Hello dear readers! Thank you so much for getting this far ~ I'm having a really fun time writing this, and I hope you're enjoying reading it. As a side note, Rongyu is a fictional city of my creation in the Earth Kingdom. I don't believe it appears in the Avatar series, but if it does, please correct me. As always, your follows, favorites, and reviews are always greatly appreciated! :)
As the Captain had promised, a large basin full of water was brought down to me and set on the center of the floor by two soldiers, along with a large basket full of many different soaps and perfumes. They each paused before the tub and in turn, shot two strikes of fire into the water, creating a steamy warm bath. I was immensely grateful, and as soon as they were gone, peeled off my grimy clothing and settled into the warm water.
I struggled to remember the last time that I had been warm like this. Baths in the Water Tribe were almost always done with cold water, and lying in a tub like this was considered a luxury. Song Etka was being incredibly generous to me, and when I saw the many different soaps and perfumes I realized that he must be a wealthy man. I washed my hair with shampoo that my family never would have been able to afford, and scrubbed the grime and remnants of my sickness off of my bare skin with a different bar. To top it all off, and because I was now feeling extravagant, I rubbed down my body with a vanilla-scented lotion. If I stayed here, was everything going to be like this?
When my fingertips and toes began to prune, I reluctantly got out of the bath, and looked over the clothing that the Captain had gotten for me. My eyes widened in shock. How different were these light, small clothes of red, yellow, and black than the heavy, fur-lined parkas that I was used too! Here there were tops that fully bared one's midriff, and skirts so short and flimsy I thought one could scarcely move in them without revealing themselves. Maybe it was because I had been brought up in a culture of modesty, but I was embarrassed just looking at them.
I chose the most conservative, taking a long grey dress that went all the way to the floor and paired it with a scarlet tunic to go over. I belted it at the waist, and fussed with the puffy sleeves that stopped just before my forearms. It was so different, so much more elegant, than what I was used to. During this whole time, I hadn't taken off the dagger, and there I resolved that it would always stay around my neck.
With that, I pulled on my boots and left my cabin to explore the ship. The soldiers now paid me no mind, and I imagined that this was all because of their respect for Song Etka. I was left alone to explore the innards of the warship, and my curiosity overcame me as I passed from room to room, eventually making my way to the helm and stumbling across the Captain himself, deep in conversation with several other soldiers. Etka looked up upon my arrival, and a reserved smile crept across his face.
"Excuse me," He said to his men, and left their company to meet me. "Are you feeling better, Anahi?" He asked, striding up beside me.
"I am, sir," I replied, looking down at my clothes. "You were very generous to provide me with so much. I am much indebted to you."
"Well, it's time you started looking like a firebender, isn't it?" The Captain smiled, and I did too, finding myself beginning to relax in his presence. I had to remind myself that I barely knew this man, and had no idea if I could trust him. I walked with him up to the deck of the ship, and the fresh air felt wonderful in my lungs. The city of Rongyu lay before us, and forgetting my manners for a second, I ran over to the side of the ship, peering over to look at the sprawling Earth Kingdom city lying before us. There were no signs of snow or ice, and the sun actually felt warm against my face. The light wind lifted my spirits and a relaxed smile spread over my face.
"We'll stay here another day, just to make sure that you've recovered well," Captain Song said, joining me at the railing. "And then set due course for the Fire Nation." The Captain paused, and then turned to look at me. "Anahi, what will you do when we arrive? Where are you going to find a teacher?"
"I - I was just going to look," I said, realizing how flimsy my plan was. "I thought maybe I could find someone who would be willing, sir."
"In the Fire Nation, children begin their training very young, sometimes as young as toddlers," Song Etka explained, watching me carefully. "If I may ask, how old are you?"
"Seventeen," I replied, and seeing the look on his face, added with some embarrassment. "And a half."
"And how long have you been firebending?"
"I - I just found out that I could, sir," I muttered. "It was scarcely over a week ago."
"That's strange," The Captain mused. "Most firebenders know their skill as children." He strode alongside of the deck as he spoke, but I didn't follow him. "Would you like me to teach you some moves?"
My face lit up with excitement, and I quickly recovered. "It would be an honor, sir," I answered, feeling flushed.
"You first need to know how to conjure a flame," He said, approaching me again, and reaching out, taking my hand in his. "No more blowing sparks." The Captain grinned, and I realized that I was holding my breath.
"Turn your wrist slowly, like this," He said quietly, moving my hand for me. "And open your palm up at the moment you want the flame. Focus your energy to that spot." Song Etka released my hand and with an effortless flick of his wrist, conjured a palm-sized flame. "Like this."
Slowly, I rotated my wrist, concentrating hard, and emulated his movements. To my astonishment, a small, orange flame flickered in my palm before being snuffed out by a gust of wind.
"That's good!" The Captain exclaimed, and I smiled. "Try to think of the fire as a part of your body. It should eventually feel natural. Do it again."
This time, I worked both hands, rotating my wrists simultaneously and focusing all of my energy all the way through my fingertips. The same effect happened, two small flames in each palm that quickly fizzled out. I grit my teeth in frustration, annoyed.
"Don't give up," Etka said quietly. "Sometimes it takes a while to master something."
"But I can do better than this!" I exclaimed out of frustration, and quickly caught myself. "You saw me, sir. I can do more, I just - "
"Don't let your emotion drive your bending," Etka warned. "I saw you, Anahi. When my men were mocking you, you became angry. Your anger caused you to bend with that strength. Bending out of emotion is difficult to control. You can hurt yourself or someone else that way." Etka swallowed, not meeting my eyes. I remembered Naheel trying to show me how to water bend by the ocean, and his careful patience in teaching me. I had gotten angry then too, and nearly hurt him.
I turned away from Etka, and cast my eyes down at the city of Rongyu below. My mind went to my family, and wondered what sort of pain they had to be going through. What was Naheel thinking? That I was dangerous, that I had nearly killed him, that I was no longer his sister? All these things were true. Did my brother hate me?
"Anahi," Etka said, more softly now.
"If it's alright with you, sir," I swallowed. "I'd like to stop there for today." The captain seemed surprised, but composed himself, bowing down his head in consent.
"Of course," He agreed. "Anahi, will I be expecting you for dinner this evening?" I looked at the Captain in surprise, astonished that he would want to dine with me.
"If you so want it, sir," I replied, my stomach turning over. "I shall be there."