Fight 11: Friends and Foes
"Who I am? Well, I am a firebender..." Chenlian produced a flame that hovered over her open right palm. The siblings stared at her in shock. "... and I am the Avatar's ally. My name is Chenlian."
"How could a firebender be our ally? Or they thought a girl could make us lower our guard so you could strike us in the back?! We can't trust you!" Sokka and Katara were ready to attack. Aang defended her however. Shyu was also a firebender and he did help them. She was the one from the visions, and more than anything, she had Avatar Roku's trust! The monk was so adamant that Katara agreed to wait until they were completely safe to sort this out. She made her brother lower his weapon and they flew through the moonlit night.
The next morning, Aang Sokka and Katara were awakened by a nice smell. They groggily looked from the saddle to see a pot on a cooking fire where a deliciously flavoured congee was simmering. Staked fish were also leaning against the fire. And there was a bowl with a salad of wild herbs and nuts. Sokka's stomach growled. Because of their distrust of the firebender, the siblings (and especially the boy) had stayed up really late – or early – before sleep overcame them at last. On the contrary, Chenlian had spent a very peaceful night, relieved that she had at last reached the starting line, and that she did not have to be so tense and alert, although she was not completely relaxed either. But she was not alone anymore. She had woken up early and all fresh and decided to make herself useful by preparing breakfast. She had collected the wood and some wild herbs and nuts and berries to conserve their vegetables. And while waiting for the food to cook and her companions to wake up she had been training.
After having cleaned their bowls, it was finally time to talk.
"Sokka, yesterday you asked how I could be your ally. I know what the Fire Nation did to the world, and I want to do everything in my power to right that wrong. The Fire Nation citizens have forgotten what's truly important and I want to remind them, I want to save them from themselves. That is the main reason. This war must stop. It has made far enough victims, those who died, and those who didn't. And I also have a grudge against Fire Lord Ozai... partly because of that." She unbuttoned the top of her cloth to reveal a horrible burn mark, right at the place of her heart chakra. The three humans recoiled. "My grandfather was once an honored admiral and master firebender. But he hated his own art. In order to learn from him, I had to study the other cultures and bending styles. Because of his views and how strongly he disagreed with Ozai's cruel and oppressive ways, he defected from the military. The Fire Lord retaliated and took advantage of the situation to get rid of our troublesome family by making it seem like my parents had been planning a coup d'etat. He banished them and took me prisoner. But I found out that this wasn't even the main point. What Ozai wanted was to seal a Dragon spirit inside me and hold a living weapon of great power in his hands and have control over me and my deserter of a grandfather. Controlling such a weapon would be showing off his power and aid in establishing his authority. And control over a spirit would mean having a foot in the spirit world. However there were risks. You couldn't mess easily with the spirit world which was why they took someone with enough power but who was not blood related to them, killing several birds with one stone.
At that time, there were still a few Fire Sages with strong spirituality who could go to the Spirit World. They too were deceived, so they could more easily deceive the dragon. All were told: 'the Fire Lord seeks to rekindle their bonds with the spirits, with the dragons and apologise for their wrongdoings. As sign of faith, the Fire Lord himself offered that his own body served as host for one of you.' And one dragon came. But when the Sages realized they had been duped, that the host was not the one they thought, they rebelled. The fusion still took place but not quite as smoothly as it should have, leaving that scar. The dragon, Guang, furious, took control of her body and went on a rampage. That's how we escaped." She buttoned her clothes back up.
"The first thing I did after escaping was look for my parents, but they had already been killed by an assassin and when I tried to track him down I found out he had already been disposed of. Unable to erase, direct, or vent my hatred, I despaired and for over a year, I wandered through the world, trying to find out how things had become like this, what I had become, trying to keep my sense of self and not be overcome with hatred, bitterness, and resentment, trying find a purpose, a reason to keep walking, to become stronger, trying to avoid pursuit and survive in a world where everyone saw you as an enemy. Although I did make a few rare friends... That's when I learned how to make traps and about the edible plants and how to cook them if I didn't want to starve. I learned how to make remedies for bug bites, burns, cuts, bruises, various illnesses, and how to counter the poison from some animals and plants if I didn't want to die like a dog. And I learned how to cohabit with a spirit, how to share our consciousnesses and body, and use our power. In the end, over two years ago, I was captured in the Earth Kingdom when trying to go back to my grandfather. It was a poor family in a poor village who reported me as they wanted the bounty on my head and had no scruples as I was a firebender. I was drugged and put in a forced half conscious state. And that was when I learned how to enter into the spirit world and to project my own spirit to keep track of the happenings in this world... That's how we could as spirits go to the Fire Temple during a previous Solstice to talk to Avatar Roku. And then with time the amount of 'medicine' decreased and I was able to escape again when I sensed it was time a little over three weeks ago." Chenlian narrated.
"Because trust is important for that task, I will not hide anything from you. I'm aware that the presence of a firebender might close some doors at first, but I want to believe that it can also be seen as a good sign that things are beginning to change. Hope itself is our most important ally." She continued gravely before a sad and self-mocking smile appeared on her lips. "And also, as an excellent firebender and daughter of the nobility, I know your enemies better than you do, and I know Prince Zuko and why he's so intent on capturing the Avatar. Well, I say I know him but it has been many years since we last spoke. Things changed since then, HE changed. So I cannot really say until I see for myself and speak with him. But don't worry: I'll protect you even from him."
They were flying on Appa again. Sokka was on the driver's seat. Below them was a sea of clouds and mist, and around them were mountain peaks with still a few twisted growing from their incredibly steep sides. Chenlian had given them many things to ponder. What more, she had spoken with such strength and conviction that their hearts could not deny it even if they wanted to. She had told them the truth. They had seen her honesty and straightforwardness, and how she wanted to stay with them and help them. And while they did not know yet about her combat skills, they knew they could use her wits and knowledge of the enemies... and her cooking skills. At least they concluded that trusting her shouldn't hurt for now. At her request, they had also told her about their 'adventures' up until their meeting. The account had been more detailed than she had expected and she was glad of this vow of trust.
But after that Aang started freaking out and pacing up and down the saddle. Sokka told him he'd go flying off if they hit a bump and asked him what was bugging him. The boy was anxious that he could not master all four elements before the comet arrived as he was supposed to. The warrior cracked that it had only taken Aang 112 years to master airbending and so he was sure he could master the three others before summer. That terrified him even more. They were still weeks away from the North Pole and he hadn't even started learning waterbending! Katara grabbed his hand and pulled him down in a kneeling position in front of her and took both his hands in hers. She generously offered to teach him what she knew. Aang graciously accepted.
"Excellent idea. That's why I'll be testing you first on your individual fighting skills as well as your teamwork." Chenlian suddenly declared.
"Wait, what?! I'm not gonna be trained by some Fire Nation chick!" Sokka protested, surprised by the suddenness of the announcement and how that firebender was already acting like she was the leader. Katara frowned, disliking the tone and the sound of it, that arrogance, that high-handedness, that standoffishness... was she being condescending? She really thought herself so superior? Was she belittling them?
"Excuse-me? You think we're not capable of protecting Aang?" She asked, piqued in her pride.
"I don't know. That's the purpose of the test. With what's waiting ahead of us, don't you think it's best to know about each other's abilities?" Chenlian replied sincerely with a small smile that felt more like a provocative smirk. She might or might not have been aware of it, but she was extremely sharp in more ways than one... that edge in her tone, her gaze, her wits... even though she was merely being rational, the needled waterbender could not help but interpret it as a challenge... Then again, it was true Chenlian had always loved challenges so she was – probably – doing it unconsciously... 'if you don't like me or my attitude, come and give me your best shot'... was it? Sensing the tension that was dangerously rising, Aang tried to intervene.
"Calm down you guys, I'm sure she didn't mean any harm, it's just that her tone lacks a bit of cordiality, right, Chenlian?" The boy looked at her with big hopeful eyes, like silently begging her to agree and give him her sweetest smile. She stared at him for a long time, just like the siblings were staring at her, waiting for her answer. After fifteen seconds she closed her eyes and cleared her throat, no longer able to bear it, and turned around to look down from the saddle.
"More importantly, we need a consequent source of water for you two."
"Oh, yeah, maybe we can find a puddle for them to splash in." Sokka said, suddenly less offensive, the ghost of a smirk slightly curving the corner of his lips. He had caught a little something in that girl's expression that had reassured him a bit. He was more observant and open-minded than what he appeared to be. Although it was not like he trusted her yet, and he was still quite stubborn...
"Nice puddle." Sokka and Chenlian both said in the same time, raising one of their eyebrows as the two others looked with sparkly eyes and huge grins at waterfall lagoon. It was a relatively secluded area with a huge waterfall and a beautiful lagoon, not too deep, not too shallow, surrounded by fragrant and evergreen pine trees. A hidden paradise, providing safety and privacy for those who wished to remain incognito, and ideally located near a pier with a market where travellers could buy most wares. Appa swan dived. The wave crashed over Momo who was on a rock on the catch basin, soaking him. The bison rolled over the water, relaxing and grunting happily. Aang had already removed all his cloths but his underwear and was ready to join in the fun when the girls stopped him. The boy put his clothes back on, expecting to be the first one to be tested... but it was not the case.
"Alright, Sokka. You're first. I can understand you don't want your butt kicked by a girl again, but if you want to be picky about gender and origins, say that again after you've won against me." Chenlian challenged him.
"Really, no offence Chenlian, but as I said I don't think I need training from a Fire Nation chick." The warrior replied smugly. He had understood that girls were not weak. But he'd still be doubly ashamed to lose against a female firebender.
"Oh, really?" She suddenly lunged at him and heavily punched him in the guts, knocking the air out of him. Without letting him the time to recover, she twirled and followed with a roundhouse kick that connected with the right side of his face. As he was sent flying, she grabbed his right arm, twisting it as she passed behind him before sweeping his legs from under him. Before anyone could do anything, it was over, and there she was, one foot on his shoulder, one hand keeping his wrist bent and arm stretched out and one fist directed toward him, as if ready to blow him with a fire blast. "And here I was wondering what kind of great warrior you were, with your being so smug... really, no offence Sokka but as I said, I don't think you can afford being picky..." Echoing his previous words, her eyebrows delicately twisted, Chenlian looked down at the Water Tribesman with pity and a condescending smile. If that could make him serious and feel that necessary sense of urgency, she would do anything. It was not good to panic, but it was not good either to be so laid back. Her face grew hard again. She let go and backed a few meters. "Stand up! Are you a man or a baby girl?! I won't go easy on you. I don't go easy on anyone. So you better not go easy on me. I'm not asking you to kill. But don't go easy on your opponent because they won't go easy on you. Actual fighting is the fastest way to grow stronger and gain experience. I understand you didn't have much of an opportunity until then. But it's war. They'll want the Avatar alive because if they killed him he would just be reborn and everything would repeat itself. But there's no reason to let you live. That's why you don't have time to stay sprawled out on the ground. And that's why I don't want to hear any of your naïve soft-hearted crap again. Now fight!" The stern and merciless disciplinarian commanded harshly.
This time it was Sokka's turn to lunge. Incensed, he went for kick to her left side that she blocked with her right palm. When his foot touched the ground again she stepped on it and in a circular movement avoided and parried a punch with her left forearm, her extended right fingers jabbed his throat, her left palm slammed against his chin and her left foot collided strongly with the left side of his head before she quickly backed away, ready to strike again despite knowing it was not necessary. Sokka fell to his knees, coughing from the blow to his windpipe. His head was hurting but Chenlian did not plan on letting him go just yet. Far from that.
Since until then, the girl had maintained a certain distance and mainly avoided and parried, Sokka tried to bring the match to close combat with a punch much more compact than the previous ones. She parried, her forearm against his, hit his nose with her right palm, her left arm coiled around his right and she struck his shoulder with a knifehand. Then with a low kick, she swept again his legs from under him, slid her arm back, grabbed his elbow and kept it against his body with one knee while she pressed her other foot on his abdomen and with leopard fists dealt consecutive blows in rapid fire to the solar plexus, the shoulder joints and the throat before using her foot on his abdomen to do a back flip and gracefully land a few meters back. She left him some time to recover. Of course she had held back or it could have been dangerous. She could kill but was a strong advocator of NON-killing. Chenlian had deliberately made that attack more difficult for Sokka. She wanted to know if he would still stand up and want to fight after that.
"Stop it!" Katara suddenly yelled. "It should be enough, right? Don't you think you're overdoing it?! There's no need to be so brutal and ruthless, is there?! You're being cruel! Or do you just enjoy humiliating us? Unless you just want to kill him...?!" She stormed.
"Humph, if I wanted to kill him I would have done so already, especially with those blows to his throat. And even without killing him, I could have broken a few bones or dislocated a few joints. Now keep quiet and watch him. He's the only one who can decide whether to fight or give up. Or are you implying that your brother is weak?" Chenlian provoked them again, her amber eyes more piercing and penetrating than an eagle's. She knew that when people were cornered and at their limits, they would either give up or surpass themselves. And so she trusted Sokka to surpass himself. The waterbender forced back the cold heat pricking the back of her neck and tried to bite back at the firebender but she was interrupted by her brother.
"That's alright Katara. Just keep quiet and watch me." Sokka ordered firmly.
"But Sokka-!"
"Katara! Just trust me, okay? We warriors of the Water Tribe fight to the finish. I won't go down so easily, and I'll prove her wrong. So trust me!" That was right. Sokka was still a warrior. He stood up his eyes blazing. Katara reluctantly agreed.
"I'll praise your bravery and your will of fire." Chenlian smiled sincerely, her eyes blazing too. Once more, he went for a punch, she stepped out, grabbed his wrist, and in a flowing motion struck his side under his arm, then the same place again with her elbow, locked his arm, made him kneel down by hitting the back of his knee with her own knee, and freed his arm only to hit the side of his face again. The male warrior fell to the side, hurt all over. The session was still not quite finished, but he had passed the critical point.
"Alright Sokka, now I'll use the usual style used by the Fire Nation, then we'll see how you behave with weapons and how you react against firebending attacks."
"What?! There's more?! Why didn't you use that style from the beginning?!" The boy demanded angrily.
"Because if my calculations are correct, it should be easier for you to block and dodge my attacks. It would also be great if you could retaliate in the same time. The forms I normally use are influenced by the other bending styles so they're more difficult to counter. If you are used to my speed and movements, you should have less problems discerning and countering the direct attacks used by your average fire soldiers. But only you can prove that." She explained serious again, but still glad to see how engrossed Sokka had become in that test/training session. She liked people who were eager to learn. And indeed, as she had assumed, he lasted much longer, and did much better. If she had slacked off even a little bit in her own training after escaping, she would have certainly suffered.
Then they trained with weapons. First thing, Chenlian dodged lightly, stepped in, and had the tip of her sword against his throat. Second thing, she stepped out, twirled and slashed at his neck again, stopping just in time. After that he slowly grew accustomed to her patterns until she irregularly alternated between directness and deviousness.
And at last the female used her wide range of firebending attacks to test and improve his reflexes and ability to dodge. Aang and Katara were amazed. Even though Katara was more reluctant to admit it. That girl, Chenlian, was different from every firebender they had seen, but she was doubtlessly a firebender too. Only she explored a different aspect of fire. While of course she could use straight attacks and rely on sheer power, even though she did not lose any of her aggressiveness, her graceful, hypnotic, and nonetheless incredibly fast and sharp movements reminded them of a beautifully dancing flame. And while her actions may seem utterly unpredictable, she was in fact minutely controlling the whole fight by adapting herself to Sokka's reactions. She was also killing two birds with one stone by turning this test into her own training session. Well, she had made him an example now she was going to see the two benders.
Then it was Katara's turn. Chenlian first tested her abilities in close to mid-range fights first with hand-to-hand combat before using her sword. The waterbender was tested near the water source but also away from it. She did relatively well when she would use ice and not plain water, although she lacked speed, control, power and diversity. That was still not quite enough. When the firebender decided to at last use her bending, she wanted to hit hard (not physically but emotionally) from the get go by utilizing her grandfather's signature. She created a big wall of flame she launched forward like a wave that vanished just as it arrived. The shocked Katara saw the other female run at her, leap, do a front flip, fire shooting from her feet. The waterbender barely protected herself but was knocked off her feet by the impact.
"Someone who can't even protect herself can't protect anyone." Chenlian looked down at her, her tone bitterly truthful, and even more so since she was talking out of experience. She was fluidly streaming a shapeless flame before turning it into a ball and throwing it at Katara. It scorched the ground just at the left of her head. Her striking hard from the beginning and being harsher than usual was to show them how powerful she was and anger them so they would give their whole to defeat her. And once they were overwhelmingly defeated and saw the gap between them, they would understand how much stronger they had to get and there would be less complaints when she'd say it was time to train... The waterbender bolted upright, more furious than ever.
"I AM capable of protecting myself and everyone! Or we wouldn't have gone that far already!"
"With that level? Who are you trying to fool, me, or yourself? I guess you must have been incredibly lucky. Or rather, Aang did most of the fighting, didn't he? Well, some people say that luck is part of strength to justify their own shortcomings, but I don't rely on luck, only on my own abilities."
"Well, at least I didn't get captured!" Chenlian's words had stung her more than she would admit. And to avert herself from the truth of those words, she used the only weakness she knew to bring her down from her pedestal and drag her into the dirt. The girl remained completely silent and impassive for a time, before closing her eyes.
"Even if I was drugged, even I was poisoned by those villagers I wanted to trust and who had betrayed me without a second thought to have the bounty for my head, I still could not allow danger to befall them because of my fight. Or maybe I should have let the hostages get killed? Right, I should also be telling you this since they might come after you. The Rough Rhinos are a group of elite komodo rhino cavalry. They are five members who work freelance for the Fire Nation and have no scruples slaughtering people and destroying whole villages. They each specialize in a weapon/fighting style though neither of them are good at close combat. The leader is a firebender, one carries chains, another a halberd, another specializes in explosives and the last is an archer that often uses lit arrows. I believe he had been part of a certain group of elite, extremely agile, and highly proficient archers capable of pinning you to a tree over a hundred yards away. They're recognizable thanks to the red paint around their eyes. They're more dangerous than the Rough Rhinos." The female firebender paused to let everything sink in. They had caught a glimpse of her abilities... and yet... "Katara, are you confident enough to beat them the way you are now, when I couldn't?" Chenlian asked again. Katara could not answer. "If you're not then let's get back down to business." She assumed a fighting stance. They sparred again for sometime. The waterbender had become more vicious in both her attacks and defences. But it was still not enough. Someone who let anger blind them to the point they would lose their cool had no way of winning.
And then it was Aang's turn at last. As expected, he was the most challenging one. He more than deserved his status of airbender and master of evasion. With him, she really did not hold back, using all her experience and tricks. And yet she only barely managed to bring him down once, although he quickly freed himself again. It was true that she was still rusted from her about two years and a half in jail... but still! And the feeling was mutual. He would not show it, but Aang had rarely fought so hard... And again when the firebender tested their combination play, she noticed that it was Aang who made up for 75% of their force. But she liked how they all covered for each other. They were very united and protective. Which was what this world needed the most. Chenlian harshly reviewed them all, though especially the Southern Water Tribe siblings, precisely pointing out everything, which they, and particularly Katara, found too abusive to endure without speaking up. The way she was treating them was just too much! She was just like all those Fire Nation people who can smile and trample on people and feelings without hesitation and who really don't give a damn about anyone but themselves! And while the waterbender was ranting and venting her anger, the firebender remained as quiet and impassive as a stone.
"I won't care now even if I'm hated, despised or distrusted, after all, that isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last. Yes I'm a firebender, yes I'm Fire Nation, but if you dislike me for that reason, you're just like that nation that looks down on others. But if it's just my attitude then I'm fine with it. That's right, we don't have time to lose. You need to become stronger as fast as possible. And for that I will do anything but I won't pamper you. People who wish to become stronger should not be pampered. I hate the Fire Lord. I hate him so much that I want to completely smash everything that he is, his mind, his body, his convictions, the thing that takes the place of his heart everything...!" Chenlian clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles were turning white. Her implacable voice was dripping with such poison that they would not have expected of her, her attractive and charming features were distorted with unimaginable pain and hatred, but also yearning, yearning for something that she knew impossible. There was no way she could lie. And they could feel the violence and poignancy of her emotions even more keenly as they resonated through their own hearts. They shared a similar pain. They were alike. "But no matter how much I wish to, I can't do that. Even if I did, everything I lost would never come back, and I would lose everything that is left of myself. I would be unable to restore my family's honor, unable to change anything or save anyone! To the world this would have been revenge and not justice. The only one who can pass judgement on the Fire Lord is the Avatar. That man wanted to make our family disappear, but as long as I am alive and as long as I am myself, I can fight him any way I can and I won't ever bow down to him. I promised I would not seek revenge for myself, I promised I would not cry, I would stay strong and uphold our honour, our principles, and our convictions. And I promised I would regain our family's honour, our nation's honour, and help set everything back to the way they should be. That's why with these hands, even at the risk of my life I will protect you, all of you! And I won't die either. After cursing my powerlessness for so long I don't want to let anyone die again. That's why I will become stronger, as strong as I can, and I must make you stronger even if you hate me." Chenlian declared again with unyielding conviction. There was a long silence. Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked at each other. They had certainly not expected her to snap and burst like this... Nor had she. She had never imagined she had come so close to her own emotional limits that she would snap like that. Nor had she imagined that they would suddenly take her into a tight and warm group hug.
"That's why you shouldn't try to bear everything alone. Don't underestimate us!" The waterbender affirmed with a sincere and confident smile.
"That's right, you're not alone anymore. You have us now. We're your family." Aang smiled warmly and kindly, repeating for Chenlian the words Katara had saved him with.
"Man... Fire Nation people are always so conceited... you're still a girl so it's your duty to rely on us." Sokka 'complained' with a smug smile despite his awkward countenance. He was obviously trying to give himself airs. The firebender's eyes widened. Even though she had just said she would not cry, she was so close to crying. She quickly closed them. It was not the first time she had heard those words. Nor was it the first time that they had been said with such utter sincerity... But it was the first time she felt that she could be herself, without having to hide anything, and without fear for herself or the people she was staying with, and still be whole-heartedly accepted. The first time she felt she could entrust her soul to someone else without a second thought, and that in return they would never betray her, and protect her with everything they had... although she was the one who said she would help them and protect them...
"You're really a funny bunch..." For the first time in her life, people, companions, that were not family, she could share anything with... "You still have a lot more work to do before you can make me..." She said, her lips curving upward, her tone and smile expressing everything she could not put into words. How glad she was to the point of tears, her relief, her gratefulness... "Well, I said a lot but I just love training and I've been training every day since I escaped when you didn't even think about it all these weeks and it just occurred to you... really... what have you been doing?" She told them condescendingly, tauntingly, and half-truthfully. The more she smiled, the brighter and more genuine her smile. And they replied in kind by making her fall and piling on her, holding her down, with Momo on top, although he soon ran away when Appa arrived to put his huge head onto them, the water still dripping from his fur. They had won at last. Everyone laughed heartily. The Avatar, and the siblings had understood that like them, she was just another victim of this war, and unlike them, she had fought alone for too long, and had become too accustomed to it. She had forgotten what it was to be with people and had grown extremely awkward. She wasn't mean by nature, just too frank, or outspoken, or direct, or straightforward, or blunt, or brusque... for her own good. And because she was like this, she was not the type to deceive, manipulate, or stab in the back, at least not easily, and not without a very good reason.
At last, Katara made everyone stop: jokes aside, it was true they had a lot more work to do... time to practice waterbending! Chenlian went to gather firewood and prepare lunch while Sokka resignedly accepted to work hard picking the mud and bugs from the giant bison's toes, while the two others would be 'playing in the water'...
On the main deck of his ship, Prince Zuko was sparring. Jets of fire were flying around when suddenly the ship tilted to starboard, knocking both combatants off balance and sending them against the rail. Not long later, he stormed into the bridge, demanding what was the meaning of this mutiny. No one had told them to change course!
"Actually, someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko." Iroh contradicted him, not looking up from the game of Pai Sho he was playing with some crew members. He was stroking his beard, deeply in thought and frowning slightly, obviously more preoccupied by the game than by his nephew. Zuko assumed, hoped, it was something to do with the Avatar. "Even more urgent. It seems I-I've lost my lotus tile." The old man dramatically put a hand on his head before moving a piece on the board, puzzling his nephew. "For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ." The elder explained, moving another piece.
"You've changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?" The prince asked again, angry and incredulous.
"See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully they'll have the lotus tile in stock and I can get on with my life!" His uncle punctuated his speech with gestures and timely, exaggerated expressions for more impact. The teen struggled to contain his anger, ultimately releasing a plume of flame from his gritted teeth. It licked over the ceiling, and smoke clouded the present people for a few seconds.
"I'm lucky to have such an understanding nephew." The former general smiled both ironically and gratefully.
"Yeah, don't get too happy. You gotta do me next." Sokka said as he was rubbing the leafy branch Aang had given him between Appa's toes. The bison was floating on his back and grunting happily. And the boy's comment made him rumble even more happily and flap his ears and six legs. Aang and Katara were at the river bank. The child was sitting cross-legged while the girl was explaining the basics of waterbending.
"This is a pretty basic move, but it still took me months to perfect, so don't be frustrated if you don't get it right away. Just push and pull the water like this." She began to bob gracefully back and forth, the water moving back and forth along with her. "The key is getting the wrist movement right."
"Like this?" The Avatar stood up and imitated her.
"That's almost right, if you keep practicing, I'm sure eventually-"
"Hey, I'm bending it already!" Aang exclaimed gleefully as indeed a respectably sized wave of water was being pushed and pulled along with his movements... much to Katara's surprise and envy... She couldn't believe he got that so quickly. It had taken her two months to learn that move. She sounded unhappy.
"Well, you had to figure it out on your own. I'm lucky enough to have a great teacher." The airbender skilfully justified himself. Katara thanked him, smiling back at him. Next they tried a more difficult move: streaming the water. The girl moved her hands and pulled out of a stream of water from the river and began to loop it around. She warned him it was harder than it looked but again, Aang had already mastered this move, and was moving around his stream of water as if it were a toy as she stood motionless, her water hanging in mid-air. After a minute of watching Aang play around and neatly stream back the liquid in the river, Katara dropped her water which splashed on the ground. She had a sour look on her face.
"Nice work, though the over-the-head flare was unnecessary." She commented dryly.
"Sorry. Well, don't stop now, keep'em coming!" He punched the air enthusiastically.
"Well, I kinda know this one other move, but it's pretty hard. I haven't even totally figured it out yet. The idea is to create a big, powerful wave." Katara concentrated, raised a blob of water out of the river, but it fell back when she lost her focus. Aang set up to try. He raised his hands and a huge wall of water shot up into the air. Sokka turned around to see that huge mass of water overshadowing him and his eyes widened in fear.
"Aaaaaaaaannnngg!" His voice trailed off fearfully and warningly. But he could not escape his fate and got washed away as the wave broke over him and Appa. He resurfaced.
"Looks like I got the hang of that move! What else ya got?" The child asked confidently.
"That's enough practicing for today." Katara snapped, her tone and expression very cross.
"Yeah, I'll say! You just practiced our supplies down the river!" Sokka exclaimed as they watched some of their bags floating rapidly down the river. The Avatar apologised sheepishly. "Ugh, it was hard enough when you were just an airbender." The male warrior complained, sinking back into the water.
"Now, now. We've still got my stuff. I have food and money and I can also earn more by playing the pipa in the street. It'll be alright. Until then, how about some food to lift your spirits?" Chenlian smiled sweetly. The more time passed, the brighter and more charming she was. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and mind. All these years and especially this last month up to now must have really weighed a lot on her, more than she would admit, because she would always act strong and refuse to show any weakness. While she grasped that acknowledging your weaknesses was a strength in itself, she was still simply incapable of doing it before people.
She had made a salad, while the fish and vegetables, roots and mushrooms were cooking. Sokka jumped out of the water screaming "Food!", Aang was already sitting and holding out his bowl at arm length. Even Katara could not help but smile a little in anticipation.
The four teens and the lemur were walking down a market street of a port village full of tough looking sailors, merchants and shady types. A big man was holding up a much smaller one for an unknown reason, as the smaller one was begging him to put him down. Another shopkeeper in blue was addressing a crowd, holding up a sack and asking who was brave enough to look into this bag. The water siblings did not look too good, contrary to Aang who was quite excited by this slight sense of danger. Chenlian was merely looking around alertly. However, the maroon-haired girl soon claimed to have something to do and left the group for some time.
"We've got exactly three copper pieces left from the money that King Bumi gave us. Let's spend it wisely." Sokka said coming out of a shop some time later.
"Uhh, make that two copper pieces, Sokka. I couldn't say no to this whistle!" Aang produced a white whistle in the shape of a bison from behind his back before drawing in a great breath and blowing into it. Sokka plugged his ears but nothing happened.
"It doesn't even work." The warrior said. Momo chittered into Aang's ear as his master stopped blowing into it. "See, even Momo thinks it's a piece of junk."
"No offense, Aang, but I'll hold the money from now on." Katara told her friend gently but firmly. The boy handed over the money to Katara with a guilty expression. Chenlian, who had just come back from another alley, took Sokka a little away from the other two. He might not be the most excellent warrior, but she trusted his sense of organisation, responsibility, and economy, contrary to Aang who'd flounder it all on passing whims and trifles... although it would not be so bad to indulge once in a while. She told him about the stack of Earth Kingdom money a friend and ally (Master Piandao) had given her. She had left most in Appa's care (after the water incident) but had taken a little with her. And she had also just changed some of her Fire Nation currency into Earth Kingdom currency. The two of them decided to split some of the copper pieces she had between the three of them while the little kid was drawn to some other 'attraction'.
They then went to the port where a number of ships was moored, and in front of one of the larger ones at the dock, a crew member was soliciting customers from all nations who would be interested in bargains... He had tanned skin, long auburn hair held by a green headband, large circle earrings, a small mustache, and he was dressed all in green. He did not look any more respectable than most men on this dock. He noticed the four teens in disparate cloths and immediately hailed them and ran to them.
"Oh! You there! I can see by your clothing that you're world traveling types. Perhaps I can interest you in some exotic curios?" He inquired. Chenlian, Katara, and Sokka kept walking without paying attention but Aang's curiosity got the best of him...
"Sure! What are curios?" The child asked, interested. The barked paused and answered.
"I'm not entirely sure, but we got'em!" The pirate (obviously) took Aang by the shoulders to the ship, a wide grin on his face. And the three others had no choice but to follow. The four looked around at the miscellaneous wares. It was often hard to find a use for this or that object. Aang was often gaping. Katara was momentarily mesmerized by a stone monkey of significant size, richly jeweled with large, blood red rubies. It looked creepy.
"I've never seen such a fine specimen of lemur. That beast would fetch me a hefty sum, if you'd be interested in bartering." A sinister voice said as its owner - the Captain -emerged from a dark doorway. He was dressed in shades of slightlty reddish brown wearing a wide brim hat and has a huge green parrot-like creature on his shoulder, which screamed several times. He looked in his fifties, with long dark grey hair, sharp, angled features and sly, piercing eyes.
"Momo's not for sale." Aang replied, hugging his lemur protectively. After a quick defiant chatter at the bird creature, Momo just as quickly hid in his master's arms. Katara walked over to a scroll rack, and on the thinnest one, recognised the water symbol carved at its end. She opened it to see the instructions on how to perform various waterbending moves. Her whole face lit up. She called Aang to show it to him. Curious, Chenlian also took a look. She and the child asked the captain where he had got it. The old man's hand suddenly slammed down upon it. He rolled it up and smiling ominously, merely said he had got it up north... at a most reasonable price...: free. He placed the scroll back in the rack, not noticing how hungrily the waterbender was eyeing it.
"Waaait a minute... sea-loving traders with suspiciously acquired merchandise...and pet reptile birds... You guys are pirates!" Sokka finally realized. He had taken his sweet time. The barker put his arm around Sokka's shoulders and smiled connivingly.
"We prefer to think of ourselves as 'high risk traders'..." He winked at the young man. Katara looked at the two measly copper pieces in her hand and turned to the captain. She asked how much for the... traded scroll, obviously not thinking much of these people and their way of doing business, from her raised eyebrow. But the pirate had already got a buyer, a nobleman in the Earth Kingdom.
"Unless, of course, you kids have 200 gold pieces on ya right now?" He challenged them, knowing full well it was not the case. Aang offered his friend to deal with these guys as pirates loved to haggle and told her to watch and learn. She gave him the two copper pieces as she did not want to reveal more or pay any money for scroll stolen from another waterbender. The girl withdrew while, leaning nonchalantly on the desk, with a grin on his face, the boy suggested the price of one copper piece.
"Hahaha! The price is 200 gold pieces. I don't haggle on items this rare."
"Okay two copper pieces!" He proudly presented the second piece.
"It's not as amusing the second time, boy." The captain warned him sternly. Katara went back to Aang and told him she wanted to get out of here, pretexting she felt like we're getting weird looks. Chenlian wanted to leave too. She did not like this place either, although the true reason was that she had seen something that would get them in big trouble as soon as it was found out. She had not prevented it because she thought it was the right thing to do. But yes, better leave quick...
"Aye, we be castin' off now!" The little monk said, quite in his role.
Once out, the two boys asked what it was about, Sokka especially had been interested in their boomerang collection. Katara just hugged herself and said she'd feel a lot better away from here. The firebender remained quiet. It was then that the pirate who had solicited them originally ran across the deck shouting at them to get back here. Aang thought they come to their senses and that the haggling had paid off. Like angry bees from a beehive the pirates left their ship to go after the four kids. Suddenly, the group was faced with about a dozen of well-armed and obviously angry pirates. They had definitely not come to trade with them. The frightened teens ran off with the sea rovers after them. The youths ran down an alley and the pirates split into two groups, one following the runaways while the other, led by the pirate barker, went in another direction to catch them between the hammer and the anvil.
The four teens turned the corner around a building, Katara waterbending some water from a nearby stall onto the ground and freezing it as she passed. The lead pirate slipped and hit the ground but the others passed without problems. Further down the street, the same cabbage dealer from Omashu was lovingly nuzzling one of his cabbages before putting it back in his portable stand, which was full of cabbages. As he began to wheel it away Sokka and Katara run by, bumping the cart and knocking off some of the vegetables. The shopkeeper saved the cabbages from hitting the ground, but then Aang launched himself between the cart's canopy and the cabbages, arms and legs thrust forward and emerged out the other side. As he landed, he turned and airbended the cart up the street to strike the pursuing pirates, knocking them out.
"My cabbages! This place is worse than Omashu!" The cabbages seller lamented to the sky, irate.
The children ran down another alley, but when they turned the next corner they are met by the pirate salesmen and his men. The kids run back the way they came, the freebooters hot on their trail. They turned into a blind alley where they had no choice but to face their pursuers. The pirate barker and his mates were now blocking the entrance. The Avatar airbended a huge gust of wind at the pirates, blinding them with dust and disorienting them, before rushing forward while opening his glider. He told his friends to hold on tight. Katara and Sokka ran along behind and then latched onto to Aang's legs while Chenlian grabbed the tip of the glider. The waterbender thought they were trying to run away from the pirates but they had no other choice. Chenlian used her firebending skills to blast hot energy to gain more speed and altitude, although it was difficult even then and had to bounce off the heads of many of the sea robbers in their escape. They eventually got airborne, however, and looked back to see the pirates and the port receeding behind them.
"I used to kinda look up to pirates, but those guys are terrible." The little monk said folding his glider once they were all back at the waterfall.
"I know, that's why I took this!" Katara smiled smugly, showing them the waterbending scroll. Aang was disbelieving and a little unhappy. The girl was elated.
"No wonder they were trying to hack us up. You stole their waterbending scroll." Sokka was quite angry.
"I prefer to think of it as 'high-risk trading'." His sister wisely cracked with a self-satisfied smile. The airbender laughed at the good one. "Sokka, where do you think they got it? They stole it from a waterbender." Katara reasoned.
"It doesn't matter. You put all of our lives in danger just so you could learn some stupid, fancy splashes!"
"These are real waterbending forms. You know how crucial it is for Aang to learn waterbending." The waterbender retorted, now slightly angry too.
"Chenlian, please, you say something and knock some sense into her!" Sokka exclaimed, half angry half desperate. Katara looked at her in a 'you-agree-with-me-right' half pleading half threatening sort of way.
"Hummmm... I dislike stealing, and I agree that it was dangerous and should not become a habit, especially from this sort of people... but she seized the opportunity she had and it is indeed crucial for both she and Aang to become stronger, and the earlier they start, the better it is, and I would have certainly done the very same in her place." The firebender concluded with a sweet smile. Katara smirked victoriously. Sokka gave up and left. "However, we should be more careful from now on, and we should be prepared, because when you do something bad, it always comes back to haunt you one way or another."
"Well, what's done is done. We have it. We might as well learn from it." Aang finished pragmatically.
"I've checked all the shops on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace." Iroh complained, his beloved nephew beside him looking as sour and unhappy as ever, glaring ahead, his arms folded across his chest. They were at the very same pier Aang and his friends had left just some time ago.
"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko shouted, cynical and furious.
"Quite the contrary." His uncle replied, as calmly as always. "I always say the only thing better than finding something you were looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" He finished, obviously very pleased with himself as a parade of Fire Nation soldiers walk by, carrying armloads of merchandise that the retired general had just bought. One of them was a certain brass sort of instrument...
"You bought a tsungi horn?"
"For music night on the ship. Now, if we only had some woodwinds... And Chenlian to play the pipa..."
"Well, she's not here, okay?!" The prince shot back, clearly unwilling to talk about that matter and trying to push back that image he had from that time at the Fire Temple that kept haunting him ever since. Then they stumbled about the same pirate ship the four did earlier. The old man was happy since it looked promising. They stopped before the same stone monkey decorated with the red jewels that Katara had eyed earlier.
"Oooh! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?" Iroh hungrily reached out for the object. At the desk, the captain was speaking with the barker. The latter was saying they had lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with.
"This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?" Zuko, who had listened to their conversation, walked over to them. Meanwhile, behind him, his uncle had picked the monkey up and was holding it, wearing the exact same grin as the statue he was obviously imitating... although it looked much funnier on him than on the said statue...
"I just want to try this one move first and then it's all yours." Katara then told Aang to hold open the scroll for her. She leant backward and attempted the single water whip as prescribed in the document. She looked and sounded quite confident. The waterbender raised a stream of water and whipped it around, but it hit her in the forehead, leaving a bruise. Sokka, sitting on a rock, laughed. His annoyed sister asked him what was so funny.
"I'm sorry, but you deserve that." Then the young man turned to Aang. "You've been duped. She's only interested in teaching herself." He continued with the knowing and superior tone of someone who sat, observed, and learned. The brown haired girl retorted defensively – and slightly guiltily – that Aang would get his turn once she had figured out the water whip. She tried again, but the whip behaved erratically and unintentionally lashed Momo, who screamed and hissed at her in protest.
"Why can't I get this stupid move!" Katara cursed herself.
"You'll get it." Aang said reassuringly and confidently, walking up to the river. The blue eyed bender looked displeased at this statement, undoubtedly expecting Aang to show her up once again... Aang who indeed managed to do a perfect water whip on his first try... "You just gotta shift your weight through the stances." He gracefully manipulated the whip for a few seconds before dropping it back into the river. "There. See, the key to bending is-" The Avatar explained gently.
"Will you PLEASE shut your air hole!" Katara snapped, furious and bitter beyond words at herself for her own powerlessness that she felt only too keenly due to Chenlian's earlier remarks and prowesses... and now it was Aang! "Believe it or not, your infinite wisdom gets a little old sometimes. Why don't we just throw the scroll away since you're so naturally gifted!" She lashed out, too jealous to control herself.
"Katara!" The firebender yelled warningly.
"What?!" Katara snarled back, looking at her brother and female friend who were silently gazing at her reprovingly before averting their eyes and nodding toward Aang. She looked back at him and, abashed, saw how frightened and close to tears he was. Unlike Chenlian, he was prone to showing his feelings on his face. And that had really hurt him. "Oh my gosh, Aang, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." She apologised, gently and sincerely. "But, you know what, it won't happen again." She rolled up the scroll and handed it to Aang. "Here, this is yours. I don't want to have anything to do with it anymore."
"It's okay, Katara." The boy reassured him.
"What about Momo? He's the real victim here." Sokka, still sitting on his rock, showed Momo who was rubbing his sore behind where the whip had struck him.
"I'm sorry Momo." She apologised again, petting the animal's long ears.
"And what about me? There was that time you-" The male warrior added (all too) clearly trying to exploit the situation. It would no longer work, however, as his sister made it just as clear that there would be no more apologies, scaring both Momo and Sokka with her anger.
The prow of Zuko's ship opened and a smaller craft was deployed. The sun had almost set. It was moving up the river in parallel with the pirate ship, and on its deck, the banished prince and the pirate captain were in deep conversation. The captain wanted to stop to search the woods.
"We don't need to stop. They stole a waterbending scroll, right?" Zuko asked. The captain nodded. "Then they'll be on the water."
The moon was shining in the sky, and the campfire was still burning in their midst. The boys were asleep, but not Katara. She got up and silently removed the scroll from Aang's bag. She guiltily backed away from the camp, turning around only to be confronted by Momo's luminescent green eyes. Sitting on a tree stump, he chattered at her. In a whisper, she told him to go back to sleep. She walked by and he chittered again, but she shushed him once more. And Momo sadly watched her leave, his ears flat on his back, but as soon as she had disappeared, another girl came up at his side, watching with crossed arms the direction the waterbender had gone. With her left hand, Chenlian affectionately petted Momo's head and ears. She was glad that Katara wanted to get stronger faster... but it was another thing to become so completely obsessed as to forget about all the dangers and going alone like this. It was certainly no use trying to dissuade her at this point, but she could follow and help her if such a danger came.
Katara was struggling with her water whip and cursing, unaware of both friendly and enemy presence, as indeed Zuko and the pirate captain had also heard her cries. They looked at each other. The waterbender was still wielding a stream of water and trying to follow Aang's advice concerning the shifting of her weight until she heard the noise of grinding metal. She ran over to a row of bushes on her left and parted them to reveal Zuko's craft now beached on the river bank. She turned to run, but was grabbed by a pirate. The girl managed to get rid of him by bending a water whip around and smacking the pirate in the face. He let her go, but she ran right into Zuko who tightly gripped her wrists.
"I'll save you from the pirates." The prince said with a scowl on his face.
"And I'll save her from you." A female voice surprised him from behind.