The Last Airbenders > Zuko

11

Our friends ended up feeling better after a few days, so we set off from our strange temple hideout, and eventually landed at a river with a sandy shore.

I was laying by the wood pile (that would later turn into a camp fire) untangling the chains and beads from my hair clip. Aang was sitting beside me making something, while Katara was working with the river water.

Just then, I heard splashing come from the water. I looked up from my untangling project and spotted a fish, jumping to the surface. I called over to Sokka. "Look!"

He was laying on his back in the sand, fully relaxing. The boy groaned when he heard me but sat up to look anyway. As soon as he set his eyes onto the fish, he sprung up.

"Oh, you are totally gonna be dinner!" Sokka called out to the fish that didn't speak his language. He ran toward our small tent and grabbed his fishing rod, determined to catch our food. He swung it up and down before stopping to examine the issue.

"Hey, where's the fishing line?" He smoothed his hand on the instrument, making sure he didn't miss a detail.

I heard Aang chuckle beside me. "Oh, I didn't think you needed it." He flashed the project he was working on at us, and revealed a beautiful necklace.

I smiled and leaned toward him. "Aang, it's so pretty!"

"Ah, it's all tangled!" Sokka exclaimed as he fisted his hair.

Aang shook his head. "Not tangled, woven. I made Katara a necklace." He stood up just as she approached the group. Aang held it up like a display, now turning to talk to Katara. "I figured since you lost your other one."

The Water Tribe girl beamed. "Thanks Aang! I love it." She admired the treasure before tying it on.

Suddenly, our dinner splashed around in the river from another leap. Sokka flung around and charged right after the fish, giving up on the useless rod, and pulling out his pocket knife.

"How do I look?" Katara asked when she finished putting it on as we all ignored Sokka.

I smiled. "It looks great, you're beautiful." I said while she returned the grin.

Aang stuttered over his words completely. "Yeah, you look- you look good. I mean- beautiful!"

"Smoochy smoochy!" Sokka said in a sing-song voice while he rose from the river to tease the smaller airbender. "Someone's in love!"

I rolled my eyes at Sokka before Katara put a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Stop it. Aang's just a good friend, a sweet little guy. Just like Momo." She then began to pet the lemur on Aang's shoulder while he sulked.

Sokka got out from the water without a fish, soaking wet and shivering from the slight breeze. I scrunched my face as if thinking what to do, before I removed my hood.

My shirt that usually hides under my hood was now exposed. I alternate between a few, and the one I had on was a strapless yellow tube-top that fully exposed my shoulders and arms. But I constantly wore my white, long and thin fingerless gloves that covered everything but the top of my biceps.

"It's not much, since we don't have clean towels right now, but it's better than nothing. You'll get sick if you stay wet." I said to him as I twirled it around and wrapped it onto his shoulders.

He gripped it in his hands to bundle himself tighter. "Thanks, Nara."

A loud growl interrupted me before I was going to reply. We all turned our heads at the unfamiliar sound, and noticed commotion in the nearby trees of the forest we were surrounded by. My friends and I quickly made our way over, and saw a man all alone with an angry platypus bear.