Friendship in a time of war (Avatar fan fiction)

Chapter 9

Karra paced back and forth across the floor on the healing hut. She had finished healing Polri's arm in silence, and said he was free to go, but to take it easy. After that the healers had gone back into the hut, and Yagoda declared Karra a true healing master. Karra had barely registered it.

The avatar's alive! She thought over and over again. And here! What if I could go with him, and explore other nations? It just seemed too crazy. Her parents would never allow it, and the fisherman said the avatar already had two people traveling with him. They wouldn't have room for her.

"Karra!" Yagoda said nicely, but firmly. "Please stop pacing. The avatar being alive is big news to everyone. I'm sure they will be at the festival tonight. Are you going?"

Karra stopped in her tracks and snapped her fingers. The festival! That was how she could meet them! "That's it! Thank you, Yagoda!" Karra turned tward the doorway, ready to leave.

"Wait!" Yagoda called to her. "Tomorrow morning, I am having a beginner healing lesson. It is a tradition that the new master healer helps teach. Will you please come?"

Karra was only half listening. "Yes! I'll be there! Thank you for everything!" And with that she ran out the door.

**************

Karra arrived home in a good mood. After telling her mother that she was a master healer-which took longer than it should with all the hugging and congratulating-and doing other random jobs around the house, Karra decided she should get ready for the party. It was going to start soon anyway.

Karra put on a fancy purple dress with a wave pattern and tidied her hair. Then she took a deep breath. "I got this."

*****

Karra looked around the party. She was sitting with her mother in the front row of bleacher like seats circled around a giant bin of water with steam rising out of it. It was a ceremonial tradition, though, she didn't know what for.  There were two stages on ether side of the circle. One had three large jars of water on it, so it must have been for a waterbending performance. The other stage was more of a raised platform. On it was a long table with seven people sitting behind it.

Chief Arnook was in the middle, with Karra's father and two other council members off to the right. On the left there were three people Karra had never seen before. There was a girl that looked about Karra's age, and a boy that looked slightly older. They were wearing water tribe clothing, but it somehow looked different from northern wear.

There was a third person with them. He was wearing yellow and orange, that stood out against the blues and purples of the north. That must have been the avatar! But there was something even odder about him. He was a kid! No more than thirteen years old.

Karra was confused. The avatar had been supposedly dead for 100 years. If this kid was the avatar, he would have been old. Really old! but this kid was just a child. How was that possible?

"Karra!" She heard her mother's voice. "Pay attention! It's starting."

The chief stood up from his seat, and voices quieted. "Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the southern tribe." He motioned to the boy and girl sitting with the avatar. "And they have brought with them someone very special, someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now. . ." His voice rose as he spoke, and then stopped in a dramatic pause. "The avatar!"

There were claps and cheers from all around. The avatar gave a little wave, clearly embarrassed, and the chief continued. "We also celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age." He stepped aside and the princess came forward.

She gave a bow before speaking. "Thank you, father. May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times." The chief smiled at his daughter before continuing. "Now master Pakku and his students will perform!" He turned to the stage across from him. There was master Pakku and two of his students that looked to be about 16.

They waterbent water out of the pots Karra had seen earlier and wrapped them around their bodies. Then they joined the three balls of water into a circle and made it go around all three of them. The avatar and his friends seemed to be impressed, and they clapped along with everyone else. The show continued and people began eating. Princess Yue sat down next to the avatar's friends, and they seemed to have a conversation.

When the waterbending show ended, most people were finished eating. People started leaving the party and going back to their houses. 

Karra was finding it hard to enjoy herself. The party was almost over, and she still hadn't spoken to the avatar! Finally, the avatar got up and went to speak with mater Pakku. Her father had left the stage table and was mingling with some other people. This was her chance!

The southern boy was still talking to princess Yue, but the girl with him looked approachable. Karra took a deep breath. Talking to the avatar's friend was better than doing nothing.

"Excuses me, mother," Karra said getting up. She walked over to the platform feeling embarrassed. Was she allowed to go up there? Karra needed to take another deep breath. Then she walked up the steps. No one was looking at her weirdly yet, so she kept going. The girl with the avatar was eating her dinner and didn't notice Karra. The chief was talking to master Pakku with the avatar, so she sat down in his seat. The girl finally looked up, noticing Karra for the first time.

"Hi!" Karra said awkwardly. She really hadn't thought this though. "Um, I'm Karra. I'm a healer here."

The girl seemed to be good with new people. "Hi, I'm Katara. My brother over there is Sokka." She pointed behind her and at her brother who was stuffing his face with food. 

"So, you're a water bender, huh?" Katara asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh yeah, but I just do healing." Karra told her.

"I'm a healer too!" Katara seemed excited at this news. "I'm kind of Aang's-the avatar's waterbending teacher, but neither of us are master's yet, so we're here to learn."

Karra smiled, but on the inside, her heart was dropping. Katara didn't know that in the north woman couldn't be waterbenders. She wasn't going to be the one to break the news to her. They had just met!

Someone cleared their throat behind the girls. The avatar was standing right in front of them! Karra didn't want to leave, but she couldn't intrude either. "It was nice talking to you!" She told Katara, standing up. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah." Katara waved, and Karra walked away. Well, she had done it. She had talked to the avatar's friend, and they even knew each other now. Karra liked Katara. And something even told her they would see each other again.