The Thief |Sokka

FOURTEEN

From the moment she had told her friends to go after the killer, Jaya knew there was little chance of managing to catch up to him. She still looked her best. There was no point, though. There was no one that seemed suspicious enough and she couldn't go around, threatening people and demanding they confess to their crimes – they may have done no crime and she was also an airbender now, a proud vessel of the air nomads' culture, she was supposed to be a peaceful being. Akira's home also happened to be close to the city, so the killer could have easily blended in with the people and disappeared. Finding them had been a fruitless attempt, and she returned to the palace's grounds disappointed, even though that was the outcome she had expected. 

She knew next to nothing about Zuko's palace, but upon entering she came across Sokka and Katara, talking to each other, a conversation that was put to an end as she got closer. They both turned to face her and almost at once sent her identical smiles.

"Hey," Sokka was the one to speak up, "Did you find anything?"

"Nothing at all, although I wasn't expecting to," she admitted. Katara sighed and sent her a sympathetic smile.

"No one did. Toph and Aang passed by a while ago."

Jaya lowered her head, her lips pursed. "What about Akira?"

"He's shut himself in his room," Katara murmured. Her lips turned into a frown at once. "I don't think he wants to be disturbed. Mai and Zuko have given him space so he probably needs it."

"Let him mourn," Sokka adviced her, "I don't know him well but he spoke highly of the woman. I don't know the whole story-"

"We could ask Mai or Zuko," Jaya cut him off softly, "so that we know what we are dealing with."

"Discreetly," Sokka stressed, "the last thing you'd want is to have him learn you were asking around."

"Of course, discreetly."

"He'll be over it, Katara." Sokka placed a hand on Katara's shoulder and squeezed it, and it was then that Jaya realised how deep her frown had gotten, her brows furrowed in deep worry. She seemed so affected by his loss she couldn't help but question whether they were close.

"Have you known Akira for long?"

"Not at all," Sokka replied before Katara could. "I saw him once, I think, five years ago, and then I saw him again when we got back here. Katara knows him a bit more."

"We worked together to set free the rebels after the end of the war and he was my guide when we got here so we also had to work together so that we didn't die." She chuckled lightly even though there was nothing funny about her statement. At least her furrowed brows existed no more, though. "He seems nice."

Jaya's brows rose for a moment before she caught herself and schooled her expression back to normal. "He'll be fine. He just needs a bit of time. We all know how it is to lose somebody – didn't we turn out alright?"

"I wouldn't know about that," Sokka raised a brow down at Jaya. "You became a thief and a prison collector, no offence-"

"None taken."

"And Katara and I were so angry we joined the war when we were fourteen and fifteen respectively-"

"That's how everything changed, though," Jaya insisted with a smile. "Besides, look at us now."

"You are right," Katara nodded her head. "It will be fine."

"Exactly," she resolutely spoke, "now, I am looking to find my room. Do any of you have any idea where it could be?"

"I overheard Mai say you and Aang would be staying close to me," Sokka admitted with a smile, "I'll take you there." 

She offered him a small smile back and as he started walking away, she briefly turned to Katara to greet her goodbye before she followed after him. She easily fell into step with him. Sokka turned to face her the moment she had reached him.