The Blind Waterbender

Chores & Training

Song is Here Come the Wolves By Lola Blanc, as usual not my song or video. Just another song I was listening to while writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!
-Rose

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Lyra's POV

After I handed Sokka some of the bark I called Asura over. She paused on her onslaught with some of the fish in the water. She happily skipped over, shaking the water off her paws. She tilted her head and chattered curiously.

I ruffled her feathers lightly as she purred in delight.

"Hey, Darling. I just need to grab some stuff off your saddle" I explained.

Asura simply gave a short coo in response as I unlatched her saddle. She shook her body, rearranging her feathers that were displaced from the saddle.

I set the saddle down and pulled out my mortar and pestle.

I added in some of the medical herbs I  collected and some boiling water.

While I was at it, I decided to ask La how he'd made the tea we'd shared.

"I actually used some white sage and blackberries" he offered helpfully.

I thanked him and avoided Jeong Jeong's questioning look.

"So, how's your waterbending progressing?" He asked me. I only just noticed that a watery figure stood over the water.

Aang and the others seemed unbothered, if not a little suprised.

Jeong Jeong however was very startled, although he didn't show it.

"Let me help" La offered. I only nodded.

He took over making the tea and added honeysuckle flowers.

I continued on my internal list and pulled as much water from the fruits as possible.

I resumed making the medicine with my mortar and pestle. I kept grinding the bitter herbs until I had made a sweet smelling paste, from the nettle leaves meeting the air (P.S little readers note, I only did some surface level research on ointment making, so I have no idea if this would work. Please don't attempt this, unless you are a professional or you know what you're doing, thanks!)

I poured that paste into a whalebone container with some beeswax, and warm oil.

With that I was able to shake the container up until I had a fluffy ointment for skin surface wounds, minor burns, and other injuries.

While I was near the water I figured I might bathe Asura. She had no problem taking a bath and actually rolled around in the cool water until she was fairly clean, but brushing her was a whole other thing.

I'll put it this way, she's quite the diva when it comes to her feathers. So she seemed to do pretty well without my assistance.

At least I could finally get on laundry. I forced Sokka to help until he could go back to fishing.  With his, and Katara's help we were able to clean almost all the clothes. I left Katara to finish them to dry, and check for any needed repairs.

As the morning passed I continued working down my list, until I reached stuff for breakfast.

It was still early in the day but I was beginning to get hungry.

Jeong Jeong had offered me the option of using some milk from the cow-goats he had found recently.

I of course, being the opportunist I am, accepted.

You have to understand, milk is a rare item in our group. So having the option to some was a rare opportunity.

Even in the South Pole it was rare. Artic yaks were rare in the South as well.

Jeong Jeong repeated my request to Lin Ye who left to retrieve the ingredients.

When Lin Ye had retrieved the milk he made a face that told me how much he enjoyed carrying out seemingly meaningless duties.

I thanked both and took the chilled leather milk skins.

I emptied three into a pot over the fire. I was quick to add in some eggs and some sugarcane juice.

Essentially I had made a creamy custard. I poured out the custard into wooden bowls and froze a small hole with water from the stream. I made sure my bowls were sealed and put in water up to the top of the hole. After that I froze the water to a solid slab of ice.

I had made the beginning of what I was going to call... ice- ice milk? No, wait I have one better- ice cream!

For now I would allow the custard to cool while I glazed some vegetables and some fish Sokka had caught not long ago. I made sure the two were ways apart, since Aang was a vegetarian.

"Can I have some?" Aang asked, briefly startling me.

"Uh-" I began

"No" Jeong Jeong answered firmly, "Now widen your stance" he ordered Aang.

Aang did as told, albeit irritatedly, but not before glancing back longingly at the glazed vegetables I roasted over a spit.

I figured it would be awhile before the food was ready so I joined La for some tea and meditation. I tried to ignore the talking outside my bubble as Katara returned with nothing. We were lucky we didn't have to repair anything, it meant a bit longer for our clothes.

I focused intensely on my breathing, each breathe feeding my body with oxygen and sending it into my bloodstream. The oxygen reached my muscles which channeled my chakra with electric pulses and messages which redistributed itself across the untouched parts of my body. It was progressingly getting easier to ignore the yelling and talking nearby.

"Wider!" ordered Jeong Jeong.

"Bend your knees!"

"Now concentrate" Jeong Jeong continued.

Aang made a face that nearly made me bust out laughing.

"Good, good..." Jeong Jeong praised and began to walk away from Aang.

"Wait!" Aang called, "what do I do now?" Aang questioned impatiently.

"Silence!" Jeong Jeong declared, "talking is not concentrating! Look at your friend is she talking? Or her? She's meditating, not talking. Even that oaf know to concentrate on what he's doing" Jeong Jeong stated.

"Hey!" Sokka protested.

La and I snickered at this with amusement as we drew the tea to our lips and took a breath of the teas aroma.

Aang straightened his back with resilience,

"But what am I concentrating on?" Aang asked quickly.

"Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire, yet it is in complete balance with nature" Jeong Jeong guided poetically.

"He sure is one with poetry" La whispered to me.

"Yeah he most definitely is" I agreed readily.

"So.. when do I get to make some fire?" Aang asked impatiently.

"Concentrate!"

I bit my lip, withholding a snarky comment.

"Aw, come on say it" La teased.

I smirked, keeping my eyes closed as he returned his watery figure to normal water. More like a snake of water.

"Remind me not to get him angry" I remarked making La laugh as he returned back to the spirit world. His laughter faded into the water until the stream resumed it's natural flow.

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Sooo I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. But anyways I hope you guys are having a wonderful day and I love y'all! Stay safe and healthy my Bookworms and I'll see y'all in the next one! Until next time, I'm out!
-Rose