped forwards and he grabbed Toph before running past the avatar who dropped his staff.
"Just get out of here! Run!" he ordered. Air surrounded the young boy and he was picked up off the ground as a small tornado was created. The fire flaming around Freya joined it and soon embers were flying everywhere, the broken wood from the now demolished gliders caught fire as the embers landed on them.
Freya could feel her fingernails digging into her palms as the heat enveloped her. Beneath her anger, sadness, irritation and frustration she was surprised at herself. She'd never let herself loose so much control before. Never had her anger manifested itself as it did now. The normal yellow fire had began to change colour, it turned blue and then proceeded to burning, glowing, hot white.
You need to stop. a voice sounded in her head.
Everyone all ran away from the two angry benders as sand, air and fire went everywhere around them.
"But fire is different, it's alive and needs to be used carefully. There's a reason there's a cycle to this."
"…it's not all about the fire. It's about discipline as well. You need to be able to control fire, it's wild and dangerous. You need restraint and concentration. You need to be calm and meditate, fire is closely related to the emotions just like the others but it can get more out of hand than the other elements. You need to learn patience, discipline and understanding in order to be able to use fire safely."
You need to stop. Before your hurt someone.
Katara was the only one who hadn't run away from the two as Freya clenched her eyes closed.
The younger water bender moved towards Aang through the wind and she grabbed his arm and looked at him sadly. Aang turned to snap at her but Katara just pulled him down and then into a hug.
Tears began to fall down Aang's cheeks and soon the glowing disappeared from the avatar's features. The wind calmed and stopped and the sand began to clear. The anger vanished from Aang's face.
Katara turned from the avatar to Freya who took a deep breath.
"Power in firebending comes from the breath. That is why you must master proper breath control."
Freya took several breaths and the white fire ring that surrounded her dispersed.
"Fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume and without control it destroys everything around it."
"Learn restraint, or risk destroying yourself and everything you love."
"Fire isn't something you play with. It's dangerous remember! Don't take it so lightly."
With a few more breaths the fire left Freya's hands and soon everything had settled. She didn't move, but concentrated on herself and regaining her self control. She grabbed her anger and began to dispel it. No one approached her, no one moved towards her. She didn't want them too, not until she felt better, until the lose of control was gone from around her.
Freya had never had her emotions run so wild and she was not moving until she was sure she was fine. But she wasn't surprised, Appa was just as important to her as he was Aang. For that sand bender to think he can do whatever he wanted and not pay for it had infuriated her. He had not thought of anything but money.
She took another breath as her thoughts moved and she pushed the anger away. She had removed most of it through her bending, but she didn't want to use it that way, fire was not just anger, it was life as well.
Eventually she opened her eyes. Sokka, Katara and Toph were staring at her as Aang had his face buried in Katara's arms.
"I'm sorry." Freya whispered.
No one spoke.