Wandering Firebender

Thirty One: Murderers

"We're gonna miss you so much, Sri." Her mother, Jin, said tearfully, hugging her daughter tightly and stroking her hair. Lao also stepped in to hug his wife and daughter.

"Be safe and stay alert out there in the city. Okay?" He said to Sri. She wiped her tears and nodded.

"I-I will. I love you both. I hope that you can join me there soon. I'll do my best to have a home ready for both of you when you arrive." She promised them.

"I know you'll make us proud out there, sweetheart." Lao said, patting her shoulder.

Fighting back the urge to sob, Sri hugged her parents tightly one more time. She held them for awhile before finally bringing herself to let go. She wiped her tears and turned away from them, making her way towards the ferry.

On the way, she stopped by Elio. She found him packing up his tent and his things. She went up to him and put a hand on his back.

"Hey, Elio. It's time... Are you ready?" She asked softly.

Elio turned to look back at her with a solemn expression. There were dark circles under his eyes and the most serious expression she had ever seen.

He was not okay.

"Oh, Elio... I'm so sorry. T-This is all my fault. If I hadn't-"

"Don't," Elio interrupted her. He sighed and shook his head. "It's not your fault... I'll see you on the ship." He spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"You're not coming with me?"

"No. We'll meet up." Elio answered before putting his pack on and walking away.

Elio silently stalked his way through the crowd of refugees until he had broken away. He walked away from the beach and from the ferries, passing through the lines leading up to the desks until he had reached the stable. Once there, he freed La from her stall and guided her out by the reins.

"Come on, La. It's time to go." He said, petting the ostrich horse on the snout.

"Hey, Elio." Suki said, approaching him. Elio turned and swallowed.

"Hey, Suki." He nodded to her.

"You know what you did yesterday was a really bad idea. You could've gotten killed out there." She said.

"I know...but Sri was in trouble. I couldn't just..." Elio trailed off and sighed.

"Hey," Suki got his attention, putting a hand on his arm. "It was a brave thing. Don't feel so bad about it."

"Yeah..." He said quietly before clearing his throat. Suki could see that something was wrong with him, but chose to continue the conversation normally for a bit.

"Your ferry's leaving for Ba Sing Se today, right? You got everything you need? You ready to go?" She asked.

"I guess so. As ready as I can be. It's a day's journey, right?"

"Yep. So find a spot on the ship and get comfortable." She advised with a chuckle. Elio nodded.

"Thanks."

"Hey, Elio... What's going on? You don't look so good." She finally brought up. Elio nodded and rubbed his eyes.

"I couldn't sleep... I got some bad news yesterday. A... My best friend just died." He answered her. Suki's eyes widened.

"Oh, Elio, I'm so sorry... It was bad, wasn't it?" She asked.

"He was...killed...by the Fire Nation." He answered slowly, tears welling up in his eyes.