XXXVII/ Strike ambush
The walk in the woods was monotonous for Elsa and her companions. The only silver lining for the situation was the fact that her advice not to overburden themselves prevented them from exhaustion. It was fortunate that it was autumn and that they were in the woods as otherwise, their walk wouldn't be very tolerable as it was now. Elsa also advised to make short stops to take a break, allowing her young companions to rest a bit and not to be exhausted too much. Elsa also thought of the fact it wasn't really the first time they were walking as she remembered their walks to Haru's village and to Senlin village. The key difference was that those walks were towards a known destination when their current one was only a momentary way to journey.
Between the trees, the group trudged along, with Sokka and Elsa in front, followed by Aang and Momo, Katara, and Appa. The vibrant red leaves rustled softly underfoot, creating a soothing rhythm.
Sokka turned to her, his face softening with gratitude. "Thanks for backing me up, Elsa. It means a lot."
The young queen gave him a gentle smile. "The circumstances justified it, Sokka. We've barely escaped the Fire Nation twice. It's better to be cautious."
The water tribe boy nodded, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and relief. "I just... I want to be a good leader, you know? Like my dad."
Elsa placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Your instincts are good. Your father must have trusted you a lot to leave you in charge of your village."
Sokka's expression grew thoughtful, his gaze distant. "I remember the day he left. I wanted to go with him, but he made me stay. Said it was my duty to protect everyone."
Elsa listened, her eyes soft with understanding. "I may not know your father, but he could have chosen anyone else. The fact that he trusted you speaks volumes about his faith in you."
Sokka looked down, his grip tightening on his boomerang. "I just hope I can live up to that trust."
"You already are," she assured him, her voice firm yet kind. "You have your moments, but you are also skilled and more importantly, you know how to learn and improve."
In saying those words, Elsa also thought of Anna, who used to be energetic, awkward, and taking risks without thinking about the implications, notably when she looked after her during the events of the Great Thaw. And yet, while she was still the same, she also proved to have her own potential, especially as their rekindled relationship allowed her young sister to shine and grow into a more confident young woman who might be able to handle Arendelle.
Sokka's eyes widened slightly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You really think so?" he asked, his voice tinged with hope and a hint of surprise.
Elsa nodded, her expression warm. "I do. I've seen how you've grown since we met. Your strategic thinking has helped us more than once."
The young man's eyes met hers, a flicker of hope shining in them. "Thanks, Elsa. It means a lot coming from you."
Elsa smiled warmly at him, her heart swelling with a mix of pride and affection for her friend. The sincerity in his eyes reminded her so much of Anna's unwavering belief in her, and she felt a deep connection with Sokka's struggle to live up to expectations. He might have not encountered the challenges she faced, but keeping watch of his village for two years and doing his best when the warriors were away was impressive for his age.
"You're welcome," she said softly, her voice carrying a gentle, reassuring tone. "It's easy to doubt ourselves, especially when we have so much responsibility. But remember, you're not alone. We all believe in you."
Sokka nodded, a small, appreciative smile tugging at his lips. "It's just... sometimes it feels like I'm not enough. Like I need to do more, be more."
Elsa's eyes softened further, and she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "You are enough, Sokka. Being a leader doesn't mean you have to be perfect. I made mistakes and some almost cost me everything."
Chasing away the thoughts of the events of the Great Thaw that came across her mind, Elsa looked at the young water tribe boy with a comforting and reassuring glance. "It means being there for your people, learning from your mistakes, and continuing to move forward. And you do all of that brilliantly."
As she said those words, the queen of Arendelle notably thought of how their stop at Kyoshi helped him to have a better appreciation of women thanks to Suki and her fellow warriors. And the fact he wanted to achieve her advice on how interacting with people like her or his father was remarkable, even if he was still a bit goofy and awkward in how he handled it.
Sokka took a deep breath, letting her words sink in. The tension in his shoulders seemed to ease a little. "I guess I just need to remind myself of that more often."
Elsa acquiesced with an approving smile. Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the soft chatter of the others. Aang's laughter rang out, and Momo fluttered around playfully. Katara's gentle voice could be heard, mingling with Appa's low grunts. The warmth of their companionship enveloped Elsa, filling her with a profound sense of belonging.
Sokka's lips curled into a smile. "You know, my father would probably appreciate meeting you."
The young queen raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Really? Why do you think that?"
He shrugged, his smile turning a bit sheepish. "Well, you're strong, wise, and you care about people. You are helping Aang, Katara and I much more than we could have expected of you. I think he'd see you as someone who can be trusted and respected."
Elsa's expression softened, and she placed a hand on her friend's arm. "That's very kind of you to say, Sokka."
He offered a warm grin to her. A comfortable silence fell between them as they continued walking. After a few moments, Elsa glanced at Sokka. "How are you faring with the walk? Not too tired?"
He stretched his arms above his head. "Actually, I'm doing pretty good. Those breaks you suggested really help. And not carrying a ton of stuff? Genius." He grinned at her. "Thanks for that advice, by the way."
Elsa smiled back, pleased. "I'm glad it's helping. It's important to pace ourselves, especially when we don't know how long we'll be traveling."
She turned her head, looking back at Katara and Aang. "And you two? Are you alright?"
The young airbender nodded enthusiastically. "I'm good! The forest is really pretty."
Katara, walking beside Appa, gave a tired but determined smile. "I'm fine too, Elsa. Thanks for asking."
Elsa's eyes softened as she looked at Sokka, who gave her a thumbs-up. "All good here."
Another silence followed, this one filled with a quiet camaraderie. They kept walking for a while, the only sounds were the crunching of leaves beneath their feet and Appa's steady breathing.
Katara broke the silence, her tone curious. "Elsa, I was wondering if you can use your powers to create a distraction?"
Elsa pondered the question, her brow furrowing slightly, thinking of the advantages and risks of the idea. Sokka grinned, appreciating his sister's suggestion, "Yeah, you can create something to fool…"
As he moved through a bush, the young water tribe boy however stopped dead.
"… the Fire Nation," he ended to say as he looked stunned and afraid.
Elsa, Aang and Katara stopped dead in their tracks in turn as they found out they stumbled on a Fire Nation campsite with a lot of soldiers; most of them were seated or crouched near the fire with bowls in hand and a couple of them sat close to the tents, which have the Fire Nation emblem on the doorflap. One of these guards has a patch over his left eye.
As the group's presence registered, the soldiers rose to their feet, their expressions a mix of surprise and hostility. Elsa instinctively stepped forward, positioning herself slightly in front of the children. Her hands tensed at her sides, ready to summon her powers at a moment's notice.
The soldiers' eyes widened as they took in her appearance. Her platinum blonde hair and pale skin stood out starkly against the earthy tones of their surroundings. Murmurs rippled through the group, some pointing at her unusual attire.
"What manner of spirit is this?" one soldier whispered, his voice a mixture of awe and fear.
Another seemed to sweat at the sight of the group, especially as he looked at Elsa as if he was recognizing her. "Not good," the young woman thought.
Aware of the danger her friends and she were facing, Elsa instinctively reacted and with a move of her hand, a wall of ice erupted from the ground, instantly severing the soldiers' momentum. She slammed her foot against the earth, freezing the ground beneath their feet in a slick sheet of ice. The first line of Fire Nation guards, including the eye-patched officer, tumbled to the ground with surprised yelps. Their eyes widened in shock and confusion as they struggled to maintain their footing.
"What sorcery is this?" the patched-eye officer exclaimed, his voice a mixture of anger and astonishment.
The sweating soldier stammered. "Sir, she's… she's the waterbender that chased away our men from those villages!"
The patched-eye commander frowned at those words, looking with a keen eye Elsa and her friends. The young queen turned to her friends, her voice urgent but steady. "Run. I'll cover you."
Katara immediately protested, "But Elsa—"
"No time to argue," the young queen interrupted. "Go, now!"
The Fire Nation soldiers were already recovering, their surprise giving way to anger and fear. An air of danger crackled in the air, the metallic tang of fear mingling with the acrid scent of woodsmoke.
Just as the eye-patched officer bellowed an order, "Take down the water…"
A whooshing sound sliced through the air. The man crumpled to the ground, a dart protruding from his back. Confusion rippled through both groups as they tried to process this unexpected turn of events.
Katara suddenly pointed up at a tall tree. "Look!"
Aang, Sokka, and Elsa followed her gaze to see a young man perched on a high branch. He tossed aside a blowpipe and unsheathed two hook swords, his eyes glinting with determination.
The young man leaped from the tree, his movements fluid and precise. He took down two soldiers upon landing, then rushed forward to dispatch two more with his hook swords.
"Down you go," he said with a smirk, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.
Katara watched in amazement, her eyes wide and a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Aang's jaw dropped in shock, while Sokka's expression wavered between confusion and frustration. Elsa observed the newcomer impressed, grateful of his intervention, but cautious.
As another soldier charged at the young man, he effortlessly defeated him. Suddenly, more figures emerged from the trees.
"They're in the trees!" another guard cried out in alarm.
A young boy dropped onto a soldier's shoulders, spinning the man's helmet to blind him before riding him around with gleeful laughter. Arrows rained down from above as more children joined the fray.
Elsa, deciding to aid their unexpected allies, sent icy blasts across the ground. The freezing surface caused more soldiers to lose their footing, disrupting their formations and leaving them vulnerable.
Aang and Katara joined the fight, the young Avatar using his airbending to knock soldiers off their feet while Katara's water whips and blasts kept others at bay. Occasionally, they combined their efforts, with Aang's air currents amplifying the force of Katara's attacks and resulting in whirlpools of water and air that saw soldiers being blasted out of the fight.
Sokka, determined not to be left out, raised his boomerang with a battle cry as a soldier approached. However, before he could act, the hook-sword-wielding young man took down the soldier.
"Hey, he was mine!" Sokka protested, his voice a mixture of frustration and disappointment.
The young man flashed a cocky grin. "Gotta be quicker next time."
Sokka's face fell, his pride clearly wounded.
As the battle continued, Elsa noticed a large boy falling from the trees, easily overpowering two soldiers. The hook-sword wielder skilfully disarmed another, causing the soldier's spear to collide with a comrade who had been advancing on Sokka.
"Man!" the water tribe boy exclaimed, his frustration growing.
The young leader disarmed another soldier before running up to Katara, a charming smile on his face. "Hey," he said, his voice smooth and confident.
"Hi," Katara replied, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
They looked around, seeing the now-empty campsite, with remnants of ice scattered everywhere. Elsa surveyed the area, checking there was no Fire Nation soldier in the vicinity. Shards of ice glittered in the sunlight, a testament to the intense battle that had just taken place. She used her powers to dismiss the ice she had created.
Once she had dispelled all her ice, she turned to her companions, concern evident in her voice. "Is everyone alright?"
Aang bounced on his toes, grinning. "I'm fine, Elsa!"
Sokka huffed, crossing his arms. "I'm fine, no thanks to Mr. Show-off here."
Elsa placed a gentle hand on Sokka's shoulder, her voice soothing. "Easy, Sokka. They helped us out of a tight spot."
The young water tribe boy huffed but didn't protest.
Katara nodded, still slightly flushed. "We're okay, thanks to you and..." She glanced at the young man with the hook swords.
The young man stepped forward, his eyes darting between Elsa and where the ice remnants used to be. "The name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters." He answered with a confident grin as he gestured to his companions. "Sneers, Longshot, Smellerbee, The Duke, and Pipsqueak."
Elsa respectfully greeted the young people. "A pleasure to meet you. And we thank you for your assistance. We appreciate it."
Jet nodded in acknowledgment. "No problem. We've been fighting the Fire Nation for years. It's what we do."
Aang's eyes widened in amazement. "You just took out a whole army almost single-handed!"
Sokka scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Army?! Pfft! There were only like, twenty guys."
Elsa placed a calming hand on Sokka's shoulder, noticing his irritated demeanour. "It was still impressive," she said, her voice soothing. "And it doesn't matter how many there were, Sokka. What matters is that we're safe."
The young man mumbled a begrudging agreement, a slight blush creeping up his neck.
"May we know who you are?" Jet asked.
"Of course," Elsa replied. "I'm Elsa, and these are my friends: Aang, Katara, and her brother Sokka. The big guy over there is Appa, and the little lemur is Momo." She indicated each of them in turn.
Jet acquiesced to her words but observed her with a an attentive eye. Aang approached the young boy with the helmet. "Ha ha! Pipsqueak, that's a funny name," he said with an amused innocent laugh.
The child sniffed his nose while the big young man loomed above them. "You think my name is funny?" he growled, his tone low and threatening.
Elsa tensed, ready to intervene, but the young airbender responded with an upbeat tone, "It's hilarious!"
The young queen watched the interaction with a mix of amusement and concern. Pipsqueak's frown deepened for a moment before he burst into laughter. Aang and the boy, who was likely The Duke quickly joined in, and Pipsqueak patted the young Avatar on the back in a friendly manner, though the hit was hard enough to knock Aang flat on the ground. The young airbender continued laughing as he raised his head from the dirt, his good humor undeterred. The Duke, seeing Aang's reaction, laughed even harder.
Elsa couldn't help but smile at the scene, relieved her friend didn't blunder and was able to bond with their allies.
As the laughter subsided, she watched the group with a mixture of amusement and relief. Jet looked at his companions and called out, "Alright, Freedom Fighters! Inspect the camp and take anything useful. We don't want to leave anything for the Fire Nation to use against us."
As the young rebels spread out, Elsa observed their movements carefully. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the area, taking in the scene before her. The Freedom Fighters had begun to raid the empty camp, moving with practiced efficiency. Her gaze fell on Sokka, who seemed uncomfortable as he watched Smellerbee carrying various weapons. Noticing his unease, Elsa approached him, her footsteps light on the forest floor.
"Sokka, is everything alright?" she asked gently, her voice low enough for only him to hear.
He sighed, his eyes following Smellerbee's movements. "I don't know, Elsa. It's just..."
"Don't focus on what happened," she gently told him. "Remember there's more being a leader than a display of strength."
Sokka shrugged, yet appreciated her reassurance. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
Meanwhile, Katara approached Jet, who was standing by a tree, overseeing his team's efforts. "Umm, thanks again for helping us, Jet. We're lucky you were there."
Jet grinned at her, his confidence apparent. "I should be thanking you. We were waiting to ambush those soldiers all morning. We just needed the right distraction, and then you guys stumbled in." He glanced at Elsa. "By the way, your friend there—her ice powers are something else."
Katara beamed with pride. "I know, right? She's so amazing! And she's so kind and protective. We're really lucky to have her with us."
Jet nodded, impressed. "Yeah, she's definitely someone I'd want on my side."
As Katara was praising Elsa to Jet, Sokka noticed the interaction and frowned. Elsa, still standing beside him, followed his gaze.
"What's the matter, Sokka?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly.
Before he could answer, they heard The Duke's excited voice. "Hey, Jet, these barrels are filled with blasting jelly!"
Elsa and Sokka turned to see The Duke and Pipsqueak inspecting a large barrel. Elsa leaned closer to Sokka, her voice lowered. "What's blasting jelly?"
Sokka's eyes widened slightly. "It's a highly explosive substance. The Fire Nation uses it in their attacks."
Elsa's expression grew serious as she looked back at the barrels.
Jet's voice carried across the clearing. "That's a great score."
Pipsqueak held up a wooden box, his deep voice rumbling, "And these boxes are filled with jelly candy!"
Jet chuckled. "Also good. Let's not get those mixed up."
The Duke nodded eagerly. "We'll take this stuff back to the hideout."
Aang, who had been watching the proceedings with wide-eyed curiosity, piped up, "You guys have a hideout?"
Jet turned to him, a mysterious glint in his eye. "You wanna see it?"
Before Elsa could interject, Katara exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, we wanna see it!"
Jet smiled at her enthusiasm, and Elsa felt a twinge of concern. The scene reminded her all too well of Anna's excitement at Hans' attention during her coronation. She pushed the memory aside, focusing on the present. She wouldn't jump to conclusions, though she would keep in mind not to let her guard down. Not when Katara was still young and rather unexperienced in spite of what happened to her.
Jet then looked at Elsa and Sokka, his expression expectant. The young queen responded with graceful poise, "If it's not too much trouble, we'd be honored to see your hideout."
Katara and Aang cheered at her answer, while Sokka remained noticeably less enthused.
Jet nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Alright then. It's settled." He turned to his companions. "Is the camp totally cleared out?"
Smellerbee approached, her arms full of various items. "All clear, Jet. We've got everything of value."
"Good work," Jet replied. He then addressed the group at large. "Let's move out. Follow me, and I'll show you our home."
As Katara and Aang eagerly followed Jet, Elsa hung back with Sokka. She noticed his sullen demeanor and said softly, "Let's follow them."
Sokka sighed but nodded.
As they began to move, Elsa kept a watchful eye on their new acquaintances, her mind filled with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Despite the friendly façade and the fact they helped her companions against the Fire Nation soldiers, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to these Freedom Fighters than met the eye, especially their leader as his demeanour and charm reminded her of a certain auburn prince.
She made a mental note to remain vigilant, determined to protect her young companions from any potential threats, no matter how well-disguised they might be. She didn't want them to experiment with what her sister and she faced back during the time of her coronation.