Happy Icelandic National Day to any Icelandic readers!

Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: I think they already exist, certainly in the Fire Nation. I'd be surprised if they didn't also exist in the Earth Kingdom and Northern Water Tribe as well.

Zigzagdoublezee: Well, when you need to capture the Avatar ironically non-benders seem to be better.

As Always, Please Review!

Sokka bashed a soldier over the head with his club and then watched with horror as the Avatar took off into the woods.

"Where's she going?" He demanded of anyone who could hear him.

"The Fire Nation is going to burn the village!" Rinzen called back. "Unless she can stop their messenger!"

"Why?" Sokka asked. "YUE! COME BACK! It makes no sense!"

Katara heard him and took up the call, both of them shouting for the Avatar to give up her foolhardy pursue and stick with them. There was strength in numbers after all, even if there were only four of them.

He was interrupted by another battlecry, and parried a wild swing of an improvised club. He jumped backwards and instinctively stuck out his leg to trip his enemy up and send him sprawling as he stumbled forwards. But more kept coming.

"How many men are there?" Katara asked, water-whipping one of them in the face.

Sokka tried to run after Yue, but found his path blocked by soldiers who crowded him in, leering at him as they approached. Mentally, he cursed her for abandoning them.

The men shouted and charged at him, weapons raised. Sokka couldn't parry all of them but he raised his club to try-

Something golden slammed into one of the men, hitting the back of his head and sending his eyes rolling and his body crumpling to the ground. Sokka's remaining opponents looked as surprised as he felt, and he was temporarily forgotten as they looked around for the new threat. They didn't have to wait long to find it. More figures were spilling onto the beach, with green uniforms and white faces, hitting the surprised fire nation soldiers from behind and giving them a fight on two fronts. Sokka took the opportunity to swing his club into the skull of one of the distracted men, sending him crashing down.

The sudden rush of reinforcements made short work of the surprised Fire Nation soldiers, whose courage deserted them the moment they faced a fight where they didn't hugely outnumber their opponents. They turned and fled, disappearing back into the forest from where they had come.

Team Avatar was left alone on the beach with their rescuers; but Sokka had no time for them. He immediately began charging in the direction that Yue had gone.

He didn't get far before he felt a hand on his arm.

"Wait!"

Sokka spun to face her, and was confronted by the sight of a girl in a green kimono, her torso and arms covered by plates of black armour and her face painted red and white. A golden headdress sat on auburn hair. Around her, the other warriors moved about the beach, securing Fire Nation prisoners. They were all dressed nearly identically, though their headdresses were a different shape.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I'm in a hurry, the Avatar needs me-"

"The Avatar?" The girl looked intrigued. "The Avatar is here?"

"She's gone running off on her own, I need to help her."

"That was the Avatar? I did wonder who that was."

The girl sized him up.

"And who are you?" She asked. "Judging by your clothes, you're a southerner."

She said that last part with recognisable disdain in her voice. Sokka frowned.

"My name is Sokka," he said. "I'm travelling south with the Avatar. That's my sister, Katara. And that's Rinzen."

He gestured over to where she was making her way towards them.

"Now, can I go?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," the girl said seriously. "The woods are crawling with Firebenders. It's not wise to go in alone."

"Yeah, that's the point," Sokka pointed out. "She did go in alone and now we have to help her."

The girl's jaw set but she nodded. "Agreed. But we have to be careful about it, that's all I'm saying."

Only then did Sokka think to ask about the general situation on the island.

"How long has the Fire Nation been here?"

"Not long," the girl shrugged. "A couple of days maybe? We were in the middle of training when they appeared. We barely got away. Some of us didn't."

Sokka noted the hurt and angry look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he tried to console her awkwardly.

"Don't be. It's not your fault, is it?" Suddenly the girl was all business again.

Katara finally reached them.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Where's Yue?"

"That's what we need to find out," the girl drew a war-fan. "If the Avatar needs our help, then we will not let her down."

She strode away and began rounding up the other warriors. Sokka and Katara trailed after her. Rinzen came dashing up to them, sand being kicked up in his wake in a manner which suggested he was using airbending to push himself along.

"We need to go!" He was almost vibrating with excitement and anxiety. "They're going to burn the village! We need to help Yue!"

"Do you really think that?" A voice came from below them. Sokka jumped and looked down to find the limp form of the Fire Nation commander, the man who had asked them to surrender, staring up at him.

"I watched you give the order!" Rinzen told him angrily.

"Yes, you did," the man chuckled. "I bet you also saw me give the messenger a note?"

Rinzen stared at him furiously.

"The note is telling the commander back in the village to ignore the order in the event that it gets through," the man shrugged. "I'm not a monster, I'm not going to burn a village for no reason."

A grin spread across his face.

"But if I can make you think that's what I'm doing, then maybe I can get one of you well-meaning fools to do something stupid. Like go charging off on her own into an ambush, for instance."

Immediately Sokka's club was at his throat.

"What did you do?"

"I tricked you," the reply came. "And your friend will be in prison or dead by now, I expect."

Sokka saw red and drew the club back with a roar of anguish, but before he could bring it down, he felt someone grab his wrist.

The girl from before was back, pulling the club from his hand.

The man on the ground just chuckled.

"The look on your face!" He said, and then slumped backwards on the sand.

"That's not going to help," the girl, the leader of the group, told him. "We have to get moving. We have to hide ourselves before the Fire Nation comes back, for one thing. You made a lot of noise."

"What about the bison?" Rinzen gestured to Gembul.

"That's a challenge," the girl nodded thoughtfully. "Get it into the forest and we'll work something out. I think I know a good spot for it."

"Wait!" Sokka realised he had missed his manners as she turned away. "What's your name?"

a faint grin appeared.

"Took you long enough," she smirked. "My name is Suki, and I lead these warriors. Now follow me."