As I Fall: LOK

Chapter Three

Haitana's parents were panicked when she returned home for dinner, and bore the frightening news.

"Poison," her father muttered in deep thought. He was disgusted at the realization... that this boy had attempted to kill his daughter yet again. "If I ever see him, I swear I will—"

"I don't get it," Haitana's mother, Roma, cut him off when she placed down the dinner on the table with worry, almost glancing to it like this food could be poisoned too. "Sufon seemed like such a nice boy. You two were together for so long. I can't believe those anarchists messed with him so much."

Haitana sighed, fingers ghosting to the betrothal necklace she had kept in her pocket. "He was a nice boy," she agreed, sadness tugging at every word and feature on her face. "People change."

The three sat in silence for a moment, the howling wind blowing against the flaps of the tent— causing them to wobble a little under the pressure. In the distance, Haitana could decipher sounds of animals in the creaking shelters, groaning, and wings batting of the sky animals— all retiring after feeding time. "It's dangerous," her father, Elian, proclaimed. "It's too dangerous for her here. Perhaps we need to leave."

"We can't flee from our fears, dear," Roma disagreed, hesitantly bringing the soup bowl up to her lips before putting it back down. She stared at it for a moment, "you don't suppose this is... poisoned too?" She questioned nervously, and Haitana grew enraged.

The young girl slammed her hands on the table, shooting up with ferocity. The idea of her family living with this fear burned inside her core, like she couldn't bare another moment of it. "Dad's right," she decides. "I have to leave. It's the only way to keep you safe."

"Now don't be silly," Roma defies, taking a more confident sip of her soup. "See, no poison," she announces, before glancing back down to the cup. "At least I hope."

Roma sighed, beginning to clean up the dinner as it seemed no one would be eating tonight. "She might be right," she muttered under her breath. "As much as I hate the idea, Sufon might never find her if she leaves."

Shaking his head with determination, Elian clenches his strong hand into a fist— lighting a flame in anger. "We are not sending our daughter away, all alone," he says to Roma. "She is just a young, naive girl. She couldn't possibly—"

"Dad," Haitana interjects, crossing her arms with distaste. "I'm twenty years old. I would've been married by this time and living on my own anyway. I can't ask both of you to give all of this up, to give up on your dream. We will all have a chance if I go... if I go to Republic City."

Her parents stared at her in a thoughtful silence for a while, trying to decipher a proper response. "Perhaps that's true," Elian agrees. "I'm sorry for treating you like a child, it's just... you have to understand— when you have your own children one day you will have the same worries. No father should have to worry about assassination attempts on his only daughter."

Sighing, Haitana places a stressed head in her hands, grasping at her hair. "I don't like it either," she agrees sadly. "The idea of leaving you two so soon pains me, but I need to do this. For the good of everyone. Republic City can be a great opportunity for me— I can work with new animals there and... and... yeah, it could be great."

Roma engulfed her daughter in a distraught hug, almost sobbing into her shoulder with worry. She was shaking like a leaf, and she could not pretend to be strong any longer. "It will be great," she assures. "I know you— my strong, smart, beautiful daughter. You will do so well."

Holding the two close, Elian lets out a baited breath now, hands trembling a bit. He had to put on a brave face for his family, to pretend like sending Haitana away isn't the scariest thing he has ever done. "Promise to write to us, a lot, and stay away from those triads, and don't walk alone after dark and—"

"I know, dad, I know," Haitana breathes out, pulling away from her parents with a newfound certainty. "Who knows, maybe I'll find myself— have an awakening or something. This can't be all bad. I was gonna have to leave the nest eventually— like a buzzard wasp!"

And so leave the nest she did. Haitana stood before the first ship departing the Fire Nation and setting course for Republic City. The sun had not yet began to peak over the horizon, and it was far too early for any normal person. But Haitana wasn't normal, by any means. Everyday she had risen before the blaring sun to tend to her animals, to do her chores... a life she was now leaving all behind.

With only a suitcase, her burlap sack, and her round oriental hat, she stood in front of the ramp to the ship with shaky legs. They threatened to betray her, to drop her to the ground in fear. Siso tugged on her hair, as to say "hurry up," and she took one last glance to her parents.

Elian sighed, holding out a pouch filled with shiny new coins that could surely buy her a ship twice as big as the one she were about to board. Pickett peaked over the brim of her hat, where he normally rested, and jumped into the bag of money with excitement.

"This is everything we saved for... for your... wedding," Elian barely spit out the words, forcing back his emotion. "It should be more than enough to get by in Republic City."

Before Haitana could thank him profusely, her mother let out a sob, crashing into the girl with teary eyes and making Siso squeal in surprise. "Oh, I will miss you so so so much," she muttered into Haitana's shoulder, and the young girl intakes a sharp breath, not ready to say goodbye.

"I'll miss you too... both of you," she averts her gaze to her father who stood patiently behind her mother. "I promise I'll call you when I can find a phone, and I'll give you updates whenever I can... and, everything will be okay."

"I know it will," Elian agrees. "After all, you're not alone. With Siso and Pickett, I don't see trouble in your future anytime soon."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."