Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
The Foodless Forest
There was nothing in this forest. Silent in its emptiness. From game scurrying to hide in the grass to winged animals fluttering from branch to branch. Nothing. What was this place? Kneeling on the forest floor, I rubbed some moss between my fingers. No tracks. No tufts of fur. No animal residue of any kind. The only thing alive here were the plants. And I couldn't figure out why. Things were alive but there was no food. At least, not things people can eat.
Sighing, I let the moss slip through my fingers. We ran out of the food King Bumi gave us yesterday. Camping in this forest for the night was supposed to be our opportunity to hunt and gather enough to last us a couple of days. But a forest with no animals… something had happened here. "Kaya". The yellow-haired girl looked up from where she sat at the base of a tree; fingers shifting through the dirt. "Let's go further in". Maybe we could find a pond or a river and fish. It was either that or go hungry.
Nodding, Kaya scooped up a pile of something into her hands before standing. "What is that?" I asked; raising to my feet as well. It only took a couple of steps to reach Kaya. She held out her hands for me to see. "Rocks?" I asked. Picking up one and feeling its sharp edges on my fingertips.
"Slingshot", Kaya explained; watching as I put the rock back and started poking through some of the others she held.
Ammo. Made sense. Kaya had been practicing with her slingshot a lot since leaving Omashu. Every time we made camp. As soon as the chores were done. Her hands were callused now. From repeatedly pulling back the sling and steadying its handle in her non-dominant hand. There weren't easy to see with her scars. But when we held hands, I could feel them.
"This isn't a rock", I said; picking up one that was smoother and rounder than the others. "It's a nut".
"Nut?" Kaya repeated. Frowning a little at the nut in my hand.
"Yeah. Something we can eat. But too little to fill you up". As an example, I closed my hand into a fist to crack its shell. Kaya leaned forward to watch as I peeled the little brown foodstuff from its protective layer. Popping the nut in my mouth, I crunched down and winced as a dry bitter taste coated my tongue. "Food", I explained. "But gross".
Kaya tilted her head to the side. "I find more", she said after finding the right words; gesturing her full hands. And she had. Looking closely, amongst the jagged sharp rocks were smooth round nuts. "More by the tree", Kaya shared; pointing her chin to where she had been sitting.
Nuts, huh? I thought; staring at the spot Kaya indicated. Better than not eating completely. Still… I glanced up at the tree branches arching over our heads. Why were there no animals around that ate the nuts? Something was wrong with this forest.
Holding open the flap of my game bag, I asked with my eyes for Kaya to drop her findings inside; rocks and nuts. We could sort them out once we got back. "Nuts for dinner", I decided as Kaya did as asked. "Let's find as many as we can".
Nodding, Kaya turned back to the base of the tree; reaching up to tuck a strand of loose yellow hair behind her ear as she searched. Her scarf hung loosely over her shoulders and pooled over the back of her tunic. I gave the area one last wary look-around before joining her. Kaya and I would find what we could and rejoin the others. We could put up with one night of grumbling stomachs and leave at first light for a place that didn't feel off. A forest this green shouldn't be this quiet.
Katara and Aang were already there when we returned. By the looks of it, they began the other chores. A pile of kindling sat in front of Aang and Katara was occupied with our bed rolls. I guess that, and the lack of food meant they hadn't found much either.
Spotting us first, Aang stood up. "You're back! What did you find?"
Kaya moved away as I swung my bag in front of me. She headed for the water skins to take a long drink and splash some on her dirt-covered hands before taking a spot next to Katara. Taking over Katara's task of unrolling the bedrolls when Katara moved to see what I brought.
Digging through my bag, it wasn't hard to find what I was looking for. There were only two types of things in there for me to pull out. "Nuts", I announced. "We got round nuts and oval-shaped nuts and some type of rock-shaped nuts". Those I studied a bit more closely. If only to ignore the disappointed looks on Aang's and Katara's faces. No, not nuts. These were Kaya's slingshot rocks. I put the rocks back in my bag. We'd sort them out later. "Which ones do you want?"
Katara inched closer; picking up a nut and studying it alongside Aang. "Is this it?"
"There's not much in this forest". They must have noticed it too. Not enough food meant few animals, and few animals made for poor hunting. "What did you find?" I asked. Though I could guess the answer. Katara and Aang continued to stare down disappointedly at the small pile of nuts. I felt the same. But at least Kaya and I brought something back.
Momo found his way to Aang and scurried up his leg until he could rest on his shoulders. Katara and Aang opened their mouths at the same time. Though they didn't get to say anything. Cut off by a booming quake as the earth rattled. Appa rumbled discontent as Momo shrieked and pressed himself flat against Aang.
"What was that?" I asked; looking in all directions. Kaya pressed her hands flat against the ground. As if that would allow her to feel something. Based on our positions, we either stood or sat in silence; thinking and wondering about what just happened.
Until it occurred a second time. A resounding boom echoed from the distance. "Over there", Aang announced; pointing. Katara sprang up and followed after Aang as he ran off; taking Momo with them.
"Wait!" I yelled after them. "Shouldn't we be running the other way? When have huge booms ever led to a good thing?" Of course, they didn't stop. Not even to look back. Frustrated, I groaned under my breath. Despite the lack of game, if this is how they hunted; running after everything that made a sound, it's no wonder they didn't find anything for dinner. "Kaya", I called; gesturing to her before Aang and my sister could get too far. "Do you want to stay with Appa or come with me?" She was moving before I finished; reaching for my hand.
Chasing Katara and Aang led us to the edge of a ravine. Staying within the tree line, we crouched behind a felled tree. Aang and Katara barely noticed us joining them. Their eyes were fixed on the source of all the noise. A boy wearing green with hair as long as Katara's stood in the dirt. Moving his arms and legs in forceful punches and kicks as boulders floated and soared in the air as if weightless.
Kaya's breath hitched in her throat as she stared at the sight. Meanwhile, Katara exclaimed, "An Earthbender!" This wasn't Kaya's first time seeing Earthbending. We had seen plenty in Omashu. But it was more controlled and deliberate in the city. This was… raw.
Aang didn't seem to think so. "Let's say hello". He suggested; spirits high.
Reaching behind Kaya, I pulled her scarf over her yellow hair. "He could be dangerous", I observed; remembering what the innkeeper told me about what we said around others. Once Kaya started fixing her scarf herself, I looked away from the Aang and Katara. Watching as Kaya carefully tucked away loose hairs under the blue fabric. Katara and I had a story to tell. We left the South Pole to find our dad. But there was only one person alive with an arrow tattooed on his head. And Kaya wasn't fluent in our language. Those two would always stick out. "Maybe we should-"
"Hi! I'm Katara". My head snapped to my other side. Only to see that my sister was no longer there. Instead, she was approaching the stranger as if he were an old friend. I slapped a hand over my face and groaned. And she wonders why I didn't like it when she left the village by herself. By La, I swear, there were penguin otters with a better sense of caution.
Startled, the earthbender gasped; falling out of his stance as his movements halted. Causing the boulder he was bending to plummet to the ground. A small cloud of dust swirled up around it upon impact. He stared at Katara; eyes wide and mouth gapped. As if a girl standing in front of him, waving and smiling, was a terrifying sight. His eyes barely flickered over the faces of Aang, me, and Kaya before turning and running. Waving his arms behind him as if he was a bird trying to take flight; making boulders and rocks roll to cover his path and hide his escape.
Feeling a little relieved, I exhaled through my nose as Aang stood. "Must've been late for something", he guessed. Always the optimist.
Katara turned back to us, shrugging a little with a disappointed frown. "I just wanted to talk". In a way, I understood. Kind of. Our world grew a lot when we found Kaya and Aang. Knowing there were things and people outside of the South Pole was one thing. Actually seeing them was even better. But… Kaya was looking at me. Slowly, she started pulling her scarf from her head; returning it to her shoulders. As if trying to gauge if I would stop her. But the innkeeper said we needed to be careful. And I believed her.
"It's probably for the best", I said as I climbed to my feet. "Less of a risk of someone saying they saw the Avatar in the foodless forest of the Earth Kingdom". Kaya copied me and started brushing dirt off her skirt.
My reminder of our current location seemed to spark something in Aang. "Hey! I bet that guy was late for dinner. He must be running home. Maybe he knows where we can get food. Like a village!"
Katara was eager to jump aboard. "Which means no nuts for dinner". Just as slowly as before, Kaya raised her scarf to cover her hair once again.
"Wait", I said. But it was too late. Aang and Katara were already running ahead; finding a path around the wall of boulders. "Remember what the innkeeper told me!" I called after them. "We need to stay out of the smaller settlements!" Especially since we didn't know which villages were under Fire Nation occupation and which were still free. Aang and Katara never looked back. Momo flew after them. It was like they expected the run into people like Suki and King Bumi where ever we went. And not people like Zuko.
Turning back to Kaya, I held out my hand; defeated. Kaya didn't need prompting to grab hold of it. "What do you want to eat?" I asked as we started forward. "Maybe we can find it in this village". If it didn't only exist in Aang's and Katara's hopes.
"Um…" Kaya thought, tucking her chin into the folds of her scarf. "Bread?" She asked.
I nodded. All of us, except maybe Aang, had tried a lot of foods since leaving home. Bread being one of them. Kaya had liked those pastries from Kyoshi island. And the small loaves King Bumi gave us. I didn't mind it either. It tasted great with some jerky on top. "We'll look". I promised. "Just", I paused right before we passed the boulders. Kaya stopped next to me. "If anyone asks you… anything, say you're Kaya from the water tribe. Okay?"
Kaya nodded; a slow bow of her head as my words sank in. I didn't remind her to keep the scarf on her head. There wasn't a need.
Turns out, there was a town. A mining town. Small enough that there were only a few structures and even fewer vendors. Eyes were on us as we walked through the street. Not used to the styles of the water tribe and air nomads, we stood out. Though no one seemed agitated that we were here. Just curious. "Nice hat", Aang said to a vendor as we passed; Momo perched on his head as if trying to get a good look. He was all smiles as he walked on the other side of Kaya.
Katara stopped a few steps ahead of us. Her attention was on a door that just snapped shut. "That boy went inside". She moved for the door.
"Katara, he didn't want to talk to us", I tried; stepping forward and leaving Aang and Kaya to make up the rear. "Let's just buy some food and leave".
Katara wasn't listening. She waved a hand at the closed door. "But it's a shop. We can buy our food there. Why should we go somewhere else?" As if buying food was her only motivation. Katara opened the door before I could say anything else. "Katara", I hissed as the door shut behind her. Wasn't this a bit rude? Making someone talk to you who didn't want to.
Aang approached and put a hand on my shoulder; Momo along for the ride. "All business is good business, right?" He asked before opening the door and holding it for all of us to enter.
Giving in, I gestured for Kaya to go in ahead of me. "There better be bread".
Inside the shop, there wasn't much. Barrels on one side. Crates of produced on the other. Behind the front counter a woman with graying hair and bags under her eyes stood; her eyes wary as she listened to whatever Katara was saying. At least there was food.
Close to the counter was the boy, expression almost pleading. "Wasn't me. It must've been somebody else".
The woman behind the counter narrowed her eyes. While Aang failed to read the boy's face. "No. Katara's right. We saw you Earthbending".
The reaction was almost immediate. The boy winced and took a step back from all of us. The woman gasped as if pained before she darted out from behind the counter. Kaya moved closer to me, her hand hovering over her slingshot. While the rest of us just looked confused. The woman dashed for the small window. The only one in the shop. She slammed it shut and secured the latch. As if blocking out the light was all the protection they needed from… whatever this was. Next was the door. She made sure it was locked before whirling around. The woman glared at the boy. "Haru, what are they talking about?" I recognized that tone. It had been a long time since I last heard. But mom had sounded similar the time I put a handful of snow down the back of Katara's coat.
"Mom, don't listen to them". The boy tried to defend himself. "They're outsiders. They don't know anything".
Haru wasn't believed. "You know why Earthbending is dangerous", the woman scolded. The happiness Katara and Aang had been expressing having found the boy again slipped off their faces. I turned my head to Kaya; trying to give mother and son some privacy. Because, dude, I get it. Getting yelled at in front of others was awful. "If you were caught, what would happen to you? What would I do?"
They were interrupted by pounding on the door. "Time to pay up!" A demanding voice announced.
The color drained from Haru's mom's face. Something told me this wasn't an expectant visitor. Nudging Kaya to move closer to the others, I tip-toed to the window; taking a peek through the slots on the wooden shutter. Outside, standing at the door, was a man who spent a little too much time grooming his mustache dressed in the uniform of a Fire Nation soldier. Because, of course, that would be our luck. "Fire nation", I warned; tearing away from the window. Though Haru and his mom were already moving. Moving some more expensive-looking items under the counter and quickly checking to see if anything was left out that shouldn't be. "We need to try to blend in", I told Aang and the girls.
Katara grabbed a random basket of berries. Aang tried to take up an air of casualness as he leaned against a barrel. Though Momo clinging to him didn't help. Kaya just looked confused; watching as everyone hurried to get in position. Her eyes held wide as her fingers fidgeted with the frayed ends of her scarf. So, I moved to stand in front of her; picking up an apple and holding it out to Haru as if asking a question.
There was a second knock on the door. Haru's mom stiffly walked to answer it. "What do you want?" She asked; sounding braver than she looked. The Fire Nation solider walked into the shop, twisting a finger in the end of his mustache, and staring disdainfully at everyone present. "I have customers", she stated. Making it clear this was a huge inconvenience.
After a long lingering look around the shop, the man focused his eyes on Haru's mom. "That is good. Since I'm here to collect". Kaya pressed her hands against my back as Haru gave up the act and moved closer to his mom.
"I already paid you this week", Haru's mom declared; sounding furious. If only the tremor in her hands didn't give her away. Katara put the basket down and Aang straightened as the man moved further into the room. Even Momo picked up that this was not a good time; his ears lay pinned.
"The tax was doubled", the man said, sounding bored.
"That's-" Haru started to say. A scowl on his face. Though he was cut off by the man raising his hands and holding them about a foot apart.
"Remember", he sneered. "Your taxes protect you". Sparks started flying between his hands. Tensing, I reached an arm back. Even though Kaya was already behind me. Maybe I could use it to keep her there. I don't know. "We wouldn't want any… accidents after all". The sparks continued. Swirling and wrapping around themselves until a ball of flames floated between his hands. "Fire", the man paused to lick his lips. "Can be so unpredictable".
The threat hung heavily over our heads and I was taken back to that horrible day the Fire Nation raided my home. And that was just one day of loss. It sounded like these people had been living with them for a while.
With a stiff back and a warning glance at her son, Haru's mom led the man to the counter. Moving out of the way, I kept my arm back; ushering Kaya with me. My hand itched for my boomerang or the hilt of my hunting knife. But I swallowed the impulse. In close quarters with this many people, starting a fight would end with avoidable damage. And the building was wooden. Making the threat of fire worse. There was also no way of knowing if any more Fire Nation soldiers in the area would come to help their friend.
Reaching for a small wooden chest left on the countertop, Haru's mom showed it to the man. Reluctantly opening it and passing what little coin was inside into the man's greedy hand. With boiling hate, Haru watched the exchange while my family tried to be as unnoticeable as possible. Even Katara had the sense to remain quiet.
Lips curled back, the man sorted through the coins in his hand before turning for the door. As soon as I saw his back, I breathed a little easier. "We don't need the copper ones", the man declared as if doing Haru and his mom a big favor. He dropped four coins onto the floor before walking out the door.
No one moved. Not until the door swung shut behind him. "How long has the Fire Nation been here?" Aang asked; gripping his staff with both hands as I returned my arm to my side. Kaya peered around me; frowning at the sight of Haru's mom on her knees to pick up the copper pieces. Katara wore the same frown. I could guess what she was thinking.
Worn and weary, Haru's mom answered like a woman who needed to take to her bed. "Five years", she answered. My hands curled into fists as Katara lowered her head to stare at her feet. Five years ago, the Fire Nation also raided our village and killed our mother. "Fire Lord Ozai needs our town's coal to fuel his ships". This jerkface lord sure was busy five years ago. Was there a person alive his war hasn't affected?
Haru was done. Turning his back to everyone in the shop, he approached the counter until he was close enough to bang his fist against its surface. "They're thugs. All they do is steal. And nobody's willing to do anything about it". Yeah… I knew that feeling. I've felt it. It was like a brand of anger that existed only for the Fire Nation.
"Enough, Haru!" His mom scolded, panicked eyes flying towards the door. "If people heard you talking like that-"
Picking up her head, Katara took a half step forward. I wished she hadn't. "Haru can Earthbend. Maybe he could help".
Haru's mom shook her head before Katara finished; furious at the suggestion. "Bending is forbidden. Any Earthbender found is captured and never seen again". Eyes horrified and pleading, Haru's mom stared at her son. "Haru can never be an Earthbender".
Chin jutted down Haru scowled at the floor. This was just like home. The Waterbenders stolen from our shores… we never saw them again. Though maybe it was worse here. The Fire Nation left once they believed our people were powerless. Here, they stuck around; never allowing anyone a moment of peace.
Katara should get that. It bugged me that she didn't. "You can't ask that". My sister challenged; gesturing with her arms to emphasize her point. How many times had Gran-gran or even Dad talked to her about hiding what she could do? It didn't matter at home. Our people were isolated and united. Katara was safe to splash in the water there. But around strangers, Dad and Gran-gran had been clear. It was better to be a non-bender. "Bending is a gift", Katara kept going. Aang fidgeted anxiously behind her and Haru eyed her curiously. "You can't ask Haru to stop bending. No bender should be asked that. It's a part of us".
"You don't understand", Haru's mom stated; casting Katara's opinions aside.
Opening her mouth, it was clear Katara had more to say. When didn't she? But… It was time to stop. This wasn't our hurt to confront. And if the soldiers in this area were collecting benders, Aang and Katara needed to pass through unnoticed. The most we could do was buy enough food to help Haru and his mom replace what was taken and maybe survive the next time tax collection came around.
"We not here to cause trouble", I said; stepping forward and turning the attention to me. "You're right. We don't understand". Katara looked like she wanted to throttle me. While Haru banged his fist on the counter a second time and his mom let out a harsh breath. "We're just travelers".
"Sokka-" Katara tried to interject. Practically snarling. Aang made conflicted faces behind her. But he's the Avatar. If he's not going to step up, he shouldn't expect us to do it for him.
"Are you still open for business? We need food. We haven't found much in the forest", I said; ignoring Katara as she bristled and the guilty feeling swimming in my gut.
Soothed, Haru's mom nodded; her hands clasped in front of her. "That would be fine". She walked around her son and the counter. "Since the Fire Nation took over, they've stripped our land of most resources. There isn't enough to forage in the forest. The only food we have is what we can raise and grow ourselves. What would you like-"
Haru ran straight for the door, head low and his shoulders close to his ears.
"Haru!" His mom yelled after him as he flung open the door and disappeared onto the street.
"Haru", Katara also yelled as she picked up her feet and hurried after the boy. "Wait!" She did all of this before I could tell her to stop. Not that Katara would've listened anyway. Aang gawked after them; Momo flicked his tail from Aang's shoulders.
Running a hand over my face, I looked at the very scared face of a mother. "Sorry", I said. "If you don't want to sell to us, I understand". We could go back to camp and eat the nuts Kaya and I gathered. That would have to be the consequence for meddling.
Sighing, Haru's mom shook her head. "No. Your money is good here". Her eyes flashed over to the door. And she said in a quieter voice. "It's alright for Haru to feel upset. As long as he's smart about it". Aang moved closer; choosing to stand behind my shoulder. "You won't tell, will you?" Her voice was wistful.
"No", Aang promised; a solemn shake of his head. "Haru's secret is safe with us".
The promise awarded us a genuine smile. It made the feeling in my gut lessen just a tad. Haru's mom started pulling produce and other wares from her shelves. Including a loaf of bread that I was happy to see. "If you're traveling, you'll need lots of supplies", Haru's mom said. She paused right before adding a small clay bottle to the growing pile; her lips pursed. "It could be a while before Haru and the girl come back. We have a barn. How would you like to stay there for the night? You can leave in the morning".
Aang smiled as Kaya inched forward. Once she was close enough, Momo jumped from Aang's head for Kaya's arms. The yellow-haired girl caught him, and held him close; scratching behind his ears. "That would be great", Aang accepted. "Thanks!"
By the time Katara found us in Haru's family barn, Aang had already left and returned with Appa and our stuff. Kaya had already used our freshly bought food to make dinner. "I'm not sure how you thought to put tomatoes and lettuce between bread, but it's good", Aang complimented as he took a bit out of his meal.
Kaya smiled; her back leaning against Appa's flank as the bison munched on hay Aang promised he wouldn't eat. We might have to give Haru's mom more money in the morning. "Its name", Kaya said with careful pronunciation as she pointed to her own meal. A series of gibberish sounds left her mouth. Aang tried to repeat what Kaya had said. It sounded even worse when he did it.
A small giggle left the yellow-haired girl. "We'll have to call it something else", I decided; talking around a mouthful of food. It would have been even better with some jerky stuck in between. But still an improvement to nuts. "Something we can all say". Aang took another bite as I thought. "The Kaya special", I suggested; earning a smile. "How about Kaya's mystery bread thingy?" A full laugh this time; the sound of chirping penguin otter chicks. I felt warmer. Glancing at the door, I wanted Katara to walk through it. When she didn't immediately do so, I felt colder. "How long do you think we'll be able to fly tomorrow?" I asked Aang.
Shrugging, Aang lowered his mystery bread thing away from his face. "Appa got lots of rest today. And we'll all get to sleep well tonight. I bet we can fly pretty far tomorrow".
Good. I nodded. "Do you think-" The door to the barn opened. "Katara!"
My sister stood in the opening. I waited to be yelled at. For her to call me insensitive or tell me I had no idea what it felt like to be a bender and be refused your natural gift. Katara did none of those things. Instead, she said, "You'll never believe what Haru did" as she moved further into the barn.
Kaya moved to hand Katara the mystery bread thing she had set aside for my sister as Katara sat down on a bale of hay. "What?" Aang asked, already interested.
So, she did. About stumbling across a collapsed mine. The old man trapped under the rumple. How Haru pushed passed his fear of being caught to save the man with all his Earthbendingness. Katara only paused to breathe and take a few bites of food. "Haru was so brave", Katara concluded. By the time she finished, our meal was gone. Kaya cleaned up, and our bedrolls were spread out on bales of hay.
"Guess you really made an impression on him", Aang complimented as he lay on his stomach; prompt up by his elbows.
Looking down at her hands resting in her lap, Katara smiled. "Maybe". She sounded pleased with herself. Too pleased, if you asked me. Did she forget everything that went down in the shop today?
"Let's just go to sleep", I suggested. "I want to leave at dawn". Hopefully before anyone else in the town woke. A flying bison was kind of hard to miss after all.
"What?" Katara protested. "We finally have something soft to sleep on. Let's take our time". From the hay bale next to mine, Kaya listened; seemingly able to follow the conversation better than she had been in the past. Would she start arguing with me too once she had the words?
"No", I stated forcefully. I'm glad Katara made a new friend. But that new friend was in danger the longer we hung around. Ourselves too. "There's Fire Nation soldiers all over this town. If they figure out who Aang is, we'll be cooked. Those monsters would eat us for breakfast!" Determined that would be the end of the argument, I rolled over so my back was to Aang and Katara. Placing me face-to-face with Kaya.
Her forehead was wrinkled. "Fire nation eat people?" She followed that? The concern in her voice had me cringing. Great. How could I explain a metaphor using words Kaya knew?
"Not really", I drew out the vowel sounds as I thought. From Kaya's bedroll, Momo poked out his head. He often chose to sleep with Kaya. She didn't roll around in her sleep as much as Aang did. "It's just a saying". Kaya blinked. "A figure of speech". She blinked again. "An expression". Her confusion didn't seem to lessen. Uh… I mean… is it the worst thing for Kaya to believe the fire nation is a bunch of cannibals? All the more reason for her to stay away from them, right? "Um… goodnight! Everyone". I closed my eyes before anyone could say anything else.