As the training session concluded, Yue noticed the sun's position in the sky and realized that it was nearing lunchtime. She turned to the group with a warm smile.
"I think it's time we head back to the palace. My father wished to invite you for a private lunch."
"Finally, some food!" Sokka noted with excitement. They had to skip breakfast with how the northern warriors surprised them early in the morning, and the remark of food only reminded the group of their hunger. Yue didn't know that however, and only smiled, amused by his appetite.
The trip back to the palace passed in the blink of an eye, and soon the group entered the grand dining hall, taking in the sight of the elegantly set table. The room's icy architecture, with its intricate carvings and soft blue lighting, created a serene atmosphere, but the tension was palpable as Chief Arnook greeted them.
"Welcome back." Chief Arnook said, his smile warm but his eyes sharp as they took in each member of the group. "Please, take your seats. I hope you've enjoyed your tour so far."
"Thank you, Chief Arnook." Aang replied as they all took their places. "It's been amazing to see so much of your city."
Yue took her own seat beside her father "The tour went rather pleasantly. Master Pakku was kind enough to demonstrate a training session with his students."
"I see-"
"Yeah, it was incredible!" Aang interrupted, his excitement spilling over before he could stop himself. The chief's eyes flashed with surprise, and Yue's raised brow made the boy realize his mistake. He cleared his throat awkwardly, his voice dropping. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude."
Arnook chuckled slightly "No harm done, Avatar. I see you're excited to meet our waterbending master."
"It would be a real honor to learn from him." Aang said with a smile "I've already learnt some waterbending on the way, but it doesn't compare to what we saw here."
"Naturally. I've already planned to speak with him in this regard, I'm sure we'll be able to arrange something for you."
"Could my friend join too? We've come here together in this purpose..."
"Of course." the chief confirmed, searching for the Water Tribe boy with his eyes "If-"
"But, if we could also first rest a little it would be great."
The chief smiled again, although this time his smile was slightly laced with impatience. "Naturally. You all need to rest, especially Sokka, given his injury. From what I've heard, Katara was also interested in training under master Yugoda. Is that right?"
The girl twitched in her seat when she heard her name and she responded immediately "Yes, please! If that's not a problem..."
"We'll make arrangements for this too, but I'm sure she'll be happy to have you." he responded with a smile.
As they were talking, servants began to bring out steaming plates of food - roasted sea lion, steamed seaweed rolls, and bowls of fragrant fish broth. Aang was just glad he didn't smell any sea prunes this time.
Chief Arnook raised his cup in a welcoming gesture, taking all the guests in with a smile.
"To our honored guests!" he said loudly and took a sip from the cup.
Zuko sniffed his cup cautiously, but as far as he could tell it was just tea, although he didn't recognized all the herbs in it. It would be outright impollite to refuse the drink, and he raised his cup alongside the group in response. The first sip told him it was some kind of warming spiced tea. He wasn't really a fan of those hot leaf brews, but now that he was separated from his Uncle he looked at them a bit differently. Out of sentiment, he made a mental reminder to finish the whole cup.
After the toast, the meal started. As they ate, Chief Arnook initiated a conversation again.
"So, I see that master Pakku has left quite the impression." he began in a light tone, directing his gaze toward Yue. "I take it that Battle Master Kanuk was also present at the Training Grounds?"
"I didn't see him there at the time, but our warriors were training just as hard. We took some time to watch them as well." she smiled confidently, keeping in mind how impressed Sokka seemed with them.
Chief Arnook's smile remained, but his gaze suddenly shifted to Zuko, who had been quietly eating. "And what of you, Prince Zuko? You seem well-versed in combat. How do you find our warriors?"
Zuko's golden eyes met Arnook's, the subtle challenge in the chief's words not lost on him. He knew the Northern Water Tribe leader was wary of his presence.
"Your warriors are skilled." the prince replied calmly, carefully choosing his words. "It's clear they are trained with great discipline."
Arnook inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the compliment. "Discipline is crucial in these times of war. You must have seen your fair share of battles as well."
Zuko remained composed, trying to keep his expression unreadable. "I've had my experiences. But I didn't join the army."
His vague response wasn't meant as annoyance, and the chief didn't seem offended, but the look in his eyes inclined that he certainly would have liked to know more.
"Why is that? Is the royal family not supposed to gain experience in the field?"
The prince felt his fists clench, and he was glad he kept them under the table.
"I wasn't of age to enroll before I left the Fire Nation." he said sternly, looking the chief in the eyes.
He already knew what question would come next, why did he leave the Fire Nation? The rest of the group started to sense his unease too.
"Uhm, Chief Arnook?" Sokka said, gaining the chief's attention "Earlier today we saw the Research Institute. I was meaning to ask if I could get to know something more about it? What do they work on?"
The man turned his attention to him, and a kind smile returned to his face "Oh. I see you're something of a scientist yourself, huh?"
"Well, I wouldn't say thaaat, but I admit I actually had a chance to work on a really cool invention with the Mechanist from Earth Kingdom." Sokka replied, with a face-splitting grin.
"That sounds interesting. What kind of invention was it?"
"A war balloon!"
The blank stare he received wasn't the reaction he expected, but he didn't let it get him off trail and continued: "It's a flying ship!"
"You cannot be serious, young man. How could a ship rise into the sky?" Arnook asked sceptically.
"It's true, they got it to fly." Katara spoke out for her brother "We wouldn't be able to defend the Northern Air Temple without it."
The chief's sharp eyes flicked between them with curiosity, and he smirked "Perhaps you really should pay a visit to our Research Institute, Sokka. I'm sure our head scientists would like to hear about this balloon."
The rest of the lunch was mostly Aang and Sokka telling the chief about the Mechanist and the events from the temple. Soon Arnook excused himself, as he had to go back to his duties, and everyone got up from their seats after Yue's example. After the chief left, she approached the group.
"I'm afraid I have some matters to attend to as well for today, but you're free to explore some more on your own." she said with a smile and started moving towards the door. Sokka quickly turned around to look for Zuko's aid, but the firebender has chosen a seat next to him for this purpose anyway. They all followed Yue to the entrance of the hall, where she paused.
"You already know where your rooms are, so I'll leave you to it. I hope you'll find your stay here enjoyable." she said with a smile.
"See you later, Princess!" Sokka called, trying to sound casual, but there was a hint of awkwardness in his voice. Yue turned back briefly, her smile softening before she left down the corridor.
"So... Now what?" Aang asked them expectantly, but Sokka, still staring down the hallway where Yue had disappeared, shrugged absentmindedly.
"Free time, I guess?"
Katara chimed in with a hint of curiosity "Free to do whatever we want, right?"
They tried to think what to do first, but after such a good, warm meal all they really felt like was just taking a nap. A short one, just to rest their eyes a little, after all those things happening to them one after another. No one would hold it against them, probably.
They started heading to their room when a guard approached them, accompanied by a woman.
"Excuse me, which one of you is Sokka?"
"Hmmm?" the teen turned lazily to them at first before realizing they meant him. He straightened himself "Oh, sorry. It's me. What's the matter?"
"Master Yugoda sent for you. She's ready to take you in for a healing session." the woman explained kindly.
These words sobered Sokka up a little, and he threw Zuko a glance, suddenly remembering something.
"Oh, right, don't you want to come too? We didn't mention your-" he started quietly, but the prince gave him a sharp nudge with his elbow.
"No, I'm fine." he hissed through his teeth. Feeling the scrutinizing gaze of the woman and the man next to her, he added "Thanks."
The guard apparently read it as a sign of tension between them, and stepped forward slightly, offering: "If you'd like, I can escort you to the healing huts."
Not wanting to make things more awkward or to further expose Zuko's reluctance to talk about his injuries when he clearly didn't want to, Sokka quickly nodded. "Yeah, sure. Let's go."
With the guard's assistance, Sokka limped away with the healer, casting the group one last glance "I'll meet you back here, guys!"
The rest of the group waved back in confirmation and went back into their apartment.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea actually, if you have some injuries." Katara said, giving Zuko a look. "I can help you if you want, but these healers are really much better at this."
"It's fine." Zuko replied, brushing off her concern "I can manage, especially now that I've got my bending back."
"Right." she said with a sigh as she sat down on one of the couches. She had already expected such an answer from him, but it still bothered her - she was used to being the one taking care of the group.
"How does it work actually?" Aang asked with curiosity, and they looked at him with a slight confusion. "You know, this healing-bending."
"Well... I'm not entirely sure." Zuko said thoughtfully as he took a few steps away, carefully taking his coat off. The rooms were heated up to a more comfortable temperature, compared to the corridors, and he was thankful for this because he really wasn't a fan of this cold climate.
"When I healed you after Zhao shot you I just kind of put some energy in my hands and passed it to you with water, like Zuko advised." Katara said as she looked at the firebender, and he nodded, putting his coat away.
"I think that's how it works. At least that's how it felt when I was doing it on myself. Like the energy from the fire was fueling my body to heal the wound." he said as he sat down next to her "Except when I use the flame to heal, it turns... different."
"What do you mean different?" Aang asked with interest, as he moved a chair to sit next to them.
"It's, uh... I mean, it doesn't look like a regular fire, oh, and it doesn't hurt to touch it." he explained awkwardly "Your water was a little different too when you were healing, right? It was glowing."
"That's true." she confirmed when she noticed Aang's surprised look. She turned her attention back to Zuko with curiosity "Can we see this fire?"
It made him a little nervous. He only did it once before and it wasn't on his actual fire, so he hoped he'll get it right, now that he had spectators. Still, he gave a nod and raised his hand in front of him. He took a deep breath, the fire comes from the breath, like Uncle said. The flame appeared in the palm of his hand, a regular looking one at first. Then he recalled what he did in the temple, what it felt like when he was about to put it next to his wound, and something started to happen.
The colours emerged from the flame, gracing their eyes with the cascades of greens, yellows, purples, reds. Katara couldn't take her eyes off it. It was like watching one of the auroras happening in the palm of someone's hand, except she's never seen one with such radiant colours.
Aang moved his face closer to the flame, fascinated. He reached with his hand as close as he dared, up until he felt the fire's warmth radiating off it "It's so..."
Zuko watched the flames fondly as well. It was mesmerizing to look, but actually knowing what it felt like was a different thing. He raised his other hand and put it inside the flame. Aang and Katara gasped at this, but he just said calmly "It doesn't burn to touch. It's actually pleasant."
He removed his hand as if to give them a chance to try it. The waterbender bit her lip in hesitation, but Aang took the encouragement and moved his hand closer until he felt it touch the edge of the flame. His eyes widened and he waved his fingers through the fire.
"It feels almost... alive."
"It basically feels like life." Zuko thought, and he smiled "Is that what you meant about it, Uncle? Couldn't you just say it?"
When Aang finally removed his hand, the girl quickly raised her own, afraid she'll miss out if she won't hurry "Can I try it too?"
Zuko moved his eyes to look at her, surprised by the eagerness in her voice.
"Sure." he said, carefully shifting the flame closer to her.
Hesitantly at first, she moved her hand closer, wincing slightly as if she wasn't convinced it wouldn't be hot. But then it wasn't. She stared at it fascinated as she let her fingers dance through the edge of the flame and a smile entered her face "It's so... soothing."
"It is." he confirmed, watching as she moved her hand away. He took it as a sign they've seen enough and let the fire go out.
Without missing a beat, Katara uncorked her waterskin and wrapped her hand with water. She moved towards the boys with an excited smile "Do you want to try it with water?"
It only took seconds before the water around her hand started to glow with a soft silver light. Zuko would lie if he said he wasn't curious, and he knew he was a bad liar. He reached out without much hesitation, expecting to feel something similar to his flame, warm and alive. He gasped slightly when he felt quite the opposite - the water was cool to touch. However, it wasn't actually cold, like the water around there. It was invigorating, like a sip of spring water on a hot day, or rain after a drought.
The layer of water wasn't very thick compared to how high the flame was, and he didn't notice how the girl's cheeks flushed when his hand brushed against hers for a brief moment. But it didn't go unnoticed by Aang, who felt a sudden wave of annoyance at the prince.
"Hey, I want to try it too!" he said quickly as he stepped closer, extending his hand over theirs.
Zuko pulled back immediately to make space for him, abashed. He should have probably let the Avatar first, instead of letting his curiosity get the better of him. He got up awkwardly, feeling out of place, but Aang no longer paid him any mind.
The boy carefully brought his hand to touch the water surface, immediately noticing how the water felt different from what he expected, having his own experience with waterbending and feeling Zuko's healing flame a moment earlier. However, all these sensations were suddenly outshined by the fact that his hand was now hovering above Katara's. He hesitated, unsure if he should let it touch hers, but the thought alone made his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
"It feels so nice, right?"
He almost jumped in place as Katara's voice ripped him out of his thoughts. He looked up at her face with his heart racing, he realized that both her soft smile and her attention was directed to the water between them. He felt a lump in his throat, but he managed to utter "Yeah, it's amazing."
"That fire was incredible too, but... I would never trade my waterbending for it." she said as she glanced at Zuko with a confident smile.
He realized he knew exactly what she meant, and he found himself smirking as he replied "Same here."
The silent thread of understanding hung in the air almost palpable, and again Aang felt a subtle pang of something he couldn't quite place. Was it jealousy?
"Maybe you could teach me how to do it too?" he asked Katara, gaining her attention back.
"It's a great idea, Aang!" she said excitedly, splitting the water in front of her in two orbs "Here, take some water."
He took one of them, wrapping it around his hand, and she did the same with the second one.
"I'm not sure how to explain it though... The first time I tried it was when I tried to heal your wound." she said, frowning in thought, when an idea came to her mind "Hey, maybe we could try on you, Zuko?"
Zuko immediately tensed, apparently not thinking it was such a great idea. He took a cautious step back, crossing his arms "Uh-huh, no way. I won't be your guinea pig-sparrow."
"Oh, come on! The worst thing that can happen is you'll get splashed with some water." she said, offended that he thought that they would... What did he even think they'd do?!
"How am I supposed to know what you'll do? If even we don't know what we're doing, it may not even be safe to try to teach it." he noted, still not giving in.
She felt a slight sting of remorse at the thought she may be trying to do something wrong, but still, it was just water. In her mind it was perfectly safe to try, and she was annoyed by him not seeing her point. "So? You didn't know what you're doing and I learnt just fine. Maybe it's easier with water?"
That hit a nerve. Zuko's jaw tightened. Perhaps it was easier with waterbending. Katara had picked it up almost instantly, and there were plenty of waterbending healers here in the Northern Tribe. Firebending healing, on the other hand, seemed rare - if not unheard of. There was something deeply frustrating about that, though he couldn't quite put it into words.
"Maybe Sokka will let you use him as a training dummy when he gets back." he said finally "But don't count on me.
"Well, maybe we will, if you're going to make such a fuss about it." Katara shot back, her frustration now matching his. "What is-"
"Hey, come on!" Aang intervened, physically placing himself between them" You don't need to argue about this because of me."
Zuko rolled his eyes and turned away, walking toward the far side of the room, but Katara felt bad when she noticed how upset it made her friend.
"Sorry, Aang. I guess I won't be able to teach you healing for now. But maybe Sokka will actually let us try later? Or maybe master Yugoda will teach me how to do it properly, and then I'll show you?"
"That sounds great." the airbender said, relieved to calm the situation. He hesitated a little, unsure if it was a good moment to ask it, but then he took a deep breath and blurted "Maybe you'd like to go out now...? We could check on Appa, or go see some more of the city."
It took her by surprise at first, but then she smiled "Actually, I think it's a good idea."
Aang grinned widely, but then it occurred to him that maybe they shouldn't leave Zuko alone. He peeked uneasily in his direction, before turning back towards Katara "Should we...? You know, ta-"
The girls must have caught the meaning immediately, and she stopped him "No, I'm sure he wouldn't mind staying here." she turned towards the firebender, asking louder "Right? You'd rather stay here than go for another walk with us, Zuko?"
He glanced impatiently at them from across the room "Sure. I'll stay here."
That grumpy response was all Katara needed "See? Let's go."
"Okay then." Aang gave the prince one more reluctant look before turning back to follow Katara. He was still worried about Zuko, but it wasn't like they had to watch over him after all. Besides, he definitely wouldn't want that either.
With that thought the boy followed her out. Zuko waited until they leave the room, seemingly unbothered. But, the moment the door closed, he let out a sharp breath, wincing as the pain in his side flared up as he did it. He had been doing his best to hide the discomfort for most of the day, but now that he was alone, he could finally stop pretending. Moving carefully, he sat down on the edge of the sofa and began to remove his shirt, each movement sending a dull ache through his chest.
He knew he was probably too harsh on Katara, but he panicked when she mentioned his injuries. He could already tell how she would react if she saw it. She'd insist on sending him to the healers, and that was a conversation he had no desire to have. He wasn't going to show any weaknesses until he deemed he could actually trust the people here.
He looked down, cringing at the sight. His ribs, particularly on the right side, were bruised. The skin around the injury had a reddish-purple hue, with the bruising just starting to show darker shades at the edges. The area was slightly swollen but, and it made the lines of his ribs look uneven beneath the skin. He pressed his fingers gently over the bruises, and pain shot through his chest, forcing him to stop.
The worst part wasn't how it looked - it was how it felt. His ribs ached constantly, and the slightest movement sent sharp jabs of pain radiating through his side, making it difficult to move without flinching. He was used to ignoring pain, but this was different. He knew he had to be very careful around here, which meant he should take care of it as soon as he could. In fact he should have done this yesterday, before he even went to sleep, but he was too exhausted then. It was a good thing that he had already confirmed he could summon the healing flame.
He reached towards the injury, lighting a small flame in his palm, when a knock interrupted him. Startled, he quickly snuffed out the flame and pulled his shirt back on, stifling a wince as he moved.
"Come in." he called, trying to sound composed. He straightened up just as the door creaked open, revealing Yue standing in the doorway with a polite smile on her face.
"Prince Zuko?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic, as her gaze swept across the room, briefly pausing on the empty spaces before landing on him. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. Is the rest of your group here as well?"
"Princess Yue." he greeted her. "Of course you're not disturbing, but unfortunately they have gone outside. Is something wrong?"
Yue smiled, stepping further into the room. "Not at all. I just wanted to bring something for you and your friends," she said, producing a rolled scroll from the folds of her robe. "It's a map of the city. I thought it might help you all explore, in case you wanted to see more of Agna Qel'a."
Zuko's eyes briefly flickered with curiosity as he took the scroll from her. "That's very thoughtful. Thank you." he said, a little guarded. "But you could've sent someone. You didn't need to come yourself."
Yue smiled again, however a little awkwardly.
"I wanted to." she replied, her voice carrying a warmth that made Zuko pause. "It's not a problem. And besides, I wanted to recommend you a few places to see while I can't accompany you. Do you know when the Avatar and the others will be back?"
Zuko hesitated, unsure if he should give out details, but then he reminded himself that the group had been open with the Northern Water Tribe. Besides there wasn't anything particularly sensitive about their plans.
"They just went for a walk." he answered neutrally. "Aang and Katara, at least. I believe Sokka's with Master Yugoda right now."
"Ah, I see." Yue's expression remained light, though her tone sounded a bit flat "I was hoping to say hello to them, but I guess I'll have to catch up with them later."
There was a moment of silence, just long enough to feel slightly awkward. Zuko shifted, his ribs aching beneath his calm facade. Yue immediately noticed his subtle discomfort but apparently didn't realize the cause, took a small step closer.
"I imagine all of this must be a little overwhelming for you." she said softly. "Being here in a foreign city, surrounded by people you don't know... If you ever need anything, or if there's anything I can do to make you feel more welcome, please don't hesitate to ask."
Zuko blinked, caught off guard by her sudden warmth. Was she just being kind, or was there something else behind her words? He cleared his throat, trying to remain composed. "That's... considerate of you, Princess. I appreciate it."
Her smile widened slightly, satisfaction flickering in her gaze. She looked around the room one more time, almost as if prolonging her stay. "I won't keep you any longer." She turned as if to leave, but then paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "But remember... if you need anything at all, you know where to find me."
The way she lingered on her words left Zuko with an uneasy feeling. He gave her a respectful nod, unsure what else to say. "I'll keep that in mind."
With that, Yue finally turned and left the room, her footsteps soft against the floor. As the door closed behind her, Zuko let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He glanced down at the map in his hands, his mind swirling with confusion. Was she just being polite, or was there more to her visit?
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside. The pain in his ribs pulled his focus back to reality. He waited a few moments to ensure she was truly gone, then finally resumed his fire healing.
Meanwhile Aang and Katara stepped into the crisp air of the Northern Water Tribe, the chill in the air was still a little biting but not unpleasant. The city of Agna Qel'a sprawled before them, with its majestic towers and graceful arches made of glistening ice and snow.
For Katara it was partially familiar, but all kinds of different at the very same time. All the amazing structures they've seen here since morning - the ones in the Southern Tribe couldn't compare to them. But there was also a thought in the back of her head, that maybe, one day... Once the war ends... Who knows?
Aang walked beside her, scanning everything in his sight with wide eyes. Seeing the city with a guide was one thing, but being able to roam free gave it another level of freedom. One look at Katara let him know that she must have felt the same way.
"So, where do you want to go first? We could check on Appa, or maybe watch the training grounds some more-" he suggested with excitement.
Katara smiled at him, shaking her head slightly. "Can we check on Appa later? For now, let's just walk." She wanted to take it easy, to let the stress of everything melt away for a while. The day had already been tense, and she wasn't in the mood to rush anywhere.
The bustling crowds of people on the main streets were starting to notice them, fingers pointing and whispers following in their wake. Without needing to say a word, they both knew it was time to slip away from the attention. Together, they turned down a quieter alley, disappearing between the icy buildings.
And so they wandered through the winding narrow streets, talking about small things - the high constructions made with ice walls, the difference in the people's accents compared to her own tribe, and the quiet beauty of the Northern Water Tribe. Aang occasionally pointed out a Waterbender performing their daily duties like doing laundry or unblocking the channels from the built-up ice, or a group of children playing nearby.
As they continued, the sound of laughter and excited shouts grew louder. Up ahead, a group of children was sledding down a snow-covered hill, using carved ice sleds that zipped down the slope with remarkable speed. A small group of women could also be seen some distance from them, probably their mothers or aunts enjoying their own company while keeping an eye on the young ones.
Aang's eyes lit up instantly. "That looks like fun! We should try it!" He barely finished the sentence before he was already darting toward the hill.
Katara laughed. "Aang! We can't just join them-"
But he was already talking to the children, who, upon recognizing the Avatar, eagerly invited him and Katara to join. Without hesitation, Aang grabbed one of the sleds and looked over his shoulder at her, his grin widening. "Come on, Katara! You know you want to!"
Katara sighed, though she couldn't help smiling. "Alright, fine." She joined him at the top of the hill, accepting a sled from one of the children.
The sledding turned out to be even more exhilarating than it looked. The moment she pushed off, the sled flew down the hill, and the cold wind rushed against her face as the world blurred by in a whirl of white and blue. For a few seconds, everything felt simple again - just the joy of speeding downhill, the laughter of children, and Aang's infectious excitement as he raced her down. Just like the first day they met. Katara's laughter came freely and suddenly the weight of the world felt distant, if only for these few moments.
Aang, of course, cheated by using a burst of airbending to speed ahead, sending snow flying in all directions. "I win!" he shouted, beaming as he skidded to a stop at the bottom.
"That's not fair! You used airbending!" Katara called, laughing as she came to a halt beside him. "You're supposed to play by the rules, you know."
Aang chuckled, brushing snow off his coat. "You never said bending wasn't allowed!"
A challenge flashed in her eyes and her lips curved into a playful smile "Alright then. If you're going to play like that, so will I."
Without giving him time to react, Katara subtly bent the snow around them, compacting it into the perfect surface for the sleds. The rest of the kids started to gather by the bottom of the hill, noticing that something was up.
"Oh, it's on." Aang grinned, realizing what she was about to do.
They raced back to the top of the hill, but this time, Katara was prepared. As soon as they pushed off, she bent the snow beneath her sled, smoothing it out to gain speed. The sled glided effortlessly, almost flying over the icy surface as she controlled the snow to her advantage.
Aang, not one to back down, used airbending to propel himself forward, but Katara was keeping pace. She used her bending to create slick patches of ice on her path and small obstacles of snow behind her, forcing Aang to dodge or slow down. He swerved and zigzagged, laughing as he tried to keep up with her tricks. They were neck and neck, speeding downhill with snow kicking up in their wake. Katara's laughter mixed with Aang's as they raced, both determined to win.
At the last moment, Katara bent a big burst of snow behind her sled. Some of the children were pelted with the snow, but that didn't stop them from cheering in excitement when Katara, thanks to her trick, gained just enough of a push to slide across the finish line first.
"Ha! I win!" she shouted, just as her sled wobbled from the sheer momentum. She lost her balance and tumbled off, rolling into a soft pile of snow at the bottom of the hill. She landed on her back, staring up at the clear sky, still laughing.
Aang slid down beside her, not far behind, his own sled slowing to a stop next to her. "You okay?" he asked, his face glowing with amusement.
Katara, still catching her breath, lay on her back in the snow, smiling widely.
"Yeah! Worth it!" she said between breaths, the joy of winning mingling with the thrill of the race.
Aang dropped down beside her, lying back in the snow "Yeah, definitely worth it." he admitted with a smile.
They both stared up at the sky in a comfortable silence. Katara found herself relaxing more than she had in a long time. The tension of the past few days, the hardships of the entire journey - all of it seemed to disappear. It felt good to be with Aang like this, just the two of them having fun.
She turned her head slightly, watching Aang as he pointed out a funny-shaped cloud, and she couldn't help a warm smile. He was always like this - lighthearted, kind, and so eager to make sure everyone was happy. In a world full of uncertainty, he was the one constant she knew she could count on. With all the chaos swirling around them, being here with him felt like finding a quiet harbor in the middle of a storm.
This chapter was a bit longer, but finally reaching the Northern Water Tribe gives so many possibilities that it's hard to decide what to describe :D As usually, I hope you'll enjoy it